Nonenzymic Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis

Breslow and co-workers have studied the mechanism of imidazole-catalyzed hydrolysis of both cyclic phosphate esters and of RNA (67-72). These studies are directed toward a more detailed understanding of the mechanism of the hydrolysis of RNA catalyzed by ribonuclease A (RNase A). In particular, recent studies by Breslow and co-workers have addressed the interesting and enzymologically pertinent question of the origin of the bell-shaped dependence of hydrolytic rate constant on pH in both enzymic and nonenzymic reactions. 

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