Inhibition of octopus glutathione transferase by Meisenheimer complex analog, S-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) glutathione

The tight binding of Meisenheimer intermediate with octopus digestive gland glutathione transferase was analyzed with 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, which forms a trapped Meisenheimer complex with glutathione because there is no leaving group at the ipso carbon. By steady-state enzyme kinetic analysis, an inhibition constant of 1.89 +/- 0.17 microM was found for the transient formed, S-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) glutathione. The above inhibition constant is 407-fold smaller than the Km value for the substrate (2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene). Thus, S-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) glutathione is considered to be a transition-state analog. The tight binding of this inhibitor to the enzyme provides an explanation for the involvement of the biological binding effect on the rate enhancement in the glutathione transferase-catalyzed SNAr mechanism.