Specific Interactions of Divalent Metal Ions with Phosphonic Analogues of Dipeptide Inhibitors of Proteases

Potentiometric and spectroscopic methods were used to evaluate the binding ability of two dipetides with C-terminal phosphonic group. This phopshonate moiety is quite effective in the coordination of metal ions. The two phosphinate analogues, which are very effective enzyme inhibitors, were found to be also powerful ligands for Cu2+ ions involving both amino and phosphinic groups in metal ion coordination.