Adenosine deaminases (ADAs) from human, bovine and Plasmodium falciparum sources were analyzed by kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) and shown to have distinct but related transition states. Human adenosine deaminase (HsADA) is present in most mammalian cells and is involved in Band T-cell development. The ADA from Plasmodium falciparum (PfADA) is essential in this purine auxotroph and its inhibition is expected to have therapeutic effects for malaria. Therefore ADA is of continuing interest for inhibitor design. where N1 protonation is partial and the bond order to the attacking hydroxyl nucleophile is nearly complete. The key structural variation among PfADA, HsADA and BtADA transition states lies in the degree of N1 protonation with the decreased bond lengths of 1.92 Å, 1.55 Å and 1.28 Å, respectively. Thus, PfADA has the earliest and BtADA has most developed transition state. This conclusion is consistent with the 20 to 36-fold increase of k cat in comparing PfADA with HsADA and BtADA.