Year: 1964
Type: report
Abstract: RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF RESEARCH In recent years, considerable effort has been expended in the elucidation of biochemical mechanisms utilizing physical chemical techniques. This project, while still making use of general physical chemical techniques, is primarily concerned with kinetic studies of chemical reactions of biochemical interest. A number of techniques have been developed recently which permit the study of chemical reactions with half times as short -10 1 as 5 X 10 sec. The advantage of being able to carry out kinetic studies over an extended time range is that the entire course of a chemical reaction can be observed. Since reaction intermediates are directly detected, detailed chemical mechanisms can be obtained. The work that is being done can be divided roughly into two catagories: the study of model systems, and the study of biological systems themselves. By studying relatively simple model systems, complex biological processes can be better understood. In this connection, studies of the interaction of metal ions with amino acids, peptides, phosphates, and polymers have been carried out2 in an effort to understand the role of metal ions in enzymatic catalysis. Since macromolecules are necessary for almost all biological processes, chemical relaxation processes of simple polymers, polypeptides, proteins and polynucleotides are being examined, particularly with regard to the possibility of fast conformational changes. In addition to model systems, several enzymatic systems are being studied. Results 3,4 are already available in two cases, aspartic amino transferase and ribonuclease. Some detailed information about the nature and number of reaction intermediates has been obtained. As a result, considerable insight into the elementary steps in enzyme mechanisms has been gained. Since the structure determination of macromolecules is now feasible, it should be possible ultimately to understand enzymatic mechanisms on a molecular basis. G. G. Hammes
Author: Gordon G. Hammes
Language: English
Topic: Chemical Reaction Mechanisms
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1608146183