Agents that disrupt dimer formation in DPP-IV family of prolyl dipeptidases

摘要

The present invention relates to the finding that C-terminal loop and propeller loop and regions thereof of the DPP-IV family of prolyl dipeptidases play an important role in dimer formation. The present invention further provides purified polypeptides comprising an amino acid sequence that mimics conserved amino acids in at least one of a C-terminal loop and a propeller loop of the dimer interface of the DPP-IV family of prolyl dipeptidases sufficient to prevent dimerization of a member of that family. Such polypeptides and other agents serve to disrupt the activity of the DPP-IV family of prolyl dipeptidases.