Susceptibility of plasminogen activators to suicide inactivation

Halomethylated derivatives of dihydrocoumarins are efficient enzyme-activated inhibitors ("suicide" substrates) of plasminogen activators. Kinetic analysis indicate that the one-chain and two-chain forms of the human plasminogen activator are inhibited by 3,4-dihydro-3-benzyl-6-chloromethylcoumarin through a mechanism-based inactivation characterized by the following kinetic parameters (4 degrees C, pH 6.8) : k2 equal to 0.02 s-1 and 0.03 s-1 (for one- and two-chain tissue plasminogen activators, respectively) and Ki equal to 0.16 mM for both forms. Human urokinase and human tissue-type plasminogen activator can be discriminated on the basis of their inhibition by this suicide substrate. The design of a new series of suicide substrates of serine proteases (functionalized cyclopeptides possessing a potential alkylating function closely related to that found in halomethylated derivatives of dihydrocoumarins) is described.