Synthesis of collagenase by the phytopathogenic bacterium Corynebacterium rathayii

Phosphinic peptide analogues as potent inhibitors of Corynebacterium rathayii bacterial collagenase

Pseudo-substrate analogues of collagenase from Corynebacterium rathayii, in which the scissile peptide bond is replaced by a phosphinic moiety, were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of this enzyme. The phosphinic tetrapeptide, Z-Phe-psi(PO2CH2)-Gly-Pro-Nle (1), was found to be a potent inhibitor of collagenase with a Ki value of 8 nM. Increasing the length of the phosphinic-containing inhibitors from tetra- to hepta-peptide size further improves the potency of these compounds. The heptapeptide analogue, Z-Phe-Gly-Pro-Phe-psi(PO2CH2)-Gly-Pro-Nle-OMe, with a Ki value of 0.6 nM, is the most potent inhibitor reported to date for bacterial collagenases. A comparison between the phosphinic analogue Z-Phe-psi(PO2CH2)-Gly-Pro-Nle (1) and the phosphonamide peptide Z-Phe-psi(PO2NH)-Gly-Pro-Nle (2) shows that for bacterial collagenase the replacement of a CH2 by an NH group results only in a modest increase in affinity from Ki = 8 nM for compound 1 to Ki = 6 nM for compound 2. Most of the phosphorus-containing inhibitors of this series are slow- or slow-tight-binding inhibitors with second-order rate constants for association and dissociation varying respectively for the kon values from 1 x 10(3) to 26 x 10(3) M-1.s-1 and for the koff values from 3 x 10(-4) to 2 x 10(-5) s-1. Interestingly, the lower affinity of the molecule containing a D residue in the P1 position of the inhibitor, compared with the molecule with an L residue in this position, is mainly the consequence of a lower rate constant for association of these D stereoisomers with the enzyme. This study demonstrates that phosphinic peptide analogues are potent inhibitors of a bacterial collagenase. The development of new phosphinic peptides should lead to the discovery of potent inhibitors of other zinc metalloproteases. Details of how the analogues were synthesized are given in Supplementary Publication SUP 50176 (14 pages), which has been deposited with the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, W. Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1994) 297, 9.