Papers of particular interest, published within Forskolin the period of review, have been highlighted as: • of special interest The support of the Momentum program (LP2012-41) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences is gratefully acknowledged (MF). We also thank the Debrecen High Performance Computing within the TÁMOP-4.2.2.C-11/1/KONV-2012-0010 framework for computer time. “
“Current Opinion in Chemical Biology 2014,

21:63–72 This review comes from a themed issue on Mechanisms Edited by AnnMarie C O’Donoghue and Shina CL Kamerlin For a complete overview see the Issue and the Editorial Available online 27th May 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2014.05.001 1367-5931/© 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). The mechanisms of phosphoryl transfer between nucleophilic centres have been investigated intensely over the last half-century, with many generalisations of enzyme catalytic strategies becoming evident [1•]. Newly discovered enzymes that foster phosphoryl transfer have also regularly presented themselves, and offer fresh ground for research CFTR activator alongside

historically challenging systems. The catalysis of phosphoryl transfer is particularly intriguing given the manifest stability of diesters, and monoester dianion systems. The delineation of the strategies employed by enzymes to provide accelerations of up to 1021-fold, gives enzymologists true insight into some of Nature’s most efficient catalysts [2•]. Visualisation and parameterisation of the highly dynamic interactions between enzyme and substrate as they pass through to products via heavily stabilised

transition states represents the long-standing challenge in this field. This opinion brings together several recent examples of phosphate ester analogues and their use in deciphering the secrets of some of Nature’s most enticingly efficient biocatalysts, in the context of ubiquitous phosphoryl transfer processes ( Scheme Tyrosine-protein kinase BLK 1). Approaches towards understanding transfers from phosphate monoesters, diesters and phosphoanhydride systems will be included in this opinion. Both labile (reactive) and stable (inhibitory) analogues are covered, where the former usually, but not exclusively, tend to offer insight into the dynamic processes that occur during bond making and breaking between phosphorus and other nucleophilic groups. In many cases, multi-pronged strategies are adopted where parameterisations and inferences from one mechanistic tool can be supported and enhanced by others. The following three sections cover examples of phosphate monester, diester and anhydride analogues. Initially, each section focuses on examples where the nature of the transition state and factors that stabilise it can be extracted.