Enzymatic hydrolysis by transition-metal-dependent nucleophilic aromatic substitution

Microbial rhodoquinone biosynthesis proceeds via an atypical RquA-catalyzed amino transfer from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to ubiquinone

Rhodoquinone (RQ) is a close analogue of ubiquinone (UQ) that confers diverse bacterial and eukaryotic taxa the ability to utilize fumarate as an electron acceptor in hypoxic conditions. The RquA protein, identified in a Rhodospirillum rubrum RQ-deficient mutant, has been shown to be required for RQ biosynthesis in bacteria. In this report, we demonstrate that RquA, homologous to SAM-dependent methyltransferases, is necessary and sufficient to catalyze RQ biosynthesis from UQ in vitro. Remarkably, we show that RquA uses SAM as the amino group donor in a substitution reaction that converts UQ to RQ. In contrast to known aminotransferases, RquA does not use pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) as a coenzyme, but requires the presence of Mn²⁺ as a cofactor. As these findings reveal, RquA provides an example of a non-canonical SAM-dependent enzyme that does not catalyze methyl transfer, instead it uses SAM in an atypical amino transfer mechanism.

Luciferin Synthesis and Pesticide Detection by Luminescence Enzymatic Cascades

D-Luciferin (D-LH₂ ), a substrate of firefly luciferase (Fluc), is important for a wide range of bioluminescence applications. This work reports a new and green method using enzymatic reactions (HELP, HadA Enzyme for Luciferin Preparation) to convert 19 phenolic derivatives to 8 D-LH₂ analogues with ≈51 % yield. The method can synthesize the novel 5'-methyl-D-LH₂ and 4',5'-dimethyl-D-LH₂ , which have never been synthesized or found in nature. 5'-Methyl-D-LH₂ emits brighter and longer wavelength light than the D-LH₂ . Using HELP, we further developed LUMOS (Luminescence Measurement of Organophosphate and Derivatives) technology for in situ detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) including parathion, methyl parathion, EPN, profenofos, and fenitrothion by coupling the reactions of OPs hydrolase and Fluc. The LUMOS technology can detect these OPs at parts per trillion (ppt) levels. The method can directly detect OPs in food and biological samples without requiring sample pretreatment.

Construction of a colorimetric sensor array based on the coupling reaction to identify phenols

Phenols are harmful to the human body and the environment. Since there are a variety of phenols in actual samples, this requires a sensor which possesses the ability to simultaneously distinguish them. Herein, we report a colorimetric sensor array, which uses two nanozymes (Fe-N-C nanozymes and Cu-N-C nanozymes) as electronic tongues for fingerprint identification of six phenols (2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-Tri), 4-nitrophenol (P-np), phenol (Phe), 3-chlorophenol (3-CP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), and o-nitrophenol (O-np)) in the environment. Nanozymes catalyzed the reaction of hydrogen peroxide, different phenols and 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) to produce different color variations. These signal changes as fingerprints encouraged us to develop a pattern recognition method for the identification of phenols by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The six phenols at 50 nM have their own response patterns, respectively. Surprisingly, this sensor array had distinguished the six phenols in actual samples successfully.

From aniline to phenol: carbon-nitrogen bond activation via uranyl photoredox catalysis

Carbon-nitrogen bond activation, via uranyl photoredox catalysis with water, enabled the conversion of 40 protogenetic anilines, 8 N-substituted anilines and 9 aniline-containing natural products/pharmaceuticals to the corresponding phenols in an ambient environment. A single-electron transfer process between a protonated aniline and uranyl catalyst, which was disclosed by radical quenching experiments and Stern-Volmer analysis, facilitated the following oxygen atom transfer process between the radical cation of protonated anilines and uranyl peroxide originating from water-splitting. ¹⁸O labeling and ¹⁵N tracking unambiguously depicted that the oxygen came from water and amino group left as ammonium salt. The 100-fold efficiency of the flow operation demonstrated the great potential of the conversion process for industrial synthetic application.

Copper(II), Zinc(II), and Cadmium(II) Formylbenzoate Complexes: Reactivity and Emission Properties

Synthesis, characterization, reactivity, and sensing properties of 4-formylbenzoate complexes of copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) possessing the 1,10-phenanthroline ancillary ligand are studied. The crystal structures of the (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)(aqua)copper(II) and (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzo-ate)zinc(II) and a novel molecular complex comprising an assembly of mononuclear and dinuclear species of (1,10-phenanthroline)bis(4-formylbenzoate)cadmium(II) are reported. These zinc and cadmium complexes are fluorescent; they show differentiable sensitivity to detect three positional isomers of nitroaniline. The mechanism of sensing of nitroanilines by 1,10-phenanthroline and the complexes are studied by fluorescence titrations, photoluminescence decay, and dynamic light scattering. A plausible mechanism showing that 1,10-phenanthroline ligand-based emission quenched by electron transfer from the excited state of 1,10-phenanthroline to nitroaniline is supported by density functional theory calculations. In an anticipation to generate a fluorescent d¹⁰-copper(I) formylbenzoate complex by a mild reducing agent such as hydroxylamine hydrochloride for similar sensing of nitroaromatics as that of the d¹⁰-zinc and cadmium 4-formylbenzoate complexes, reactivity of d⁹-copper(II) with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of 4-formylbenzoic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline is studied. It did not provide the expected copper(I) complex but resulted in stoichiometry-dependent reactions of 4-formylbenzoic acid with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of copper(II) acetate and 1,10-phenanthroline. Depending on the stoichiometry of reactants, an inclusion complex of bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) chloride with in situ-formed 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid or copper(II) 4-(hydroxycarbamoyl)benzoate complex was formed. The self-assembly of the inclusion complex has the bis(1,10-phenanthroline)(chloro)copper(II) cation encapsulated in hydrogen-bonded chloride-hydrate assembly with 4-((hydroxyimino)methyl)benzoic acid.

A triphenylamine-functionalized luminescent sensor for efficient p-nitroaniline detection

The combination of π-conjugated fluorophores within a hybrid system gives rise to a triphenylamine-functionalized material [Zn(bpba)(NO₃)] (1) (Hbpba = 4-(bis(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)amino)benzoic acid).

Rational design of Meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase by molecular dynamics simulation and experimental evaluations

Meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (meso-2,3-BDH) catalyzes NAD⁺ -dependent conversion of meso-2,3-butanediol to acetoin, a crucial external energy storage molecule in fermentive bacteria. In this study, the active tunnel of meso-2,3-BDH was identified. The two short α helixes positioned away from the α4-helix possibly expose the hydrophobic ligand-binding cavity, gating the exit of product and cofactor from the activity pocket. Further MM/GBSA-binding free energy analysis shows that Phe212 and Asn146 function as the key product-release sites. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments targeted to the sites show that the k_cat of Phe212Tyr is enhanced up to (4-8)-fold. The original activity of Asn146Gln is retained, but the activity of Asn146Ala mutation is lost. These results could provide helpful guidance on rational design of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases.