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Paradigms and paradoxes: Mechanisms for possible enhanced biological activity of bilaterally symmetrical chemicals

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Abstract

We propose a mechanism that bilateral symmetry yields an entropic advantage for enzyme recognition. We suggest that bilateral symmetry may be a guiding principle used by nature to produce some particularly effective receptor–ligand interactions. An essential result is that bilateral symmetry is common among enzyme inhibitors, which coupled with an enhanced bond energy that connects dimer molecules compared to a reduced bond energy profile for higher oligomers provides a clue to explain the abundance of bilaterally symmetrical molecules found in Nature.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by PSC-CUNY. O.R.W. is the recipient of the David Davidson Memorial Summer Research Award donated by Herbert and Estelle Meislich.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Graduate Center and The City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, 2900 Bedford Avenue, NY, 11210–2889, USA

    Alexander Greer, Orrette R. Wauchope, Nicola S. Farina & Paul Haberfield

  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250, USA

    Orrette R. Wauchope & Joel F. Liebman

Authors
  1. Alexander Greer
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  2. Orrette R. Wauchope
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  3. Nicola S. Farina
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  4. Paul Haberfield
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  5. Joel F. Liebman
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Correspondence to Alexander Greer.

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Greer, A., Wauchope, O.R., Farina, N.S. et al. Paradigms and paradoxes: Mechanisms for possible enhanced biological activity of bilaterally symmetrical chemicals. Struct Chem 17, 347–350 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11224-006-9008-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11224-006-9008-2

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