Substrate specificity via ternary complex formation with glutamate dehydrogenase.

Very littly discrimination is observed in the binary binding of dicarboxylic acid substrate analogues to glutamate dehydrogenase as monitored by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Variation in length, charge, bulkiness and conformational rigidity resulted in only a factor of five variation in KD and apparent relaxation time, T2. Upon titration of the binary enzyme-ligand complex with coenzyme to form the ternary enzyme-ligand-coenzyme complex strong discrimination is observed. Coenzyme binds tightly only when the correct substrate is present, otherwise it binds 10 to 150 times more weakly.