The enzyme-induced or ‘suicide’ step by which the substrate analogue ethanolamine O-sulphate inactivates 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase occurs at a rate that is one-tenth that observed for the release of the products of beta-elimination, namely ammonia, acetaldehyde and sulphate. An additional reversible reaction not leading to inactivation can be detected spectrally and this decreases the rates of both beta-elimination and inactivation. This reaction is ascribed to a step on the normal transamination path, although complete transamination does not occur significantly. The 14C moiety of radiolabelled ethanolamine O-sulphate is stably bound to the inactive enzyme in the proportion of 1 mol/mol of active site. The 35S-labelled sulphate moiety is not bound after inactivation, showing that beta-elimination must precede inactivation.
