Functional macromolecular glycosidase model
by Striegler, Susanne; Sharma, Babloo
A macromol. glycosidase model functional at physiol. pH was developed by immobilizing a binuclear copper(II) complex into a poly(acrylate) matrix in presence of a transition state analog of the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds. The obtained material was shown to behave enzyme-like in 5 mM HEPES buffer at pH 7 with a catalytic proficiency up to 3.3 × 105. Each particle has about 700 catalytic sites that show competitive inhibition, while independent from each other. The inhibition constant Ki of the functional model is about 100 µM in 5 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.00). Our results place the synthesized microgel among the most proficient biomimetic catalysts known and emphasize the synergy of interactions for an advanced catalytic turnover.