title: Structural and functional analysis of caspase active sites.
abstract: Amino acid sequences of caspases 1, 3, 7, and 8 were aligned with their published three-dimensional (3D) structures. The resultant alignment was used as a template to compare the primary structures of caspases 2, 4-6, and 9-11 to build 3D homology models. The structural models were subsequently refined and validated using structure-activity relationship data obtained from an array of substrate-like inhibitors. All caspases were shown to have identical S1 and catalytic dyad architecture but diverse S2-S4 structures. S2 pockets of these 11 caspases can be briefly categorized into two groups: Csp3, -6, and -7 as one and Csp1, -2, -4, -5, -8, -9, -10, and -11 as the other. S2 pockets of Csp3, -6, and -7 are smaller than those of the other eight caspases, and are limited to binding small P2 residues such as Ala and Val. At the S3 site, the presence of a conserved Arg in all caspases suggests that Glu would be a universally preferred P3 residue. Csp8 and Csp9 have an additional Arg in this pocket that can further enhance the binding of a P3 Glu, whereas Csp2 has a Glu adjacent to the conserved Arg. As such, Csp2 is the only caspase that can accommodate both positively and negatively charged P3. At S4, Csp1, -4, -5, and -11 are closely related with respect to their structures and binder preferences; all have a large hydrophobic pocket and prefer large hydrophobic residues such as Trp. S4 of Csp2, -3, and -7 represents an opposite group with a conformation that is highly specific in binding an Asp. The S4 structures of Csp6, -8, -9, and -10 appear to be hybrids of the two extremes, and have little specificity for any P4. Information revealed from this work provides a guide for designing potent caspase inhibitors with desirable specificity.
authors.affiliation: Idun Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 9380 Judicial Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chéreau
authors.forename: Lalitha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kodandapani
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Tomaselli
authors.forename: Alfred P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Spada
authors.forename: Joe C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D020169:Caspases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020169:Caspases