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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions
Published on: October 10, 2016
Convergence of Catalytic Antibody and Terpene Cyclase Mechanisms: Polyene Cyclization Directed by Carbocation-π
Chiana M Paschall1, Jens Hasserodt2, Terri Jones2
1Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6323 (USA), Fax: (+1) 215-573-2201.
Abstract:
A tandem cationic cyclization cascade similar to a terpenoid cyclase reaction is catalyzed by antibody HA5-19A4. The 2.7-Å resolution crystal structure of the Fab-hapten complex reveals convergence with the same catalytic strategy employed by a terpenoid cyclase: both serve as templates that enforce the productive conformation of a flexible polyene substrate, and both stabilize carbocation intermediates through cation-π interactions with multiple aromatic residues in their active sites.
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