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Kolesnichenko AV, Kazmina NA, Chistov AA, Vakhrenev RG, Kolesanova EF. Influence of amino acid and N-terminal protection residue structures on peptide p-nitroanilide adsorption on polystyrene-based support. Amino Acids 2023; 55:1137-1140. [PMID: 37450048 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03302-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Polystyrene-based support Bio-Beads® SM-2 was employed for desalting peptide-p-nitroanilides from Oxone®. Neither tosyl, 9-fluorenyl(methoxycarbonyl), p-nitroanilide groups nor indolyl or p-hydroxyphenyl side-chains of Trp and Tyr ensured an efficient adsorption of peptide-p-nitroanilides onto Bio-Beads® SM-2. Only unsubstituted phenyl-containing protection groups (carbobenzoxy or benzoyl) and Phe residues provided the adsorption of peptides on Bio-Beads® SM-2 and their efficient desalting. This support is well suitable for multiple parallel phenyl group-containing peptide derivative separations and high-throughput screenings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nathalia A Kazmina
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10/8, Pogodinskaya ul., Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Alexey A Chistov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10/8, Pogodinskaya ul., Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Roman G Vakhrenev
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, 10/8, Pogodinskaya ul., Moscow, 119121, Russia
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2
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Chugunov AO, Dvoryakova EA, Dyuzheva MA, Simonyan TR, Tereshchenkova VF, Filippova IY, Efremov RG, Elpidina EN. Fighting Celiac Disease: Improvement of pH Stability of Cathepsin L In Vitro by Computational Design. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12369. [PMID: 37569743 PMCID: PMC10418366 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Roughly 1% of the global population is susceptible to celiac disease (CD)-inheritable autoimmune inflammation of the small intestine caused by intolerance to gliadin proteins present in wheat, rye, and barley grains, and called gluten in wheat. Classical treatment is a life-long gluten-free diet, which is constraining and costly. An alternative approach is based upon the development and oral reception of effective peptidases that degrade in the stomach immunogenic proline- and glutamine-rich gliadin peptides, which are the cause of the severe reaction in the intestine. In previous research, we have established that the major digestive peptidase of an insect Tribolium castaneum-cathepsin L-hydrolyzes immunogenic prolamins after Gln residues but is unstable in the extremely acidic environment (pH 2-4) of the human stomach and cannot be used as a digestive aid. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we discover the probable cause of the pH instability of cathepsin L-loss of the catalytically competent rotameric state of one of the active site residues, His 275. To "fix" the correct orientation of this residue, we designed a V277A mutant variant, which extends the range of stability of the peptidase in the acidic environment while retaining most of its activity. We suggest this protein as a lead glutenase for the development of oral medical preparation that fights CD and gluten intolerance in susceptible people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton O. Chugunov
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu. A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (M.A.D.); (R.G.E.)
- L.D. Landau School of Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Elena A. Dvoryakova
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.A.D.); (E.N.E.)
| | - Maria A. Dyuzheva
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu. A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (M.A.D.); (R.G.E.)
- Higher Chemical College of the Russian Academy of Sciences, D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, 125047 Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatyana R. Simonyan
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.R.S.); (V.F.T.); (I.Y.F.)
| | - Valeria F. Tereshchenkova
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.R.S.); (V.F.T.); (I.Y.F.)
| | - Irina Yu. Filippova
- Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.R.S.); (V.F.T.); (I.Y.F.)
| | - Roman G. Efremov
- M.M. Shemyakin and Yu. A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (M.A.D.); (R.G.E.)
- L.D. Landau School of Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Department of Applied Mathematics, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena N. Elpidina
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (E.A.D.); (E.N.E.)
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3
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Behring L, Ruiz-Gómez G, Trapp C, Morales M, Wodtke R, Köckerling M, Kopka K, Pisabarro MT, Pietzsch J, Löser R. Dipeptide-Derived Alkynes as Potent and Selective Irreversible Inhibitors of Cysteine Cathepsins. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3818-3851. [PMID: 36867428 PMCID: PMC10041539 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
The potential of designing irreversible alkyne-based inhibitors of cysteine cathepsins by isoelectronic replacement in reversibly acting potent peptide nitriles was explored. The synthesis of the dipeptide alkynes was developed with special emphasis on stereochemically homogeneous products obtained in the Gilbert-Seyferth homologation for C≡C bond formation. Twenty-three dipeptide alkynes and 12 analogous nitriles were synthesized and investigated for their inhibition of cathepsins B, L, S, and K. Numerous combinations of residues at positions P1 and P2 as well as terminal acyl groups allowed for the derivation of extensive structure-activity relationships, which were rationalized by computational covalent docking for selected examples. The determined inactivation constants of the alkynes at the target enzymes span a range of >3 orders of magnitude (3-10 133 M-1 s-1). Notably, the selectivity profiles of alkynes do not necessarily reflect those of the nitriles. Inhibitory activity at the cellular level was demonstrated for selected compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Behring
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gloria Ruiz-Gómez
- BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47-51, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Trapp
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Maryann Morales
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Wodtke
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Köckerling
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3a, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - M Teresa Pisabarro
- BIOTEC, Technische Universität Dresden, Tatzberg 47-51, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens Pietzsch
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Reik Löser
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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Recombinant Cathepsin L of Tribolium castaneum and Its Potential in the Hydrolysis of Immunogenic Gliadin Peptides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137001. [PMID: 35806001 PMCID: PMC9266932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wheat gliadins contain a large amount of glutamine- and proline-rich peptides which are not hydrolyzed by human digestive peptidases and can cause autoimmune celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance in predisposed people. Peptidases that efficiently cleave such immunogenic peptides can be used in enzyme therapy. The stored product insect pest Tribolium castaneum efficiently hydrolyzes gliadins. The main digestive peptidase of T. castaneum is cathepsin L, which is from the papain C1 family with post-glutamine cleavage activity. We describe the isolation and characterization of T. castaneum recombinant procathepsin L (rpTcCathL1, NP_001164001), which was expressed in Pichia pastoris cells. The activation of the proenzyme was conducted by autocatalytic processing. The effects of pH and proenzyme concentration in the reaction mixture on the processing were studied. The mature enzyme retained high activity in the pH range from 5.0 to 9.0 and displayed high pH-stability from 4.0 to 8.0 at 20 °C. The enzyme was characterized according to electrophoretic mobility under native conditions, activity and stability at various pH values, a sensitivity to various inhibitors, and substrate specificity, and its hydrolytic effect on 8-, 10-, 26-, and 33-mer immunogenic gliadins peptides was demonstrated. Our results show that rTcCathL1 is an effective peptidase that can be used to develop a drug for the enzyme therapy of various types of gluten intolerance.
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Dvoryakova EA, Vinokurov KS, Tereshchenkova VF, Dunaevsky YE, Belozersky MA, Oppert B, Filippova IY, Elpidina EN. Primary digestive cathepsins L of Tribolium castaneum larvae: Proteomic identification, properties, comparison with human lysosomal cathepsin L. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 140:103679. [PMID: 34763092 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We previously described the most highly expressed enzymes from the gut of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, as cathepsins L. In the present study, two C1 family-specific cysteine cathepsin L enzymes from the larval midgut were isolated and identified using MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The isolated T. castaneum cathepsins were characterized according to their specificity against chromogenic and fluorogenic peptide substrates, and the most efficiently hydrolyzed substrate was Z-FR-pNA with Arg in the P1 subsite. The specificity of insect digestive cathepsins was compared with human lysosomal cathepsin L, the well-studied peptidase of the C1 family cathepsins. T. castaneum digestive cathepsins efficiently hydrolyzed substrates with small and uncharged amino acid residues at P1 (Ala, Gln) more than human cathepsin L. In particular, these insect digestive cathepsins cleaved with higher efficiency the analogs of immunogenic peptides of gliadins, which contribute to autoimmune celiac disease in susceptible people, and thus insect enzymes may be useful in enzymatic treatments for this disease. A bioinformatic study supported by the proteomic analysis of the primary structures of the isolated cathepsins was used to compare tertiary models. The phylogenetic analysis of coleopteran and human cathepsins from the L subfamily indicated that insect digestive cathepsins grouped separately from lysosomal cathepsins.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Dvoryakova
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - K S Vinokurov
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - V F Tereshchenkova
- Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Y E Dunaevsky
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - M A Belozersky
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - B Oppert
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA.
| | - I Y Filippova
- Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - E N Elpidina
- A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Ishida K, Nakamura Y, Ohta T, Oe Y. A Molecular Probe with Both Chromogenic and Fluorescent Units for Detecting Serine Proteases. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26020482. [PMID: 33477543 PMCID: PMC7831087 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A molecular probe with l-phenylalanine p-nitroanilide and l-lysin 4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide, in which these amino acid derivatives are connected through a succinic-acid spacer, was prepared. Trypsin and papain were detected by blue-fluorescence emission of generated 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC). α-Chymotrypsin and nattokinase were detected from both the blue-fluorescence emission of AMC and the UV absorbance of p-nitroaniline. In addition, different time courses of p-nitroaniline and AMC were observed between the reaction of P1 with α-chymotrypsin and that with nattokinase. In the case of nattokinase, both the fluorescence emission and UV absorbance slowly increased. In contrast, the increasing UV absorbance was saturated at the early stage of the reaction of the present probe with chymotrypsin, whereas the fluorescence emission continuously increased in the following stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yohei Oe
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +81-774-65-6505
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7
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Filippova IY, Dvoryakova EA, Sokolenko NI, Simonyan TR, Tereshchenkova VF, Zhiganov NI, Dunaevsky YE, Belozersky MA, Oppert B, Elpidina EN. New Glutamine-Containing Substrates for the Assay of Cysteine Peptidases From the C1 Papain Family. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:578758. [PMID: 33195423 PMCID: PMC7643032 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.578758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
New substrates with glutamine in the P1-position are introduced for the assay of peptidases from the C1 papain family, with a general formula of Glp-Phe-Gln-X, where Glp is pyroglutamyl and X is pNA (p-nitroanilide) or AMC (4-amino-7-methylcoumaride). The substrates have a simple structure, and C1 cysteine peptidases of various origins cleave them with high efficiency. The main advantage of the substrates is their selectivity for cysteine peptidases of the C1 family. Peptidases of other clans, including serine trypsin-like peptidases, do not cleave glutamine-containing substrates. We demonstrate that using Glp-Phe-Gln-pNA in combination with a commercially available substrate, Z-Arg-Arg-pNA, provided differential determination of cathepsins L and B. In terms of specific activity and kinetic parameters, the proposed substrates offer improvement over the previously described alanine-containing prototypes. The efficiency and selectivity of the substrates was demonstrated by the example of chromatographic and electrophoretic analysis of a multi-enzyme digestive complex of stored product pests from the Tenebrionidae family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Y Filippova
- Division of Natural Compounds, Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena A Dvoryakova
- Department of Plant Proteins, A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay I Sokolenko
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry, Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana R Simonyan
- Division of Natural Compounds, Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Nikita I Zhiganov
- Division of Entomology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yakov E Dunaevsky
- Department of Plant Proteins, A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail A Belozersky
- Department of Plant Proteins, A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Brenda Oppert
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Elena N Elpidina
- Department of Plant Proteins, A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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Abstract
Matriptase-2 (MT2) is a membrane-anchored proteolytic enzyme. It acts as the proteolytic key regulator in human iron homeostasis. A high expression level can lead to iron overload diseases, whereas mutations in the gene encoding MT2, TMPRSS6, may result in various forms of iron deficiency anemia. Recently, MT2 has been reported as a positive prognostic factor in breast and prostate cancers. However, the exact functions of MT2 in various pathophysiological conditions are still not fully understood. In this review, we describe the synthetic tools designed and synthesized to regulate or monitor MT2 proteolytic activity and present the latest knowledge about the role of MT2 in iron homeostasis and cancer.
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Elpidina EN, Semashko TA, Smirnova YA, Dvoryakova EA, Dunaevsky YE, Belozersky MA, Serebryakova MV, Klyachko EV, Abd El-Latif AO, Oppert B, Filippova IY. Direct detection of cysteine peptidases for MALDI-TOF MS analysis using fluorogenic substrates. Anal Biochem 2018; 567:45-50. [PMID: 30528915 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A method is described for the direct detection of unstable cysteine peptidase activity in polyacrylamide gels after native electrophoresis using new selective fluorogenic peptide substrates, pyroglutamyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-4-amino-7-methylcoumaride (Glp-Phe-Ala-AMC) and pyroglutamyl-phenylalanyl-alanyl-4-amino-7-trifluoromethyl-coumaride (Glp-Phe-Ala-AFC). The detection limit of the model enzyme papain was 17 pmol (0.29 μg) for Glp-Phe-Ala-AMC and 43 pmol (0.74 μg) for Glp-Phe-Ala-AFC, with increased sensitivity and selectivity compared to the traditional method of protein determination with Coomassie G-250 staining or detection of activity using chromogenic substrates. Using this method, we easily identified the target digestive peptidases of Tenebrio molitor larvae by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The method offers simplicity, high sensitivity, and selectivity compared to traditional methods for improved identification of unstable cysteine peptidases in multi-component biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Elpidina
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Tatiana A Semashko
- Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Yulia A Smirnova
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Elena A Dvoryakova
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Yakov E Dunaevsky
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Mikhail A Belozersky
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Marina V Serebryakova
- A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Elena V Klyachko
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Ashraf O Abd El-Latif
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Brenda Oppert
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA.
| | - Irina Y Filippova
- Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Cathepsin B: Active site mapping with peptidic substrates and inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 27:1-15. [PMID: 30473362 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The potential of papain-like cysteine proteases, such as cathepsin B, as drug discovery targets for systemic human diseases has prevailed over the past years. The development of potent and selective low-molecular cathepsin B inhibitors relies on the detailed expertise on preferred amino acid and inhibitor residues interacting with the corresponding specificity pockets of cathepsin B. Such knowledge might be obtained by mapping the active site of the protease with combinatorial libraries of peptidic substrates and peptidomimetic inhibitors. This review, for the first time, summarizes a wide spectrum of active site mapping approaches. It considers relevant X-ray crystallographic data and discloses propensities towards favorable protein-ligand interactions in case of the therapeutically relevant protease cathepsin B.
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