Inhibitors of the enzyme prenylated methylated protein methyl esterase (PMPMEase), the last step in the prenylation process for many eukaryotic proteins, having the general structure R1-X-A-B(R2)-Y or R1-X-A(R2)-B-Y, where R1 is preferably a polyisoprenyl group, X is a linking group, Y is a group that promotes affinity interactions to the active site of PMPMEase and imparts hydrolysis resistance to the inhibitor, A and B are bridge atoms, and R2 is a characteristic-providing substituent.