ENZYMATICALLY CATALYZED GENERATION OF ELECTRONICALLY EXCITED-STATES IN A SYNTHETIC COPOLYMER WITH A SCHIFF-BASE IN PENDANT GROUPS

The copolymer of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide and N-(N-methacrylo ylglycyl)glycyl]-hexane-1,6-diamine (17.6 mole %) was prepared as a mo del compound for investigation of the mechanism of enzymatically catal yzed generation of electronically excited states in proteins. The amin o end groups of the copolymer side chains were transformed into a Schi ff base by reaction with glycolaldehyde. The modified copolymer was ch aracterized by its ultraviolet, visible and fluorescence spectra. The enzymatically catalyzed oxidation of the modified copolymer was carrie d out in a phosphate buffer at pH 7 using horseradish peroxidase as th e enzyme. The generation of electronically excited states was demonstr ated by chemiluminescence measurement and by a spectroscopic procedure based on transfer of the excitation energy to bilirubin.