Dipeptide-derived diphenyl phosphonate esters: mechanism-based inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV

Abstract A number of dipeptide diphenyl phosphonate esters were studied as inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV, focusing on the role of the P2 residue in the inactivation process. The active compounds were slow irreversible inhibitors of the catalytic activity of the enzyme. With proline (or alanine) in the P1 position, the rate constants of inactivation correlated with the acylation rate constants reported for homologous dipeptide derived substrates. The kinetic data indicate that the mechanism of inhibition consists of the formation of a fairly weak initial complex, followed by a slow irreversible inactivation step. This indicates that, as in the case of trypsin-like proteinases, dipeptide diphenyl phosphonate esters form a covalent adduct with the catalytic site of DPP IV, even though this enzyme belongs to a completely distinct class of serine peptidases. Enantioselectivity and secondary specificity further support the evidence that diphenyl phosphonate esters are mechanism-based inhibitors. The dipeptide diphenyl phosphonate esters had a half-life of 3–10 h at 37°C in Tris buffer. The inhibitors were degraded in human plasma, depending on the type of amino-terminal amino acid. The compound with proline in the P2 position was the most resistant to degradation in plasma. Due to their stability and the irreversible nature of the inhibition, the diphenyl phosphonate esters promise to be useful tools in the continuing investigation of the physiological function of dipeptidyl peptidase IV.