Role of Protein Conformational Mobility in Enzyme Catalysis: Acylation of ��-Chymotrypsin by Specific Peptide Substrates
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title
Biochemistry
Publication Date
2001
Volume
43
Issue
3
First Page
742
Last Page
747
Abstract
To probe the mechanistic origins of convex Eyring plots that have been observed for α-chymotrypsin (α-CT)-catalyzed hydrolysis of specific p-nitroanilide substrates [Case, A., and Stein, R. L. (2003) Biochemistry42, 3335−3348], we determined the temperature-dependence of 15N-kinetic isotope effects for the α-CT-catalyzed hydrolysis of N-succinyl-Phe p-nitroanilide (Suc-Phe-pNA). To provide an interpretational context for these enzymatic isotope effects, we also determined 15N-KIE for alkaline hydrolysis of p-nitroacetanilide. In 0.002 and 2 N hydroxide (30°C), 15N-KIE values are 1.035 and 0.995 (±0.001), respectively, and are consistent with the reported [HO-]-dependent change in rate-limiting step from leaving group departure from an anionic tetrahedral intermediate in dilute base, to hydroxide attack in concentrated base. For the α-CT-catalyzed hydrolysis of Suc-Phe-pNA, 15N-KIE is on kc/Km and thus reflects structural features of transition states for all reaction steps up to and including acylation of the active site serine. The isotope effect at 35 °C is 1.014 (±0.001) and suggests that in the transition state for this reaction, departure of leaving group from the tetrahedral intermediate is well advanced. Significantly, 15N-KIE does not vary over the temperature range 5−45 °C. This result eliminates one of the competing hypotheses for the convex Eyring plot observed for this reaction, that is, a temperature-dependent change in rate-limiting step within the chemical manifold of acylation, but supports a mechanism in which an isomerization of enzyme conformation is coupled to active site chemistry. We finally suggest that the near absolute temperature-independence of 15N-KIE may point to a unique transition state for this process.
Recommended Citation
A. C. Hengge and Ross L. Stein “Role of Protein Conformational Mobility in Enzyme Catalysis - Acylation of α-Chymotrypsin by Specific Peptide Substrates”, Biochemistry. 2004; 43(3); 742-747.
