The interaction of catalytic metal ions and ionizing groups in equilibrium studies and in transient intermediates of metal-substituted alcohol dehydrogenases.

The step of ternary complex interconversion in the reaction catalyzed by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase has been resolved into five distinct molecular species with the aid of metal-substitution studies in combination with rapid-scanning spectrophotometry. A correlation with electronic absorption spectra at equilibrium provides structural insights into these intermediates. In contrast to NADH, NAD+ only leads to a conformational change of the protein when a negative charge has been created in the vicinity of the catalytic metal ion. This paper presents also a reevaluation of previous assignments of catalytically important groups in the light of some recent results.