Evidence against a covalent intermediate in the adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase reaction of histidine biosynthesis.

14C-Labeled 5-phospho-alpha-D-ribose-1-diphosphate (PRibPP) was synthesized and its interaction with adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase was examined by gel filtration in a search for a form of this substrate covalently bound to the enzyme. Wide variation in solvent conditions gave little labeling of the enzyme. Heavy labeling was found only in the presence of the second substrate, ATP, and this was shown to arise from tightly but noncovalently bound product. Previous reports of a covalent intermediate in this enzymatic reaction probably were due to contaminating ATP in 5-phospho-alpha-D-ribose-1-diphosphate. Feedback inhibition of the enzyme by histidine was shown to occur at the step giving product or at some earlier step in the mechanism.