Abstract
The B12 cofactors instill a natural curiosity regarding the primordial selection and evolution of their corrin ligand. Surprisingly, this important natural macrocycle has evaded molecular scrutiny, and its specific role in predisposing the incarcerated cobalt ion for organometallic catalysis has remained obscure. Herein, we report the biosynthesis of the cobalt‐free B12 corrin moiety, hydrogenobyric acid (Hby), a compound crafted through pathway redesign. Detailed insights from single‐crystal X‐ray and solution structures of Hby have revealed a distorted helical cavity, redefining the pattern for binding cobalt ions. Consequently, the corrin ligand coordinates cobalt ions in desymmetrized “entatic” states, thereby promoting the activation of B12‐cofactors for their challenging chemical transitions. The availability of Hby also provides a route to the synthesis of transition metal analogues of B12.
Highlights
The B12 cofactors instill a natural curiosity regarding the primordial selection and evolution of their corrin ligand
We report the biosynthesis of the cobalt-free B12 corrin moiety, hydrogenobyric acid (Hby), a compound crafted through pathway redesign
The availability of Hby provides a route to the synthesis of transition metal analogues of B12
Summary
The B12 cofactors instill a natural curiosity regarding the primordial selection and evolution of their corrin ligand. The corrin ligand coordinates cobalt ions in desymmetrized “entatic” states, thereby promoting the activation of B12-cofactors for their challenging chemical transitions.
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