[Hydrophobic interaction of alpha-chymotrypsin with low molecular weight compounds].

Data on alpha-chymotrypsin interactions with hydrophobic low-molecular compounds have been generalized. Existence of two sites of noncovalent interaction with hydrophobic nuclei of a ligand molecule is shown. When the substance to be bound contains only one hydrophobic nucleus, the interaction is mediated by a "hydrophobic pocket" of the enzyme--a binding site of amino acid residues which are, in the P1-position relative to the cleaved bond. Under these conditions substances with an asymmetric hydrophobic nucleus (of the tryptophan type) are better ligands for binding. In case of compounds containing several hydrophobic groups scattered in the space, interaction with the enzyme proceeds in two binding sites. New data are presented on the ligand specificity for binding sites of chymotrypsin in lower vertebrates. Relative position of hydrophobic groups of the ligand is shown as that of great importance for interaction with the enzyme. It is concluded that the binding sites of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteinases of the lower vertebrates differ but less from each other as compared to binding sites of trypsin and chymotrypsin in mammals.