Bowman-Birk serine protease inhibitor proteins

The most thoroughly studied mechanism of protein protease inhibitors is that of the standard mechanism (or Canonical or Laskowski mechanism) inhibitors of serine proteases (1) (Fig. 2). Standard mechanism inhibitors include the Kazal, Kunitz, and Bowman-Birk family of inhibitors and bind in a lock-and-key fashion. Ah standard mechanism inhibitors insert a reactive loop into the active site of the protease, which is complementary to the substrate specificity of the target protease and binds in an extended fi-sheet with the enzyme in a substrate-like manner. WhUe bound to the protease, the scissile bond of standard mechaiusm inhibitors is hydrolyzed very slowly, but products are not released and the amide bond is re-ligated. The standard mechanism is an efficient way to inhibit serine proteases, and it is thus used by many structurally... 

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