Chain initiation nucleophile

Section 28 12 The start codon for protein biosynthesis is AUG which is the same as the codon for methionine Thus all proteins initially have methionine as their N terminal ammo acid but lose it subsequent to their formation The reaction responsible for extending the protein chain is nucleophilic acyl substitution... 

The retro-Claisen reaction occurs by initial nucleophilic addition of a cysteine -SH group on the enzyme to the keto group of the /3-ketoacyl CoA to yield an alkoxide ion intermediate. Cleavage of the C2-C3 bond then follows, with expulsion of an acetyl CoA enolate ion. Protonation of the enolate ion gives acetyl CoA, and the enzyme-bound acyl group undergoes nucleophilic acyl substitution by reaction with a molecule of coenzyme A. The chain-shortened acyl CoA that results then enters another round of tire /3-oxidation pathway for further degradation. 

For nucleophiles which are unable to initiate the reaction but are quite reactive in the propagation steps, the addition of minute amounts of another nucleophile capable of initiating the reaction increases the generation of intermediates. This allows the less-reactive initiation-nucleophile to start its own propagation. This entrainment reaction allows an extension of the SRN1 mechanism to nucleophiles that are poor donors, supporting the chain nature of the reaction [9]. 

The chemistry of pyridylphosphines has been reviewed. Further studies have appeared of the reactions of phosphines bearing 2-pyridyl or 2-benzothiazolyl substituents with butyl-lithium, which result in the formation of biaryl coupling products via an initial nucleophilic attack at phosphorus. A study of the de-diazoniation of arenediazonium salts using triphenylphosphine (and trialkylphosphites) indicates that the reactions proceed via a radical-chain mechanism, initiated by single electron transfer from the phosphine to the diazonium salt, to give... 

Suitable catalysts are /-butylphenylmethyl peracetate and phenylacetjdperoxide or redox catalyst systems consisting of an organic hydroperoxide and an oxidizable sulfoxy compound. One such redox initiator is cumene—hydroperoxide, sulfur dioxide, and a nucleophilic compound, such as water. Sulfoxy compounds are preferred because they incorporate dyeable end groups in the polymer by a chain-transfer mechanism. Common thermally activated initiators, such as BPO and AIBN, are too slow for use in this process. 

Delignification Chemistty. The chemical mechanism of sulfite delignification is not fully understood. However, the chemistry of model compounds has been studied extensively, and attempts have been made to correlate the results with observations on the rates and conditions of delignification (61). The initial reaction is sulfonation of the aUphatic side chain, which occurs almost exclusively at the a-carbon by a nucleophilic substitution. The substitution displaces either a hydroxy or alkoxy group ... 

---