MBMB 451b

Copyright 2000, E.C. Niederhoffer

Metal Ion Catalysis

Another mechanism used by enzymes to catalyze reactions involves the use of metal ions to activate bound water through the formation of a nucleophilic hydroxide ion.

The reaction of carbon dioxide with water as catalyzed by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase is a good example of this approach.

The following animated gif illustrates this process.

Please observe the changes that occur as the starting zinc imidazolate (Im) complex attacks the carbon dioxide molecule to form the resulting bicarbonate ion.

 

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