Multiple Binding Modes of Inhibitors to Carbonic Anhydrases: How to Design Specific Drugs Targeting 15 Different Isoforms?

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, throughout most living organisms and by five evolutionarily unrelated gene families: the α-, β-, γ-, δ-, and ζ-CAs The α- β- and δ-CAs contain a Zn(II) at the active site, the γ-CAs are probably Fe(II) enzymes (but they are active also with Zn(II) or Co(II) ions), while the ion is usually replaced by cadmium in the ζ-CAs. Herein we report a state of the art structural crystallographyc investigation.