Catalysis of a stereospecific bimolecular amide synthesis by an antibody.

We report a nonhydrolytic bimolecular aminolysis reaction catalyzed by an antibody. The stereospecific formation of an amide from racemic lactone plus an aromatic amine is described by a random equilibrium bireactant kinetic sequence. The observed turnover rate may be approximated from the measured difference between the binding of reactants and the transition state analog.