The Hydrolysis of Benzoate Esters by Carboxypeptidase A and the pH-Rate Profile for the Hydrolysis of O-Hippuryl-L-3-phenyllactic Acid
A series of para-substituted O-benzoyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acids (but not the unsubstituted ester) are hydrolyzed by bovine carboxypeptidase A (pH 7.5, ionic strength 0.5, 25°). For the CH3O, CH3, Cl, CN, and NO2 substituents, there exist linear correlations of kcat and Km with the Hammett σ constants for these substituents (log kcat = 1.1 7σ + 1.17; log Km = −0.53σ − 2.15), although the tert-butyl group shows significant deviations from both correlation lines. The above unsubstituted ester is a reversible inhibitor of the enzymic hydrolysis of O-hippuryl-L-3-phenyllactic acid and so the lack of observable hydrolysis of this ester is attributable to nonproductive binding. The pH–rate profiles for kcat/Km and kcat have been determined for the enzymic hydrolysis of O-(p-nitrobenzoyl)mandelic acid [Formula: see text] and O-hippuryl-L-3-phenyllactic acid [Formula: see text] For the latter ester kcat is pH independent in the range pH 5–10. The mechanism of ester hydrolysis catalyzed by carboxypeptidase A is discussed in the light of the above observations and the known crystal structure of the enzyme. A definition of specific and non-specific substrates for this enzyme based on the observed pH profiles for kcat/Km is proposed.