title: Inhibition of cysteine protease activity by NO-donors.
abstract: Cysteine proteases represent a broad class of proteolytic enzymes widely distributed among living organisms. Although well known as typical lysosomal enzymes, cysteine proteases are actually recognized as multi-function enzymes, being involved in antigen processing and presentation, in membrane-bound protein cleavage, as well as in degradation of the cellular matrix and in processes of tissue remodeling. Very recently, it has been shown that the NO(-donor)-mediated chemical modification of the Cys catalytic residue of cysteine proteases, including Coxsackievirus and Rhinovirus cysteine proteases, cruzain, Leishmania infantum cysteine protease, falcipain, papain, as well as mammalian caspases, cathepsins and calpain, blocks the enzyme activity in vitro and in vivo. Here, inhibition of representative cysteine proteases by NO(-donors) is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascenzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colasanti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Polticelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venturini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002154:Calpain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D020169:Caspases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008322:Mammals; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010206:Papain / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D010271:Parasites / Q000201:enzymology; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D014780:Viruses / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002403:Cathepsins; D002154:Calpain; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C074032:cruzain, Trypanosoma cruzi; C099607:falcipain; D010206:Papain