CATALYTIC ANTIBODIES

In 1946, Linus Pauling argued that an enzyme derives its catalytic pow er by binding the transition state of a reaction more tightly than eit her its substrates or products. Thus, the active site of an enzyme low ers the energy barrier of the reaction and thereby increases the react ion rate. In 1969, Jencks suggested that an antibody, raised against a stable transition state analog of a reaction, should act as a potent catalyst. Since 1986, the vast repertoire of the immune system has bee n exploited for the generation of tailor-made biological catalysts. A number of strategies have been developed to generate catalytic antibod ies that carry out a wide range of reactions with exquisite specificit ies.