Active Site Tyrosine Residue Research Articles

Biochemical and Structural Characterization of OvoATh2: A Mononuclear Nonheme Iron Enzyme from Hydrogenimonas thermophila for Ovothiol Biosynthesis.

Ovothiol A and ergothioneine are thiol-histidine derivatives with sulfur substitutions at the δ-carbon or ε-carbon of the l-histidine imidazole ring, respectively. Both ovothiol A and ergothioneine have protective effects on many aging-related diseases, and the sulfur substitution plays a key role in determining their chemical and biological properties, while factors governing sulfur incorporation regioselectivities in ovothiol and ergothioneine biosynthesis in the corresponding enzymes (OvoA, Egt1, or EgtB) are not yet known. In this study, we have successfully obtained the first OvoA crystal structure, which provides critical information to explain their C-S bond formation regioselectivity. Furthermore, OvoATh2 exhibits several additional activities: (1) ergothioneine sulfoxide synthase activity akin to Egt1 in ergothioneine biosynthesis; (2) cysteine dioxygenase activity using l-cysteine and l-histidine analogues as substrates; (3) cysteine dioxygenase activity upon mutation of an active site tyrosine residue (Y406). The structural insights and diverse chemistries demonstrated by OvoATh2 pave the way for future comprehensive structure-function correlation studies.

A suicide diiron oxygenase in p‐aminobenzoate biosynthesis in Chlamydia trachomatis

Folate is an essential one‐carbon carrier cofactor required for essential biological reactions such as amino acid and DNA biosynthesis. Folates are comprised of three chemical moieties: a pteridine ring, p‐aminobenzoate (pABA), and glutamate residues. Chlamydia trachomatis has been shown to synthesize folate de novo; however, it is missing several genes involved in the canonical folate biosynthesis pathway. Previous work has demonstrated that a single gene, ct610, functionally replaces the enzymes responsible for pABA production in the canonical biosynthesis pathway. However, CT610 does not use chorismate as the precursor to pABA as is used in the canonical pathway. Further experiments showed that isotopically labeled tyrosine was incorporated into the pABA molecule when synthesized by CT610 in vivo. However, in vitro experiments demonstrated that CT610 produces pABA in the presence of oxygen and a reducing agent without any added substrates, including tyrosine. This led to the hypothesis that CT610 is a self‐sacrificing “suicide” enzyme that donates an active site tyrosine residue in synthesizing pABA. CT610 has low sequence similarity to non‐heme diiron monooxygenases such as methane monooxygenase and class Ia ribonucleotide reductase, and the previously solved crystal structure of CT610 revealed a diiron active site. Here we describe our recent progress towards understanding this unique suicide mechanism for pABA biosynthesis. To determine the tyrosine residue sacrificed in the reaction, we generated five active site tyrosine to phenylalanine mutants and found that two of the variants completely abolished pABA production, suggesting that one of these residues is the precursor to pABA. Further, a conserved lysine residue is also essential for the reaction and may be a sacrificial amino group donor. We have confirmed the oxygenase activity of wild‐type CT610, which requires only a reducing agent and is not stimulated by the presence of tyrosine or other possible substrates. Further, we developed an Fe(II) reconstitution procedure, where the reconstituted enzyme exhibits a drastic increase in oxygenase activity. However, surprisingly, the reconstituted enzyme does not exhibit increased pABA synthase activity, although EDTA treatment of the as‐purified enzyme almost completely inhibits pABA production. This suggests that a metal other than iron is required for the reaction and thus current work is focused on testing other potential metal cofactors that may play a role in the novel suicide reaction.

A suicide diiron oxygenase in p ‐aminobenzoate biosynthesis in Chlamydia trachomatis

Folate is an essential cofactor required for several processes including DNA and amino acid biosynthesis. Folate molecules are made up of three parts: a pteridine ring, p-aminobenzoate (pABA), and a variable number of glutamate residues. Chlamydia trachomatis synthesizes folate de novo; however, several genes encoding enzymes required for the canonical folate biosynthesis pathway are missing, including PabA/B and PabC, which are normally required for pABA biosynthesis from chorismate. Previous studies have found that a single gene in C. trachomatis, CT610, functionally replaces the canonical pABA biosynthesis genes. Interestingly, CT610 does not use chorismate as a substrate. Instead, the CT610-route for pABA biosynthesis incorporates isotopically-labeled tyrosine into the synthesized pABA molecule. However, in vitro experiments revealed that CT610 produces pABA without any added substrates (including tyrosine) in the presence of a reducing agent and molecular oxygen. CT610 shares low sequence similarity to non-heme diiron oxygenases and the previously solved crystal structure revealed a diiron active site. Taken together, CT610 is proposed to be a self-sacrificing “suicide” enzyme that uses one of its active site tyrosine residues as a precursor to pABA in a reaction that requires O2 and a reduced diiron cofactor. Here, we discuss our recent progress towards uncovering the mechanism of CT610-catalyed pABA synthesis.

Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue

Chlamydia trachomatis is missing the three genes normally required for p-aminobenzoate (pABA) biosynthesis. Previous genetic studies identified a single gene, the CT610 gene, responsible for pABA biosynthesis in C. trachomatis, but the molecular details of this unusual pathway remained unknown. Macias-Orihuela et al. (e00319-20) demonstrate that tyrosine is the precursor to the aromatic portion of pABA in the CT610-dependent route. Most interestingly, they further provide evidence that CT610 sacrifices its own active-site tyrosine residue(s) for pABA biosynthesis in a reaction that requires O2 and a reduced diiron cofactor. This novel “suicide” pABA synthase could be exploited as an innovative antibiotic target.

Investigation of the binding interaction of α-amylase with Chrysophyllum albidum seed extract and its silver nanoparticles: A multi-spectroscopic approach

• α-Amylase binding interactions with CSME and CSAgNP were studied. • UV-vis, FT-IR and fluorescence showed evidence of binding interactions. • Intrinsic fluorescence of α-amylase was quenched by static mechanism. • Microenvironments of α-amylase active site tyrosine residues were altered. • CSME and CSAgNP showed strong inhibition against α-amylase. The interactions between α-amylase, one of the key enzymes linked with postprandial glucose regulation, and Chrysophyllum albidum seed methanolic extract(CSME) and its green-synthesized silver nanoparticles(CSAgNP) were investigated using multiple spectroscopy including Fourier Transform-Infrared(FT-IR), ultraviolet(UV)-visible absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, and biochemical analysis. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed presence of some functional groups in the samples. CSME and CSAgNP inhibited α-amylase. The intrinsic fluorescence intensity of α-amylase was quenched by CSME and CSAgNP via static mechanisms, indicating formation of complex between the enzyme and inhibitors. α-Amylase-CSAgNP complex had higher binding constants. The binding processes were exothermic, entropy driven, spontaneous, and involved hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force. Synchronous fluorescence quenching indicated alteration in microenvironment of α-amylase catalytic site tyrosine residues.FT-IR spectroscopy revealed shifts in amide I peak position of α-amylase due to interaction with CSME/CSAgNP. Absorption spectroscopy also affirmed changes in enzyme conformation. This study may provide theoretical basis for designing novel α-amylase inhibitors. The binding interactions of α-amylase with CSME and CSAgNP were investigated/ affirmed using multiple spectroscopic and biochemical methods following established protocols.

Molecular dissection of Helicobacter pylori Topoisomerase I reveals an additional active site in the carboxyl terminus of the enzyme

DNA topoisomerases play a crucial role in maintaining DNA superhelicity, thereby regulating various cellular processes. Unlike most other species, the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori has only two topoisomerases, Topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase, the physiological roles of which remain to be explored. Interestingly, there is enormous variability among the C-terminal domains (CTDs) of Topoisomerase I across bacteria. H. pylori Topoisomerase I (HpTopoI) CTD harbors four zinc finger motifs (ZFs). We show here that sequential deletion of the third and/or fourth ZFs had only a marginal effect on the HpTopoI activity, while deletion of the second, third and fourth ZFs severely reduced DNA relaxation activity. Deletion of all ZFs drastically hampered DNA binding and thus abolished DNA relaxation. Surprisingly, mutagenesis of the annotated active site tyrosine residue (Y297 F) did not abrogate the enzyme activity and HpTopoI CTD alone (spanning the four ZFs) showed DNA relaxation activity. Additionally, a covalent linkage between the DNA and HpTopoI CTD was identified. The capacity of HpTopoI CTD to complement Escherichia coli topA mutant strains further supported the in vitro observations. Collectively these results imply that not all ZFs are dispensable for HpTopoI activity and unveil the presence of additional non-canonical catalytic site(s) within the enzyme.

Solution structure of the reduced active site of a starch-active polysaccharide monooxygenase from Neurospora crassa

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was utilized to gain insights into the structure and electronic properties of the reduced copper active site in NCU08746, a polysaccharide monooxygenase (PMO) from Neurospora crassa that activates O2 to cleave glycosidic linkages in starch. The reaction of NCU08746 likely starts with binding of O2 to the copper(I) center. However, the solution structure of the reduced active site in NCU08746 has not been properly elucidated. In this study, we prepared Cu(I)-NCU08746 in solution, which was snap-frozen to preserve the solution structure of the copper(I) active site prior to XAS analysis. Results show that the copper(I) center in Cu(I)-NCU08746 exhibits a 4-coordinate geometry, which is different from the 3-coordinate geometry observed for some other PMOs. This difference likely arises from the coordination of the active site tyrosine residue and could contribute to the difference in activity between NCU08746 and other PMOs.

Use of a Tyrosine Analogue To Modulate the Two Activities of a Nonheme Iron Enzyme OvoA in Ovothiol Biosynthesis, Cysteine Oxidation versus Oxidative C-S Bond Formation.

Ovothiol is a histidine thiol derivative. The biosynthesis of ovothiol involves an extremely efficient trans-sulfuration strategy. The nonheme iron enzyme OvoA catalyzed oxidative coupling between cysteine and histidine is one of the key steps. Besides catalyzing the oxidative coupling between cysteine and histidine, OvoA also catalyzes the oxidation of cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid (cysteine dioxygenase activity). Thus far, very little mechanistic information is available for OvoA-catalysis. In this report, we measured the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) in OvoA-catalysis using the isotopically sensitive branching method. In addition, by replacing an active site tyrosine (Tyr417) with 2-amino-3-(4-hydroxy-3-(methylthio)phenyl)propanoic acid (MtTyr) through the amber suppressor mediated unnatural amino acid incorporation method, the two OvoA activities (oxidative coupling between cysteine and histidine, and cysteine dioxygenase activity) can be modulated. These results suggest that the two OvoA activities branch out from a common intermediate and that the active site tyrosine residue plays some key roles in controlling the partitioning between these two pathways.

Mutational analysis and dynamic simulation of S-limonene synthase reveal the importance of Y573: Insight into the cyclization mechanism in monoterpene synthases

Monoterpene synthases carry out complex reactions to produce multiple products from a sole substrate, geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP). S-limonene synthase (LS) is a model monoterpene synthase that can be explored to understand the catalytic mechanism of these enzymes. In this study, we have identified an active site tyrosine residue (Y573) is crucial for the enzyme activity and mutational analysis indicates that both the aromatic ring and hydroxyl group are essential for the catalysis. Dynamic simulations found a hydrogen bond between Y573 and D496 and also a significant conformational change in the helical form of the LPP intermediate. Further mutagenesis suggested that this hydrogen bond is essential for catalysis. Sequence analysis suggested Y573 is completely conserved among cyclic monoterpene synthases but variable in acyclic enzymes, indicating this residue may be involved in cyclization. Subsequent studies by using neryl diphosphate (NPP) as the substrate ruled out the possibility that Y573 functions solely at the substrate isomerization step. Therefore, a more complicated role may be played by this residue. We proposed that Y573 may be involved in the earlier steps of the reaction, probably by controlling the conformation of the helical LPP intermediate. Our study provides important insights not only on the catalytic mechanism of LS, but also on the cyclization of monoterpene synthases in general.

Epimerase and Reductase Activities of Polyketide Synthase Ketoreductase Domains Utilize the Same Conserved Tyrosine and Serine Residues.

The role of the conserved active site tyrosine and serine residues in epimerization catalyzed by polyketide synthase ketoreductase (PKS KR) domains has been investigated. Both mutant and wild-type forms of epimerase-active KR domains, including the intrinsically redox-inactive EryKR3° and PicKR3° as well as redox-inactive mutants of EryKR1, were incubated with [2-(2)H]-(2R,3S)-2-methyl-3-hydroxypentanoyl-SACP ([2-(2)H]-2) and 0.05 equiv of NADP(+) in the presence of the redox-active, epimerase-inactive EryKR6 domain. The residual epimerase activity of each mutant was determined by tandem equilibrium isotope exchange, in which the first-order, time-dependent washout of isotope from 2 was monitored by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with quantitation of the deuterium content of the diagnostic pantetheinate ejection fragment (4). Replacement of the active site Tyr or Ser residues, alone or together, significantly reduced the observed epimerase activity of each KR domain with minimal effect on substrate binding. Our results demonstrate that the epimerase and reductase activities of PKS KR domains share a common active site, with both reactions utilizing the same pair of Tyr and Ser residues.

Cross-Species Analysis of Protein Dynamics Associated with Hydride and Proton Transfer in the Catalytic Cycle of the Light-Driven Enzyme Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase.

Experimental interrogation of the relationship between protein dynamics and enzyme catalysis is challenging. Light-activated protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) is an excellent model for investigating this relationship because photoinitiation of the reaction cycle enables coordinated turnover in a "dark-assembled" ternary enzyme-substrate complex. The catalytic cycle involves sequential hydride and proton transfers (from NADPH and an active site tyrosine residue, respectively) to the substrate protochlorophyllide. Studies with a limited cross-species subset of POR enzymes (n = 4) have suggested that protein dynamics associated with hydride and proton transfer are distinct [Heyes, D. J., Levy, C., Sakuma, M., Robertson, D. L., and Scrutton, N. S. (2011) J. Biol. Chem. 286, 11849-11854]. Here, we use steady-state assays and single-turnover laser flash spectroscopy to analyze hydride and proton transfer dynamics in an extended series of POR enzymes taken from many species, including cyanobacteria, algae, embryophytes, and angiosperms. Hydride/proton transfer in all eukaryotic PORs is faster compared to prokaryotic PORs, suggesting active site architecture has been optimized in eukaryotic PORs following endosymbiosis. Visible pump-probe spectroscopy was also used to demonstrate a common photoexcitation mechanism for representative POR enzymes from different branches of the phylogenetic tree. Dynamics associated with hydride transfer are localized to the active site of all POR enzymes and are conserved. However, dynamics associated with proton transfer are variable. Protein dynamics associated with proton transfer are also coupled to solvent dynamics in cyanobacterial PORs, and these networks are likely required to optimize (shorten) the donor-acceptor distance for proton transfer. These extended networks are absent in algal and plant PORs. Our analysis suggests that extended networks of dynamics are disfavored, possibly through natural selection. Implications for the evolution of POR and more generally for other enzyme catalysts are discussed.

Adverse Outcomes Associated with Cigarette Smoke Radicals Related to Damage to Protein-disulfide Isomerase

Identification of factors contributing to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is crucial for developing new treatments. An increase in the levels of protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI), a multifaceted endoplasmic reticulum resident chaperone, has been demonstrated in human smokers, presumably as a protective adaptation to cigarette smoke (CS) exposure. We found a similar increase in the levels of PDI in the murine model of COPD. We also found abnormally high levels (4-6 times) of oxidized and sulfenilated forms of PDI in the lungs of murine smokers compared with non-smokers. PDI oxidation progressively increases with age. We begin to delineate the possible role of an increased ratio of oxidized PDI in the age-related onset of COPD by investigating the impact of exposure to CS radicals, such as acrolein (AC), hydroxyquinones (HQ), peroxynitrites (PN), and hydrogen peroxide, on their ability to induce unfolded protein response (UPR) and their effects on the structure and function of PDIs. Exposure to AC, HQ, PN, and CS resulted in cysteine and tyrosine nitrosylation leading to an altered three-dimensional structure of the PDI due to a decrease in helical content and formation of a more random coil structure, resulting in protein unfolding, inhibition of PDI reductase and isomerase activity in vitro and in vivo, and subsequent induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Addition of glutathione prevented the induction of UPR, and AC and HQ induced structural changes in PDI. Exposure to PN and glutathione resulted in conjugation of PDI possibly at active site tyrosine residues. The findings presented here propose a new role of PDI in the pathogenesis of COPD and its age-dependent onset.

Structural and Functional Study of d-Glucuronyl C5-epimerase

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a glycosaminoglycan present on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix, which interacts with diverse signal molecules and is essential for many physiological processes including embryonic development, cell growth, inflammation, and blood coagulation. D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase (Glce) is a crucial enzyme in HS synthesis, converting D-glucuronic acid to L-iduronic acid to increase HS flexibility. This modification of HS is important for protein ligand recognition. We have determined the crystal structures of Glce in apo-form (unliganded) and in complex with heparin hexasaccharide (product of Glce following O-sulfation), both in a stable dimer conformation. A Glce dimer contains two catalytic sites, each at a positively charged cleft in C-terminal α-helical domains binding one negatively charged hexasaccharide. Based on the structural and mutagenesis studies, three tyrosine residues, Tyr(468), Tyr(528), and Tyr(546), in the active site were found to be crucial for the enzymatic activity. The complex structure also reveals the mechanism of product inhibition (i.e. 2-O- and 6-O-sulfation of HS keeps the C5 carbon of L-iduronic acid away from the active-site tyrosine residues). Our structural and functional data advance understanding of the key modification in HS biosynthesis.

Rational targeting of active-site tyrosine residues using sulfonyl fluoride probes.

This work describes the first rational targeting of tyrosine residues in a protein binding site by small-molecule covalent probes. Specific tyrosine residues in the active site of the mRNA-decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS were modified using reactive sulfonyl fluoride covalent inhibitors. Structure-based molecular design was used to create an alkyne-tagged probe bearing the sulfonyl fluoride warhead, thus enabling the efficient capture of the protein from a complex proteome. Use of the probe in competition experiments with a diaminoquinazoline DcpS inhibitor permitted the quantification of intracellular target occupancy. As a result, diaminoquinazoline upregulators of survival motor neuron protein that are used for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy were confirmed as inhibitors of DcpS in human primary cells. This work illustrates the utility of sulfonyl fluoride probes designed to react with specific tyrosine residues of a protein and augments the chemical biology toolkit by these probes uses in target validation and molecular pharmacology.

Quantum delocalization of protons in the hydrogen-bond network of an enzyme active site.

Enzymes use protein architectures to create highly specialized structural motifs that can greatly enhance the rates of complex chemical transformations. Here, we use experiments, combined with ab initio simulations that exactly include nuclear quantum effects, to show that a triad of strongly hydrogen-bonded tyrosine residues within the active site of the enzyme ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) facilitates quantum proton delocalization. This delocalization dramatically stabilizes the deprotonation of an active-site tyrosine residue, resulting in a very large isotope effect on its acidity. When an intermediate analog is docked, it is incorporated into the hydrogen-bond network, giving rise to extended quantum proton delocalization in the active site. These results shed light on the role of nuclear quantum effects in the hydrogen-bond network that stabilizes the reactive intermediate of KSI, and the behavior of protons in biological systems containing strong hydrogen bonds.

Identification of Tyr241 as a Key Catalytic Base in the Family 4 Glycoside Hydrolase BglT from Thermotoga maritima

While the vast majority of glycosidases catalyze glycoside hydrolysis via oxocarbenium ion-like transition states and typically employ carboxylic acid residues as acid/base or nucleophile catalysts, two subfamilies of these enzymes (GH4 and GH109 in the CAZY classification) conduct hydrolysis via a redox-assisted mechanism involving anionic transition states. While good evidence of this mechanism has been obtained, the identities of the catalytic residues involved have not yet been confirmed. Mechanistic analyses of mutants of the 6-phospho-β-glucosidase from Thermotoga maritima (BglT), in which the active site tyrosine residue (Tyr 241) has been replaced with Phe and Ala, provide support for its role as a catalytic base. The pH dependence of k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m), particularly of the acidic limb corresponding to the base, is shifted relative to that of the wild-type enzyme. Kinetic isotope effects for hydrolysis of substrates deuterated at C1, C2, and C3 by the Tyr 241 mutants are strongly pH-dependent, with essentially full primary kinetic isotope effects being observed for the 2-deutero substrate at low pH with the Tyr241Ala mutant. This is consistent with a slowing of the deprotonation step upon removal of the base.

Determinants of Reactivity and Selectivity in Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase from Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Modeling

Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is an enzyme involved in drug metabolism that catalyzes the hydrolysis of epoxides to form their corresponding diols. sEH has a broad substrate range and shows high regio- and enantioselectivity for nucleophilic ring opening by Asp333. Epoxide hydrolases therefore have potential synthetic applications. We have used combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) umbrella sampling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (at the AM1/CHARMM22 level) and high-level ab initio (SCS-MP2) QM/MM calculations to analyze the reactions, and determinants of selectivity, for two substrates: trans-stilbene oxide (t-SO) and trans-diphenylpropene oxide (t-DPPO). The calculated free energy barriers from the QM/MM (AM1/CHARMM22) umbrella sampling MD simulations show a lower barrier for phenyl attack in t-DPPO, compared with that for benzylic attack, in agreement with experiment. Activation barriers in agreement with experimental rate constants are obtained only with the highest level of QM theory (SCS-MP2) used. Our results show that the selectivity of the ring-opening reaction is influenced by several factors, including proximity to the nucleophile, electronic stabilization of the transition state, and hydrogen bonding to two active site tyrosine residues. The protonation state of His523 during nucleophilic attack has also been investigated, and our results show that the protonated form is most consistent with experimental findings. The work presented here illustrates how determinants of selectivity can be identified from QM/MM simulations. These insights may also provide useful information for the design of novel catalysts for use in the synthesis of enantiopure compounds.

Effect of substrate features and mutagenesis of active site tyrosine residues on the reaction course catalysed by Trypanosoma brucei sterol C-24-methyltransferase

TbSMT [Trypanosoma brucei 24-SMT (sterol C-24-methyltransferase)] synthesizes an unconventional 24-alkyl sterol product set consisting of Δ24(25)-, Δ24(28)- and Δ25(27)-olefins. The C-methylation reaction requires Si(β)-face C-24-methyl addition coupled to reversible migration of positive charge from C-24 to C-25. The hydride shifts responsible for charge migration in formation of multiple ergostane olefin isomers catalysed by TbSMT were examined by incubation of a series of sterol acceptors paired with AdoMet (S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Results obtained with zymosterol compared with the corresponding 24-2H and 27-13C derivatives revealed isotopic-sensitive branching in the hydride transfer reaction on the path to form a 24-methyl-Δ24(25)-olefin product (kinetic isotope effect, kH/kD=1.20), and stereospecific CH3→CH2 elimination at the C28 branch and C27 cis-terminal methyl to form Δ24(28) and Δ25(27) products respectively. Cholesta-5,7,22,24-tetraenol converted into ergosta-5,7,22,24(28)-tetraenol and 24β-hydroxy ergosta-5,7,23-trienol (new compound), whereas ergosta-5,24-dienol converted into 24-dimethyl ergosta-5,25(27)-dienol and cholesta-5,7,24-trienol converted into ergosta-5,7,25(27)trienol, ergosta-5,7,24(28)-trienol, ergosta-5,7,24-trienol and 24 dimethyl ergosta-5,7,25(27)-trienol. We made use of our prior research and molecular modelling of 24-SMT to identify contact amino acids that might affect catalysis. Conserved tyrosine residues at positions 66, 177 and 208 in TbSMT were replaced with phenylalanine residues. The substitutions generated variable loss of activity during the course of the first C-1-transfer reaction, which differs from the corresponding Erg6p mutants that afforded a gain in C-2-transfer activity. The results show that differences exist among 24-SMTs in control of C-1- and C-2-transfer activities by interactions of intermediate and aromatic residues in the activated complex and provide an opportunity for rational drug design of a parasite enzyme not synthesized by the human host.

Reactions of Copper(II)-Phenol Systems with O2: Models for TPQ Biosynthesis in Copper Amine Oxidases

Copper(II) complexes supported by a series of phenol-containing bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine N(3) ligands (denoted as L(o)H, L(m)H, and L(p)H) have been synthesized, and their O(2) reactivity has been examined in detail to gain mechanistic insights into the biosynthesis of the TPQ cofactor (2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalaninequinone, TOPA quinone) in copper-containing amine oxidases. The copper(II) complex of L(o)H (ortho-phenol derivative) involves a direct phenolate to copper(II) coordination and exhibits almost no reactivity toward O(2) at 60 °C in CH(3)OH. On the other hand, the copper(II) complex of L(m)H (meta-phenol derivative), which does not involve direct coordinative interaction between the phenol moiety and the copper(II) ion, reacts with O(2) in the presence of triethylamine as a base to give a methoxy-substituted para-quinone derivative under the same conditions. The product structure has been established by detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) (including (18)O-labeling experiment) analyses. Density functional theory predicts that the reaction involves (i) intramolecular electron transfer from the deprotonated phenol (phenolate) to copper(II) to generate a copper(I)-phenoxyl radical; (ii) the addition of O(2) to this intermediate, resulting in an end-on copper(II) superoxide; (iii) electrophilic substitution of the phenolic radical to give a copper(II)-alkylperoxo intermediate; (iv) O-O bond cleavage concomitant with a proton migration, giving a para-quinone derivative; and (v) Michael addition of methoxide from copper(II) to the para-quinone ring and subsequent O(2) oxidation. This reaction sequence is similar to that proposed for the biosynthetic pathway leading to the TPQ cofactor in the enzymatic system. The generated para-quinone derivative can act as a turnover catalyst for aerobic oxidation of benzylamine to N-benzylidene benzylamine. Another type of copper(II)-phenol complex with an L(p)H ligand (para-phenol derivative) also reacts with O(2) under the same experimental conditions. However, the product of this reaction is a keto-alcohol derivative, the structure of which is qualitatively different from that of the cofactor. These results unambiguously demonstrate that the steric relationship between the phenol moiety and the supported copper(II) ion is decisive in the conversion of active-site tyrosine residues to the TPQ cofactor.

Structural and enzyme activity studies demonstrate that aryl substituted 2,3-butadienamine analogs inactivate Arthrobacter globiformis amine oxidase (AGAO) by chemical derivatization of the 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ) cofactor

Copper amine oxidases (CAOs) are a family of redox active enzymes containing a 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ) cofactor generated from post translational modification of an active site tyrosine residue. The Arthrobacter globiformis amine oxidase (AGAO) has been widely used as a model to guide the design and development of selective inhibitors of CAOs. In this study, two aryl 2,3-butadienamine analogs, racemic 5-phenoxy-2,3-pentadienylamine (POPDA) and racemic 6-phenyl-2,3-hexadienylamine (PHDA), were synthesized and evaluated as mechanism-based inactivators of AGAO. Crystal structures show that both compounds form a covalent adduct with the amino group of the substrate-reduced TPQ, and that the chemical structures of the rac-PHDA and rac-POPDA modified TPQ differ by the allenic carbon that is attached to the cofactor. A chemical mechanism accounting for the formation of the respective TPQ derivative is proposed. Under steady-state conditions, no recovery of enzyme activity is detected when AGAO pre-treated with rac-PHDA or rac-POPDA is diluted with excess amount of the benzylamine substrate (100-fold Km). Comparing the IC50 values further reveals that the phenoxy substituent in POPDA offers an approximately 4-fold increase in inhibition potency, which can be attributed to a favourable binding interaction between the oxygen atom in the phenoxy group and the active site of AGAO as revealed by crystallographic studies. This hypothesis is corroborated by the observed >3-fold higher partition ratio of PHDA compared to POPDA. Taken together, the results presented in this study reveal the mechanism by which aryl 2,3-butadienamines act as mechanism-based inhibitors of AGAO, and the potency of enzyme inactivation could be fine-tuned by optimizing binding interaction between the aryl substituent and the enzyme active site.