Substrate specificity of solvent viscosity effects in carboxypeptidase A catalyzed peptide hydrolysis.

We have investigated the viscosity of carboxypeptidase A catalyzed Bz-Gly-Phe hydrolysis at pH 7.5 (Tris) and 0.5 mol.l-1 NaCl over the range 10-100 mp, varied by addition of glycerol or sucrose. In contrast to previous reports of strong viscosity effects on the corresponding Cbz-Ala-Ala-Ala hydrolysis, both the catalytic constant and the Michaelis constant are virtually independent of viscosity over the 10-fold range investigated. Furthermore, the CD spectra of carboxypeptidase A in the high-viscosity media point to no change in the alpha-helix and beta-sheet structure in these media. The data are compatible either with a compacter, more rigid enzyme-substrate structure or with a more prominent role of intramolecular nuclear reorganization compared to protein reorganization for Bz-Gly-Phe than for Cbz-Ala-Ala-Ala. These views can be given a preciser frame in terms of stochastic chemical rate theory.