The necessity of magnesium cation for acid assistance aglycone departure in catalysis by Escherichia coli (lacZ) beta-galactosidase.

1. Removal of Mg2+ from Escherichia coli (lacZ) beta-galactosidase slightly increases the rate of hydrolysis of galactosyl pyridinium salts, but decreases the rate of hydrolysis of arylgalactosides. 2. Fair correlation of logkcat. and log (Km) with the pKa of aglycone is now observed for arglygalactosides, as well as for glycosyl pyridinium salts. 3. Degalactosylation of Mg2+-free enzyme is the rate-limiting step in the hydrolysis of 2,4-dinitrophenyl galactoside. 4. alpha-Deuterium kinetic isotope effects for both sets of substrates are consistent with the rate-determining generation of a glycosyl cation. 5. The pH-independent, SNl hydrolysis of 3,4-dinitrophenyl galactoside has been measured: it is as fast as that of the galactosyl 3-chloropyridinium ion. 6. Hydrolysis of these two substrates by Mg2+-free enzyme proceeds at very similar rates. 7. It is concluded that loss of both types of aglycone takes place, without acid catalysis, from the first ES complex of substrate and apoenzyme. 8. Data for galactosyl azide and thiopicrate confirm that neither charge nor change of atom is the cause of the differences in behavior between aryl galactosides and galactosylpyridinium salts.