title: Covalent catalysis by pyridoxal: evaluation of the effect of the cofactor on the carbon acidity of glycine.
abstract: First-order rate constants for deprotonation of the alpha-imino carbon of the adduct between 5'-deoxypyridoxal (1) and glycine were determined as the rate constants for Claisen-type addition of glycine to 1 where deprotonation is rate determining for product formation. There is no significant deprotonation at pH 7.1 of the form of the 1-glycine iminium ion with the pyridine nitrogen in the basic form. The value of kHO for hydroxide ion-catalyzed deprotonation of the alpha-imino carbon increases from 7.5 x 10(2) to 3.8 x 10(5) to 3.0 x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1), respectively, with protonation of the pyridine nitrogen, the phenoxide oxyanion, and the carboxylate anion of the 1-glycine iminium ion. There is a corresponding decrease in the pKas for deprotonation of the alpha-imino carbon from 17 to 11 to 6. It is proposed that enzymes selectively bind and catalyze the reaction of the iminium ion with pKa = 17. A comparison of kB = 1.7 x 10(-3) s(-1) for deprotonation of the alpha-imino carbon of this cofactor-glycine adduct (pKa = 17 by HPO4(2-) with k(cat)/K(m) = 4 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) for catalysis of amino-acid racemization by alanine racemase shows that the enzyme causes a ca 2 x 10(8)-fold acceleration of the rate of deprotonation the alpha-imino carbon. This corresponds to about one-half of the burden borne by alanine racemase in catalysis of deprotonation of alanine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA.
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toth
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Richard
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine; D000411:Alanine Racemase / Q000378:metabolism; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D005998:Glycine / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D011522:Protons; D011730:Pyridoxal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D011730:Pyridoxal; D002244:Carbon; D000411:Alanine Racemase; D000409:Alanine; D005998:Glycine