The 1.8 A structure of the complex between chymostatin and Streptomyces griseus protease A. A model for serine protease catalytic tetrahedral intermediates.
Delbaere, L.T., Brayer, G.D.(1985) J Mol Biol 183: 89-103
- PubMed: 3892018 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-2836(85)90283-9
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1SGC - PubMed Abstract: 
The naturally occurring serine protease inhibitor, chymostatin, forms a hemiacetal adduct with the catalytic Ser195 residue of Streptomyces griseus protease A. Restrained parameter least-squares refinement of this complex to 1.8 A resolution has produced an R index of 0 X 123 for the 11,755 observed reflections. The refined distance of the carbonyl carbon atom of the aldehyde to O gamma of Ser195 is 1 X 62 A. Both the R and S configurations of the hemiacetal occur in equal populations, with the end result resembling the expected configuration for a covalent tetrahedral product intermediate of a true substrate. This study strengthens the concept that serine proteases stabilize a covalent, tetrahedrally co-ordinated species and elaborates those features of the enzyme responsible for this effect. We propose that a major driving force for the hydrolysis of peptide bonds by serine proteases is the non-planar distortion of the scissile bond by the enzyme, which thereby lowers the activation energy barrier to hydrolysis by eliminating the resonance stabilization energy of the peptide bond.