Proteasomes are responsible for the cytoplasmic turnover of the vast majority of proteins including regulatory proteins. We have synthesized lipopeptides a new class of non-covalent inhibitors of the 20S proteasome and assayed their inhibitory capacities. Their ability to inhibit at micromolar concentrations chymotrypsin-like and post-acid activities depends on peptide length (3 or 6 amino acids), sequence (presence of a positively or negatively charged amino acid), and alkyl chain length (C6–C18). These structural features could be varied to selectively inhibit one or more of the three proteasome activities
Development of lipopeptides for inhibiting 20S proteasomes