Compounds for inhibition of protein methylation

Abstract

The invention features a compound of the formula W-Y-Q-Z or W-Y-Z wherein W is a farnesyl group, a geranylgeranyl group, a substituted farnesyl group or a substituted geranylgeranyl group; ##STR1## wherein n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6; each of T.sub.1' . . . T.sub.n' and T.sub.1" . . . T.sub.n" is independently: Fl, Br, --NHCOCH.sub.3, --NH.sub.2, a peptide, an alkane group, an alkene group, an polyethyleneglycol group, a saturated fatty acid, an unsaturated fatty acid, a monosaccharide, or a disaccharide; and Z is --COOH or salts or esters thereof, --CONH.sub.2, --NO.sub.2, --PO.sub.3 or salts or esters thereof, --C N, or --SO.sub.3 or salts or esters thereof, provided that when W is farnesyl, Y is --S--, n=2, and either T.sub.2' or T.sub.2" is --NHCOCH.sub.3, then Z is not --COOH. The compounds of the invention are capable of interfering with enzymatic methylation of a peptide having the carboxyl-terminal motif --CAAX wherein C=cysteine, A=aliphatic amino acid, and X=any amino acid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.