Energy considerations show that low-barrier hydrogen bonds do not offer a catalytic advantage over ordinary hydrogen bonds

摘要

Low-barrier hydrogen bonds have recently been proposed as a major factor in enzyme catalysis. Here we evaluate the feasibility of transition state (TS) stabilization by low-barrier hydrogen bonds in enzymes. Our analysis focuses on the facts that (i) a low-barrier hydrogen bond is less stable than a regular hydrogen bond in water, (ii) TSs are more stable in the enzyme active sites than in water, and (iii) a nonpolar active site would destabilize the TS relative to its energy in water.