Designing Allosteric Regulators of Thrombin. Exosite 2 Features Multiple Sub-Sites That Can Be Targeted By Sulfated Small Molecules for Inducing Inhibition

摘要

We recently designed a group of novel exosite 2-directed, sulfated, small, allosteric inhibitors of thrombin. To develop more potent inhibitors, monosulfated benzofuran tri- and tetrameric homologs of the parent designed dimers were synthesized in 7–8 steps and found to exhibit a wide range of potencies. Among these, trimer >9a was found to be nearly 10-fold more potent than the first generation molecules. Michaelis-Menten studies indicated an allosteric mechanism of inhibition. Competitive studies using a hirudin peptide (exosite 1 ligand) and, unfractionated heparin, heparin octasaccharide and γ′-fibrinogen peptide (exosite 2 ligands), demonstrated exosite 2 recognition in a manner different from the parent dimers. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of 12 Arg/Lys residues of exosite 2 revealed a defect in >9a potency for Arg233Ala thrombin only confirming the major difference in site of recognition between the two structurally related sulfated benzofurans. The results suggest that multiple avenues are available within exosite 2 for inducing thrombin inhibition.