Direct Evidence for an Acylated Thiol as an Intermediate in Papain- and Ficin-catalysed Hydrolyses.

1. Methyl thionohippurate was prepared and shown to be a specific substrate for both papain and ficin. 2. The ultraviolet-absorption properties of the acyl-enzyme intermediate for both papain and ficin with methyl thionohippurate was that expected of an acyl-thiol. The possibility that other functional groups present in papain or ficin might be the site of acylation has been excluded. 3. The change in extinction at the absorption maximum with time was as expected for the acyl-enzyme on the basis of the known Michaelis-Menten parameters for methyl thionohippurate. 4. The variation of extinction with initial substrate concentration for both papain and ficin was that expected from the Michaelis-Menten parameters. 5. The extinction of the absorption maximum of the thionohippuryl-enzyme intermediate was suppressed by the addition of methyl hippurate to the extent predicted from the Michaelis-Menten parameters. 6. The decay of the extinction for the acyl-enzyme was arrested by adjusting the pH of the solution to 2.5. 7. These experiments provide compelling evidence that the acylation by substrate of both papain and ficin takes place through a thiol residue.