Phosphonate analogues of aminoacyl adenylates

Phosphonomethyl analogues of glycyl phosphate and valyl phosphate, i.e. NH2-CHR-CO-CH2-PO(OH)2, were synthesized and esterified with adenosine to give analogues of aminoacyl adenylates. The interaction of these adenylate analogues with valyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli was studied by fluorescence titration. The analogue of valyl phosphate has an affinity for the enzyme comparable with that of valine, but that of valyl adenylate is bound much less tightly than either valyl adenylate or corresponding derivative of valinol. The affinity of the analogue of glycyl adenylate was too low to be measured. We conclude that this enzyme interacts specifically with both the side chain and the anhydride linkage of the adenylate intermediate.