Inactivation of arginine esterase E-I of Bitis gabonica venom by irreversible inhibitors including a water-soluble carbodiimide, a chloromethyl ketone and isatoic anhydride.

1. Esterase E-I from Bitis gabonica was inactivated with irreversible inhibitors which included studies with a water-soluble carbodiimide, an affinity labelling peptide and a mechanism-based inactivator. 2. The reaction with 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide was biphasic and the dominant part followed saturation kinetics. At pH 5.5 a rate constant of 0.4 min-1 for inactive enzyme formation was calculated and a dissociation constant (Ki) of 0.2 M for the enzyme-inhibitor complex. 3. Inactivation with D-Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone indicated a two-step mechanism, for which the reaction parameters at pH 8.0 were determined. The Ki value was 0.2 microM and the inactivation rate was 2.5 min-1. 4. With isatoic anhydride pseudo-first-order kinetics was observed. At pH 8.0 a rate constant of 0.9 min-1 and a Ki of 2.0 mM were obtained. The inactivation of the enzyme was found to be governed by a group in the enzyme showing a pK value of 7.3.