Which one among aspartyl protease, metallopeptidase, and artificial metallopeptidase is the most efficient catalyst in peptide hydrolysis?

In this comparative DFT study, the hydrolysis of a peptide bond (Phe1-Phe2) by the following three types of catalysts has been studied: (1) beta-secretase (BACE2), (2) matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), and (3) Pd(H(2)O)(4) (I(MPC)) and Pd(2)(mu-OH)([18]aneN(6)) (I(DPC)). The computed energetics predict that among these catalysts, the Zn(2+) metal center containing MMP is the most efficient in catalyzing this reaction. The two active site aspartate residues containing BACE2 catalyze this reaction with 5.0 kcal/mol higher barrier than MMP. The substitution of a His ligand with Glu in the metal center of MMP generates the active site of IDE that catalyzes the reaction with a 6.9 kcal/mol higher barrier than MMP. Both artificial peptidases I(MPC) and I(DPC) catalyze this reaction with significantly high barriers of 35.4 and 31.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The computed energetics of all the catalysts are in line with the available experimental and theoretical data.