Properties of methyl acetimidate and its use as a protein-modifying reagent.

The rate of hydrolysis of the imido ester methyl acetimidate and its rate of amidination of denatured aldolase were investigated under different conditions of temperature, pH and ionic strength. Both rate constants increase greatly with temperature, whereas ionic strength has no effect on either. The effect of pH is more complex. Between pH 6.8 and 8.8 the rate of hydrolysis decreases and the rate of amidination increases. These results are discussed in terms of the reaction mechanisms involved.