Kinetics of chymotrypsin - and papain - catalysed synthesis of ileucinelenkephalin and imethioninelenkephalin Willi KULLMANN

The proteinase-catalysed synthesis of [Leu]enkephalin and [Met]enkephalin was studied kinetically. Na-t-Butoxycarbonyl-amino acids and peptides or their ethyl esters served as acyl donors, and amino acid phenylhydrazides were used as acyl acceptors. Initial-velocity measurements of oa-chymotrypsin-catalysed peptide synthesis gave rise to kinetic patterns that are compatible with a ping-pong mechanism modified by a hydrolytic branch. Initial-rate and alternative-substrate inhibition patterns for papain-controlled peptide-bond formation are consistent with a sequential ordered mechanism with the acyl donor as the obligatory first substrate. On the basis of the observed kinetic features, reaction mechanisms are proposed for chymotrypsinand papain-catalysed peptide synthesis that inversely equal those describing the pathways of proteolysis. The respective initial-velocity expressions for bireactant systems are given, along with the numerical values of the corresponding kinetic parameters.