Reductase Active Site Research Articles

Structural Dynamics of the Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase Active Site Are Influenced by Coenzyme F430 Modifications.

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) is a central player in methane biogeochemistry, governing methanogenesis and the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in methanogens and anaerobic methanotrophs (ANME), respectively. The prosthetic group of MCR is coenzyme F430, a nickel-containing tetrahydrocorphin. Several modified versions of F430 have been discovered, including the 172-methylthio-F430 (mtF430) used by ANME-1 MCR. Here, we employ molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the active site dynamics of MCR from Methanosarcina acetivorans and ANME-1 when bound to the canonical F430 compared to 172-thioether coenzyme F430 variants and substrates (methyl-coenzyme M and coenzyme B) for methane formation. Our simulations highlight the importance of the Gln to Val substitution in accommodating the 172 methylthio modification in ANME-1 MCR. Modifications at the 172 position disrupt the canonical substrate positioning in M. acetivorans MCR. However, in some replicates, active site reorganization to maintain substrate positioning suggests that the modified F430 variants could be accommodated in a methanogenic MCR. We additionally report the first quantitative estimate of MCR intrinsic electric fields that are pivotal in driving methane formation. Our results suggest that the electric field aligned along the CH3-S-CoM thioether bond facilitates homolytic bond cleavage, coinciding with the proposed catalytic mechanism. Structural perturbations, however, weaken and misalign these electric fields, emphasizing the importance of the active site structure in maintaining their integrity. In conclusion, our results deepen the understanding of MCR active site dynamics, the enzyme's organizational role in intrinsic electric fields for catalysis, and the interplay between active site structure and electrostatics.

Revealing a notable interaction in the binding of type II statins to HMG‐CoA reductase: Stacked cation–π interaction

AbstractThis study has centered on potentially important enzyme‐ligand interaction currently not incorporated: stacked cation–π interaction between the guanidinium group of arginine 590 residues in the HMG‐CoA reductase active site and the 4‐fluorophenyl group of type II statins. The geometry of interaction between these planar groups has been considered based on the X‐ray crystallographic structures already available in the protein data bank (PDB) archive. Electronic interaction energies between this residue and statins have been acquired by M06 and MP2 methods. In addition, stacking interaction and hydrogen bonding as two important investigated interactions are verified through prominent analyses: (1) quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis; (2) plotting and quantitative molecular surface analyses such as electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis, Hirshfeld surface (HS) and Becke surface (BS) analyses; (3) visual study methods such as noncovalent interaction (NCI), independent gradient model (IGM) analyses; and (4) localized orbital locator integrated pi over plane (LOLIPOP) index.The results indicate the absolute binding energy for type II statins is overall more than for type I statins.

Synthesis, Molecular Docking Study, and Biological Evaluation of New 4-(2,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-N'-(2-(substituted)acetyl)benzohydrazides as Dual Enoyl ACP Reductase and DHFR Enzyme Inhibitors.

In this study, a new series of 4-(2,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-N'-(2-(substituted)acetyl) benzohydrazides (5a-n) were prepared and new heterocycles underwent thorough characterization and evaluation for antibacterial activity; some of them underwent further testing for in vitro inhibition of enoyl ACP reductase and DHFR enzymes. The majority of the synthesized molecules exhibited appreciable action against DHFR and enoyl ACP reductase enzymes. Some of the synthesized compounds also showed strong antibacterial and antitubercular properties. In order to determine the potential mode of action of the synthesized compounds, a molecular docking investigation was conducted. The results revealed binding interactions with both the dihydrofolate reductase and enoyl ACP reductase active sites. These molecules represent excellent future therapeutic possibilities with potential uses in the biological and medical sciences due to the compounds' pronounced docking properties and biological activity.

New nitazoxanide derivatives: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking studies as antibacterial and antimycobacterial agents.

A new series inspired by combining fragments from nitazoxanide (NTZ) and 4-aminosalicylic acid (4-ASA) was synthesized and screened for in vitro antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities. The majority showed higher antibacterial potency than NTZ against all the screened strains, notably, 5f, 5j, 5n and 5o with MICs of 0.87-9.00 μM. Compounds 5c, 5n and 5o revealed higher potency than ciprofloxacin against K. pneumoniae, while 5i was equipotent. For E. faecalis, 3b, 5j, and 5k showed higher potency than ciprofloxacin. 5j was more potent against P. aeruginosa than ciprofloxacin, while 5n was more potent against S. aureus with an MIC of 0.87 μM. 5f showed equipotency to ciprofloxacin against H. pylori with an MIC of 1.74 μM. Compounds 3a and 3b (4-azidoNTZ, MIC 4.47 μM) are 2 and 5-fold more potent against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb H37Rv) than NTZ (MIC 20.23 μM) and safer. 4-Azidation and/or acetylation of NTZ improve both activities, while introducing 1,2,3-triazoles improves the antibacterial activity. Molecular docking studies within pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR), glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (G6PS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active sites were performed to explore the possible molecular mechanisms of actions. Acceptable drug-likeness properties were found. This study may shed light on further rational design of substituted NTZ as broad-spectrum more potent antimicrobial candidates.

5-Formyltetrahydrofolate promotes conformational remodeling in a methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase active site and inhibits its activity

The flavoprotein methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) catalyzes the reduction of N5, N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2-H4folate) to N5-methyltetrahydrofolate (CH3-H4folate), committing a methyl group from the folate cycle to the methionine one. This committed step is the sum of multiple ping-pong electron transfers involving multiple substrates, intermediates, and products all sharing the same active site. Insight into folate substrate binding is needed to better understand this multifunctional active site. Here, we performed activity assays with Thermus thermophilus MTHFR (tMTHFR), which showed pH-dependent inhibition by the substrate analog, N5-formyltetrahydrofolate (CHO-H4folate). Our crystal structure of a tMTHFR•CHO-H4folate complex revealed a unique folate-binding mode; tMTHFR subtly rearranges its active site to form a distinct folate-binding environment. Formation of a novel binding pocket for the CHO-H4folate p-aminobenzoic acid moiety directly affects how bent the folate ligand is and its accommodation in the active site. Comparative analysis of the available active (FAD- and folate-bound) MTHFR complex structures reveals that CHO-H4folate is accommodated in the active site in a conformation that would not support hydride transfer, but rather in a conformation that potentially reports on a different step in the reaction mechanism after this committed step, such as CH2-H4folate ring-opening. This active site remodeling provides insights into the functional relevance of the differential folate-binding modes and their potential roles in the catalytic cycle. The conformational flexibility displayed by tMTHFR demonstrates how a shared active site can use a few amino acid residues in lieu of extra domains to accommodate chemically distinct moieties and functionalities.

Тhio-containing pteridines: Synthesis, modification, and biological activity.

The present article is devoted to searching for biologically active agents among novel thio-containing pteridines. Synthetic protocols based on the condensation of 5,6-diamino-2-thioxo-2,3-dihydropyrimidin-4(1H)-ones with dicarbonyl compounds were elaborated and used for the synthesis of target products. The directions for further modification of the obtained thio-containing pteridines were substantiated and realized. The spectral properties of the obtained compounds were studied and described. The results of the in silico study revealed that the predicted affinity of the obtained compounds to the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active site is comparable with the affinity of methotrexate, despite the differences in the nature of the ligand-enzyme interactions. The in vitro study of DHFR-inhibiting activity revealed that the most active compounds 3.9 and 4.2 have lg IC50 values of -5.889 and -5.233, respectively, significantly inferior to methotrexate (lg IC50 = -7.605). Additionally, the synthesized compounds were studied for their antiradical activity as a possible mechanism of pharmacological effects. Among the obtained pteridines, compounds 5.1 (lg EC50 = -4.82) and 5.3 (lg EC50 = -4.92) have antiradical activity higher than the reference compound ascorbic acid (lg EC50 = -4.81). The conducted structure-activity relationship analysis provided valuable data for the further search for biologically active agents among thio-containing pteridines and related compounds.

A Novel of Azo-Thiazole Moiety Alternative for Benzidine-Based Pigments: Design, Synthesis, Characterization, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Study

A new series of coloring compounds (pigments) based on 5-(2-aminothiazol-5-yl)thiazol-2-amine and 5-(4-aminophenyl)thiazol-2-amine as heterocyclic alternatives for benzidine based on disazo dyestuffs were synthesized. All the newly synthesized pigments are characterized based on their physical, spectral, and analytical data. The antimicrobial activity showed that introducing the heterocyclic analogues thiazole (mono or bis) exhibited less toxic and resisted antimicrobial (five gram-positive strain, three gram-negative, and three fungal species). Thus, derivatives demonstrated moderate to good activity compared with Gentamycin and Ketoconazole. Furthermore, the pigments screened for their in vitro antioxidant properties by the DPPH method, and the newly designed pigments PG4–PG11 with thiazole moiety causes increase antioxidant properties with IC50 values ranged between (0.054–0.192 µM) compared with PG1, PG2, and PG3 (IC50 = 0.712, 0.239, and 0.191 µM) as well as Ascorbic acid (IC50 = 2.532 µM). Further, the synthesized pigments' cytotoxicity activity evaluated against HepG-2 and showed IC50 values ranged between (53.52–94.05 µM) compared with PG1–PG3 (IC50 =216.04–393.58 µM) and doxorubicin (IC50 = 8.17 µM). Molecular docking study concluded that thiazole moiety might be made one or more binding mode as critical hydrogen bonding through the nitrogen of thiazole, as well as arene-cation and/or arene-arene interaction with dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active site in 1DLS protein.

Phytoconstituents, In Vitro Anti-Infective Activity of Buddleja indica Lam., and In Silico Evaluation of its SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitory Potential.

Phytochemical investigation of Buddleja indica Lam. leaves methanol extract (BIT) resulted in the isolation of six known compounds for the first time from the plant, namely, p-hydroxybenzoic acid 1), caffeic acid 2), quercetin 3-O-β-D glucoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside 3), kaempferol 3-O-β-D glucoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnoside 4), quercetin 7-O-β-D glucoside 5) and kaempferol 6). BIT extract showed potent antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging between 0.48 and 1.95 μg/ml with Bacillus subtilis was the most susceptible to the BIT effect. It showed a notable antimycobacterial and anti-Helicobacter pylori activity with MIC values of 100 and 80 μg/ml, respectively. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was more sensitive to the antiviral activity of BIT comparable to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), showing 48.38 and 41.85% inhibition of the viral replication at a dose of 50 μg/ml for VSV and HSV-1, respectively. In silico molecular docking of the isolated compounds revealed that caffeic acid 2) showed the highest fitting within the active sites of DNA-gyrase, topoisomerase IV, and SARS-CoV-2 MPro. Quercetin 7-O-β-D glucoside 5) revealed the best fitting in dihydrofolate reductase active site with ∆ G value equals −36.53 Kcal/mol. Kaempferol 6) exhibited the highest fitting towards β-lactamase, SARS-CoV-2PLpro, and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro active sites. Thus, B. indica Lam. can be considered as a future source of cheap, substantially safe, and credible antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral candidate of natural origin that could effectively participate in solving the problem of COVID-19 pandemic. These findings provide a scientific consolidation for the ethnomedicinal uses of Buddleja indica Lam. as a topical antiseptic.

Photoenzymatic Reductions Enabled by Direct Excitation of Flavin-Dependent "Ene"-Reductases.

Non-natural photoenzymatic reactions reported to date have depended on the excitation of electron donor-acceptor complexes formed between substrates and cofactors within protein active sites to facilitate electron transfer. While this mechanism has unlocked new reactivity, it limits the types of substrates that can be involved in this area of catalysis. Here we demonstrate that direct excitation of flavin hydroquinone within "ene"-reductase active sites enables new substrates to participate in photoenzymatic reactions. We found that by using photoexcitation these enzymes gain the ability to reduce acrylamides through a single electron transfer mechanism.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of some nitrogen heterocycles bearing pyrimidine moiety

AbstractSynthesis of novel pyrimidine derivatives 4‐16 was accomplished by heterocyclization of polarized system, for example, Chalcone. Claisen‐Schmidt condensation of 2‐acetyl naphthalene with 4‐(N, N‐dimethylaminobenzaldehyde) afforded chalcone 3, which was utilized for synthesis various pyrimidine derivatives by treatment with urea, thiourea, and guandine hydrochloride in ethanolic sodium hydroxide solution. The reactivity of the synthesized pyrimidine derivatives towards different nucleophilic and electrophilic reagent were examined. The constructions of the newly synthesized pyrimidine derivatives were elucidated from their spectral and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds were tested in vitro for their anticancer activities against HePG‐2 and MCF‐7 cell lines. Some of them posses a wide range of pharmacological activity. Finally, a molecular docking study was conducted to reveal the probable interaction with the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active site.

Synthesis, in-vitro antiprotozoal activity and molecular docking study of isothiocyanate derivatives

Novel isothiocyanate derivatives were synthesized starting from noscapine, bile acids, amino acids, and some aromatic compounds. Antiparasitic activities of the synthesized derivatives were tested against four unicellular protozoa, i.e., Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, T. cruzi, Leishmania donovani, and Plasmodium falciparum. Interestingly, seven isothiocyanate analogues displayed promising antiparasitic activity against Leishmania donovani with IC50 values between 0.4 and 1.0 µM and selectivity index (SI) ranged from 7.8 to 18.4, comparable to the standard drug miltefosine (IC50 = 0.7 μM). Compound 7h demonstrated the best antileishmanial activity with an IC50 value of 0.4 µM. Seven products exhibited inhibition activity against T. brucei rhodesiense with IC50s below 2.0 μM and SI between 2.7 and 29.3. Four primary amine derivatives of noscapine and five isothiocyanate derivatives exhibited antiplasmodial activity with IC50s in the range of 1.1–2.7 µM and SI values between 1.1 and 14.5. The isothiocyanate derivative 7c showed against T. cruzi with an IC50 value of 1.9 µM and SI 4. Molecular docking and ADMET studies were performed to investigate the interaction between active ligands and T. brucei trypanothione reductase active site. The docking studies showed significant binding affinity of noscapine derivatives to enzyme active site and good compatibility with experimental data.

Synthesis of Novel Bis-pyrazole Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents

Bis-heterocycles especially those containing pyrazole moiety display much better antibacterial activity than mono heterocycles. Herein, we synthesised a series of new bis-pyrazoles and investigated their antimicrobial agents. A novel series of bis-pyrazole derivatives have been synthesized in good yield by coupling reaction of cyanoacetic acid {4-[(2-cyano-acetyl)-hydrazonomethyl]-benzylidene}-hydrazide with a number of diazonium salts of aromatic amines in DMF in the presence of NaOH. Refluxing of the produced hydrazones with hydrazine-hydrate in ethanolic solution afforded the respective bis-pyrazoles. On the other hand, the reaction of bis(cyanoacetic acid hydrazide) derivative with a diversity of hydrazonoyl chlorides in dioxane under reflux gave bis-pyrazoles. The structures of all the products were discussed and assured from all possible spectral data as well as for the elemental analysis. In addition, the results of the antimicrobial activity examination of selected derivatives revealed a high strength of some tested compounds compared to standard bactericides and fungicides utilized. Molecular docking of the newly synthesized compounds into the Enoyl ACP reductase active site supported the in vitro antimicrobial activity. All the tested compounds could fit in the enzyme binding pocket with significant binding affinities (-7.040 to -9.141 Kcal/mol). The good results of the antimicrobial examination of the newly synthesized bis-pyrazoles comprise the considerable evidence of the importance of bis-heterocyclic compounds which encourages us to continue designing and synthesising a novel series with potent biological activity in the future.

Pistafolin B is the major aldose reductase inhibitor of the pods of tara [Caesalpinia spinose (Molina) Kuntze

Aldose reductase, the pivotal enzyme in the polyol pathway, has been widely investigated as an enzyme critically involved in the onset and progression of various pathologies associated with diabetes mellitus. Investigation of the inhibitory effect of tara [Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze] pods extract on aldose reductase revealed that its n-butanol fraction exhibits excellent aldose reductase inhibitory activity in vitro and ex vivo. Methyl gallate and pistafolin B were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of the tara pod methanolic extract as the main contributors for its aldose reductase inhibition, guided by affinity-based ultrafiltration-high performance liquid chromatography, with pistafolin B being the more potent inhibitor of the two. In vitro and in silico results demonstrated that pistafolin B is a mixed-type inhibitor that can bind to the aldose reductase active site rapidly, preventing substrate access and product formation (IC50, 0.198 mM; Ki, 0.34 mM). Ex vivo experiments indicated that pistafolin B can penetrate the eye lens and successfully inhibit aldose reductase under hyperglycaemic conditions, thus preventing the accumulation of sorbitol and the subsequent osmotic stress.

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, antimicrobial evaluation and molecular docking study of novel triazine-quinazolinone based hybrids

A new series of 1,3,5-triazine incorporating aromatic quinazolinone moieties as a potential antimicrobial agents is reported. The first chlorine group of the cyanuric chloride (1) was replaced by aniline and the second one was replaced by various aromatic amines. The prepared monochlorotriazine was allowed to react with hydrazine and subsequently it was reacted with 2-methyl-4H-benzo[1,3]oxazin-4-one to obtain novel triazine-quinazolinone based hybrids (9a-f). The chemical structure and purity of the hybrid compounds were evaluated by different techniques such as thin layer chromatography, melting point, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), 1H and 13C NMR spectra and elemental analysis. Antimicrobial activity of the hybrid compounds were study by three Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella entritidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and three Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocitogenes, Bacillus subtilis) as well as Candida albicansas a yeast-like fungus using the serial broth dilution method. Among them, compound 9d with benzenesulfonamide group showed higher antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 16 μg/mL. Furthermore, compounds 5d, 9a and 9b showed good activity against several tested strains. In addition, docking simulation was perform to position best antibacterial compounds in to the S. aureus dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active site to determine the probable binding conformations.

Antileishmanial, DNA Interaction, and Docking Studies of Some Ferrocene-Based Heteroleptic Pentavalent Antimonials.

A series of ferrocenyl pentavalent antimonials (1-8) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, and multinuclear ((1) H and (13) C) NMR spectroscopy. These antimonials were evaluated for their antileishmanial potential against Leishmania tropica KWH23, and by biocompatibility and membrane permeability assays. Moreover, mechanistic studies were carried out, mediated by DNA targeting followed by computational docking of ferrocenyl antimonials against the leishmanial trypanothione reductase enzyme. It was observed that the antimonials 1-8 were 390-fold more efficacious (IC50 ) as compared with the standard antimonial drug used. Cytotoxicity results showed that these antimonials are highly active even at low concentrations and are biocompatible with human macrophages. Antimonials 1-8 exhibited extensive intercalation with DNA and, furthermore, docking interactions highlighted the potential interactive binding of the anitimonials within the trypanothione reductase active site, with van der Waals interactions contributing significantly to the process. Hence, it is suggested that the reported antimonials demonstrate high efficacy, less toxicity, and target multiple sites of the Leishmania parasite.

A Cu4S model for the nitrous oxide reductase active sites supported only by nitrogen ligands.

To model the (His)7Cu4Sn (n = 1 or 2) active sites of nitrous oxide reductase, the first Cu4(μ4-S) cluster supported only by nitrogen donors has been prepared using amidinate supporting ligands. Structural, magnetic, spectroscopic, and computational characterization is reported. Electrochemical data indicates that the 2-hole model complex can be reduced reversibly to the 1-hole state and irreversibly to the fully reduced state.

The first echinoderm gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) identified from sea cucumber (Stichopus monotuberculatus)

Gamma-interferon-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) has been described as a key enzyme that facilitating the processing and presentation of major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted antigen in mammals. In this study, the first echinoderm GILT named StmGILT was identified from sea cucumber (Stichopus monotuberculatus). The StmGILT cDNA is 1529 bp in length, containing a 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of 87 bp, a 3′-UTR of 674 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 768 bp that encoding a protein of 255 amino acids with a deduced molecular weight of 27.82 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 4.73. The putative StmGILT protein possesses all the main characteristics of known GILT proteins, including a signature sequence, a reductase active site CXXC, twelve conserved cysteines, and two potential N-linked glycosylation sites. For the gene structure, StmGILT contains four exons separated by three introns. In the promoter region of StmGILT gene, an NF-κB binding site and an IFN-γ activation site were found. The thiol reductase activity of recombinant StmGILT protein was also demonstrated in this study. In addition, the highest level of mRNA expression was noticed in coelomocytes of S. monotuberculatus. In in vitro experiments performed in coelomocytes, the expression of StmGILT mRNA was significantly up-regulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), inactivated bacteria or polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] challenge, suggested that the sea cucumber GILT might play critical roles in the innate immune defending against bacterial and viral infections.

The quantum biophysics of the isoniazid adduct NADH binding to its InhA reductase target

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) is the aerobic bacterium responsible for the infectious disease tuberculosis (TB). Among the several anti-TB drugs, the first-line anti-TB prodrug isoniazid (INH) has the most potent bactericidal activity. After INH activation by the catalase-peroxidase (KatG) enzyme, the isonicotinic acyl–NADH (INADH) complex is created, which interacts with the enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) active site inhibiting the MT activity. However, mutations in the InhA gene can reduce the InhA–INADH affinity, thus decreasing the large benefits of INH in TB treatment. To provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the anti-TB INADH activity, we study the InhA–INADH interaction using a density functional theory (DFT) quantum mechanical approach. The interaction energies are calculated using the molecular fractionation with the conjugate caps (MFCC) scheme, which allows the quantification of, through the residues’ binding energy, their individual role in the binding pocket, as well as the other relevant residues near the InhA binding site. Besides the importance of amino acid residues with charged lateral chains, our results unveil the role of structural water molecules in the InhA–INADH binding energy. Among all the amino acids in the InhA, we highlight I21 and S94 due to their relevance to the INADH activity after specific InhA mutations. I21 and S94 are strongly bonded to the INADH with an energy of −33.4 kcal mol−1 and −23.1 kcal mol−1, respectively. These values and the positions of I21 and S94 residues relative to the INADH indicate that the ribose of adenine and pyrophosphate groups in INADH strongly influence the total INADH–InhA interaction and consequently the INH anti-TB activity. All reported results contribute to a deeper understanding of the INADH–InhA binding that can be explored in the design of new antitubercular drugs.

Characterization of a Self-sufficient Trans-Anethole Oxygenase from Pseudomonas putida JYR-1

A novel flavoprotein monooxygenase, trans-anethole oxygenase (TAO), from Pseudomonas putida JYR-1, which is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of trans-anethole to p-anisaldehyde, was heterologously expressed in E. coli and purified. Enzymatic kinetics of diverse substrates and cofactors revealed that TAO is likely to be a novel self-sufficient flavoprotein monooxygenase. Enzyme assays of GST-TAO demonstrated that TAO catalyzed a trans-anethole oxidation reaction without auxiliary component enzyme-like electron-transfer flavin reductases. The single component TAO had the ability to reduce flavin cofactors and simultaneously oxidize trans-anthole to p-anisaldehyde. In the processes of reduction of flavin and oxidation of trans-anethole, TAO accepted various flavin and NAD(P)H cofactors. TAO also catalyzed oxidation of isoeugenol, O-methyl isoeugenol, and isosafrole, all of which contain the 2-propenyl functional group on the aromatic ring structure with different catalytic efficiency. TAO had the greatest catalytic efficiency (k cat/K m) with the original substrate, trans-anethole. Investigation about partially deleted mutants of TAO indicated that reductase active sites appeared to be located near the N terminal. Site directed mutagenesis studies also proved that the proposed flavin binding sites, Trp-38, Thr-43, Tyr-55, were critical for flavin reduction. However, disruption of any portion of TAO eliminated the oxygenase activity.

A novel role for coenzyme A during hydride transfer in 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase.

In this study, we take advantage of the ability of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) from Pseudomonas mevalonii to remain active while in its crystallized form to study the changing interactions between the ligands and protein as the first reaction intermediate is created. HMG-CoA reductase catalyzes one of the few double oxidation-reduction reactions in intermediary metabolism that take place in a single active site. Our laboratory has undertaken an exploration of this reaction space using structures of HMG-CoA reductase complexed with various substrate, nucleotide, product, and inhibitor combinations. With a focus in this publication on the first hydride transfer, our structures follow this reduction reaction as the enzyme converts the HMG-CoA thioester from a flat sp(2)-like geometry to a pyramidal thiohemiacetal configuration consistent with a transition to an sp(3) orbital. This change in the geometry propagates through the coenzyme A (CoA) ligand whose first amide bond is rotated 180° where it anchors a web of hydrogen bonds that weave together the nucleotide, the reaction intermediate, the enzyme, and the catalytic residues. This creates a stable intermediate structure prepared for nucleotide exchange and the second reduction reaction within the HMG-CoA reductase active site. Identification of this reaction intermediate provides a template for the development of an inhibitor that would act as an antibiotic effective against the HMG-CoA reductase of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.