Description
Leupeptin is a naturally occurring protease inhibitor that can inhibit cysteine, serine and threonine peptidases. Leupeptin is an organic compound produced by actinomycetes. Leupeptin inhibits serine proteinases (trypsin (Ki=3.5 nM), plasmin (Ki= 3.4 nM), porcine kallikrein), and cysteine proteinases (papain, cathepsin B (Ki = 4.1 nM), endoproteinase Lys-C). It does not inhibit α-chymotrypsin or thrombin. Leupeptin is a competitive transition state inhibitor and its inhibition may be relieved by an excess of substrate.
