Activating the phosphate nucleophile at the catalytic site of purine nucleoside phosphorylase: a vibrational spectroscopic study.

Difference Raman and FTIR studies complemented by vibrational analysis based on ab initio calculations show that the dianionic phosphate in the PNP.ImmH.PO4 complex is forced into a unique bonding arrangement in which one of the PO bonds is greatly polarized by enzyme active site interactions, such that it resembles a PO bond that is about one-quarter of the way toward forming a bridging P-O-C single P-O bond.