The different roles of metal ions and water molecule in the hydrolysis of ATP catalyzed by phenanthroline-based polyamines

The phenanthroline (Phen)-based polyaza ligands can efficiently recognize nucleotides and significantly enhance the rate of ATP hydrolysis under the regulation of metal ions, which act as “messenger” between the substrates and the receptors. The water molecule (or –OH) participates in the catalytic hydrolysis of ATP in different steps with different functions.