Kinetics of the Interaction of α‐Chymotrypsin with Trypsin Kallikrein Inhibitor (Kunitz) in Which the Reactive‐Site Peptide Bond Lys‐15–Ala‐16 is Split

Abstract

Modified trypsin kallikrein inhibitor (I*), with the reactive‐site peptide bond Lys‐15–Ala‐16 split, reacts with α‐chymotrypsin (E) via an intermediate X to the stable tetrahedral complex C: E + I*⇌ X → C. Formation of X constitutes a fast pre‐equilibrium (equilibrium constant Kx= 7 × 10−5 M. association rate constant kx= 4 × 103 M−1 s−1) to the slow reaction X → C (rate constant kc= 2 × 10−3 s−1), all values at pH 7.5. No intermediate X is observed when α‐chymotrypsin reacts with I*‐OMe in which the carboxyl group of Lys‐15 is esterified by methanol. This observation as well as the different pH dependence of the overall association rate constants in the case of I* and I*‐OMe indicate that formation of X precedes formation of the acyl enzyme in the catalytic pathway. The data are compared to the similar results obtained with β‐trypsin and I* or I*‐OMe. Copyright © 1978, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved