Evidence that cobalt-carbon bond homolysis is coupled to hydrogen atom abstraction from substrate in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase

The inorganic chemistry of the cobalt corrinoids - an update

The inorganic chemistry of the cobalt corrinoids, derivatives of vitamin B₁₂, is reviewed, with particular emphasis on equilibrium constants for, and kinetics of, their axial ligand substitution reactions. The role the corrin ligand plays in controlling and modifying the properties of the metal ion is emphasised. Other aspects of the chemistry of these compounds, including their structure, corrinoid complexes with metals other than cobalt, the redox chemistry of the cobalt corrinoids and their chemical redox reactions, and their photochemistry are discussed. Their role as catalysts in non-biological reactions and aspects of their organometallic chemistry are briefly mentioned. Particular mention is made of the role that computational methods - and especially DFT calculations - have played in developing our understanding of the inorganic chemistry of these compounds. A brief overview of the biological chemistry of the B₁₂-dependent enzymes is also given for the reader's convenience.

Steady-state and pre-steady state kinetic analysis of ornithine 4,5-aminomutase

Ornithine 4,5-aminomutase (4,5-OAM) is a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzyme that catalyzes a 1,2-rearrangement of the terminal amine of d-ornithine to form (2R, 4S)-diaminopentanoate. The gene encoding ornithine 4,5-aminomutase is clustered with other genes that function in the oxidative l-ornithine metabolic pathway present in a number of anaerobic bacteria. This chapter discusses the methodology for measuring 4,5-OAM activity using NAD⁺-dependent diaminopentanoate dehydrogenase, which functions downstream of 4,5-OAM in the l-ornithine metabolic pathway. The use of ornithine racemace, which functions upstream of 4,5-OAM, for the synthesis of d,l-ornithine-3,3,4,4,5,5-d₆ is also presented. Finally, this chapter describes the anaerobic stopped-flow spectrophotometric analysis of 4,5-OAM. Information is provided on the integration of a stopped-flow system in the anaerobically-maintained glove, the preparation of anaerobic solutions, and the experimental approach.

Investigating radical pair reaction dynamics of B12 coenzymes 1: Transient absorption spectroscopy and magnetic field effects

B₁₂ coenzymes are vital to healthy biological function across nature. They undergo radical chemistry in a variety of contexts, where spin-correlated radical pairs can be generated both thermally and photochemically. Owing to the unusual magnetic properties of B₁₂ radical pairs, however, most of the reaction and spin dynamics occur on a timescale (picoseconds-nanoseconds) that cannot be resolved by most measurement techniques. Here, we describe a method that combines femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with magnetic field exposure, which enables the direct scrutiny of such rapid processes. This approach should provide a means by which to investigate the apparently profound effect protein environments have on the generation and reactivity of B₁₂ radical pairs.

Photolytic properties of B12-dependent enzymes: A theoretical perspective

The biologically active vitamin B₁₂ derivates, methylcobalamin (MeCbl) and adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl), are ubiquitous organometallic cofactors. In addition to their key roles in enzymatic catalysis, B₁₂ cofactors have complex photolytic properties which have been the target of experimental and theoretical studies. With the recent discovery of B₁₂-dependent photoreceptors, there is an increased need to elucidate the underlying photochemical mechanisms of these systems. This book chapter summarizes the photolytic properties of MeCbl- and AdoCbl-dependent enzymes with particular emphasis on the effect of the environment of the cofactor on the excited state processes. These systems include isolated MeCbl and AdoCbl as well as the enzymes, ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL), glutamate mutase (GLM), methionine synthase (MetH), and photoreceptor CarH. Central to determining the photodissociation mechanism of each system is the analysis of the lowest singlet excited state (S₁) potential energy surface (PES). Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), employing BP86/TZVPP, is widely used to construct such PESs. Regardless of the environment, the topology of the S₁ PES of AdoCbl or MeCbl is marked by characteristic features, namely the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and ligand field (LF) regions. Conversely, the relative energetics of these electronic states are affected by the environment. Applications and outlooks for Cbl photochemistry are also discussed.

Using kinetic isotope effects to probe the mechanism of adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzymes

Adenosylcobalamin- (AdoCbl) dependent enzyme reactions involved the transfer of hydrogen atoms between the 5'-carbon of the coenzyme and the substrates and products of the reaction. Tritium and deuterium kinetic isotope effect measurements are, therefore, a valuable tool to probe the mechanisms of AdoCbl-dependent enzymes, as they can provide information about the reaction pathway and the rate-determining step. Furthermore, if the intrinsic kinetic isotope effect can be isolated, information on the nature of the transition state associated with hydrogen transfer can be obtained. In this chapter I present methods for the preparation of isotopically-labeled AdoCbl and their use in rapid chemical quench experiments that allow isotope effects on specific steps in the reaction to be isolated. These techniques are illustrated with examples from my laboratory's studies on the AdoCbl dependent enzyme, glutamate mutase.

Integrated Metagenomic and Metaproteomic Analyses Unravel Ammonia Toxicity to Active Methanogens and Syntrophs, Enzyme Synthesis, and Key Enzymes in Anaerobic Digestion

During anaerobic digestion, the active microbiome synthesizes enzymes by transcription and translation, and then enzymes catalyze multistep bioconversions of substrates before methane being produced. However, little information is available on how ammonia affects truly active microbes containing the expressed enzymes, enzyme synthesis, and key enzymes. In this study, an integrated metagenomic and metaproteomic investigation showed that ammonia suppressed not only the obligate acetotrophic methanogens but also the syntrophic propionate and butyrate oxidation taxa and their assistant bacteria (genus Desulfovibrio), which declined the biotransformations of propionate and butyrate → acetate → methane. Although the total population of the hydrolyzing and acidifying bacteria was not affected by ammonia, the bacteria with ammonia resistance increased. Our study also revealed that ammonia restrained the enzyme synthesis process by inhibiting the RNA polymerase (subunits A' and D) during transcription and the ribosome (large (L3, L12, L13, L22, and L25) and small (S3, S3Ae, and S7) ribosomal subunits) and aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis (aspartate-tRNA synthetase) in translation. Further investigation suggested that methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase, and CH₃-CoM reductase, which regulate propionate and butyrate oxidation and acetoclastic methanation, were significantly downregulated by ammonia. This study provides intrinsic insights into the fundamental mechanisms of how ammonia inhibits anaerobic digestion.

Visible-to-NIR-Light Activated Release: From Small Molecules to Nanomaterials

Photoactivatable (alternatively, photoremovable, photoreleasable, or photocleavable) protecting groups (PPGs), also known as caged or photocaged compounds, are used to enable non-invasive spatiotemporal photochemical control over the release of species of interest. Recent years have seen the development of PPGs activatable by biologically and chemically benign visible and near-infrared (NIR) light. These long-wavelength-absorbing moieties expand the applicability of this powerful method and its accessibility to non-specialist users. This review comprehensively covers organic and transition metal-containing photoactivatable compounds (complexes) that absorb in the visible- and NIR-range to release various leaving groups and gasotransmitters (carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide). The text also covers visible- and NIR-light-induced photosensitized release using molecular sensitizers, quantum dots, and upconversion and second-harmonic nanoparticles, as well as release via photodynamic (photooxygenation by singlet oxygen) and photothermal effects. Release from photoactivatable polymers, micelles, vesicles, and photoswitches, along with the related emerging field of photopharmacology, is discussed at the end of the review.

The photochemistry and photobiology of vitamin B12

This Perspective provides the first detailed overview of the photoresponse of vitamin B₁₂ and its derivatives, from the early, photophysical events to the burgeoning area of B₁₂-dependent photobiology.

Electronically excited states of cob(ii)alamin: insights from CASSCF/XMCQDPT2 and TD-DFT calculations

The low-lying excited states of cob(ii)alamin were investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). The performance of TD-DFT calculations was further evaluated using CASSCF/XMCQDPT2, where both four-coordinate and five-coordinate models of cob(ii)alamin were considered. Dependence of electronic structure on the axial base was then investigated using TD-DFT. Consistent with previous benchmarks, the BP86 functional provides a reliable description of the electronically excited states. It was found that the dyz + π → dz(2) character of the D1 state increases with respect to the axial base distance, corresponding to a lowering in energy of anti-bonding dz(2) orbitals, leading to near a degeneracy between the ground, and D1 states in the base-off form.

Probing reversible chemistry in coenzyme B12 -dependent ethanolamine ammonia lyase with kinetic isotope effects

Coenzyme B₁₂-dependent enzymes such as ethanolamine ammonia lyase have remarkable catalytic power and some unique properties that enable detailed analysis of the reaction chemistry and associated dynamics. By selectively deuterating the substrate (ethanolamine) and/or the β-carbon of the 5′-deoxyadenosyl moiety of the intrinsic coenzyme B₁₂, it was possible to experimentally probe both the forward and reverse hydrogen atom transfers between the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical and substrate during single-turnover stopped-flow measurements. These data are interpreted within the context of a kinetic model where the 5′-deoxyadenosyl radical intermediate may be quasi-stable and rearrangement of the substrate radical is essentially irreversible. Global fitting of these data allows estimation of the intrinsic rate constants associated with CoC homolysis and initial H-abstraction steps. In contrast to previous stopped-flow studies, the apparent kinetic isotope effects are found to be relatively small.

A conformational sampling model for radical catalysis in pyridoxal phosphate- and cobalamin-dependent enzymes

Cobalamin-dependent enzymes enhance the rate of C–Co bond cleavage by up to ∼10¹²-fold to generate cob(II)alamin and a transient adenosyl radical. In the case of the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and cobalamin-dependent enzymes lysine 5,6-aminomutase and ornithine 4,5 aminomutase (OAM), it has been proposed that a large scale domain reorientation of the cobalamin-binding domain is linked to radical catalysis. Here, OAM variants were designed to perturb the interface between the cobalamin-binding domain and the PLP-binding TIM barrel domain. Steady-state and single turnover kinetic studies of these variants, combined with pulsed electron-electron double resonance measurements of spin-labeled OAM were used to provide direct evidence for a dynamic interface between the cobalamin and PLP-binding domains. Our data suggest that following ligand binding-induced cleavage of the Lys⁶²⁹-PLP covalent bond, dynamic motion of the cobalamin-binding domain leads to conformational sampling of the available space. This supports radical catalysis through transient formation of a catalytically competent active state. Crucially, it appears that the formation of the state containing both a substrate/product radical and Co(II) does not restrict cobalamin domain motion. A similar conformational sampling mechanism has been proposed to support rapid electron transfer in a number of dynamic redox systems.

Isotope effects for deuterium transfer and mutagenesis of Tyr187 provide insight into controlled radical chemistry in adenosylcobalamin-dependent ornithine 4,5-aminomutase

Adenosylcobalamin-dependent ornithine 4,5-aminomutase (OAM) from Clostridium sticklandii utilizes pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) to interconvert d-ornithine to 2,4-diaminopentanoate via a multistep mechanism that involves two hydrogen transfer steps. Herein, we uncover features of the OAM catalytic mechanism that differentiate it from its homologue, the more catalytically promiscuous lysine 5,6-aminomutase. Kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) with dl-ornithine-3,3,4,4,5,5-d6 revealed a diminished (D)kcat/Km of 2.5 ± 0.4 relative to a (D)kcat of 7.6 ± 0.5, suggesting slow release of the substrate from the active site. In contrast, a KIE was not observed on the rate constant associated with Co-C bond homolysis as this step is likely "gated" by the formation of the external aldimine. The role of tyrosine 187, which lies planar to the PLP pyridine ring, was also investigated via site-directed mutagenesis. The 25- and 1260-fold reduced kcat values for Y187F and Y187A, respectively, are attributed to a slower rate of external aldimine formation and a diminution of adenosylcobalamin Co-C bond homolysis. Notably, electron paramagnetic resonance studies of Y187F suggest that the integrity of the active site is maintained as cob(II)alamin and the PLP organic radical (even at lower concentrations) remain tightly exchange-coupled. Modeling of d-lysine and l-β-lysine into the 5,6-LAM active site reveals interactions between the substrate and protein are weaker than those in OAM and fewer in number. The combined data suggest that the level of protein-substrate interactions in aminomutases not only influences substrate specificity, but also controls radical chemistry.

Role of active site residues in promoting cobalt-carbon bond homolysis in adenosylcobalamin-dependent mutases revealed through experiment and computation

Adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) serves as a source of reactive free radicals that are generated by homolytic scission of the coenzyme's cobalt-carbon bond. AdoCbl-dependent enzymes accelerate AdoCbl homolysis by ∼10(12)-fold, but the mechanism by which this is accomplished remains unclear. We have combined experimental and computational approaches to gain molecular-level insight into this process for glutamate mutase. Two residues, glutamate 330 and lysine 326, form hydrogen bonds with the adenosyl group of the coenzyme. A series of mutations that impair the enzyme's ability to catalyze coenzyme homolysis and tritium exchange with the substrate by 2-4 orders of magnitude were introduced at these positions. These mutations, together with the wild-type enzyme, were also characterized in silico by molecular dynamics simulations of the enzyme-AdoCbl-substrate complex with AdoCbl modeled in the associated (Co-C bond formed) or dissociated [adenosyl radical with cob(II)alamin] state. The simulations reveal that the number of hydrogen bonds between the adenosyl group and the protein side chains increases in the homolytically dissociated state, with respect to the associated state, for both the wild-type and mutant enzymes. The mutations also cause a progressive increase in the mean distance between the 5'-carbon of the adenosyl radical and the abstractable hydrogen of the substrate. Interestingly, the distance between the 5'-carbon and substrate hydrogen, determined computationally, was found to inversely correlate with the log k for tritium exchange (r = 0.93) determined experimentally. Taken together, these results point to a dual role for these residues: they both stabilize the homolytic state through electrostatic interactions between the protein and the dissociated coenzyme and correctly position the adenosyl radical to facilitate the abstraction of hydrogen from the substrate.

Entropic origin of cobalt-carbon bond cleavage catalysis in adenosylcobalamin-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase

Adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzymes accelerate the cleavage of the cobalt-carbon (Co-C) bond of the bound coenzyme by >10(10)-fold. The cleavage-generated 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical initiates the catalytic cycle by abstracting a hydrogen atom from substrate. Kinetic coupling of the Co-C bond cleavage and hydrogen-atom-transfer steps at ambient temperatures has interfered with past experimental attempts to directly address the factors that govern Co-C bond cleavage catalysis. Here, we use time-resolved, full-spectrum electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, with temperature-step reaction initiation, starting from the enzyme-coenzyme-substrate ternary complex and (2)H-labeled substrate, to study radical pair generation in ethanolamine ammonia-lyase from Salmonella typhimurium at 234-248 K in a dimethylsulfoxide/water cryosolvent system. The monoexponential kinetics of formation of the (2)H- and (1)H-substituted substrate radicals are the same, indicating that Co-C bond cleavage rate-limits radical pair formation. Analysis of the kinetics by using a linear, three-state model allows extraction of the microscopic rate constant for Co-C bond cleavage. Eyring analysis reveals that the activation enthalpy for Co-C bond cleavage is 32 ± 1 kcal/mol, which is the same as for the cleavage reaction in solution. The origin of Co-C bond cleavage catalysis in the enzyme is, therefore, the large, favorable activation entropy of 61 ± 6 cal/(mol·K) (relative to 7 ± 1 cal/(mol·K) in solution). This represents a paradigm shift from traditional, enthalpy-based mechanisms that have been proposed for Co-C bond-breaking in B12 enzymes. The catalysis is proposed to arise from an increase in protein configurational entropy along the reaction coordinate.

Radical use of Rossmann and TIM barrel architectures for controlling coenzyme B12 chemistry

The ability of enzymes to harness free-radical chemistry allows for some of the most amazing transformations in nature, including reduction of ribonucleotides and carbon skeleton rearrangements. Enzyme cofactors involved in this chemistry can be large and complex, such as adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B(12)), simpler, such as S-adenosylmethionine and an iron-sulfur cluster (i.e., poor man's B(12)), or very small, such as one nonheme iron atom coordinated by protein ligands. Although the chemistry catalyzed by these enzyme-bound cofactors is unparalleled, it does come at a price. The enzyme must be able to control these radical reactions, preventing unwanted chemistry and protecting the enzyme active site from damage. Here, we consider a set of radical folds: the (β/α)(8) or TIM barrel, combined with a Rossmann domain for coenzyme B(12)-dependent chemistry. Using specific enzyme examples, we consider how nature employs the common TIM barrel fold and its Rossmann domain partner for radical-based chemistry.

Mutagenesis of a conserved glutamate reveals the contribution of electrostatic energy to adenosylcobalamin co-C bond homolysis in ornithine 4,5-aminomutase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase

Binding of substrate to ornithine 4,5-aminomutase (OAM) and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) leads to the formation of an electrostatic interaction between a conserved glutamate side chain and the adenosyl ribose of the adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) cofactor. The contribution of this residue (Glu338 in OAM from Clostridium sticklandii and Glu392 in human MCM) to AdoCbl Co-C bond labilization and catalysis was evaluated by substituting the residue with a glutamine, aspartate, or alanine. The OAM variants, E338Q, E338D, and E338A, showed 90-, 380-, and 670-fold reductions in catalytic turnover and 20-, 60-, and 220-fold reductions in k(cat)/K(m), respectively. Likewise, the MCM variants, E392Q, E392D, and E392A, showed 16-, 330-, and 12-fold reductions in k(cat), respectively. Binding of substrate to OAM is unaffected by the single-amino acid mutation as stopped-flow absorbance spectroscopy showed that the rates of external aldimine formation in the OAM variants were similar to that of the native enzyme. The decrease in the level of catalysis is instead linked to impaired Co-C bond rupture, as UV-visible spectroscopy did not show detectable AdoCbl homolysis upon binding of the physiological substrate, d-ornithine. AdoCbl homolysis was also not detected in the MCM mutants, as it was for the native enzyme. We conclude from these results that a gradual weakening of the electrostatic energy between the protein and the ribose leads to a progressive increase in the activation energy barrier for Co-C bond homolysis, thereby pointing to a key role for the conserved polar glutamate residue in controlling the initial generation of radical species.

The fragmentation-recombination mechanism of the enzyme glutamate mutase studied by QM/MM simulations

The radical mechanism of the conversion of glutamate to methylaspartate catalyzed by glutamate mutase is studied with quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations based on density functional theory (DFT/MM). The hydrogen transfer between the substrate and the cofactor is found to be rate limiting with a barrier of 101.1 kJ mol(-1). A careful comparison to the uncatalyzed reaction in water is performed. The protein influences the reaction predominantly electrostatically and to a lesser degree sterically. Our calculations shed light on the atomistic details of the reaction mechanism. The well-known arginine claw and Glu 171 ( Clostridium cochlearium notation) are found to have the strongest influence on the reaction. However, a catalytic role of Glu 214, Lys 322, Gln 147, Glu 330, Lys 326, and Met 294 is found as well. The arginine claw keeps the intermediates in place and is probably responsible for the enantioselectivity. Glu 171 temporarily accepts a proton from the glutamyl radical intermediate and donates it back at the end of the reaction. We relate our results to experimental data when available. Our simulations lead to further understanding of how glutamate mutase catalyzes the carbon skeleton rearrangement of glutamate.

Adenosyl radical: reagent and catalyst in enzyme reactions

Adenosine is undoubtedly an ancient biological molecule that is a component of many enzyme cofactors: ATP, FADH, NAD(P)H, and coenzyme A, to name but a few, and, of course, of RNA. Here we present an overview of the role of adenosine in its most reactive form: as an organic radical formed either by homolytic cleavage of adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B(12), AdoCbl) or by single-electron reduction of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) complexed to an iron-sulfur cluster. Although many of the enzymes we discuss are newly discovered, adenosine's role as a radical cofactor most likely arose very early in evolution, before the advent of photosynthesis and the production of molecular oxygen, which rapidly inactivates many radical enzymes. AdoCbl-dependent enzymes appear to be confined to a rather narrow repertoire of rearrangement reactions involving 1,2-hydrogen atom migrations; nevertheless, mechanistic insights gained from studying these enzymes have proved extremely valuable in understanding how enzymes generate and control highly reactive free radical intermediates. In contrast, there has been a recent explosion in the number of radical-AdoMet enzymes discovered that catalyze a remarkably wide range of chemically challenging reactions; here there is much still to learn about their mechanisms. Although all the radical-AdoMet enzymes so far characterized come from anaerobically growing microbes and are very oxygen sensitive, there is tantalizing evidence that some of these enzymes might be active in aerobic organisms including humans.

On the importance of ribose orientation in the substrate activation of the coenzyme B12-dependent mutases

The degree to which the corrin ring portion of coenzyme B(12) can facilitate the H-atom-abstraction step in the glutamate mutase (GM)-catalyzed reaction of (S)-glutamate has been investigated with density functional theory. The crystal structure of GM identifies two possible orientations of the ribose portion of coenzyme B(12). In one orientation (A), the OH groups of the ribose extend away from the corrin ring, whereas in the other orientation (B) the OH groups, especially that involving O3', are instead directed towards the corrin ring. Our calculations identify a sizable stabilization amounting to about 30 kJ mol(-1) in the transition structure (TS) complex corresponding to orientation B (TS(B)CorIm). In the TS complex where the ribose instead is positioned in orientation A, no such effect is manifested. The observed stabilization in TS(B)CorIm appears to be the result of favorable interactions involving O3' and the corrin ring, including a C-HO hydrogen bond. We find that the degree of stabilization is not particularly sensitive to the Co-C distance. Our calculations show that any potential stabilization afforded to the H-atom-abstraction step by coenzyme B(12) is sensitive to the orientation of the ribose moiety.

A G-protein editor gates coenzyme B12 loading and is corrupted in methylmalonic aciduria

The mechanism by which docking fidelity is achieved for the multitude of cofactor-dependent enzymes is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that delivery of coenzyme B(12) or 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin by adenosyltransferase to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is gated by a small G protein, MeaB. While the GTP-binding energy is needed for the editing function; that is, to discriminate between active and inactive cofactor forms, the chemical energy of GTP hydrolysis is required for gating cofactor transfer. The G protein chaperone also exerts its editing function during turnover by using the binding energy of GTP to elicit release of inactive cofactor that is occasionally formed during the catalytic cycle of MCM. The physiological relevance of this mechanism is demonstrated by a patient mutation in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase that does not impair the activity of this enzyme per se but corrupts both the fidelity of the cofactor-loading process and the ejection of inactive cofactor that forms occasionally during catalysis. Consequently, cofactor in the incorrect oxidation state gains access to the mutase active site and is not released if generated during catalysis, leading, respectively, to assembly and accumulation of inactive enzyme and resulting in methylmalonic aciduria.

DFT and ONIOM(DFT:MM) studies on Co-C bond cleavage and hydrogen transfer in B12-dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. Stepwise or concerted mechanism?

The considerable protein effect on the homolytic Co-C bond cleavage to form the 5'-deoxyadenosyl (Ado) radical and cob(II)alamin and the subsequent hydrogen transfer from the methylmalonyl-CoA substrate to the Ado radical in the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MMCM) have been extensively studied by DFT and ONIOM(DFT/MM) methods. Several quantum models have been used to systematically study the protein effect. The calculations have shown that the Co-C bond dissociation energy is very much reduced in the protein, compared to that in the gas phase. The large protein effect can be decomposed into the cage effect, the effect of coenzyme geometrical distortion, and the protein MM effect. The largest contributor is the MM effect, which mainly consists of the interaction of the QM part of the coenzyme with the MM part of the coenzyme and the surrounding residues. In particular, Glu370 plays an important role in the Co-C bond cleavage process. These effects tremendously enhance the stability of the Co-C bond cleavage state in the protein. The initial Co-C bond cleavage and the subsequent hydrogen transfer were found to occur in a stepwise manner in the protein, although the concerted pathway for the Co-C bond cleavage coupled with the hydrogen transfer is more favored in the gas phase. The assumed concerted transition state in the protein has more deformation of the coenzyme and the substrate and has less interaction with the protein than the stepwise route. Key factors and residues in promoting the enzymatic reaction rate have been discussed in detail.

Cobalamin- and corrinoid-dependent enzymes

This chapter reviews the literature on cobalamin- and corrinoid-containing enzymes. These enzymes fall into two broad classes, those using methylcobalamin or related methylcorrinoids as prosthetic groups and catalyzing methyl transfer reactions, and those using adenosylcobalamin as the prosthetic group and catalyzing the generation of substrate radicals that in turn undergo rearrangements and/or eliminations.

Photolysis of adenosylcobalamin and radical pair recombination in ethanolamine ammonia-lyase probed on the micro- to millisecond time scale by using time-resolved optical absorption spectroscopy

The quantum yield and kinetics of decay of cob(II)alamin formed by pulsed-laser photolysis of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl; coenzyme B(12)) in AdoCbl-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) from Salmonella typhimurium have been studied on the 10(-7)-10(-1) s time scale at 295 K by using transient ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy. The aim is to probe the mechanism of formation and stabilization of the cob(II)alamin-5'-deoxyadenosyl radical pair, which is a key intermediate in EAL catalysis, and the influence of substrate binding on this process. Substrate binding is required for cobalt-carbon bond cleavage in the native system. Photolysis of AdoCbl in EAL leads to a quantum yield at 10(-7) s for cob(II)alamin of 0.08 +/- 0.01, which is 3-fold smaller than for AdoCbl in aqueous solution (0.23 +/- 0.01). The protein binding site therefore suppresses photoproduct radical pair formation. Three photoproduct states, P(f), P(s), and P(c), are identified in holo-EAL by the different cob(II)alamin decay kinetics (subscripts denote fast, slow, and constant, respectively). These states have the following first-order decay rate constants and quantum yields: 2.2 x 10(3) s(-1) and 0.02 for P(f), 4.2 x 10(2) s(-1) and 0.01 for P(s), and constant amplitude, with no recombination, and 0.05 for P(c), respectively. Binding of the substrate analogue (S)-1-amino-2-propanol to EAL eliminates the P(f) state and lowers the quantum yield of P(c) (0.03) relative to that of P(s) (0.01) but does not significantly change the quantum yield or decay rate constant of P(s), relative to those of holo-EAL. The substrate analogue thus influences the quantum yield at 10(-7) s by changing the cage escape rate from the geminate cob(II)alamin-5'-deoxyadenosyl radical pair state. However, the predicted substrate analogue binding-induced increase in the quantum yield is not observed. It is proposed that the substrate analogue does not induce the radical pair stabilizing changes in the protein that are characteristic of true substrates.

Mechanism of radical-based catalysis in the reaction catalyzed by adenosylcobalamin-dependent ornithine 4,5-aminomutase

We report an analysis of the reaction mechanism of ornithine 4,5-aminomutase, an adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl)- and pyridoxal L-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the 1,2-rearrangement of the terminal amino group of D-ornithine to generate (2R,4S)-2,4-diaminopentanoic acid. We show by stopped-flow absorbance studies that binding of the substrate D-ornithine or the substrate analogue D-2,4-diaminobutryic acid (DAB) induces rapid homolysis of the AdoCbl Co-C bond (781 s(-1), D-ornithine; 513 s(-1), DAB). However, only DAB results in the stable formation of a cob(II)alamin species. EPR spectra of DAB and [2,4,4-(2)H(3)]DAB bound to holo-ornithine 4,5-aminomutase suggests strong electronic coupling between cob(II)alamin and a radical form of the substrate analog. Loading of substrate/analogue onto PLP (i.e. formation of an external aldimine) is also rapid (532 s(-1), D-ornithine; 488 s(-1), DAB). In AdoCbl-depleted enzyme, formation of the external aldimine occurs over long time scales (approximately 50 s) and occurs in three resolvable kinetic phases, identifying four distinct spectral intermediates (termed A-D). We infer that these represent the internal aldimine (lambda(max) 416 nm; A), two different unliganded PLP states of the enzyme (lambda(max) at 409 nm; B and C), and the external aldimine (lambda(max) 426 nm; D). An imine linkage with d-ornithine and DAB generates both tautomeric forms of the external aldimine, but with D-ornithine the equilibrium is shifted toward the ketoimine state. The influence of this equilibrium distribution of prototropic isomers in driving homolysis and stabilizing radical intermediate states is discussed. Our work provides the first detailed analysis of radical-based catalysis in this Class III AdoCbl-dependent enzyme.

Kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of Co(II)-substrate radical pair formation in coenzyme B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase in a cryosolvent system by using time-resolved, full-spectrum continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

The formation of the Co(II)-substrate radical pair catalytic intermediate in coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin)-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) from Salmonella typhimurium has been studied by using time-resolved continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in a cryosolvent system. The 41% v/v DMSO/water cryosolvent allows mixing of holoenzyme and substrate, (S)-2-aminopropanol, at 230 K under conditions of kinetic arrest. Temperature step from 230 to 234-248 K initiates the cleavage of the cobalt-carbon bond and the monoexponential rise (rate constant, k(obs) = tau(obs)(-1)) of the EPR-detected Co(II)-substrate radical pair state. The detection deadtime: tau(obs) ratio is reduced by >10(2), relative to millisecond rapid mixing experiments at ambient temperatures. The EPR spectrum acquisition time is <tau(obs), which allows continuous acquisition of spectra during progress of the reaction. The k(obs) values and Co(II)-substrate radical pair amplitudes are independent of substrate concentration at each temperature. Therefore, the reaction occurs from the enzyme x coenzyme x substrate ternary complex. The constant value of the Co(II)-substrate radical pair amplitude at reaction times >5tau(obs), the approximately 10(2)-fold slower rate of the substrate radical rearrangement reaction relative to k(obs), and the reversible temperature dependence of the amplitude indicate that the Co(II)-substrate radical pair and ternary complex are essentially at equilibrium. The reaction is thus treated as a relaxation to equilibrium by using a linear two-step, three-state mechanism. The intermediate state in this mechanism, the Co(II)-5'-deoxyadenosyl radical pair, is not detected by EPR at signal-to-noise ratios of 10(3), which indicates that the free energy of the Co(II)-5'-deoxyadenosyl radical pair state is >3.3 kcal/mol, relative to the Co(II)-substrate radical pair. Van't Hoff analysis yields DeltaH13 = 10.8 +/- 0.8 kcal/mol and DeltaS13 = 45 +/- 3 cal/mol/K for the transition from the ternary complex to the Co(II)-substrate radical pair state. The free energy difference, DeltaG13, is zero to within one standard deviation over the temperature range 234-248 K. The extrapolated value of DeltaG13 at 298 K is -2.6 +/- 1.2 kcal/mol. The estimated EAL protein-associated contribution to the free energy difference is DeltaG(EAL) = -24 kcal/mol at 240 K, and DeltaH(EAL) = -13 kcal/mol and DeltaS(EAL) = 38 cal/mol/K. The results show that the EAL protein makes both strong enthalpic and entropic contributions to overcome the large, unfavorable cobalt-carbon bond dissociation energy, which biases the reaction in the forward direction of Co-C bond cleavage and Co(II)-substrate radical pair formation.