Nucleophile specificity in papain-catalyzed acyl transfer reactions.

The ratio of hydrolysis to aminolysis product in papain-catalyzed acyl transfer reactions using various nucleophiles was determined. The data are interpreted in terms of binding specificity. The acyl transfer reactions were performed using the acyl donor Mal-Phe-Ala-OEtCl. The analysis of the structure-activity relationships of the hydrophobic S1'-P1' contact indicates that the S1' subsite can accommodate maximally three methyl(ene) groups. Hydrophilic amino acid side chains are better bound to S1' than can be explained by their hydrophobicities. The S2' as well as the S3' binding subsite exhibits a preference for space-filling hydrophobic amino acid residues.