CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE AND NMR INVESTIGATION OF THE SERINE PROTEINASE-INHIBITOR MR889, A CYCLIC THIOLIC COMPOUND

The serine proteinase inhibitor etrahydro-3-thienyl)-2-(2-thenoylthio) propionamide (MR889) has been crystallised, and its three-dimensional structure studied by X-ray diffraction and by NMR techniques in soluti on-and in the solid state. MR889 crystallises in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with cell constants a = 10.539(2), b = 9.647(5), c = 14. 654(1) angstrom, beta = 101.62(1)degrees; the asymmetric unit contains one molecule of MR889. The weighted crystallographic R factor for the refined structure is 0.044. The solution structure of MR889 has been elucidated through the measurement of proton-proton and proton-carbon nuclear Overhauser enhancements. Measurement of the C-13 longitudinal relaxation times yields information about the dynamics of MR889 in dim ethylsulfoxide solution. The comparison between solid and solution sta te C-13 NMR spectra allows an understanding of the quite different str uctures in the two states.