N-formylglycine was developed as a dead-end inhibitor of the succinic
semialdehyde dehydrogenase reaction. At 4mM, it inhibited Aspergillus
niger succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase by 40%. N-formylglycine is a
reversible, complete inhibitor; the inhibition is competitive with su
ccinic semialdehyde and uncompetitive with respect to NAD(+) and the K
-i values are 4.9 and 10.4 mM respectively. Potato succinic semialdehy
de dehydrogenase is also inhibited by N-formylglycine to a similar ext
ent, the nature of the inhibition being identical to that observed wit
h the A. niger enzyme.