Targeting Conformational Flexibility of a Reactive Intermediate to Enhance Selectivity of a GABA Aminotransferase Inactivator

Currently, mechanism-based inactivators (MBIs) are the only available therapeutic option to target γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT). However, off-target activity against homologous enzymes is a well-recognized challenge for the clinical use of MBIs. For example, CPP-115, an MBI of GABA-AT that completed a Phase I clinical trial, also inactivates ornithine aminotransferase (OAT). Here, we present a comprehensive investigation of an OAT-specific inactivation mechanism for CPP-115 by integrating biochemical experiments, X-ray crystallography, and computational simulations. Unlike in GABA-AT, where CPP-115 forms a noncovalent tight-binding adduct only, a covalent adduct was additionally observed with human OAT (<i>h</i>OAT). Notably, the crystal structures of CPP-115-treated <i>h</i>OAT at different mechanistic stages indicate that the conformational transition of a key intermediate is a prerequisite for the covalent addition pathway. Based on this finding, to selectively reduce the off-target activity, a proof-of-concept molecule that regulates the intermediate conformational flexibility was designed and synthesized. The resulting inactivator achieved greatly enhanced GABA-AT selectivity over OAT and demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in an inflammatory pain animal model. Our strategy in this study, targeting dynamics of a reactive intermediate based on a precise mechanistic understanding, serves as a general design principle for fine-tuning the selectivity of MBIs, particularly for other aminotransferases.