Rhomboid proteases form one of the most widespread intramembrane protease families. They have been implicated in variety of human diseases. The currently reported rhomboid inhibitors display some selectivity, but their construction involves multistep synthesis protocols. Here, we report benzoxazin-4-ones as novel inhibitors of rhomboid proteases with a covalent, but slow reversible inhibition mechanism. Benzoxazin-4-ones can be synthesized from anthranilic acid derivatives in a one-step synthesis, making them easily accessible. We demonstrate that an alkoxy substituent at the 2-position is crucial for potency and results in low micromolar inhibitors of rhomboid proteases. Hence, we expect that these compounds will allow rapid synthesis and optimization of inhibitors of rhomboids from different organisms.

• MeSH
• Bacillus subtilis enzymologie   MeSH
• benzoxaziny chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• chymotrypsin antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• DNA vazebné proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• endopeptidasy MeSH
• enzymatické testy MeSH
• Escherichia coli enzymologie   MeSH
• inhibitory serinových proteinas chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• inhibitory trypsinu chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• membránové proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• ortoaminobenzoáty chemie   MeSH
• proteiny z Escherichia coli antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• skot MeSH
• trypsin chemie   MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• skot MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The rhomboid superfamily of transmembrane (TM) proteins includes intramembrane serine proteases and several classes of pseudoprotease. Rhomboid-like proteins occur widely across evolution and comprise biologically important regulators of fate of membrane proteins, influencing their proteolysis, trafficking, or degradation. In this review, we discuss how structural and mechanistic insights into the action of rhomboid proteases can inform on the mechanism of the pseudoproteases, and discuss the impact of structural understanding on the development of inhibitors and other chemical biology tools for these proteins. Development of modulators would be particularly relevant for the iRhoms, which are key regulators of ADAM17 and, hence, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, two medically important pathways.

• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• membránové proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protein ADAM17 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteolýza * MeSH
• signální transdukce fyziologie   MeSH
• TNF-alfa genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• transport proteinů fyziologie   MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Rhomboid-family intramembrane proteases regulate important biological processes and have been associated with malaria, cancer, and Parkinson's disease. However, due to the lack of potent, selective, and pharmacologically compliant inhibitors, the wide therapeutic potential of rhomboids is currently untapped. Here, we bridge this gap by discovering that peptidyl α-ketoamides substituted at the ketoamide nitrogen by hydrophobic groups are potent rhomboid inhibitors active in the nanomolar range, surpassing the currently used rhomboid inhibitors by up to three orders of magnitude. Such peptidyl ketoamides show selectivity for rhomboids, leaving most human serine hydrolases unaffected. Crystal structures show that these compounds bind the active site of rhomboid covalently and in a substrate-like manner, and kinetic analysis reveals their reversible, slow-binding, non-competitive mechanism. Since ketoamides are clinically used pharmacophores, our findings uncover a straightforward modular way for the design of specific inhibitors of rhomboid proteases, which can be widely applicable in cell biology and drug discovery.

• MeSH
• gramnegativní bakterie enzymologie   MeSH
• grampozitivní bakterie enzymologie   MeSH
• inhibitory serinových proteinas chemická syntéza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• proteasy metabolismus   MeSH
• racionální návrh léčiv * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH

Rhomboid-family intramembrane serine proteases are evolutionarily widespread. Their functions in different organisms are gradually being uncovered and already suggest medical relevance for infectious diseases and cancer. In contrast to these advances, selective inhibitors that could serve as efficient tools for investigation of physiological functions of rhomboids, validation of their disease relevance or as templates for drug development are lacking. In this review I extract what is known about rhomboid protease mechanism and specificity, examine the currently used inhibitors, their mechanism of action and limitations, and conclude by proposing routes for future development of rhomboid protease inhibitors.

• MeSH
• cílená molekulární terapie * MeSH
• enzymatické testy MeSH
• inhibitory proteas chemie   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• membránové proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   metabolismus   MeSH
• substrátová specifita MeSH
• vztahy mezi strukturou a aktivitou MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH