Competitive inhibition of a glutamate carboxypeptidase by phosphonamidothionate derivatives of glutamic acid.

Several N-thiophosphonyl-glutamates were found to be potent competitive inhibitors of a zinc-dependent glutamyl hydrolase, carboxypeptidase G (CPG). Weak inhibition exhibited by an analogous N-phosphonyl-glutamate suggests that the enhanced potency of the phosphonamidothioates is due to the presence of their sulfur ligand and its favorable interactions with active site features, presumably zinc(II).     

Inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II by phosphonamidothionate derivatives of glutamic acid

A limited series of N-thiophosphonyl-glutamates were found to be inhibitors of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) form of glutamate carboxypeptidase II. Comparative inhibitory profiles of an analogous O-thiophosphonyl-2-hydroxyglutarate revealed that the amido-linkage of the N-thiophosphonyl-glutamate provides a significant enhancement of inhibitory potency presumably due to significant hydrogen-bonding interactions with acceptor groups in the active-site of PSMA resulting in tighter binding. An analogous N-phosphonyl-glutamate exhibited significantly greater inhibitory potency than the parent N-thiophosphonyl-glutamate indicating that the sulfur ligand of the N-thiophosphonyl-glutamates is responsible for less favorable active-site interactions than oxygen, potentially due to steric crowding from the longer P-S bond or as a result of active-site metal substitution of Co(II) for Zn(II) arising from assay conditions.     

Stereoselective inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase by chiral phosphonothioic acids

A series of phosphonothioic acid derivatives of (S)-2-hydroxyglutarate with various alkyl or aryl ligands to the central phosphorus atom was examined for stereoselective inhibition of the glutamate carboxypeptidase, carboxypeptidase G. The inhibitory potencies of these stereoisomers were compared to corresponding synthetic phosphonic acid analogues in order to reveal the significance of the sulfur ligand of the phosphonothioic acid motif upon the inhibition of this metallopeptidase. The acquisition of the individual phosphonothioic acid diastereomers was achieved through the resolution of the respective phosphonate ester precursors. In all cases, the (+)p-diastereomers of these phosphonothioic acid derivatives of (S)-2-hydroxyglutarate were found to be more potent inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase than the corresponding (-)p antipodes with the most dramatic difference observed for the butyl isomers (13.6-fold). Based upon Ki values obtained, the most potent inhibitor of the series by nearly an order of magnitude was the (+)p-n-butylphosphonothioic acid derivative, revealing specific structural and stereochemical requirements by this glutamate carboxypeptidase. With the exception of the (+)p-n-butyl analogue, the isosteric replacement of oxygen with sulfur of the phosphonic acid moiety did not enhance inhibitory potency.     

Bicyclic glutamic acid derivatives

For the second-generation asymmetric synthesis of the trans-tris(homoglutamic) acids via Strecker reaction of chiral ketimines, the cyanide addition as the key stereodifferentiating step produces mixtures of diastereomeric alpha-amino nitrile esters the composition of which is independent of the reaction temperature and the type of the solvent, respectively. The subsequent hydrolysis is exclusively achieved with concentrated H(2)SO(4) yielding diastereomeric mixtures of three secondary alpha-amino alpha-carbamoyl-gamma-esters and two diastereomeric cis-fused angular alpha-carbamoyl gamma-lactams as bicyclic glutamic acid derivatives, gained from in situ stereomer differentiating cyclisation of the secondary cis-alpha-amino alpha-carbamoyl-gamma-esters. Separation was achieved by CC. The pure secondary trans-alpha-amino alpha-carbamoyl-gamma-esters cyclise on heating and treatment with concentrated H(2)SO(4), respectively, to diastereomeric cis-fused angular secondary alpha-amino imides. Their hydrogenolysis led to the enantiomeric cis-fused angular primary alpha-amino imides. The configuration of all compounds was completely established by NMR methods, CD-spectra, and by X-ray analyses of the (alphaR,1R,5R)-1-carbamoyl-2-(1-phenylethyl)-2-azabicyclo[3.3.0]octan-3-one and of the trans-alphaS,1S,2R-2-ethoxycarbonylmethyl-1-(1-phenylethylamino)cyclopentanecarboxamide.     

Structural and computational basis for potent inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II by carbamate-based inhibitors

A series of carbamate-based inhibitors of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) were designed and synthesized using ZJ-43, N-[[[(1S)-1-carboxy-3-methylbutyl]amino]carbonyl]-l-glutamic acid, as a molecular template in order to better understand the impact of replacing one of the two nitrogen atoms in the urea-based GCPII inhibitor with an oxygen atom. Compound 7 containing a C-terminal 2-oxypentanedioic acid was more potent than compound 5 containing a C-terminal glutamic acid (2-aminopentanedioic acid) despite GCPII’s preference for peptides containing an N-terminal glutamate as substrates. Subsequent crystallographic analysis revealed that ZJ-43 and its two carbamate analogs 5 and 7 with the same (S,S)-stereochemical configuration adopt a nearly identical binding mode while (R,S)-carbamate analog 8 containing a d-leucine forms a less extensive hydrogen bonding network. QM and QM/MM calculations have identified no specific interactions in the GCPII active site that would distinguish ZJ-43 from compounds 5 and 7 and attributed the higher potency of ZJ-43 and compound 7 to the free energy changes associated with the transfer of the ligand from bulk solvent to the protein active site as a result of the lower ligand strain energy and solvation/desolvation energy. Our findings underscore a broader range of factors that need to be taken into account in predicting ligand-protein binding affinity. These insights should be of particular importance in future efforts to design and develop GCPII inhibitors for optimal inhibitory potency.     

Kinetics and inhibition of glutamate carboxypeptidase II using a microplate assay

Proteomics, the study of protein function on a global scale, will play an important role in furthering our understanding of gene functions, complex biological pathways, and discovery of novel drug targets. A number of techniques have been developed for proteomic studies to identify and analyze proteins, compare protein expression levels, and study protein-protein interactions. Recent developments have applied a DNA array-type approach to immobilize proteins on a surface for high-throughput analysis. Here we report the development and construction of protein chips using derivatized glass and nitrocellulose-coated slides and the employment of recombinant proteins fused with green and red fluorescent proteins for detection. Fluorescent signals were found to be proportional to the amount of arrayed proteins and could be readily detected with a conventional fluorescence slide scanner. This technique allows the investigation of protein-protein interactions without the need for additional labeling steps of probe proteins.     

Bioanalysis of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate as a marker of glutamate carboxypeptidase II inhibition

We report the characterization of two methods for the analysis of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) in biological fluids. In the first method, NAAG concentrations were calculated based on differences between glutamate concentrations before and after NAAG hydrolysis with exogenous glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by fluorescence detection. In the second method, NAAG levels were quantified directly using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analyses of NAAG levels in human cerebrospinal fluid samples using either method gave similar results within experimental error, confirming the validity of the two independent measurements. These methods will be useful in future clinical trials to assess drug-induced GCP II inhibition in biological matrices.     

Inhibition of glutamine synthetase activity by biologically active derivatives of glutamic acid

The inhibition of activity of glutamine synthetase from Chlorella and porcine brain by 4-hydroxy-D-4-fluoro-D,L- and 4-amino-D,L-glutamic acids diastereoisomers was studied. Each compound was shown to exert the same inhibiting effect on glutamine synthetase from both sources. In case of threo-4-hydroxy-D-glutamic acid the inhibition of the Chlorella enzyme was of a competitive and of a completely mixed type. The enzyme inhibition by 4-fluoro-D, L-glutamic acids seemed to be of a completely non-competitive type. The Ki values for all inhibition reactions were determined. A comparison of biochemical parameters and biological activity revealed that the most effective inhibitors of the enzyme exert a most potent antitumour and antiviral action.     

Determination of glutamic acid decarboxylase activity and inhibition by an H2O2-sensing glutamic acid oxidase biosensor.

The catalytic activity of the enzyme L-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is determined by an amperometric method based on a recently developed glutamate-selective biosensor. The biosensor is composed of an amperometric H2O2 electrode and a biocatalytic membrane containing the enzyme glutamic acid oxidase (GAO). The biosensor allows the direct and continuous measurement of GA levels by monitoring the H2O2 produced at the electrode interface as a coproduct of the GAO-catalyzed GA oxidation to alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Since GA is transformed to gamma-aminobutyric acid and CO2 under the catalytic activity of GAD, the rate of GA consumption in solution, monitored by the GAO biosensor, represents a reliable measure of GAD catalytic activity. Additional experiments performed in the presence of different concentrations of the GAD inhibitor valproic acid have shown the suitability of the proposed approach for the study of GAD inhibitors also. Discussion of the main experimental characteristics of this new analytical method is given in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, and reliability of the experimental results and ease, time, and cost of operation.     

Substrate specificity, inhibition and enzymological analysis of recombinant human glutamate carboxypeptidase II

Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII, EC 3.4.17.21) is a membrane peptidase expressed in a number of tissues such as kidney, prostate and brain. The brain form of GCPII (also known as NAALADase) cleaves N-acetyl-aspartyl glutamate to yield free glutamate. Animal model experiments show that inhibition of GCPII prevents neuronal cell death during experimental ischaemia. GCPII thus represents an important target for the treatment of neuronal damage caused by excess glutamate. In this paper we report expression of an extracellular portion of human glutamate carboxypeptidase II (amino acids 44-750) in Drosophila Schneider's cells and its purification to homogeneity. A novel assay for hydrolytic activity of recombinant human GCPII (rhGCPII), based on fluorimetric detection of released alpha-amino groups was established, and used for its enzymological characterization. rhGCPII does not show dipeptidylpeptidase IV-like activity assigned to the native form of the enzyme previously. Using a complete set of protected dipeptides, substrate specificity of rhGCPII was elucidated. In addition to the previously described substrates, four novel compounds, Ac-Glu-Met, Ac-Asp-Met and, surprisingly, Ac-Ala-Glu and Ac-Ala-Met were identified as substrates for GCPII, and their respective kinetic constants determined. The glycosylation of rhGCPII was found indispensable for the enzymatic activity.     

The inhibition of pineal arylalkylamine n-acetyltransferase by glutamic acid and its analogues

Previous studies from this laboratory have identified in bovine pineal gland a glutamate receptor site with a dissociation equilibrium constant (K_D) value of 0.534 μM and a receptor density (B_max) value of 4.84 pmol/mg protein. This pH- and temperature-dependent binding site showed stereospecificity, was activated by Ca²⁺ and displayed affinity for both glutamate receptor agonists and antagonists. The role of this glutamate receptor site was investigated by studying the effects of select glutamate receptor agonists and antagonists and of γ-aminobutyric acid on the basal- and on the norepinephrine-stimulated activity of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase in rat pineal glands that were incubated in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium at 37°C for 20 min in an atmosphere of 5% CO₂/95% O₂. l-Glutamate, l-aspartate and glutamate receptor agonists such as γ-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propinonic acid and quisqualate were all also potent inhibitors of norepinephrine-induced stimulation of N-acetyltransferase. On the other hand, the known glutamate receptor antagonists such as d-glutamylaminomethylsulphonic acid and γ-d-glutamyltaurine stimulated the basal activity of N-acetyltransferase.Evidence of a high concentration of glutamic acid, the presence of glutamate receptors and the inhibition by glutamate receptor agonists of pineal N-acetyltransferase compel one to speculate that, in addition to its well-known metabolic roles, glutamate may modulate in an unknown fashion the activity of melatonin synthesizing enzyme, and the functions of mammalian pineal glands.     

Pyridoxal phosphate-unrelated inhibition of hippocampal glutamic acid decarboxylase by convulsant pyridoxal sulphate

Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that pyridoxal-5-sulphate, the synthetic analogue of pyridoxal phosphate, causes epileptic seizures including tonic-clonic convulsions. These seizure activities are prevented or reversed by GABA or muscimol. In an attempt to delineate the biochemical basis of these seizure processes further, we have studied and shown that pyridoxal sulphate is a competitive inhibitor of glutamic acid decarboxylase. In addition, the chronic administration of pyridoxal sulphate was shown to reduce the concentration of pyridoxal phosphate in the cerebellum, the cerebrum, and basal ganglion, but not in the hippocampus. The activity of hippocampal glutamic acid decarboxylase was reduced after 1, 3, and 5 days of chronic application of pyridoxal sulphate. The inhibition was demonstrated, whether glutamic acid decarboxylase was assayed in the presence or absence of its coenzyme pyridoxal phosphate. Unlike findings in the hippocampus, the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase in other brain regions was unaffected following chronic application of pyridoxal sulphate. The selective toxic effects of pyridoxal sulfate to the hippocampus, a brain area well known for its high susceptibility to seizure discharges, deserve additional indepth investigation.     

Neuroexcitatory amino acids: 4-methylene glutamic acid derivatives

Summary A short synthesis of 4-methylene glutamic acid was achieved. Under thermal conditions the corresponding anhydride reacted with 2,3 dimethylbutadiene to afford the corresponding DIELS-ALDER adduct in good yield. L-4-methylene glutamic acid essentially acts on glutamate metabotropic receptors and is as potent as L-Glu in producing IPs.