Adenylate Kinase-Catalyzed Reactions of AMP in Pieces: Specificity for Catalysis at the Nucleoside Activator and Dianion Catalytic Sites

[Image: see text] The pressure to optimize the enzymatic rate acceleration for adenylate kinase (AK)-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer has led to the evolution of an induced-fit mechanism, where the binding energy from interactions between the protein and substrate adenosyl group is utilized to drive a protein conformational change that activates the enzyme for catalysis. The adenine group of adenosine contributes 11.8 kcal mol(–1) to the total ≥14.7 kcal mol(–1) adenosine stabilization of the transition state for AK-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer to AMP. The relative third-order rate constants for activation of adenylate kinase, by the C-5 truncated adenosine 1-(β-d-erythrofuranosyl)adenine (EA), for catalysis of phosphoryl transfer from ATP to phosphite dianion (HP, k(cat)/K(HP)K(Act) = 260 M(–2) s(–1)), fluorophosphate (47 M(–2) s(–1)), and phosphate (9.6 M(–2) s(–1)), show that substitution of −F for −H and of −OH for −H at HP results, respectively, in decreases in the reactivity of AK for catalysis of phosphoryl transfer due to polar and steric effects of the −F and −OH substituents. The addition of a 5′-CH(2)OH to the EA activator results in a 3.0 kcal mol(–1) destabilization of the transition state for AK-activated phosphoryl transfer to HP due to a steric effect. This is smaller than the 8.3 kcal mol(–1) steric effect of the 5′-CH(2)OH substituent at OMP on HP-activated OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation of 1-(β-d-erythrofuranosyl)orotate. The 2′-OH ribosyl substituent shows significant interactions with the transition states for AK-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer from ATP to AMP and for adenosine-activated AK-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer from ATP to HP.