Mode of inhibition of acid proteases by pepstatin

Four derivatives of pepstatin, each of which contains the unusual amino acid 4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid (statine) have been prepared. All four are porcine pepsin inhibitors. Both N-acetylstatine and N-acetyl-alanyl-statine are competitive inhibitors for pepsin with Ki values of 1.2 X 10(-4) M and 5.65 X 10(-6) M, respectively. The Ki values for N-acetyl-valyl-statine is 4.8 X 10(-6) M. These statyl derivatives, therefore, are very strong inhibitors. The Ki value for N-acetyl-statine is 600-fold smaller than that of its structural analog N-acetyl-leucine. The derivative which contains two statyl residues in a tetrapeptide exhibits inhibitory properties which approach those of pepstatin itself. Other acid proteases, human pepsin, human gastricsin, renin, cathepsin D, the acid protease from Rhizopus chinensis and bovine chymosin, also are inhibited by pepstatin and its derivatives. It is suggested that the statyl residue is responsible for the unusual inhibitory capability of pepstatin and that statine is an analog of the previously proposed transition state for catalysis by pepsin and other acid proteases.