The coordination of the catalytic zinc ion in alcohol dehydrogenase studied by combined quantum-chemical and molecular mechanics calculations
The coordination number of the catalytic zinc ion in alcohol dehydrogenase has been studied by integrated ab initio quantum-chemical and molecular mechanics geometry optimisations involving the whole enzyme. A four-coordinate active-site zinc ion is 100-200 kJ/mol more stable than a five-coordinate one, depending on the ligands. The only stable binding site for a fifth ligand at the zinc ion is op
