Glyceryl-Ether Monooxygenase [EC 1.14.16.5J Part VIII. Probing the Nature of the Active Site

The V /K kinetic parameters for glyceryl-ether monooxygenase with 3-1 '-n-alkoxypropane-I,2-diols having alkyl sidechains varying from Cll to C22 (lb-k, 2a and b, and 3d) were determined. Maximum activity was found with the CI6 ethers, dropping almost to zero with ethers that have sidechains shorter than Cl2 and longer than C19. The thioether analogues with C16 and CI8 sidechains were poorer substrates than the respective oxygen ethers by one order of magnitude. The kinetic parameters for 2-1 '-n-hexadecyloxy- (6a) and 2-1 '-n-octadecyloxy- (6d) ethanol revealed that they were also better substrates than the respective thio-ethers by one order of magnitude and with these compounds those with C16 sidechains were better substrates than the C 18 analogues. L2-bis-3-1 '-n-Hexadecyloxypropan-3-01 (3c) and 1,3-bis-3- 1'-n-hexadecyloxypropan-3-01 and 2- 01 (4a) were inactive but 3-1'-n-hexadecyloxy- 2-methoxypropan-I-ol (3b) and 3-1'-n-hexadecyloxy-l-methoxypropan-2-01 (4b) which have one long fatty chain were viable substrates because they possessed a free hydroxy group, but the ethers (6b, c and e), (7c and d) and (5) which do not have a free hydroxy group were inactive. These data, taken with those reported previously, have allowed us to postulate a model for the active site of the alkyl-ether substrates of the monooxygenase and to define the contours of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic pockets.