Cryoradiolysis and cryospectroscopy for studies of heme-oxygen intermediates in cytochromes p450

A Ferric-Superoxide Intermediate Initiates P450-Catalyzed Cyclic Dipeptide Dimerization

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) AspB is involved in the biosynthesis of the diketopiperazine (DKP) aspergilazine A. Tryptophan-linked dimeric DKP alkaloids are a large family of natural products that are found in numerous species and exhibit broad and often potent bioactivity. The proposed mechanisms for C-N bond formation by AspB, and similar C-C bond formations by related CYPs, have invoked the use of a ferryl-intermediate as an oxidant to promote substrate dimerization. Here, the parallel application of steady-state and transient kinetic approaches reveals a very different mechanism that involves a ferric-superoxide species as a primary oxidant to initiate DKP-assembly. Single turnover kinetic isotope effects and a substrate analog suggest the probable nature and site for abstraction. The direct observation of CYP-superoxide reactivity rationalizes the atypical outcome of AspB and reveals a new reaction manifold in heme enzymes.

Resonance Raman Characterization of O2-Binding Heme Proteins

A vast array of critical in vivo processes and pathways are dependent on a multitude of O₂-binding heme proteins which contain a diverse range of functions. Resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopy is an ideal technique for structural investigation of these proteins, providing information about the geometry of the Fe-O-O fragment and its electrostatic interactions with the distal active site. Characterization of these oxy adducts is an endeavor that is complicated by their instability for many heme proteins in solution, an obstacle which can be overcome by applying the rR technique to cryogenically frozen samples. We describe here how to measure rR spectra of heme proteins with stable oxy forms, as well as the technical adaptations required to measure unstable samples at 77 K.

Resonance Raman spectroscopic studies of peroxo and hydroperoxo intermediates in lauric acid (LA)-bound cytochrome P450 119

Cytochromes P450 bind and cleave dioxygen to generate a potent intermediate compound I, capable of hydroxylating inert hydrocarbon substrates. Cytochrome P450 119, a bacterial cytochrome P450 that serves as a good model system for the study of the intermediate states in the P450 catalytic cycle. CYP119 is found in high temperature and sulfur rich environments. Though the natural substrate and redox partner are still unknown, a potential application of such thermophilic P450s is utilizing them as biocatalysts in biotechnological industry; e.g., the synthesis of organic compounds otherwise requiring hostile environments like extremes of pH or temperature. In the present work the oxygenated complex of this enzyme bound to lauric acid, a surrogate substrate known to have a good binding affinity, was studied by a combination of cryoradiolysis and resonance Raman spectroscopy, to trap and characterize active site structures of the key fleeting enzymatic intermediates, including the peroxo and hydroperoxo species.

Spectroscopic studies of the cytochrome P450 reaction mechanisms

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are thiolate heme proteins that can, often under physiological conditions, catalyze many distinct oxidative transformations on a wide variety of molecules, including relatively simple alkanes or fatty acids, as well as more complex compounds such as steroids and exogenous pollutants. They perform such impressive chemistry utilizing a sophisticated catalytic cycle that involves a series of consecutive chemical transformations of heme prosthetic group. Each of these steps provides a unique spectral signature that reflects changes in oxidation or spin states, deformation of the porphyrin ring or alteration of dioxygen moieties. For a long time, the focus of cytochrome P450 research was to understand the underlying reaction mechanism of each enzymatic step, with the biggest challenge being identification and characterization of the powerful oxidizing intermediates. Spectroscopic methods, such as electronic absorption (UV-Vis), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR), Mössbauer, X-ray absorption (XAS), and resonance Raman (rR), have been useful tools in providing multifaceted and detailed mechanistic insights into the biophysics and biochemistry of these fascinating enzymes. The combination of spectroscopic techniques with novel approaches, such as cryoreduction and Nanodisc technology, allowed for generation, trapping and characterizing long sought transient intermediates, a task that has been difficult to achieve using other methods. Results obtained from the UV-Vis, rR and EPR spectroscopies are the main focus of this review, while the remaining spectroscopic techniques are briefly summarized. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cytochrome P450 biodiversity and biotechnology, edited by Erika Plettner, Gianfranco Gilardi, Luet Wong, Vlada Urlacher, Jared Goldstone.

Nanodiscs in Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics

Membrane proteins play a most important part in metabolism, signaling, cell motility, transport, development, and many other biochemical and biophysical processes which constitute fundamentals of life on the molecular level. Detailed understanding of these processes is necessary for the progress of life sciences and biomedical applications. Nanodiscs provide a new and powerful tool for a broad spectrum of biochemical and biophysical studies of membrane proteins and are commonly acknowledged as an optimal membrane mimetic system that provides control over size, composition, and specific functional modifications on the nanometer scale. In this review we attempted to combine a comprehensive list of various applications of nanodisc technology with systematic analysis of the most attractive features of this system and advantages provided by nanodiscs for structural and mechanistic studies of membrane proteins.

Unveiling the crucial intermediates in androgen production

Ablation of androgen production through surgery is one strategy against prostate cancer, with the current focus placed on pharmaceutical intervention to restrict androgen synthesis selectively, an endeavor that could benefit from the enhanced understanding of enzymatic mechanisms that derives from characterization of key reaction intermediates. The multifunctional cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) first catalyzes the typical hydroxylation of its primary substrate, pregnenolone (PREG) and then also orchestrates a remarkable C17-C20 bond cleavage (lyase) reaction, converting the 17-hydroxypregnenolone initial product to dehydroepiandrosterone, a process representing the first committed step in the biosynthesis of androgens. Now, we report the capture and structural characterization of intermediates produced during this lyase step: an initial peroxo-anion intermediate, poised for nucleophilic attack on the C20 position by a substrate-associated H-bond, and the crucial ferric peroxo-hemiacetal intermediate that precedes carbon-carbon (C-C) bond cleavage. These studies provide a rare glimpse at the actual structural determinants of a chemical transformation that carries profound physiological consequences.