Inhibition of trypsin-like serine proteinases by tripeptide arginyl and lysyl chloromethylketones.

Tripeptide derivatives of lysyl or arginyl chloromethylketone inhibit the trypsin-like serine proteases trypsin, thrombin, plasmin, Factor Xa, urokinase, tissue-type plasminogen activator and protein Ca following the reaction scheme: (formula; see text) Extremely potent tripeptide inhibitors were obtained for thrombin and trypsin (k2/Ki greater than 10(6) M-1s-1), moderate inhibitors for plasmin and Factor Xa (10(6) M-1s-1 greater than k2/Ki greater than 10(4) M-1s-1) and only weak inhibitors for urokinase, tissue-type plasminogen activator and protein Ca (k2/Ki less than 10(4) M-1s-1). Thrombin and Factor Xa as well as urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activator can be discriminated on the basis of their inhibitory spectrum towards some of these inhibitors.