Synthesis and tryptic hydrolysis of p-guanidinophenyl esters derived from amino acids and peptides.

A facile synthetic method for p-guanidinophenyl esters derived from a variety of amino acids and peptides, including D-amino acids, is presented. The kinetic behavior of trypsin towards these synthetic esters, inverse substrates, was analyzed. The spatial requirement of the enzyme active site for catalytic efficiency is discussed based on the steric characteristics of the substrates.