Which of the following is true of the tetrahedral intermediate in the chymotrypsin mechanism?
A) It is lower in free energy than the substrate.
B) It is partially positively charged.
C) All bonds are the same length.
D) It contains an oxyanion.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tetrahedral intermediate in the chymotrypsin mechanism contains an oxyanion, which is a negatively charged oxygen atom bonded to a carbon atom. This oxyanion is stabilized by hydrogen bonding with amino acid residues in the enzyme active site. This stabilization helps to lower the activation energy for the hydrolysis reaction. The tetrahedral intermediate is not lower in free energy than the substrate and it is not partially positively charged. The bonds in the tetrahedral intermediate are not all the same length, as they have different bond orders and angles.

Which of the Following Is True of the Tetrahedral Intermediate