Monoamine oxidase, mechanism-based inactivation

F. New Classes of Monoamine Oxidase Mechanism-Based Inactivators Direct... 

Polasek TM, Elliot DJ, Somogyi AA, et al. An evaluation of potential mechanism-based inactivation of human drug metabolizing cytochromes P450 by monoamine oxidase inhibitors, including isoniazid. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2006 61(5) 570-584. 

After the initial discovery that 0-fluoromethylene-substituted amines (e.g., 184, Table 1) were potent, mechanism-based inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAO) (41), the concept was successfully broadened to include most of the common amine oxidases (Table 1). This approach was also used to design inhibitors of y-aminobutyric acid transaminase both the a- and 0- substituted amino acids 189 and 190 were found to inactivate this enzyme. Recently, applica-tion of this concept to the design of inhibitors of S-adenosyl-homocysteine hydrolase (SAH) has led to the discovery of very potent inhibitors of this enzyme (e.g., 176, Table 1). 

Suicide inhibitors, or mechanism-based inhibitors are modified substrates that provide the most specific means to modify an enzyme active site. The inhibitor binds to the enzyme as a substrate and is initially processed by the normal catalytic mechanism. The mechanism of catalysis then generates a chemically reactive intermediate that inactivates the enzyme through covalent modification. The fact that the enzyme participates in its own irreversible inhibition strongly suggests that the covalently modified group on the enzyme is catalytically vital. One example of such an inhibitor is N,N-dimethylpropargylamine. A flavin prosthetic group of monoamine oxidase... 

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