Lysine target residues

The exact role of individual histone acetylations will have to be determined in the context of other modifications and the number of lysine residues effected. However, the general importance of histone acetylation as a regulator for chromatin activity is undisputed. This leads to the intriguing possibility to develop drugs that target histone acetylation for therapeutic purposes. The primary targets for drug development are the histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and the histone deacetylases (HDACs) which introduce and remove histone acetylations [2, 3]. 

Small tfbiquitin-like modifier represents a family of evolutionary conserved proteins that are distantly related in amino-acid sequence to ubiquitin, but share the same structural folding with ubiquitin proteins. SUMO proteins are covalently conjugated to protein substrates by an isopeptide bond through their carboxyl termini. SUMO addition to lysine residues of target proteins, termed SUMOylation, mediates post-transla-tional modification and requires a set of enzymes that are distinct from those that act on ubiquitin. SUMOylation regulates the activity of a variety of tar get proteins including transcription factors. 

Small Ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a conserved protein that is ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes and is essential for viability. It serves as a reversible posttranslational modifier by forming an isopeptide bond with lysine residues in many target proteins, in a catalytic process termed SUMOylation. SUMOylation of proteins results in altered inter- or intramolecular interactions of the modified target (Fig. 1). 

Ubiquitin/Proteasome. Figure 2 Functional consequences of ubiquitin linkage. Substrates (blue bars) are linked via lysine residues (K) to ubiquitin or ubiquitin chains, (a) Attachment of chains connected via Lysines in position 48 of ubiquitin (K48) targets substrates for proteasomal degradation. In contrast modification of one (b) or multiple (c) lysines by a single ubiquitin molecule mediates novel protein interactions or initiates endocytosis. Conjugation of K63-linked polyubiquitin (d) alters protein function and can also serve as a signal for endocytosis. 

Another interesting target for this type of inhibitors is the dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV). This exodipeptidase, which can cleave peptides behind a proline residue is important in type 2 diabetes as it truncates the glucagon-like peptide 1. Taking into account the P2-Pi( Pro)-P,1 cleavage and the requirement for a free terminal amine, the synthesis of a suicide inhibitor was planned. It looked as if the the e-amino group of a P2 lysine residue could be cyclized because of the relative little importance of the nature of the P2 residue on the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of known synthetic substrates. Therefore, anew series of cyclopeptides 11 was synthesized (Fig. 11.8). 

S. Gac, J. Coudane, M. Boustta, M. Domurado, and M. Vert, Synthesis, characterization and in vivo behavior of a norfloxacin-poly(L-lysine citramide imide) conjugate bearing mannosyl residues, J. Drug Targeting, 1 (2000) 393 -06. 

Further investigations with bimanyl-labeled K-Ras4B peptides demonstrated that relatively small differences in membrane charging (approximately 10 mol %) are sufficient for an electrostatic enrichment in the more negative environment [230]. With the farnesyl group as a hydrophobic anchor, the peptide is still mobile and can swap between vesicles but may find its target membrane with the sensitive surface potential-sensing function of its lysine residues. 

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