Mechanism and specificity of succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid coenzyme A transferase.

(a) The reactivity of substituted acetates as substrates for CoA transferase increases sharply with increasing basicity and exhibits a slope of 1.0 in a plot of either log kappacat or log (kappacat/Km) against pKa (betanuc = 1.0). This result shows that the catalyzed reaction, which involves both carboxylate activation and leaving group transfer, does not proceed through a fully concerted reaction mechanism in the rate-determining step. The result is consistent with a stepwise reaction mechanism that proceeds through an anhydride intermediate. (b) Equilibrium constants for thiol ester formation, either bound to the enzyme or free in solution, show the same dependence on the basicity of carboxylate ions (betaeq = 1.0) and are independent of acidity when expressed in terms of the carboxylic acid. Thus, the polar environment around substituents on the acyl group is the same for carboxylic acids, thiol esters, and oxygen esters. (c) The interaction of the terminal CH3CO group of acetoacetate with the active site causes a 200,000-fold increase in kappacat/Km, corresponding to a decrease in delta G++ OF 7.2 kcal/mol compared with an unsubstituted acid of the same pK. The binding energy of the coenzyme A moiety of the substrate is utilized to interact with the active site and cause a 10(4) to 10(6)-fold increase in kappacat, corresponding to a decrease in delta G++ of 6 to 9 kcal/mol, compared with fragments of the coenzyme A moiety added separatly or together. (d) The exchange of labeled coenzyme A into acyl-CoA substrates was found to be greater than or equal to 10(5) slower than substrate turnover.