Title
Mechanistic characterization and crystal structure of a small molecule inactivator bound to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Department/School
Chemistry
Abstract
Plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) is a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family. Excessive PAI-1 activity is associated with human disease, making it an attractive pharmaceutical target. However, like other serpins, PAI-1 has a labile structure, making it a difficult target for the development of small molecule inhibitors, and to date, there are no US Food and Drug Administration-approved small molecule inactivators of any serpins. Here we describe the mechanistic and structural characterization of a high affinity inactivator of PAI-1. This molecule binds to PAI-1 reversibly and acts through an allosteric mechanism that inhibits PAI-1 binding to proteases and to its cofactor vitronectin. The binding site is identified by X-ray crystallography and mutagenesis as a pocket at the interface of β-sheets B and C and α-helix H. A similar pocket is present on other serpins, suggesting that this site could be a common target in this structurally conserved protein family.
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Li, S.-H., Reinke, A. A., Sanders, K. L., Emal, C. D., Whisstock, J. C., Stuckey, J. A., & Lawrence, D. A. (2013). Mechanistic characterization and crystal structure of a small molecule inactivator bound to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(51), E4941–E4949. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216499110