Theoretical Study on the Activity of a-COOH and b-COOH of N-Phosphoryl Aspartic Acids

The bio-mimic reactions of N-phosphoryl amino acids are very important in the study of many biochemical processes. The difference of reactivity between a-COOH and b-COOH in phosphoryl aspartic acid was studied by theoretical study (Hartree-Fock and Density Functional methods) in this paper. The intermediates II containing five-membered ring were more stable than III with six-membered ring. While for intermediates III, the isomers with six-membered ring in apical-equatorial spanning arrangement were more stable than those with di-equatorial spanning arrangement. At B3LYP/6-31G** level, it was shown that transition states IV and V involving a-COOH or b-COOH group had energy barriers of DE = 58.67 kJmol-1 and 103.94 kJmol-1, respectively. These results were in agreement with the experimental data. So the a-COOH group was involved in form of the intramolecular penta-coordinate phosphoric-carboxylic mixed anhydride intermediates, but not b-COOH group.