Substrate specificity of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase from chicken liver

Several glycinamide ribonucleotide analogs have been prepared and evaluated as substrates and/or inhibitors of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase from chicken liver. The side chain modified analogs, in which the glycine side chain, R = CH2NH2, has been replaced by R = CH2NHCH3 and R = CH2CH2NH2, are substrates, with V/K (relative intensity) of 2.4% and 16.3%, respectively. Several carbocyclic analogs of glycinamide ribonucleotide, including the phosphonate derivative of carbocyclic glycinamide ribonucleotide, did not serve as substrates, but were inhibitors of the enzyme, competitive against glycinamide ribonucleotide, with Ki values ranging from 7.4 to 23.6 times the Km for glycinamide ribonucleotide. However, the O-phosphonate analog of carbocyclic glycinamide ribonucleotide did support enzymatic activity, with V/K (relative intensity) of 0.8%. In addition, glycinamide ribonucleoside was neither a substrate for, nor an inhibitor of, glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase. Furthermore, alpha-glycinamide ribonucleotide had no effect on enzyme activity. These studies have begun to define the structural features of the nucleotide substrate required to support enzymatic activity.