Catalytic Antibodies

A further demonstration of the importance of the transition state in enzyme catalysis has been shown through the development of catalytic antibodies
Catalytic antibodies are molecules derived from immune cells exposed to an antigen that resembles the transition state of a reaction
For example, a synthetic phosponamidate resembling the tetrahedral intermediate of an amide was used to generate antibodies that demonstrated catalytic activity
The antibody was able to catalyze the hydrolysis of an amide at a rate only 1/25 that of the chymotrypsin-catalyzed reaction
This result shows how the extraordinary functional capabilities of certain enzymes can be acquired in short amounts of time, in a remarkable demonstration of molecular evolution
In conjunction with ongoing advances in understanding the mechanisms of enzyme catalysis, the de novo generation of such abzymes points the way towards molecular engineering of new drugs and therapies