The stereochemistry of hydrogen abstraction in vitamin K-dependent carboxylation

The stereochemistry of the hydrogen abstraction in the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of synthetic peptides has been investigated; the carboxylation rates of various peptidic substrates containing a stereospecifically 4-monodeuterated glutamic acid residue have been compared to that of nondeuterated peptides. A significant isotope effect was found only with the substrates containing (4S)-4-deuterated glutamic acid. These data reveal that the rat liver microsomal vitamin K-dependent carboxylase acts stereospecifically in abstracting the 4-pro-S hydrogen of the glutamyl residue. The low values of the measured isotope effects indicate that the hydrogen abstraction does not constitute a limiting step in the carboxylation mechanism.