Using the Electrostatic Field Effect to Design a New Class of Inhibitors for Cysteine Proteases

摘要

A new class of competitive inhibitors for the cysteine protease papain is described. These inhibitors are based upon a 4-heterocyclohexanone ring and are designed to react with the enzyme active site nucleophile to give a reversibly formed hemithioketal. The electrophilicity of the ketone in these inhibitors is enhanced by ring strain and by through-space electrostatic repulsion with the heteroatom at the 1-position of the ring.