title: New 26S proteasome inhibitors with high selectivity for chymotrypsin-like activity and p53-dependent cytotoxicity.
abstract: The 26S proteasome has emerged over the past decade as an attractive therapeutic target in the treatment of cancers. Here, we report new tripeptide aldehydes that are highly specific for the chymotrypsin-like catalytic activity of the proteasome. These new specific proteasome inhibitors demonstrated high potency and specificity for sarcoma cells, with therapeutic windows superior to those observed for benchmark proteasome inhibitors, MG132 and Bortezomib. Constraining the peptide backbone into the β-strand geometry, known to favor binding to a protease, resulted in decreased activity in vitro and reduced anticancer activity. Using these new proteasome inhibitors, we show that the presence of an intact p53 pathway significantly enhances cytotoxic activity, thus suggesting that this tumor suppressor is a critical downstream mediator of cell death following proteasomal inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Personalised Cancer Medicine, Discipline of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Neilsen
authors.forename: Ashok D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pehere
authors.forename: Kathleen I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Pishas
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Callen
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Abell
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007976:Leupeptins; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C061553:ATP dependent 26S protease; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde