Irreversible, Tight-Binding Inhibition of Adenosine Deaminase by Coformycins: Inhibitor Structural Features That Contribute to the Mode of Enzyme Inhibition

Abstract

Coformycin analogues 1–6 were synthesized and biochemically screened against adenosine deaminase in order to assess the relative contributions of N-4, N-6, and the N-3 sugar moiety to the mode of enzyme inhibition. Our results indicate that N-4 plays a relatively greater role than N-6 in enzyme tight-binding, and that a benzyl group can substitute for the sugar moiety at N-3. The absence of a sugar or benzyl group at N-3, however, leads to loss of activity. The hydroxyl group at C-8, while crucial for activity, does not alone confer the tight-binding characteristics to coformycins.

Notes

Molecular modeling studies were performed using Insight II/Discover (Biosym) software, available from Molecular Simulations, Inc., San Diego, CA.