Discovery, Characterization, and Structure of a Cell Active PAD2 Inhibitor Acting through a Novel Allosteric Mechanism

Peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADs) are important enzymes in many diseases, especially those involving inflammation and autoimmunity. Despite many years of effort, developing isoform-specific inhibitors has been a challenge. We describe herein the discovery of a potent, noncovalent PAD2 inhibitor, with selectivity over PAD3 and PAD4, from a DNA-encoded library. The biochemical and biophysical characterization of this inhibitor and two noninhibitory binders indicated a novel, Ca2+ competitive mechanism of inhibition. This was confirmed via X-ray crystallographic analysis. Finally, we demonstrate that this inhibitor selectively inhibits PAD2 in a cellular context.