Chemical modification of the tryptophan residues of the L-asparaginase of E. coli with N-bromosuccinimide

Summary The role of the tryptophan residues in the L-asparaginase molecule has been studied by the method of chemical modification with N-bromosuccinimide, and it has been established that in an acid medium this reagent modifies all four tryptophan residues present in the molecule, completely suppressing the activity of the enzyme.The substrate — L-asparagine — and a competing inhibitor — S-benzyl-N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-cysteine — protect the L-asparaginase from the action of N-bromosuccinimide, which shows the role of the tryptophan in the catalytic center of the L-asparaginase.Institute of Organic Synthesis, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 228–231, March–April, 1975.