A detailed study will be carried out on the kinetics and mechanism of three areas in physical biochemistry: (1) elementary steps in deoxyribonuclease systems: (2) elementary steps in hexokinase systems; (3) metal ion interactions with coenzymes, oligonucleotides, and oligopeptides. The approach will be primarily a rapid kinetic one, utilizing the techniques of temperature-jump and stopped flow spectroscopy. The objectives of the research are: 1. to characterize the rapid elementary steps in solutions of the enzymes deoxyribonuclease and hexokinase; 2. to correlate observed rapid steps with crystallographic and other structural information about the enzymes; 3. to characterize the mechanisms of divalent metal ion interactions with di- and oligonucleotides and peptides. Relatively little is known at this time about the detailed mechanisms of these processes. All the processes to be characterized kinetically are constituent steps in the overall reactions; many of them are elementary steps. This information is essential for an understanding of the mechanisms of action of the enzyme and coenzyme systems. This in turn will lead to a better understanding of their physiological roles.
