FOR the past 10 or more years, antibodies have been considered the most promising candidates for mimicking enzyme catalysis. But are their catalytic properties due to complicated specific binding interactions, or to something more basic? The report byHollfelder et al. on page 60 of this issue describes catalysis of a simple elimination reaction by a nondescript albumin, known not for its enzymatic properties but for its role in ion transport. The rate acceleration achieved is remarkably similar to that observed for a catalytic antibody promoting the same reaction. Their report rekindles questions about how best tc discover systems capable of enzyme-like catalysis.
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