Biomaterial Database

Tritium secondary kinetic isotope effect on phenylalanine ammonia-lyase-catalyzed reaction. 1999

A Lewandowicz, and J Jemielity, and M Kańska, and J Zoń, and P Paneth

Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Lódź (Lodz), Zeromskiego 116, Lódź, 90-924, Poland.

The mechanism by which phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) catalyzes the reversible elimination of ammonia from phenylalanine yielding (E)-cinnamic acid has gained much attention in the recent years. Dehydroalanine is essential for the catalysis. It was assumed that this prostetic group acts as the electrophile, leading to a covalently bonded enzyme-intermediate complex with quarternary nitrogen of phenylalanine. Recently, an alternative mechanism has been suggested in which the enzyme-intermediate complex is formed in a Friedel-Crafts reaction between dehydroalanine and orthocarbon of the aromatic ring. Using semiempirical calculations we have shown that these two alternative mechanisms can be distinguished on the basis of the hydrogen secondary kinetic isotope effect when tritium label is placed in the orthopositions. Our calculations indicated also that the kinetic isotope effect measured using ring-labeled d(5)-phenylalanine could not be used to differentiate these alternative mechanisms. Measured secondary tritium kinetic isotope effect shows strong dependence on the reaction progress, starting at the inverse value of k(H)/k(T) = 0.85 for 5% conversion and reaching the normal value of about 1.15 as the conversion increases to 20%. This dependence has been interpreted in terms of a complex mechanism with initial formation of the Friedel-Crafts type intermediate.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008956	Models, Chemical	Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of chemical processes or phenomena; includes the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment.	Chemical Models,Chemical Model,Model, Chemical
D010650	Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase	An enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of PHENYLALANINE to form trans-cinnamate and ammonia.	Phenylalanine-Tyrosine Ammonia-lyase,Ammonia-Lyase, Phenylalanine,Ammonia-lyase, Phenylalanine-Tyrosine,Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase,Phenylalanine Tyrosine Ammonia lyase
D003903	Deuterium	The stable isotope of hydrogen. It has one neutron and one proton in the nucleus.	Deuterons,Hydrogen-2,Hydrogen 2
D000409	Alanine	A non-essential amino acid that occurs in high levels in its free state in plasma. It is produced from pyruvate by transamination. It is involved in sugar and acid metabolism, increases IMMUNITY, and provides energy for muscle tissue, BRAIN, and the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Abufène,Alanine, L-Isomer,L-Alanine,Alanine, L Isomer,L Alanine,L-Isomer Alanine
D012248	Rhodotorula	A red yeast-like mitosporic fungal genus generally regarded as nonpathogenic. It is cultured from numerous sources in human patients.	Rhodotorulas
D013379	Substrate Specificity	A characteristic feature of enzyme activity in relation to the kind of substrate on which the enzyme or catalytic molecule reacts.	Specificities, Substrate,Specificity, Substrate,Substrate Specificities
D014316	Tritium	The radioactive isotope of hydrogen also known as hydrogen-3. It contains two NEUTRONS and one PROTON in its nucleus and decays to produce low energy BETA PARTICLES.	Hydrogen-3,Hydrogen 3
D020134	Catalytic Domain	The region of an enzyme that interacts with its substrate to cause the enzymatic reaction.	Active Site,Catalytic Core,Catalytic Region,Catalytic Site,Catalytic Subunit,Reactive Site,Active Sites,Catalytic Cores,Catalytic Domains,Catalytic Regions,Catalytic Sites,Catalytic Subunits,Core, Catalytic,Cores, Catalytic,Domain, Catalytic,Domains, Catalytic,Reactive Sites,Region, Catalytic,Regions, Catalytic,Site, Active,Site, Catalytic,Site, Reactive,Sites, Active,Sites, Catalytic,Sites, Reactive,Subunit, Catalytic,Subunits, Catalytic