Molecular recognition in applied enzyme chemistry.

Molecular recognition impinges upon many fields of biological chemistry, especially those involving catalytic processes. This review gives examples from studies at Strathclyde of both small and macromolecular systems. Mechanism-based enzyme inhibitors are described with reference to dihydrofolate reductase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, and cholesterol metabolism. Applications of molecular recognition related to synthetic transformations are discussed in terms of aromatic substitution, chemically modified papain, and catalytic antibodies for Diels-Alder reactions.