31P NMR studies on the interaction of deoxyuridylate with thymidylate synthase

The 31P nuclear magnetic resonance signal of deoxyuridylate was studied in the presence and absence of thymidlate synthase. In the absence of enzyme the chemical shift of deoxyuridylate is pH dependent with a pKa of 6.25. In the presence of enzyme, a peak corresponding to the dianioinc form of deoxyuridylate is observed which is independent of pH between pH 5.7 and pH 7.4. The pKa of the phosphate in the deoxyuridylate-thymidylate synthase complex is therefore less than 5. The release of inorganic phosphate from deoxyuridylate catalyzed by contaminating phosphatase was also observed.