Evidence To Support the Hypothesis That Promoting Vibrations Enhance the Rate of an Enzyme Catalyzed H-Tunneling Reaction

摘要

The transfer of hydrogen is one of the most ubiquitous enzyme catalyzed reactions. There is major interest in understanding mechanisms of H-transfer catalyzed by enzymes and a general recognition of the importance of quantum tunneling in enzymatic H-transfers. In transition state theory, the height of the potential energy barrier is of key importance in determining the rate of an enzymatic reaction. For tunneling reactions, the width of the potential energy barrier, effectively the donor-acceptor distance, is the key determinant.