Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40897699›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Structural insights into proprotein convertase activation facilitate the engineering of highly specific furin inhibitors.

Rupert Klaushofer, Konstantin Bloch, Luisa Susanna Eder, Simone Marzaro, Mario Schubert, Eva Böttcher-Friebertshäuser, Hans Brandstetter, Sven O Dahms

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Rupert Klaushofer *Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2247-0648
Konstantin Bloch *Institute of Virology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
Luisa Susanna EderDepartment of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-4248-4664
Simone MarzaroDepartment of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Mario SchubertDepartment of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0278-4091
Eva Böttcher-FriebertshäuserInstitute of Virology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
Hans BrandstetterDepartment of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Sven O DahmsDepartment of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria. sven.dahms@plus.ac.at.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0915-7579

Funding

Austrian Science Fund (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung) P36648-B
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Proprotein convertases (PCs), including furin and PC1/3 among nine mammalian homologues, mediate the maturation of numerous secreted substrates by proteolytic cleavage. Disbalance of PC activity is associated with diseases like cancer, fibrosis, neurodegeneration and infections. Therefore, PCs are promising drug targets for the treatment of many diseases. However, the highly conserved active site of PCs complicates the development of specific inhibitors. Here we investigate the activation mechanism of PCs using X-ray crystallography and biochemical methods. The structure-based optimization of the multibasic secondary cleavage site loop not only prevents the prodomain's proteolytic cleavage but also increases its inhibition of furin. Combination of cleavage-resistant PC1/3-prodomain variants and a furin-specific nanobody in fusion proteins reveal very potent inhibitors (K

Indexed as

FurinProprotein ConvertasesAnimalsCatalytic DomainCrystallography, X-RayHEK293 CellsHumansModels, MolecularProprotein Convertase 5Protein EngineeringRecombinant Fusion ProteinsSingle-Domain AntibodiesVirus ReplicationFurinFURIN protein, humanProprotein Convertase 5Proprotein ConvertasesRecombinant Fusion ProteinsSingle-Domain Antibodies

Identifiers

PMID40897699
PMCPMC12405487

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.