STEREOSPECIFICITY OF HYDROLYTIC ENZYMES ON REACTION WITH ASYMMETRIC ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS .3. INHIBITION OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE AND BUTYRYLCHOLINESTERASE BY ENANTIOMERIC FORMS OF SARIN

Inhibition experiments carried out with acetylcholinesterase from bovine erythrocytes and horse serum butyrylcholinesterase indicate that optically pure (-)-sarin reacts at least 4200 times faster than optically pure (+)-sarin with the first mentioned enzyme, whereas the enantiomers inhibit butyrylcholinesterase with virtually equal rates. The high stereospecificity exhibited by acetylcholinesterase was applied to determine the optical purities of several sarin preparations. © 1969.