The catalytic cycle of tyrosinase: peroxide attack on the phenolate ring followed by O[bond]O cleavage

Experimental Evidence and Mechanistic Description of the Phenolic H-Transfer to the Cu2O2 Active Site of oxy-Tyrosinase

Tyrosinase is a ubiquitous coupled binuclear copper enzyme that activates O2 toward the regioselective monooxygenation of monophenols to catechols via a mechanism that remains only partially defined. Here, we present new mechanistic insights into the initial steps of this monooxygenation reaction by employing a pre-steady-state, stopped-flow kinetics approach that allows for the direct measurement of the monooxygenation rates for a series of para-substituted monophenols by oxy-tyrosinase. The obtained biphasic Hammett plot and the associated solvent kinetic isotope effect values provide direct evidence for an initial H-transfer from the protonated phenolic substrate to the Cu2O2 core of oxy-tyrosinase. The correlation of these experimental results to quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations provides a detailed mechanistic description of this H-transfer step. These new mechanistic insights revise and expand our fundamental understanding of Cu2O2 active sites in biology.

New mechanistic insights into coupled binuclear copper monooxygenases from the recent elucidation of the ternary intermediate of tyrosinase

Tyrosinase is the most predominant member of the coupled binuclear copper (CBC) protein family. The recent trapping and spectroscopic definition of the elusive catalytic ternary intermediate (enzyme/O2 /monophenol) of tyrosinase dictates a monooxygenation mechanism that revises previous proposals and involves cleavage of the μ-η2 :η2 -peroxide dicopper(II) O-O bond to accept the phenolic proton, followed by monophenolate coordination to copper concomitant with aromatic hydroxylation by the non-protonated μ-oxo. Here, we compare and contrast previously proposed and current mechanistic models for monophenol monooxygenation of tyrosinase. Next, we discuss how these recent insights provide new opportunities towards uncovering structure-function relationships in CBC enzymes, as well as understanding fundamental principles for O2 activation and reactivity by bioinorganic active sites.

Discovery of Resorcinol-Based Polycyclic Structures as Tyrosinase Inhibitors for Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Tyrosinase is involved in the synthesis of neuromelanin in the substantia nigra, which is closely correlated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Herein, we identified S05014 (l-Tyr, IC₅₀ = 6.25 ± 1.43 nM; l-Dopa, IC₅₀ = 0.64 ± 0.40 μM) as a highly effective tyrosinase inhibitor. It could inhibit the tyrosinase function from different origins and decrease the expression of tyrosinase. S05014 presented good medication safety and inhibited melanogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, as a resorcinol derivative, S05014 could scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and significantly reduce the overproduction of LPS-induced reactive oxidative species (ROS), indicating its antioxidative profile. S05014 exhibited an excellent neuroprotective effect against methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) impairment in vitro and could remarkably alleviate movement abnormalities and exploratory activities in vivo. Altogether, S05014 is considered as a promising inhibitor for tyrosinase, melanogenesis, and oxidative stress and has great potential to be utilized in anti-Parkinsonian syndrome. From this point of view, tyrosinase inhibition has been further confirmed to be a novel strategy to improve locomotor capacity and treat Parkinson's disease.

Monosubstituted Acetophenone Thiosemicarbazones as Potent Inhibitors of Tyrosinase: Synthesis, Inhibitory Studies, and Molecular Docking

A set of 12 monosubstituted acetophenone thiosemicarbazone derivatives (TSCs) were synthesized and their inhibitory properties toward tyrosinase activity were tested. Moreover, their ability to inhibit melanogenesis in the B16F10 murine melanoma cell line was studied. In order to investigate the nature of interactions between the enzyme and the inhibitors, molecular docking to the active site was performed. TSCs 5, 6, 8, and 9 revealed a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) below 1 µM. Compound 6 turned out to be the most potent tyrosinase inhibitor. All investigated compounds showed reversible inhibition of competitive or mixed type. The para-substituted TSCs had higher affinity for the enzyme as compared to their ortho- and meta-analogues. All investigated compounds inhibited melanin production in B16F10 cells at the micromolar level. Molecular docking showed that the sulfur atom of the thiourea moiety penetrates the active site and interacts with copper ions. The above outcomes might be helpful in the design of new tyrosinase inhibitors in the food and cosmetic industries.

Monophenolase and catecholase activity of Aspergillus oryzae catechol oxidase: insights from hybrid QM/MM calculations

Catechol oxidase from Aspergillus oryzae (AoCO4) can not only catalyze oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones, but can also catalyze monooxygenation of small phenolics. To gain insight into the catecholase and monophenolase activities of AoCO4, the reaction mechanism of catechol oxidation was investigated by means of hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations. The oxy-form of AoCO4 was found to be a μ-η2:η2 side-on peroxo dicopper(ii) complex, which can undergo a proton coupled electron transfer from the substrate rather than a proton transfer from the nearby Ser302 residue to generate a hydroperoxide. The μ-1,1-OOH Cu2(i,ii) complex is thermodynamically more stable than the μ-η1:η2 hydroperoxide. Moreover, the cleavage of the O-O bond in the μ-1,1-OOH Cu2(i,ii) intermediate has a much lower barrier than that in the μ-η1:η2 hydroperoxide species. In both cases, the O-O bond cleavage is the rate-limiting step, generating the reactive (μ-O˙)(μ-OH) dicopper(ii) complex. In addition, our results demonstrated that the oxidation of catechol to quinone is much more preferred than the hydroxylation reaction. These findings may provide useful information for understanding the reactivity of the Cu2O2 active site of coupled binuclear copper enzymes.

Thiosemicarbazones with tyrosinase inhibitory activity

Tyrosinase plays an essential role in melanogenesis. Excess production of melanin can be a reason for hyperpigmentation skin disorders in mammals and enzymatic browning in plant-derived foods. Catalyzing the rate-limiting step of melanin synthesis, tyrosinase has become the most studied target for melanogenesis inhibition. Over the past ten years, a number of synthetic thiosemicarbazone derivatives have been reported to possess strong tyrosinase inhibitory properties with IC₅₀ values below 1 μM, placing them among the most potent tyrosinase inhibitors. This review gives an overview of tyrosinase activity and describes tyrosinase-inhibiting thiosemicarbazones in terms of their structure-activity relationships, kinetics of enzyme inhibition and mechanism of action. Results of the studies of thiosemicarbazones as tyrosinase inhibitors from over 20 research articles have been analyzed, compared and summarized in the present paper. Using thiosemicarbazones as tyrosinase inhibitors is a promising approach in developing anti-melanogenetic agents for skin-whitening cosmetics and anti-browning agents for food.

Alkane Oxidation: Methane Monooxygenases, Related Enzymes, and Their Biomimetics

Methane monooxygenases (MMOs) mediate the facile conversion of methane into methanol in methanotrophic bacteria with high efficiency under ambient conditions. Because the selective oxidation of methane is extremely challenging, there is considerable interest in understanding how these enzymes carry out this difficult chemistry. The impetus of these efforts is to learn from the microbes to develop a biomimetic catalyst to accomplish the same chemical transformation. Here, we review the progress made over the past two to three decades toward delineating the structures and functions of the catalytic sites in two MMOs: soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) and particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO). sMMO is a water-soluble three-component protein complex consisting of a hydroxylase with a nonheme diiron catalytic site; pMMO is a membrane-bound metalloenzyme with a unique tricopper cluster as the site of hydroxylation. The metal cluster in each of these MMOs harnesses O₂ to functionalize the C-H bond using different chemistry. We highlight some of the common basic principles that they share. Finally, the development of functional models of the catalytic sites of MMOs is described. These efforts have culminated in the first successful biomimetic catalyst capable of efficient methane oxidation without overoxidation at room temperature.

Generation of hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen during oxidation of rhododendrol and rhododendrol-catechol

The generation of hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen during the oxidation of 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (rhododendrol) and 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (rhododendrol-catechol) with mushroom tyrosinase in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was examined as the model for the reactive oxygen species generation via the two rhododendrol compounds in melanocytes. The reaction was performed in the presence of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) spin trap reagents for hydroxyl radical or 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone (4-oxo-TEMP), an acceptor of singlet oxygen, and their electron spin resonances were measured. An increase in the electron spin resonances signal attributable to the adduct of DMPO reacting with the hydroxyl radical and that of 4-oxo-TEMP reacting with singlet oxygen was observed during the tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of rhododendrol and rhododendrol-catechol, indicating the generation of hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen. Moreover, hydroxyl radical generation was also observed in the autoxidation of rhododendrol-catechol. We show that generation of intermediates during tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of rhododendrol enhances oxidative stress in melanocytes.

Singlet oxygen generation during the oxidation of L-tyrosine and L-dopa with mushroom tyrosinase

The generation of singlet oxygen during the oxidation of tyrosine and L-dopa using mushroom tyrosinase in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), the model of melanin synthesis in melanocytes, was examined. The reaction was performed in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone (4-oxo-TEMP), an acceptor of singlet oxygen and the electron spin resonance (ESR) of the spin adduct, 4-oxo-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (4-oxo-TEMPO), was measured. An increase in the ESR signal attributable to 4-oxo-TEMPO was observed during the oxidation of tyrosine and L-dopa with tyrosinase, indicating the generation of singlet oxygen. The results suggest that (1)O2 generation via tyrosinase-catalyzed melanin synthesis occurs in melanocyte.

Synthesis, Structure, Luminescent Property and Theoretical studies of 4-Chloro-2,6-Bis[(3,5-Dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl]phenol

4-Chloro-2,6-bis[(3,5-dimethyl-1 H-pyrazol-1-yl)methyl]phenol has been synthesised and characterised, including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The benzene ring system is planar and makes dihedral angles of 88.90°(0.14) and 59.84°(0.11) with two pyrazole rings, respectively, and the two pyrazole rings are arranged trans to each other with the dihedral angles 87.22°(0.15). The luminescent property of the title compound was investigated. The molecular structure of the title compound has been optimised by density functional theory with B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) level, the optimised geometer parameters and vibrational frequencies are consistent with the experiment data.

Immobilization as a strategy for improving enzyme properties-application to oxidoreductases

The main objective of the immobilization of enzymes is to enhance the economics of biocatalytic processes. Immobilization allows one to re-use the enzyme for an extended period of time and enables easier separation of the catalyst from the product. Additionally, immobilization improves many properties of enzymes such as performance in organic solvents, pH tolerance, heat stability or the functional stability. Increasing the structural rigidity of the protein and stabilization of multimeric enzymes which prevents dissociation-related inactivation. In the last decade, several papers about immobilization methods have been published. In our work, we present a relation between the influence of immobilization on the improvement of the properties of selected oxidoreductases and their commercial value. We also present our view on the role that different immobilization methods play in the reduction of enzyme inhibition during biotechnological processes.

The crystal structure of an extracellular catechol oxidase from the ascomycete fungus Aspergillus oryzae

Catechol oxidases (EC 1.10.3.1) catalyse the oxidation of o-diphenols to their corresponding o-quinones. These oxidases contain two copper ions (CuA and CuB) within the so-called coupled type 3 copper site as found in tyrosinases (EC 1.14.18.1) and haemocyanins. The crystal structures of a limited number of bacterial and fungal tyrosinases and plant catechol oxidases have been solved. In this study, we present the first crystal structure of a fungal catechol oxidase from Aspergillus oryzae (AoCO4) at 2.5-Å resolution. AoCO4 belongs to the newly discovered family of short-tyrosinases, which are distinct from other tyrosinases and catechol oxidases because of their lack of the conserved C-terminal domain and differences in the histidine pattern for CuA. The sequence identity of AoCO4 with other structurally known enzymes is low (less than 30 %), and the crystal structure of AoCO4 diverges from that of enzymes belonging to the conventional tyrosinase family in several ways, particularly around the central α-helical core region. A diatomic oxygen moiety was identified as a bridging molecule between the two copper ions CuA and CuB separated by a distance of 4.2-4.3 Å. The UV/vis absorption spectrum of AoCO4 exhibits a distinct maximum of absorbance at 350 nm, which has been reported to be typical of the oxy form of type 3 copper enzymes.

Electrophilic arene hydroxylation and phenol O-H oxidations performed by an unsymmetric μ-η(1):η(1)-O2-peroxo dicopper(II) complex

Reactions of the unsymmetric dicopper(II) peroxide complex [Cu(II)(2)(μ-η(1):η(1)-O(2))(m-XYL(N3N4))](2+) (1 O(2), where m-XYL is a heptadentate N-based ligand), with phenolates and phenols are described. Complex 1 O(2) reacts with p-X-PhONa (X = MeO, Cl, H, or Me) at -90 °C performing tyrosinase-like ortho-hydroxylation of the aromatic ring to afford the corresponding catechol products. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that reactions occur through initial reversible formation of metastable association complexes [Cu(II)(2)(μ-η(1):η(1)-O(2))(p-X-PhO)(m-XYL(N3N4))](+) (1 O(2)⋅X-PhO) that then undergo ortho-hydroxylation of the aromatic ring by the peroxide moiety. Complex 1 O(2) also reacts with 4-X-substituted phenols p-X-PhOH (X = MeO, Me, F, H, or Cl) and with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol at -90 °C causing rapid decay of 1 O(2) and affording biphenol coupling products, which is indicative that reactions occur through formation of phenoxyl radicals that then undergo radical C-C coupling. Spectroscopic UV/Vis monitoring and kinetic analysis show that reactions take place through reversible formation of ground-state association complexes [Cu(II)(2)(μ-η(1):η(1)-O(2))(X-PhOH)(m-XYL(N3N4))](2+) (1 O(2)⋅X-PhOH) that then evolve through an irreversible rate-determining step. Mechanistic studies indicate that 1 O(2) reacts with phenols through initial phenol binding to the Cu(2)O(2) core, followed by a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) at the rate-determining step. Results disclosed in this work provide experimental evidence that the unsymmetric 1 O(2) complex can mediate electrophilic arene hydroxylation and PCET reactions commonly associated with electrophilic Cu(2)O(2) cores, and strongly suggest that the ability to form substrate⋅Cu(2)O(2) association complexes may provide paths to overcome the inherent reactivity of the O(2)-binding mode. This work provides experimental evidence that the presence of a H(+) completely determines the fate of the association complex [Cu(II)(2)(μ-η(1):η(1)-O(2))(X-PhO(H))(m-XYL(N3N4))](n+) between a PCET and an arene hydroxylation reaction, and may provide clues to help understand enzymatic reactions at dicopper sites.

Bimetallic catalysis involving dipalladium(I) and diruthenium(I) complexes

Dipalladium(I) and diruthenium(I) compounds bridged by two [{(5,7-dimethyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl)amino}carbonyl]ferrocene (L) ligands have been synthesized. The X-ray structures of [Pd(2)L(2)][BF(4)](2) (1) and [Ru(2)L(2)(CO)(4)][BF(4)](2) (2) reveal dinuclear structures with short metal-metal distances. In both of these structures, naphthyridine bridges the dimetal unit, and the site trans to the metal-metal bond is occupied by weakly coordinating oxygen from the amido fragment. The catalytic utilities of these bimetallic compounds are evaluated. Compound 1 is an excellent catalyst for phosphine-free, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl bromides with arylboronic acids and provides high yields in short reaction times. Compound 1 is also found to be catalytically active for aryl chlorides, although the corresponding yields are lower. A bimetallic mechanism is proposed, which involves the oxidative addition of aryl bromide across the Pd-Pd bond and the bimetallic reductive elimination of the product. Compound 1 is also an efficient catalyst for the Heck cross-coupling of aryl bromides with styrenes. The mechanism for aldehyde olefination with ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) and PPh(3), catalyzed by 2, has been fully elucidated. It is demonstrated that 2 catalyzes the formation of phosphorane utilizing EDA and PPh(3), which subsequently reacts with aldehyde to produce a new olefin and phosphine oxide. The efficacy of bimetallic complexes in catalytic organic transformations is illustrated in this work.

Mechanistic insight into the alcohol oxidation mediated by an efficient green [CuBr(2)(2,2'-bipy)]-TEMPO catalyst by density functional method

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to investigate the alcohol oxidation to acetaldehyde catalyzed by [CuBr(2)(2,2'-bipy)]-TEMPO (TEMPO stands for 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy; bipy stands for bipyridine). The total charge for the studied catalytic system is +1. The catalytic cycle consists of two parts, namely, alcohol oxidation and TEMPO regeneration. In alcohol oxidation, the reaction follows the Sheldon's mechanism for the proposed two mechanisms, i.e., Semmelhack's mechanism and Sheldon's mechanism. The water participation plays minor role in the H atom abstraction step. In TEMPO regeneration, the proposed three paths are competitive in energy. By comparing with experimental observation, it is found that the path, in which alcohol provides the proton to TEMPO(-) to produce TEMPOH followed by the oxidation of TEMPOH directly to TEMPO by O(2), is favored. In TEMPO regeneration, CH(3)CN acts as the ligand to stabilize the Cu(I) species during the catalytic cycle.

Investigation of Streptomyces antibioticus tyrosinase reactivity toward chlorophenols

Tyrosinase (Ty) is a copper-containing enzyme ubiquitously distributed in nature. In recent years, Ty has attracted interest as a potential detoxifying agent for xenobiotic compounds with phenolic structure. Among these, chlorophenols are particularly relevant pollutants, commonly found in waste waters. The activity of Streptomyces antibioticus tyrosinase toward isomeric monochlorophenols was studied. Tyrosinase oxidizes both 3- and 4-chlorophenol to the same product, 4-chloro-1,2-ortho-quinone, which subsequently undergoes a nucleophilic substitution reaction at the chlorine atom by excess phenol to give the corresponding phenol-quinone adduct. By contrast, 2-chlorophenol is not reactive and acts as a competitive inhibitor. Docking calculations suggest that the substrates point to one of the copper atoms of the dinuclear center (copper B) and appear to interact preferentially with one of the two coordinated oxygen atoms. The approach of the substrate toward the active site is favored by a π-stacking interaction with one of the copper-coordinated histidines (His194) and by a hydrogen bonding interaction with the O1 oxygen. With this study, we provide the first characterization of the early intermediates in the biotechnologically relevant reaction of Ty with chlorophenols. Additionally, combining experimental evidences with molecular modeling simulations, we propose a detailed reaction scheme for Ty-mediated oxidation of monochlorophenols.

New insights into the active site structure and catalytic mechanism of tyrosinase and its related proteins

Tyrosinases are widely distributed in nature. They are copper-containing oxidases belonging to the type 3 copper protein family, together with catechol oxidases and haemocyanins. Tyrosinases are essential enzymes in melanin biosynthesis and therefore responsible for pigmentation of skin and hair in mammals, where two more enzymes, the tyrosinase-related proteins (Tyrps), participate in the pathway. The structure and catalytic mechanism of mammalian tyrosinases have been extensively studied but they are not completely understood because of the lack of information on the tertiary structure. The availability of crystallographic data of one plant catechol oxidase and one bacterial tyrosinase has improved the model of the three-dimensional structure of the active site of the enzyme. Furthermore, sequence comparison of tyrosinase and the Tyrps reveals that the three orthologue proteins share many key structural features, because of their common origin from an ancestral gene, although the specific residues responsible for their different catalytic capabilities have not been identified yet. This review summarizes our current knowledge of tyrosinase and Tyrps structure and function and describes the catalytic mechanism of tyrosinase and Dct/Tyrp2, which are better characterized.

Recent developments of the quantum chemical cluster approach for modeling enzyme reactions

The quantum chemical cluster approach for modeling enzyme reactions is reviewed. Recent applications have used cluster models much larger than before which have given new modeling insights. One important and rather surprising feature is the fast convergence with cluster size of the energetics of the reactions. Even for reactions with significant charge separation it has in some cases been possible to obtain full convergence in the sense that dielectric cavity effects from outside the cluster do not contribute to any significant extent. Direct comparisons between quantum mechanics (QM)-only and QM/molecular mechanics (MM) calculations for quite large clusters in a case where the results differ significantly have shown that care has to be taken when using the QM/MM approach where there is strong charge polarization. Insights from the methods used, generally hybrid density functional methods, have also led to possibilities to give reasonable error limits for the results. Examples are finally given from the most extensive study using the cluster model, the one of oxygen formation at the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II.

Theoretical study of the hydroxylation of phenolates by the Cu(2)O (2)(N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine) (2) (2+) complex

Tyrosinase catalyzes the ortho hydroxylation of monophenols and the subsequent oxidation of the diphenolic products to the resulting quinones. In efforts to create biomimetic copper complexes that can oxidize C-H bonds, Stack and coworkers recently reported a synthetic mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxodicopper(II)(DBED)(2) complex (DBED is N,N'-di-tert-butylethylenediamine), which rapidly hydroxylates phenolates. A reactive intermediate consistent with a bis-mu-oxo-dicopper(III)-phenolate complex, with the O-O bond fully cleaved, is observed experimentally. Overall, the evidence for sequential O-O bond cleavage and C-O bond formation in this synthetic complex suggests an alternative mechanism to the concerted or late-stage O-O bond scission generally accepted for the phenol hydroxylation reaction performed by tyrosinase. In this work, the reaction mechanism of this peroxodicopper(II) complex was studied with hybrid density functional methods by replacing DBED in the mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxodicopper(II)(DBED)(2) complex by N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine ligands to reduce the computational costs. The reaction mechanism obtained is compared with the existing proposals for the catalytic ortho hydroxylation of monophenol and the subsequent oxidation of the diphenolic product to the resulting quinone with the aim of gaining some understanding about the copper-promoted oxidation processes mediated by 2:1 Cu(I)O(2)-derived species.

Theoretical study of the catalytic mechanism of catechol oxidase

The mechanism for the oxidation of catechol by catechol oxidase has been studied using B3LYP hybrid density functional theory. On the basis of the X-ray structure of the enzyme, the molecular system investigated includes the first-shell protein ligands of the two metal centers as well as the second-shell ligand Cys92. The cycle starts out with the oxidized, open-shell singlet complex with oxidation states Cu(2)(II,II) with a mu-eta(2):eta(2) bridging peroxide, as suggested experimentally, which is obtained from the oxidation of Cu(2)(I,I) by dioxygen. The substrate of each half-reaction is a catechol molecule approaching the dicopper complex: the first half-reaction involves Cu(I) oxidation by peroxide and the second one Cu(II) reduction. The quantitative potential energy profile of the reaction is discussed in connection with experimental data. Since no protons leave or enter the active site during the catalytic cycle, no external base is required. Unlike the previous density functional theory study, the dicopper complex has a charge of +2.

Monooxygenase activity of type 3 copper proteins

The molecular mechanism of the monooxygenase (phenolase) activity of type 3 copper proteins has been examined in detail both in the model systems and in the enzymatic systems. The reaction of a side-on peroxo dicopper(II) model compound ( A) and neutral phenols proceeds via a proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) mechanism to generate phenoxyl radical species, which collapse each other to give the corresponding C-C coupling dimer products. In this reaction, a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex ( B) generated by O-O bond homolysis of A is suggested to be a real active species. On the other hand, the reaction of lithium phenolates (deprotonated form of phenols) with the same side-on peroxo dicopper(II) complex proceeds via an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism to give the oxygenated products (catechols). The mechanistic difference between these two systems has been discussed on the basis of the Marcus theory of electron transfer and Hammett analysis. Mechanistic details of the monooxygenase activity of tyrosinase have also been examined using a simplified enzymatic reaction system to demonstrate that the enzymatic reaction mechanism is virtually the same as that of the model reaction, that is, an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism. In addition, the monooxygenase activity of the oxygen carrier protein hemocyanin has been explored for the first time by employing urea as an additive in the reaction system. In this case as well, the ortho-hydroxylation of phenols to catechols has been demonstrated to involve the same ionic mechanism.

Theoretical Characterization of End-On and Side-On Peroxide Coordination in Ligated Cu2O2 Models

The relative energetics of mu-eta1:eta1 (trans end-on) and mu-eta2:eta2 (side-on) peroxo isomers of Cu2O2 fragments supported by 0, 2, 4, and 6 ammonia ligands have been computed with various density functional, coupled-cluster, and multiconfigurational protocols. There is substantial disagreement between the different levels for most cases, although completely renormalized coupled-cluster methods appear to offer the most reliable predictions. The significant biradical character of the end-on peroxo isomer proves problematic for the density functionals, while the demands on active space size and the need to account for interactions between different states in second-order perturbation theory prove challenging for the multireference treatments. In the latter case, it proved impossible to achieve any convincing convergence.

Calculated proton uptake on anaerobic reduction of cytochrome C oxidase: is the reaction electroneutral?

Cytochrome c oxidase is a transmembrane proton pump that builds an electrochemical gradient using chemical energy from the reduction of O(2). Ionization states of all residues were calculated with Multi-Conformation Continuum Electrostatics (MCCE) in seven anaerobic oxidase redox states ranging from fully oxidized to fully reduced. One long-standing problem is how proton uptake is coupled to the reduction of the active site binuclear center (BNC). The BNC has two cofactors: heme a(3) and Cu(B). If the protein needs to maintain electroneutrality, then 2 protons will be bound when the BNC is reduced by 2 electrons in the reductive half of the reaction cycle. The effective pK(a)s of ionizable residues around the BNC are evaluated in Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome c oxidase. At pH 7, only a hydroxide coordinated to Cu(B) shifts its pK(a) from below 7 to above 7 and so picks up a proton when heme a(3) and Cu(B) are reduced. Glu I-286, Tyr I-288, His I-334, and a second hydroxide on heme a(3) all have pK(a)s above 7 in all redox states, although they have only 1.6-3.5 DeltapK units energy cost for deprotonation. Thus, at equilibrium, they are protonated and cannot serve as proton acceptors. The propionic acids near the BNC are deprotonated with pK(a)s well below 7. They are well stabilized in their anionic state and do not bind a proton upon BNC reduction. This suggests that electroneutrality in the BNC is not maintained during the anaerobic reduction. Proton uptake on reduction of Cu(A), heme a, heme a(3), and Cu(B) shows approximately 2.5 protons bound per 4 electrons, in agreement with prior experiments. One proton is bound by a hydroxyl group in the BNC and the rest to groups far from the BNC. The electrochemical midpoint potential (E(m)) of heme a is calculated in the fully oxidized protein and with 1 or 2 electrons in the BNC. The E(m) of heme a shifts down when the BNC is reduced, which agrees with prior experiments. If the BNC reduction is electroneutral, then the heme a E(m) is independent of the BNC redox state.