Factor group proteinases

C5a is inactivated by the myeloperoxidase-H202 system, which oxidises a methionine residue (Met 70) on the molecule group A streptococcal endo-proteinases also abolish chemotactic activity of C5a and related compounds. Neutrophil lysosomal enzymes (e.g. elastase and cathepsin G) also destroy C5a chemotactic activity, but as these proteases are inhibited by the serum antiproteinases, a -antiproteinase and a2-macroglobulin, the physiological role of neutrophilic proteases in the inactivation of C5a is questionable. Two chemotactic factor inactivators have been found in human serum an a-globulin that specifically and irreversibly inactivates C5-derived chemotactic factors, and a / -globulin that inactivates bacterial chemotactic factors. These activities are heat labile (destroyed by treatment at 56 °C for 30 min) and are distinct from those attributable to anaphylatoxin inactivator. An apparently specific inhibitor of C5-derived chemotactic activity has also been described in human synovial fluid and peritoneal fluid. This factor (molecular mass of 40 kDa) is heat stable and acts directly on C5a. 

A large group of proteinases contain serine in their active center. The serine proteases include, for example, the digestive enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase (see pp. 94 and 268), many coagulation factors (see p. 290), and the fibrinolytic enzyme plos-min and its activators (see p. 292). 

The peptide aldehyde series demonstrated the potential for carbonyl derivatives to be potent inhibitors of serine proteinases. The 200-fold increase in values which was found in going from an aldehyde (7-1) Table 2.7) to its corresponding methyl ketone (7-2) Table 2.7) [129] implied that the physical properties of the carbonyl group were an important factor in determining the potency of the inhibitor. As a means of increasing both the stability and potency of peptide ketone derivatives Trainor and co-workers [130, 131] and Imperiali and Abeles [132] independently prepared the first peptide trifluoromethyl ketone (TFMK) inhibitors of serine proteinases in... 

---