Transition-state stabilization at the oxyanion binding sites of serine and thiol proteinases: hydrolyses of thiono and oxygen esters

X-ray diffraction studies suggested that the tetrahedral intermediate formed during the catalysis by serine and thiol proteinases can be stabilized by hydrogen bonds from the protein to the oxyanion of the intermediate [cf. Kraut, J. (1977) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 46, 331-358; Drenth, J., Kalk, K.H., & Swen, H.M. (1976) Biochemistry 15, 3731-3738]. To obtain evidence in favor or against this hypothesis, we synthesized thiono substrates (the derivatives of N-benzoyl-glycine methyl ester and N-acetylphenylalanine ethyl ester) containing a sulfur in place of the carbonyl oxygen atom of the scissile ester bond. We anticipated that this relatively subtle structural change specifically directed to the oxyanion binding site should produce serious catalytic consequences owing to the different properties of oxygen and sulfur if transition-state stabilization in the oxyanion hole is indeed important. In fact, while in alkaline hydrolysis the chemical reactivities of oxygen esters and corresponding thiono esters proved to be similar, neither chymotrypsin nor subtilisin hydrolyzed the thiono esters at a measurable rate. This result substantiates the crucial role of the oxyanion binding site in serine proteinase catalysis. On the basis of the similar values of the binding constants found for oxygen esters and their thiono counterparts, it can be concluded that the substitution of sulfur for oxygen significantly influences transition state stabilization but not substrate binding. The thiol proteinases papain and chymopapain react with the oxygen and thiono esters of N-benzoylglycine at similar rates. Apparently, in these reactions the above stabilizing mechanism is absent or not important, which is a major mechanistic difference between the catalyses by serine and thiol proteinases.