Yeast Enolase: Mechanism of Activation by Metal Ion

Abstract

The significance of the “conformational-catalytic” mechanism of metal ion activation is not known. It is still at the state of being established for some enzymes. Right now, only speculations can be offered. All the enzymes mentioned have subunits and all have strongly negatively charged phosphate-containing substrates. As a preliminary hypothesis, it may be suggested that one of the 2 mol of metal ion involved functions to “lock” one of the substrates into a configuration so that when the second one attacks that or another substrate, electrons are withdrawn from crucial bonds and catalysis occurs. Either metal ion or both or neither may do this by interacting directly with a substrate.