(In)organic anions as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
Giuseppina De Simone1, Claudiu T Supuran
1Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini-CNR, via Mezzocannone 16, Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are widespread enzymes in all life kingdoms with five distinct genetic families known to date, the α-, β-, γ-, δ- and ζ-CAs. With the exception of the δ-class, which is less investigated to date, enzymes from the remaining classes found in vertebrates, corals, fungi, bacteria and archaea have been studied for their inhibition with simple inorganic anions as well as more complex inorganic and organic ones. In this paper we review the available data for the inhibition of these enzymes with all anions except sulfonamides and their bioisosteres (sulfamates, sulfamides) which have been reviewed earlier. Anion inhibitors are important both for understanding the inhibition/catalytic mechanisms of these enzymes and for designing novel types of inhibitors which may have clinical applications for the management of a variety of disorders in which CAs are involved. Environmental aspects of CO(2) fixation by CAs present in plants, corals, algae or diatoms and how this may be affected by inhibitors are also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Roles of Electrolytes: Chloride and Bicarbonate
Conditions such as hypochloremia can arise from insufficient chloride reabsorption by the kidneys, often compounded by extended bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, or...
Bicarbonate-Carbonic Acid Buffer
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
Reversible inhibitors display short to medium durations of action. Short-acting agents include simple alcohols with...
Ions as Acids and Bases
Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions, either of which may be capable of undergoing an acid or base ionization reaction with water. Aqueous salt solutions, therefore, may be acidic, basic, or neutral, depending on the relative acid-base strengths of the salt’s constituent ions. For example, dissolving the ammonium chloride in water results in its dissociation, as described by the equation:
Gravimetry: Inorganic And Organic Precipitating Agents
Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex, leading to...


