Abstract
In order to obtain the more effective evidence, supporting the hypothesis which have been previously described by former report that pepsin (EC 3.4. 4.1) forms a hydrophobic bond with the nonpolar side chain of its substrate, the inhibitory effect of carboxylic acids(from formic acid to iso-butyric acid) on the activity of pepsin to the synthetic dipeptide, N-Carbobenzoxy-L-glutamyl-L-tyrosine, was discussed. The kinetic study showed that the inhibition by carboxylic acids was competitive. The Kidecreased with increasing size of the inhibitor molecule. The $-{\Delta}F^{\circ}$increased linearly with increasing number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain of the inhibitor. It was confirmed that the hydrophobic bond between more than one side chain of amino acid residues(phenylalanine) in the binding region of the active center of pepsin and the side chain of amino acid residues in the substrate was formed as the first step of its enzymic mechanism. The inhibitory effect of carboxylic acids was due to the competition of the hydrocarbon group of the carboxylic acids with the side chain of the substrate for the hydrophobic binding site(the side chain of phenylalanine) of the pepsin.