Zum Katalysemechanismus einer metallfreien Hydrogenase aus methanogenen Archaea: enzymatische Umsetzung von H2 ohne Metall und ihre Analogie zur Chemie der Alkane in supersaurer Lösung

Experimental and computational studies of anti-Bredt amidinium salts

Experimental and computational investigations of anti-Bredt amidinium salts are presented. Calculations show that the pyramidalization of an amino group can significantly destabilize the formal carbocation center of amidiniums, due to the decreased π donation. In some cases, the unfavorable -I effect of nitrogen surpasses its beneficial +M effect, and amidiniums become less stable than iminiums. It is shown that although 1-aza-3-azonia[3.3.1]bicyclo-non-2-enes can be isolated, they feature a nonclassical reactivity, which is more typical for iminium than amidinium salts, such as pronounced electrophilicity and azomethineylide instead of carbene formation.

Three-Center−Two-Electron and Four-Center−Four-Electron Bonds. A Study by Electron Charge Density over the Structure of Methonium Cations

We study the electronic density charge topology of CH(5)(+) species 1 (C(s)()), 2 (C(s)()), and 3 (C(2)(v)) at ab initio level using the theory of atoms in molecules developed by Bader. Despite the reports of previous studies concerning carbocationic species, the methane molecule is protonated at the carbon atom, which clearly shows its pentacoordination. In addition to the fact that hydrogen atoms in the methonium molecule behave in a very fluxional fashion and that the energy difference among the species 1, 2, and 3 are very low, is important to point out that two different topological situations can be defined on the basis of our study of the topology of the electronic charge density. Then, the species 1 and 2 present a three-center-two-electron (3c-2e) bond of singular characteristics as compared with other carbocationic species, but in the species 3, the absence of a 3c-2e bond is noteworthy. This structure can be characterized through the three bond critical points found, corresponding to saddle points on the path bonds between the C-H(2,3,5) that lie in the same plane. These nuclei define a four-center interaction where the electronic delocalization produced among the sigma(C-H) bonds provide a stabilization of the three C-H bonds involved in this interaction (the remaining two C-H bonds are similar to those belonging to the nonprotonated species). Our results show that bonding situations with a higher number of atom arrays are possible in protonated hydrocarbons.

Re-face stereospecificity of methylenetetrahydromethanopterin and methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenases is predetermined by intrinsic properties of the substrate

Four different dehydrogenases are known that catalyse the reversible dehydrogenation of N5,N10-methylenetetrahydromethanopterin (methylene-H4MPT) or N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (methylene-H4F) to the respective N5,N10-methenyl compounds. Sequence comparison indicates that the four enzymes are phylogenetically unrelated. They all catalyse the Re-face-stereospecific removal of the pro-R hydrogen atom of the coenzyme's methylene group. The Re-face stereospecificity is in contrast to the finding that in solution the pro-S hydrogen atom of methylene-H4MPT and of methylene-H4F is more reactive to heterolytic cleavage. For a better understanding we determined the conformations of methylene-H4MPT in solution and when enzyme-bound by using NMR spectroscopy and semiempirical quantum mechanical calculations. For the conformation free in solution we find an envelope conformation for the imidazolidine ring, with the flap at N10. The methylene pro-S C-H bond is anticlinal and the methylene pro-R C-H bond is synclinal to the lone electron pair of N10. Semiempirical quantum mechanical calculations of heats of formation of methylene-H4MPT and methylene-H4F indicate that changing this conformation into an activated one in which the pro-S C-H bond is antiperiplanar, resulting in the preformation of the leaving hydride, would require a deltadeltaH(f) of +53 kJ mol-1 for methylene-H4MPT and of +51 kJ mol-1 for methylene-H4F. This is almost twice the energy required to force the imidazolidine ring in the enzyme-bound conformation of methylene-H4MPT (+29 kJ mol-1) or of methylene-H4F (+35 kJ mol-1) into an activated conformation in which the pro-R hydrogen atom is antiperiplanar to the lone electron pair of N10. The much lower energy for pro-R hydrogen activation thus probably predetermines the Re-face stereospecificity of the four dehydrogenases. Results are also presented explaining why the chemical reduction of methenyl-H4MPT+ and methenyl-H4F+ with NaBD4 proceeds Si-face-specific, in contrast to the enzyme-catalysed reaction.

Three-dimensional structure of the inosine-uridine nucleoside N-ribohydrolase from Crithidia fasciculata

Protozoan parasites rely on the host for purines since they lack a de novo synthetic pathway. Crithidia fasciculata salvages exogenous inosine primarily through hydrolysis of the N-ribosidic bond using several nucleoside hydrolases. The most abundant nucleoside hydrolase is relatively nonspecific but prefers inosine and uridine as substrates. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of the inosine-uridine nucleoside hydrolase (IU-NH) from C. fasciculata determined by X-ray crystallography at a nominal resolution of 2.5 A. The enzyme has an open (alpha, beta) structure which differs from the classical dinucleotide binding fold. IU-nucleoside hydrolase is composed of a mixed eight-stranded beta sheet surrounded by six alpha helices and a small C-terminal lobe composed of four alpha helices. Two short antiparallel beta strands are involved in intermolecular contacts. The catalytic pocket is located at the C-terminal end of beta strands beta 1 and beta 4. Four aspartate residues are located at the bottom of the cavity in a geometry which suggests interaction with the ribose moiety of the nucleoside. These groups could provide the catalytically important interactions to the ribosyl hydroxyls and the stabilizing anion for the oxycarbonium-like transition state. Histidine 241, located on the side of the active site cavity, is the proposed proton donor which facilitates purine base departure [Gopaul, D. N., Meyer, S. L., Degano, M., Sacchettini, J. C., & Schramm, V. L. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 5963-5970]. The substrate binding site is unlike that from purine nucleoside phosphorylase, phosphoribosyltransferases, or uracil DNA glycosylase and thus represents a novel architecture for general acid-base catalysis. This detailed knowledge of the architecture of the active site, together with the previous transition state analysis [Horenstein, B. A., Parkin, D. W., Estupiñán, B., & Schramm, V. L. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 10788-10795], allows analysis of the interactions leading to catalysis and an explanation for the tight-binding inhibitors of the enzyme [Schramm, V. L., Horenstein, B. A., & Kline, P. C. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18259-18262].

Purification, properties and primary structure of H2-forming N5 ,N10 -methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase from Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus

H2-Forming N5,N10 -methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase (Hmd) is a novel type of hydrogenase found in methanogenic Achaea that contains neither nickel nor iron-sulfur clusters. The enzyme has previously been characterized from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and from Methanopyrus kandleri. We report here on the purification and properties of the enzyme from Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus. The hmd gene was cloned and sequenced. The results indicate that the enzyme from Mc. thermolithotrophicus is functionally and structurally closely related to the H2-forming methylene tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase from Mb. thermoautotrophicum and Mp. kandleri. From amino acid sequence comparisons of the three enzymes, a phylogenetic tree was deduced that shows branching orders similar to those derived from sequence comparisons of the 16S rRNA of the orders Methanococcales, Methanobacteriales, and Methanopyrales.