Phosphate binding energy and catalysis by small and large molecules

Unveiling the Cleavage Mechanism of an RNA Model Compound on the whole pH Scale: Computations Meet Experiments in the Determination of Reaction Rates

The knowledge of the mechanism of reactions occurring in solution is a primary research line both in the context of theoretical-computational chemistry and in the field of organic and bio-organic chemistry. Given the importance of the hydrolysis of nucleic acids in life-related phenomena, here we present a combined experimental and computational study on the cleavage of an RNA model compound. This phosphodiester features a cleavage rate strictly dependent on the pH with three different dependence domains. Such experimental evidence, highlighted by an in-depth kinetic investigation, unequivocally suggests a change in the reaction mechanism along the pH scale. In order to interpret the data and to explain the experimental behavior, we have applied a theoretical-computational procedure, involving a hybrid quantum/classical approach, able to model chemical reactions in complex environments, i. e. in solution. This study turns out to quantitatively reproduce the experimental data with accuracy and, in addition, provides useful mechanistic insight into the transesterification process of the investigated compound. The study indicates that the cleavage can occur through anA N D N ${A_N D_N }$ , anA N + D N ${A_N + D_N }$ , and aD N A N ${D_N A_N }$ mechanism depending on the pH values.

A Theoretical-Computational Study of Phosphodiester Bond Cleavage Kinetics as a Function of the Temperature

The hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bond is an important chemical reaction involved in several biological processes. Here, we study the cleavage of this bond by means of a theoretical-computational method in a model system, the dineopentyl phosphate. By such an approach, we reconstructed the kinetics and related thermodynamics of this chemical reaction along an isochore. In particular, we evaluated the kinetic constants of all the reaction steps within a wide range of temperatures, mostly corresponding to conditions where no experimental measures are available due to the extremely slow kinetics. Our results, in good agreement with the experimental data, show the robustness of our theoretical-computational methodology which can be easily extended to more complex systems.

Hydrophobicity-Based Force Field In Enzymes

The biocatalysis process takes place with the participation of enzymes, which, depending on the reaction carried out, require, apart from the appropriate arrangement of catalytic residues, an appropriate external force field. It is generated by the protein body. The relatively small size of the part directly involved in the process itself is supported by the presence of an often complex structure of the protein body, the purpose of which is to provide an appropriate local force field, eliminating the influence of water. Very often, the large size of the enzyme is an expression of the complex form of this field. In this paper, a comparative analysis of arbitrarily selected enzymes, representatives of different enzyme classes, was carried out, focusing on the measurement of the diversity of the force field provided by a given protein. This analysis was based on the fuzzy oil drop model (FOD) and its modified version (FOD-M), which takes into account the participation of nonaqueous external factors in shaping the structure and thus the force field within the protein. The degree and type of ordering of the hydrophobicity distribution in the protein molecule is the result of the influence of the environment but also the supplier of the local environment for a given process, including the catalysis process in particular. Determining the share of a nonaqueous environment is important due to the ubiquity of polar water, whose participation in processes with high specificity requires control. It can be assumed that some enzymes in their composition have a permanently built-in part, the role of which is reduced to that of a permanent chaperone. It provides a specific external force field needed for the process. The proposed model, generalized to other types of proteins, may also provide a form of recording the environment model for the simulation of the in silico protein folding process, taking into account the impact of its differentiation.

Modelling Complex Bimolecular Reactions in a Condensed Phase: The Case of Phosphodiester Hydrolysis

(1) Background: the theoretical modelling of reactions occurring in liquid phase is a research line of primary importance both in theoretical-computational chemistry and in the context of organic and biological chemistry. Here we present the modelling of the kinetics of the hydroxide-promoted hydrolysis of phosphoric diesters. (2) Method: the theoretical-computational procedure involves a hybrid quantum/classical approach based on the perturbed matrix method (PMM) in conjunction with molecular mechanics. (3) Results: the presented study reproduces the experimental data both in the rate constants and in the mechanistic aspects (C-O bond vs. O-P bond reactivity). The study suggests that the basic hydrolysis of phosphodiesters occurs through a concerted ANDN mechanism, with no formation of penta-coordinated species as reaction intermediates. (4) Conclusions: the presented approach, despite the approximations, is potentially applicable to a large number of bimolecular transformations in solution and therefore leads the way to a fast and general method to predict the rate constants and reactivities/selectivities in complex environments.

An Enzyme with High Catalytic Proficiency Utilizes Distal Site Substrate Binding Energy to Stabilize the Closed State but at the Expense of Substrate Inhibition

Understanding the factors that underpin the enormous catalytic proficiencies of enzymes is fundamental to catalysis and enzyme design. Enzymes are, in part, able to achieve high catalytic proficiencies by utilizing the binding energy derived from nonreacting portions of the substrate. In particular, enzymes with substrates containing a nonreacting phosphodianion group coordinated in a distal site have been suggested to exploit this binding energy primarily to facilitate a conformational change from an open inactive form to a closed active form, rather than to either induce ground state destabilization or stabilize the transition state. However, detailed structural evidence for the model is limited. Here, we use β-phosphoglucomutase (βPGM) to investigate the relationship between binding a phosphodianion group in a distal site, the adoption of a closed enzyme form, and catalytic proficiency. βPGM catalyzes the isomerization of β-glucose 1-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate via phosphoryl transfer reactions in the proximal site, while coordinating a phosphodianion group of the substrate(s) in a distal site. βPGM has one of the largest catalytic proficiencies measured and undergoes significant domain closure during its catalytic cycle. We find that side chain substitution at the distal site results in decreased substrate binding that destabilizes the closed active form but is not sufficient to preclude the adoption of a fully closed, near-transition state conformation. Furthermore, we reveal that binding of a phosphodianion group in the distal site stimulates domain closure even in the absence of a transferring phosphoryl group in the proximal site, explaining the previously reported β-glucose 1-phosphate inhibition. Finally, our results support a trend whereby enzymes with high catalytic proficiencies involving phosphorylated substrates exhibit a greater requirement to stabilize the closed active form.

The Mechanism of Cleavage of RNA Phosphodiesters by a Gold Nanoparticle Nanozyme

The cleavage of uridine 3'-phosphodiesters bearing alcohols with pKa ranging from 7.14 to 14.5 catalyzed by AuNPs functionalized with 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-Zn(II) complexes has been studied to unravel the source of catalysis by these nanosystems (nanozymes). The results have been compared with those obtained with two Zn(II) dinuclear catalysts for which the mechanism is fairly understood. Binding to the Zn(II) ions by the substrate and the uracil of uridine was observed. The latter leads to inhibition of the process and formation of less productive binding complexes than in the absence of the nucleobase. The nanozyme operates with these substrates mostly via a nucleophilic mechanism with little stabilization of the pentacoordinated phosphorane and moderate assistance in leaving group departure. This is attributed to a decrease of binding strength of the substrate to the catalytic site in reaching the transition state due to an unfavorable binding mode with the uracil. The nanozyme favors substrates with better leaving groups than the less acidic ones.

Host-Guest Allosteric Control of an Artificial Phosphatase

The activity of many enzymes is regulated by associative processes. To model this mechanism, we report here that the conformation of an unstructured bimetallic Zn(II) complex can be controlled by its inclusion in the cavity of a γ-cyclodextrin. This results in the formation of a catalytic bimetallic site for the hydrolytic cleavage of the RNA model substrate HPNP, whose reactivity is 30-fold larger with respect to the unstructured complex. Competitive inhibition with 1-adamantanecarboxylate displaces the metal complex from the cyclodextrin decreasing the reactivity.

Unraveling mechanisms of the uncoordinated nucleophiles: theoretical elucidations of the cleavage of bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate mediated by zinc-complexes with apical nucleophiles

A theoretical approach was used to investigate the hydrolytic cleavage mechanisms of the bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP⁻) catalyzed by Zn(ii)-complexes featuring uncoordinated nucleophiles. Ligand-based and alternative solvent-based nucleophilic attack reaction models are proposed. The pK_a values of the Zn(ii)-bound water molecules or ligands in the [Zn(LⁿH)(η-H₂O)(H₂O)]²⁺ (n = 1, 2 and 3) complexes, as well as the dimerization tendency of the mononuclear Zn(ii)-complexes, were found to significantly influence the reaction mechanisms. The Zn(ii)-L³ complexes were found to be more favorable for the hydrolytic cleavage of the BNPP⁻via a ligand-based nucleophilic attack pathway. This was due to the lower pK_a value for the deprotonation of the oxime ligand, the hard dimerization of the mononuclear Zn(ii)-L³ species, and the presence of an uncoordinated nucleophile. The origins of the uncoordinated reactions were systematically elucidated. The theoretical results reported here are in good agreement with experimental observations and more importantly, help to elucidate the factors that influence intermolecular nucleophilic attack reactions with coordinated/uncoordinated nucleophiles.

A theoretical approach was used to investigate the hydrolytic cleavage mechanisms of the bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP⁻) catalyzed by Zn(ii)-complexes featuring uncoordinated nucleophiles.

The Zn(II)-1,4,7-Trimethyl-1,4,7-Triazacyclononane Complex: A Monometallic Catalyst Active in Two Protonation States

In this paper, the unusual reactivity of the complex Zn(II)-1,4,7-trimethyl-1, 4,7-triazacyclononane (2) in the transesterification of the RNA-model substrate, HPNP (3), is reported. The dependence of the reactivity (k₂) with pH does not follow the characteristic bell-shape profile typical of complexes with penta-coordinated metal centers. By the contrary, two reactive species, featuring different deprotonation states, are present, with the tri-aqua complex being more reactive than the mono-hydroxy-diaqua one. Apparently, such a difference arises from the total complex charge which plays an important role in the stability of the transition state/s of the reactions. Relevant insight on the reaction mechanism were hence obtained.

Protein Flexibility and Stiffness Enable Efficient Enzymatic Catalysis

The enormous rate accelerations observed for many enzyme catalysts are due to strong stabilizing interactions between the protein and reaction transition state. The defining property of these catalysts is their specificity for binding the transition state with a much higher affinity than substrate. Experimental results are presented which show that the phosphodianion-binding energy of phosphate monoester substrates is used to drive conversion of their protein catalysts from flexible and entropically rich ground states to stiff and catalytically active Michaelis complexes. These results are generalized to other enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The existence of many enzymes in flexible, entropically rich, and inactive ground states provides a mechanism for utilization of ligand-binding energy to mold these catalysts into stiff and active forms. This reduces the substrate-binding energy expressed at the Michaelis complex, while enabling the full and specific expression of large transition-state binding energies. Evidence is presented that the complexity of enzyme conformational changes increases with increases in the enzymatic rate acceleration. The requirement that a large fraction of the total substrate-binding energy be utilized to drive conformational changes of floppy enzymes is proposed to favor the selection and evolution of protein folds with multiple flexible unstructured loops, such as the TIM-barrel fold. The effect of protein motions on the kinetic parameters for enzymes that undergo ligand-driven conformational changes is considered. The results of computational studies to model the complex ligand-driven conformational change in catalysis by triosephosphate isomerase are presented.

Human Glycerol 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase: X-ray Crystal Structures That Guide the Interpretation of Mutagenesis Studies

Human liver glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( hlGPDH) catalyzes the reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to form glycerol 3-phosphate, using the binding energy associated with the nonreacting phosphodianion of the substrate to properly orient the enzyme-substrate complex within the active site. Herein, we report the crystal structures for unliganded, binary E·NAD, and ternary E·NAD·DHAP complexes of wild type hlGPDH, illustrating a new position of DHAP, and probe the kinetics of multiple mutant enzymes with natural and truncated substrates. Mutation of Lys120, which is positioned to donate a proton to the carbonyl of DHAP, results in similar increases in the activation barrier to hlGPDH-catlyzed reduction of DHAP and to phosphite dianion-activated reduction of glycolaldehyde, illustrating that these transition states show similar interactions with the cationic K120 side chain. The K120A mutation results in a 5.3 kcal/mol transition state destabilization, and 3.0 kcal/mol of the lost transition state stabilization is rescued by 1.0 M ethylammonium cation. The 6.5 kcal/mol increase in the activation barrier observed for the D260G mutant hlGPDH-catalyzed reaction represents a 3.5 kcal/mol weakening of transition state stabilization by the K120A side chain and a 3.0 kcal/mol weakening of the interactions with other residues. The interactions, at the enzyme active site, between the K120 side chain and the Q295 and R269 side chains were likewise examined by double-mutant analyses. These results provide strong evidence that the enzyme rate acceleration is due mainly or exclusively to transition state stabilization by electrostatic interactions with polar amino acid side chains.

Dinuclear Lanthanide(III)-m-ODO2A-dimer Macrocyclic Complexes: Solution Speciation, DFT Calculations, Luminescence Properties, and Promoted Nitrophenyl-Phosphate Hydrolysis Rates

Potentiometric speciation studies, mass spectrometry, and DFT calculations helped to predict the various structural possibilities of the dinuclear trivalent lanthanide ion (Ln^III , Ln=La, Eu, Tb, Yb, Y) complexes of a novel macrocyclic ligand, m-ODO2A-dimer (H₄ L), to correlate with their luminescence properties and the promoted BNPP and HPNP phosphodiester bond hydrolysis reaction rates. The stability constants of the dinuclear Ln₂ (m-ODO2A-dimer) complexes and various hydrolytic species confirmed by mass spectrometry were determined. DFT calculations revealed that the Y₂ LH_-1 and the Y₂ LH_-2 species tended to form structures with the respective closed- and open-form conformations. Luminescence lifetime data for the heterodimetallic TbEuL system confirmed the fluorescence resonance energy transfer from the Tb^III to Eu^III ion. The internuclear distance R_TbEu values were estimated to be in the range of 9.4-11.3 Å (pH 6.7-10.6), which were comparable to those of the DFT calculated open-form conformations. Multiple linear regression analysis of the k_obs data was performed using the equation: k_obs,corr. =k_obs -k_obs,OH =kLn2LHM->1 [Ln₂ LH_-1 ]+kLn2LH-2 [Ln₂ LH_-2 ] for the observed Ln₂ L-promoted BNPP/HPNP hydrolysis reactions in solution pH from 7 to 10.5 (Ln=Eu, Yb). The results showed that the second-order rate constants for the Eu₂ LH_-2 and Yb₂ LH_-2 species were about 50-400 times more reactive than the structural analogous Zn₂ (m-12 N₃ O-dimer) system.

Orotidine 5'-Monophosphate Decarboxylase: Probing the Limits of the Possible for Enzyme Catalysis

The mystery associated with catalysis by what were once regarded as protein black boxes, diminished with the X-ray crystallographic determination of the three-dimensional structures of enzyme–substrate complexes. The report that several high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of orotidine 5′-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) failed to provide a consensus mechanism for enzyme-catalyzed decarboxylation of OMP to form uridine 5′-monophosphate, therefore, provoked a flurry of controversy. This controversy was fueled by the enormous 10²³-fold rate acceleration for this enzyme, which had “jolted many biochemists’ assumptions about the catalytic potential of enzymes.” Our studies on the mechanism of action of OMPDC provide strong evidence that catalysis by this enzyme is not fundamentally different from less proficient catalysts, while highlighting important architectural elements that enable a peak level of performance. Many enzymes undergo substrate-induced protein conformational changes that trap their substrates in solvent occluded protein cages, but the conformational change induced by ligand binding to OMPDC is incredibly complex, as required to enable the development of 22 kcal/mol of stabilizing binding interactions with the phosphodianion and ribosyl substrate fragments of OMP. The binding energy from these fragments is utilized to activate OMPDC for catalysis of decarboxylation at the orotate fragment of OMP, through the creation of a tight, catalytically active, protein cage from the floppy, open, unliganded form of OMPDC. Such utilization of binding energy for ligand-driven conformational changes provides a general mechanism to obtain specificity in transition state binding. The rate enhancement that results from the binding of carbon acid substrates to enzymes is partly due to a reduction in the carbon acid pK_a that is associated with ligand binding. The binding of UMP to OMPDC results in an unusually large >12 unit decrease in the pK_a = 29 for abstraction of the C-6 substrate hydrogen, due to stabilization of an enzyme-bound vinyl carbanion, which is also an intermediate of OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation. The protein–ligand interactions operate to stabilize the vinyl carbanion at the enzyme active site compared to aqueous solution, rather than to stabilize the transition state for the concerted electrophilic displacement of CO₂ by H⁺ that avoids formation of this reaction intermediate. There is evidence that OMPDC induces strain into the bound substrate. The interaction between the amide side chain of Gln-215 from the phosphodianion gripper loop and the hydroxymethylene side chain of Ser-154 from the pyrimidine umbrella of ScOMPDC position the amide side chain to interact with the phosphodianion of OMP. There are no direct stabilizing interactions between dianion gripper protein side chains Gln-215, Tyr-217, and Arg-235 and the pyrimidine ring at the decarboxylation transition state. Rather these side chains function solely to hold OMPDC in the catalytically active closed conformation. The hydrophobic side chains that line the active site of OMPDC in the region of the departing CO₂ product may function to stabilize the decarboxylation transition state by providing hydrophobic solvation of this product.

Electric Fields and Enzyme Catalysis

What happens inside an enzyme's active site to allow slow and difficult chemical reactions to occur so rapidly? This question has occupied biochemists' attention for a long time. Computer models of increasing sophistication have predicted an important role for electrostatic interactions in enzymatic reactions, yet this hypothesis has proved vexingly difficult to test experimentally. Recent experiments utilizing the vibrational Stark effect make it possible to measure the electric field a substrate molecule experiences when bound inside its enzyme's active site. These experiments have provided compelling evidence supporting a major electrostatic contribution to enzymatic catalysis. Here, we review these results and develop a simple model for electrostatic catalysis that enables us to incorporate disparate concepts introduced by many investigators to describe how enzymes work into a more unified framework stressing the importance of electric fields at the active site.

Enzyme activation through the utilization of intrinsic dianion binding energy

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We consider 'the proposition that the intrinsic binding energy that results from the noncovalent interaction of a specific substrate with the active site of the enzyme is considerably larger than is generally believed. An important part of this binding energy may be utilized to provide the driving force for catalysis, so that the observed binding energy represents only what is left over after this utilization' [Jencks,W.P. (1975) Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas. Mol. Biol. , , 219-410]. The large ~12 kcal/mol intrinsic substrate phosphodianion binding energy for reactions catalyzed by triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is divided into 4-6 kcal/mol binding energy that is expressed on the formation of the Michaelis complex in anchoring substrates to the respective enzyme, and 6-8 kcal/mol binding energy that is specifically expressed at the transition state in activating the respective enzymes for catalysis. A structure-based mechanism is described where the dianion binding energy drives a conformational change that activates these enzymes for catalysis. Phosphite dianion plays the active role of holding TIM in a high-energy closed active form, but acts as passive spectator in showing no effect on transition-state structure. The result of studies on mutant enzymes is presented, which support the proposal that the dianion-driven enzyme conformational change plays a role in enhancing the basicity of side chain of E167, the catalytic base, by clamping the base between a pair of hydrophobic side chains. The insight these results provide into the architecture of enzyme active sites and the development of strategies for the de novo design of protein catalysts is discussed.

Fluorescence sensor for sequential detection of zinc and phosphate ions

A new, highly selective turn-on fluorescent chemosensor based on 2-(2'-tosylamidophenyl)thiazole (1) for the detection of zinc and phosphate ions in ethanol was synthesized and characterized. Sensor 1 showed a high selectivity for zinc compared to other cations and sequentially detected hydrogen pyrophosphate and hydrogen phosphate. The fluorescence mechanism can be explained by two different mechanisms: (i) the inhibition of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and (ii) chelation-induced enhanced fluorescence by binding with Zn(2+). The sequential detection of phosphate anions was achieved by the quenching and subsequent revival of ESIPT.

Isotope effect analyses provide evidence for an altered transition state for RNA 2'-O-transphosphorylation catalyzed by Zn(2+)

Solvent D2O and (18)O kinetic isotope effects on RNA 2'-O-transphosphorylation catalyzed by Zn(2+) demonstrate an altered transition state relative to specific base catalysis. A recent model from DFT calculations involving inner sphere coordination to the non-bridging and leaving group oxygens is consistent with the data.

Chiral Nanozymes-Gold Nanoparticle-Based Transphosphorylation Catalysts Capable of Enantiomeric Discrimination

Enantioselectivity in RNA cleavage by a synthetic metalloenzyme has been demonstrated for the first time. Thiols containing chiral Zn(II) -binding head groups have been self-assembled on the surface of gold nanoparticles. This results in the spontaneous formation of chiral bimetallic catalytic sites that display different activities (kcat ) towards the enantiomers of an RNA model substrate. Substrate selectivity is observed when the nanozyme is applied to the cleavage of the dinucleotides UpU, GpG, ApA, and CpC, and remarkable differences in reactivity are observed for the cleavage of the enantiomerically pure dinucleotide UpU.

Tri- and tetra-substituted cyclen based lanthanide(III) ion complexes as ribonuclease mimics: a study into the effect of log Ka, hydration and hydrophobicity on phosphodiester hydrolysis of the RNA-model 2-hydroxypropyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP)

A series of tetra-substituted 'pseudo' dipeptide ligands of cyclen (1,4,7,10,-tetraazacyclododecane) and a tri-substituted 3'-pyridine ligand of cyclen, and the corresponding lanthanide(III) complexes were synthesised and characterised as metallo-ribonuclease mimics. All complexes were shown to promote hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bond of 2-hydroxypropyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP, τ1/2 = 5.87 × 10(3) h), a well known RNA mimic. The La(III) and Eu(III) tri-substituted 3'-pyridine lanthanide(III) complexes being the most efficient in promoting such hydrolysis at pH 7.4 and at 37 °C; with τ1/2 = 1.67 h for La(III) and 1.74 h for Eu(III). The series was developed to provide the opportunity to investigate the consequences of altering the lanthanide(III) ion, coordination ability and hydrophobicity of a metallo-cavity on the rate of hydrolysis using the model phosphodiester, HPNP, at 37 °C. To further provide information on the role that the log Ka of the metal bound water plays in phosphodiester hydrolysis the protonation constants and the metal ion stability constants of both a tri and tetra-substituted 3'pyridine complex were determined. Our results highlighted several key features for the design of lanthanide(III) ribonucelase mimics; the presence of two metal bound water molecules are vital for pH dependent rate constants for Eu(III) complexes, optimal pH activity approximating physiological pH (∼7.4) may be achieved if the log Ka values for both MLOH and ML(OH)2 species occur in this region, small changes to hydrophobicity within the metallo cavity influence the rate of hydrolysis greatly and an amide adjacent to the metal ion capable of forming hydrogen bonds with the substrate is required for achieving fast hydrolysis.

Role of Loop-Clamping Side Chains in Catalysis by Triosephosphate Isomerase

The side chains of Y208 and S211 from loop 7 of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) form hydrogen bonds to backbone amides and carbonyls from loop 6 to stabilize the caged enzyme–substrate complex. The effect of seven mutations [Y208T, Y208S, Y208A, Y208F, S211G, S211A, Y208T/S211G] on the kinetic parameters for TIM catalyzed reactions of the whole substrates dihydroxyacetone phosphate and d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate [(k_cat/K_m)_GAP and (k_cat/K_m)_DHAP] and of the substrate pieces glycolaldehyde and phosphite dianion (k_cat/K_HPiK_GA) are reported. The linear logarithmic correlation between these kinetic parameters, with slope of 1.04 ± 0.03, shows that most mutations of TIM result in an identical change in the activation barriers for the catalyzed reactions of whole substrate and substrate pieces, so that the transition states for these reactions are stabilized by similar interactions with the protein catalyst. The second linear logarithmic correlation [slope = 0.53 ± 0.16] between k_cat for isomerization of GAP and K_d^⧧ for phosphite dianion binding to the transition state for wildtype and many mutant TIM-catalyzed reactions of substrate pieces shows that ca. 50% of the wildtype TIM dianion binding energy, eliminated by these mutations, is expressed at the wildtype Michaelis complex, and ca. 50% is only expressed at the wildtype transition state. Negative deviations from this correlation are observed when the mutation results in a decrease in enzyme reactivity at the catalytic site. The main effect of Y208T, Y208S, and Y208A mutations is to cause a reduction in the total intrinsic dianion binding energy, but the effect of Y208F extends to the catalytic site.

Phosphate binding by a novel Zn(II) complex featuring a trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane ligand. Effective anion recognition in water

In this work we have investigated the binding properties of a new synthetic receptor for phosphate anions that combines metal ion coordination with electrostatic and H-bonding interactions. The described receptor is obtained by assembling an iminodiacetic (IDA) fragment, as a Zn(II) binding site, with a polyamine macrocyclic portion containing two trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DAC) units and a pyrrole ring, as a cationic binding site, into an adaptive structure appropriately spanning the length of di- and tridentate phosphates. Potentiometric measurements together with (1)H and (31)P NMR investigation showed that, in a wide pH range including values of physiological interest, the Zn(II) complex of the receptor binds di- and triphosphates, such as ADP, ATP, pyrophosphate (PP) and triphosphate (TP), far better than monophosphate (MP), and that TP is poorly bound by methyliminodiacetate (MIDA) as a model for the Zn(II) binding site. Besides the excellent selectivity over other phosphates, the affinity for TP is the largest reported to date for Zn(II) complexes in water.

The role of phosphate in a multistep enzymatic reaction: reactions of the substrate and intermediate in pieces

Several mechanistically unrelated enzymes utilize the binding energy of their substrate's nonreacting phosphoryl group to accelerate catalysis. Evidence for the involvement of the phosphodianion in transition state formation has come from reactions of the substrate in pieces, in which reaction of a truncated substrate lacking its phosphorylmethyl group is activated by inorganic phosphite. What has remained unknown until now is how the phosphodianion group influences the reaction energetics at different points along the reaction coordinate. 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) reductoisomerase (DXR), which catalyzes the isomerization of DXP to 2-C-methyl-D-erythrose 4-phosphate (MEsP) and subsequent NADPH-dependent reduction, presents a unique opportunity to address this concern. Previously, we have reported the effect of covalently linked phosphate on the energetics of DXP turnover. Through the use of chemically synthesized MEsP and its phosphate-truncated analogue, 2-C-methyl-D-glyceraldehyde, the current study revealed a loss of 6.1 kcal/mol of kinetic barrier stabilization upon truncation, of which 4.4 kcal/mol was regained in the presence of phosphite dianion. The activating effect of phosphite was accompanied by apparent tightening of its interactions within the active site at the intermediate stage of the reaction, suggesting a role of the phosphodianion in disfavoring intermediate release and in modulation of the on-enzyme isomerization equilibrium. The results of kinetic isotope effect and structural studies indicate rate limitation by physical steps when the covalent linkage is severed. These striking differences in the energetics of the natural reaction and the reactions in pieces provide a deeper insight into the contribution of enzyme-phosphodianion interactions to the reaction coordinate.

The activating oxydianion binding domain for enzyme-catalyzed proton transfer, hydride transfer, and decarboxylation: specificity and enzyme architecture

The kinetic parameters for activation of yeast triosephosphate isomerase (ScTIM), yeast orotidine monophosphate decarboxylase (ScOMPDC), and human liver glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (hlGPDH) for catalysis of reactions of their respective phosphodianion truncated substrates are reported for the following oxydianions: HPO3(2-), FPO3(2-), S2O3(2-), SO4(2-) and HOPO3(2-). Oxydianions bind weakly to these unliganded enzymes and tightly to the transition state complex (E·S(‡)), with intrinsic oxydianion Gibbs binding free energies that range from -8.4 kcal/mol for activation of hlGPDH-catalyzed reduction of glycolaldehyde by FPO3(2-) to -3.0 kcal/mol for activation of ScOMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation of 1-β-d-erythrofuranosyl)orotic acid by HOPO3(2-). Small differences in the specificity of the different oxydianion binding domains are observed. We propose that the large -8.4 kcal/mol and small -3.8 kcal/mol intrinsic oxydianion binding energy for activation of hlGPDH by FPO3(2-) and S2O3(2-), respectively, compared with activation of ScTIM and ScOMPDC reflect stabilizing and destabilizing interactions between the oxydianion -F and -S with the cationic side chain of R269 for hlGPDH. These results are consistent with a cryptic function for the similarly structured oxydianion binding domains of ScTIM, ScOMPDC and hlGPDH. Each enzyme utilizes the interactions with tetrahedral inorganic oxydianions to drive a conformational change that locks the substrate in a caged Michaelis complex that provides optimal stabilization of the different enzymatic transition states. The observation of dianion activation by stabilization of active caged Michaelis complexes may be generalized to the many other enzymes that utilize substrate binding energy to drive changes in enzyme conformation, which induce tight substrate fits.

Phosphoryl transfer from α-d-glucose 1-phosphate catalyzed by Escherichia coli sugar-phosphate phosphatases of two protein superfamily types

The Cori ester α-d-glucose 1-phosphate (αGlc 1-P) is a high-energy intermediate of cellular carbohydrate metabolism. Its glycosidic phosphomonoester moiety primes αGlc 1-P for flexible exploitation in glucosyl and phosphoryl transfer reactions. Two structurally and mechanistically distinct sugar-phosphate phosphatases from Escherichia coli were characterized in this study for utilization of αGlc 1-P as a phosphoryl donor substrate. The agp gene encodes a periplasmic αGlc 1-P phosphatase (Agp) belonging to the histidine acid phosphatase family. Had13 is from the haloacid dehydrogenase-like phosphatase family. Cytoplasmic expression of Agp (in E. coli Origami B) gave a functional enzyme preparation (kcat for phosphoryl transfer from αGlc 1-P to water, 40 s(-1)) that was shown by mass spectrometry to exhibit no free cysteines and the native intramolecular disulfide bond between Cys(189) and Cys(195). Enzymatic phosphoryl transfer from αGlc 1-P to water in H2 (18)O solvent proceeded with complete (18)O label incorporation into the phosphate released, consistent with catalytic reaction through O-1-P, but not C-1-O, bond cleavage. Hydrolase activity of both enzymes was not restricted to a glycosidic phosphomonoester substrate, and d-glucose 6-phosphate was converted with a kcat similar to that of αGlc 1-P. By examining phosphoryl transfer from αGlc 1-P to an acceptor substrate other than water (d-fructose or d-glucose), we discovered that Agp exhibited pronounced synthetic activity, unlike Had13, which utilized αGlc 1-P mainly for phosphoryl transfer to water. By applying d-fructose in 10-fold molar excess over αGlc 1-P (20 mM), enzymatic conversion furnished d-fructose 1-phosphate as the main product in a 55% overall yield. Agp is a promising biocatalyst for use in transphosphorylation from αGlc 1-P.

Enzyme architecture: deconstruction of the enzyme-activating phosphodianion interactions of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase

The mechanism for activation of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) by interactions of side chains from Gln215 and Try217 at a gripper loop and R235, adjacent to this loop, with the phosphodianion of OMP was probed by determining the kinetic parameters k(cat) and K(m) for all combinations of single, double, and triple Q215A, Y217F, and R235A mutations. The 12 kcal/mol intrinsic binding energy of the phosphodianion is shown to be equal to the sum of the binding energies of the side chains of R235 (6 kcal/mol), Q215 (2 kcal/mol), Y217 (2 kcal/mol), and hydrogen bonds to the G234 and R235 backbone amides (2 kcal/mol). Analysis of a triple mutant cube shows small (ca. 1 kcal/mol) interactions between phosphodianion gripper side chains, which are consistent with steric crowding of the side chains around the phosphodianion at wild-type OMPDC. These mutations result in the same change in the activation barrier to the OMPDC-catalyzed reactions of the whole substrate OMP and the substrate pieces (1-β-D-erythrofuranosyl)orotic acid (EO) and phosphite dianion. This shows that the transition states for these reactions are stabilized by similar interactions with the protein catalyst. The 12 kcal/mol intrinsic phosphodianion binding energy of OMP is divided between the 8 kcal/mol of binding energy, which is utilized to drive a thermodynamically unfavorable conformational change of the free enzyme, resulting in an increase in (k(cat))(obs) for OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation of OMP, and the 4 kcal/mol of binding energy, which is utilized to stabilize the Michaelis complex, resulting in a decrease in (K(m))(obs).

Altered (transition) states: mechanisms of solution and enzyme catalyzed RNA 2'-O-transphosphorylation

Although there have been great strides in defining the mechanisms of RNA strand cleavage by 2'-O-transphosphorylation, long-standing questions remain. How do different catalytic modes such as acid/base and metal ion catalysis influence transition state charge distribution? Does the large rate enhancement characteristic of biological catalysis result in different transition states relative to solution reactions? Answering these questions is important for understanding biological catalysis in general, and revealing principles for designing small molecule inhibitors. Recent application of linear free energy relationships and kinetic isotope effects together with multi-scale computational simulations are providing tentative answers to these questions for this fundamentally important class of phosphoryl transfer reactions.

Enzyme architecture: remarkably similar transition states for triosephosphate isomerase-catalyzed reactions of the whole substrate and the substrate in pieces

Values of (k_cat/K_m)_GAP for triosephosphate isomerase-catalyzed reactions of (R)-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and k_cat/K_HPiK_GA for reactions of the substrate pieces glycolaldehyde and HPO₃^2– have been determined for wild-type and the following TIM mutants: I172V, I172A, L232A, and P168A (TIM from Trypanosoma brucei brucei); a 208-TGAG for 208-YGGS loop 7 replacement mutant (L7RM, TIM from chicken muscle); and, Y208T, Y208S, Y208A, Y208F and S211A (yeast TIM). A superb linear logarithmic correlation, with slope of 1.04 ± 0.03, is observed between the kinetic parameters for wild-type and most mutant enzymes, with positive deviations for L232A and L7RM. The unit slope shows that most mutations result in an identical change in the activation barriers for the catalyzed reactions of whole substrate and substrate pieces, so that the two transition states are stabilized by similar interactions with the protein catalyst. This is consistent with a role for dianions as active spectators, which hold TIM in a catalytically active caged form.

From Traditional Drug Design to Catalytic Metallodrugs: A Brief History of the Use of Metals in Medicine

Traditional drug design has been effective in the development of therapies for a variety of disease states but there is a need for new approaches that will tackle new challenges and complement current paradigms. The use of metals in medicine has resulted in several successes and allows for the introduction of properties that cannot be achieved by use of organic compounds alone, but also introduces new challenges that can be addressed by a careful understanding of the principles of inorganic chemistry. Toward this end, the unique structural and coordination chemistry, as well as the reactivity of metals, has been used to design novel classes of therapeutic and diagnostic agents. This review briefly summarizes progress in the field of therapeutics, from the earliest use of metals to more recent efforts to design catalytic metallodrugs that promote the irreversible inactivation of therapeutically relevant targets.

Steric effects on the catalytic activities of zinc(II) complexes containing [12]aneN3 ligating units in the cleavage of the RNA and DNA model phosphates

A series of N-methylated mono- and di-[12]aneN(3) ligands () have been synthesized and characterized. The steric effects on the catalytic activities of their mononuclear and dinuclear zinc(ii) complexes in the cleavage of a RNA model 2-hydroxypropyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNPP, ) and a DNA model methyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphates (MPNPP, 4) in methanol have been investigated at 25 °C. In the cleavage of phosphate catalyzed by the mononuclear complexes, derived from the N-methylation in the [12]aneN(3) backbone, the plots of k(obs)versus [Zn(II)] changed from an upward curvature to linearity with increasing level of methylation, indicating that N-methylations led to a reduction of dinuclear association that was responsible for the synergetic effect. Compared to the activities of the complex with non-methylated di-[12]aneN(3) ligand, those of the dinuclear zinc(ii) complex (Zn(2)-8), which has the two N-methyl groups, were reduced by two orders of magnitude as measured by the second-order rate constants and synergetic effect in the cleavage of both model compounds. For reactions catalyzed by the fully N-methylated dinuclear complex (Zn(2)-9), no synergetic effect was observed. Nevertheless, complex Zn(2)-8 still showed the remarkable catalytic efficiency, with rate accelerations of 10(9-10)-fold in the cleavage of each of the two phosphates relative to the background reactions, and the synergetic effects of up to 561 folds. pH jump experiments confirmed that the rate-limiting step in the cleavage of by Zn(2)-8 involved the binding process, while that in the reaction with 4 was the chemical cleavage of the P-O bond. Steric effects in the cleavage reactions were analyzed in detail and were compared with the electronic effect caused by oxy anion bridging group in the di-[12]aneN(3) ligand and also with the hydrophobic effect observed in other systems. The work has further confirmed that the combination of the cooperativity between two metal ions and a medium effect could result in excellent catalytic activities for the cleavage of phosphate diesters.

Specificity in transition state binding: the Pauling model revisited

Linus Pauling proposed that the large rate accelerations for enzymes are caused by the high specificity of the protein catalyst for binding the reaction transition state. The observation that stable analogues of the transition states for enzymatic reactions often act as tight-binding inhibitors provided early support for this simple and elegant proposal. We review experimental results that support the proposal that Pauling's model provides a satisfactory explanation for the rate accelerations for many heterolytic enzymatic reactions through high-energy reaction intermediates, such as proton transfer and decarboxylation. Specificity in transition state binding is obtained when the total intrinsic binding energy of the substrate is significantly larger than the binding energy observed at the Michaelis complex. The results of recent studies that aimed to characterize the specificity in binding of the enolate oxygen at the transition state for the 1,3-isomerization reaction catalyzed by ketosteroid isomerase are reviewed. Interactions between pig heart succinyl-coenzyme A:3-oxoacid coenzyme A transferase (SCOT) and the nonreacting portions of coenzyme A (CoA) are responsible for a rate increase of 3 × 10(12)-fold, which is close to the estimated total 5 × 10(13)-fold enzymatic rate acceleration. Studies that partition the interactions between SCOT and CoA into their contributing parts are reviewed. Interactions of the protein with the substrate phosphodianion group provide an ~12 kcal/mol stabilization of the transition state for the reactions catalyzed by triosephosphate isomerase, orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase, and α-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase. The interactions of these enzymes with the substrate piece phosphite dianion provide a 6-8 kcal/mol stabilization of the transition state for reaction of the appropriate truncated substrate. Enzyme activation by phosphite dianion reflects the higher dianion affinity for binding to the enzyme-transition state complex compared with that of the free enzyme. Evidence is presented that supports a model in which the binding energy of the phosphite dianion piece, or the phosphodianion group of the whole substrate, is utilized to drive an enzyme conformational change from an inactive open form E(O) to an active closed form E(C), by closure of a phosphodianion gripper loop. Members of the enolase and haloalkanoic acid dehalogenase superfamilies use variable capping domains to interact with nonreacting portions of the substrate and sequester the substrate from interaction with bulk solvent. Interactions of this capping domain with the phenyl group of mandelate have been shown to activate mandelate racemase for catalysis of deprotonation of α-carbonyl carbon. We propose that an important function of these capping domains is to utilize the binding interactions with nonreacting portions of the substrate to activate the enzyme for catalysis.

Catalysis by orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase: effect of 5-fluoro and 4'-substituents on the decarboxylation of two-part substrates

The syntheses of two novel truncated analogs of the natural substrate orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP) for orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) with enhanced reactivity toward decarboxylation are reported: 1-(β-d-erythrofuranosyl)-5-fluoroorotic acid (FEO) and 5'-deoxy-5-fluoroorotidine (5'-dFO). A comparison of the second-order rate constants for the OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylations of FEO (10 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) and 1-(β-d-erythrofuranosyl)orotic acid (EO, 0.026 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) shows that the vinyl carbanion-like transition state is stabilized by 3.5 kcal/mol by interactions with the 5-F substituent of FEO. The OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylations of FEO and EO are both activated by exogenous phosphite dianion (HPO₃²⁻), but the 5-F substituent results in only a 0.8 kcal stabilization of the transition state for the phosphite-activated reaction of FEO. This provides strong evidence that the phosphite-activated OMPDC-catalyzed reaction of FEO is not limited by the chemical step of decarboxylation of the enzyme-bound substrate. Evidence is presented that there is a change in the rate-limiting step from the chemical step of decarboxylation for the phosphite-activated reaction of EO, to closure of the phosphate gripper loop and an enzyme conformational change at the ternary E•FEO•HPO₃²⁻ complex for the reaction of FEO. The 4'-CH₃ and 4'-CH₂OH groups of 5'-dFO and orotidine, respectively, result in identical destabilizations of the transition state for the unactivated decarboxylation of 2.9 kcal/mol. By contrast, the 4'-CH₃ group of 5'-dFO and the 4'-CH₂OH group of orotidine result in very different 4.7 and 8.3 kcal/mol destabilizations of the transition state for the phosphite-activated decarboxylation. Here, the destabilizing effect of the 4'-CH₃ substituent at 5'-dFO is masked by the rate-limiting conformational change that depresses the third-order rate constant for the phosphite-activated reaction of the parent substrate FEO.

Proton transfer from C-6 of uridine 5'-monophosphate catalyzed by orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase: formation and stability of a vinyl carbanion intermediate and the effect of a 5-fluoro substituent

The exchange for deuterium of the C-6 protons of uridine 5'-monophosphate (UMP) and 5-fluorouridine 5'-monophosphate (F-UMP) catalyzed by yeast orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (ScOMPDC) at pD 6.5-9.3 and 25 °C was monitored by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Deuterium exchange proceeds by proton transfer from C-6 of the bound nucleotide to the deprotonated side chain of Lys-93 to give the enzyme-bound vinyl carbanion. The pD-rate profiles for k(cat) give turnover numbers for deuterium exchange into enzyme-bound UMP and F-UMP of 1.2 × 10(-5) and 0.041 s(-1), respectively, so that the 5-fluoro substituent results in a 3400-fold increase in the first-order rate constant for deuterium exchange. The binding of UMP and F-UMP to ScOMPDC results in 0.5 and 1.4 unit decreases, respectively, in the pK(a) of the side chain of the catalytic base Lys-93, showing that these nucleotides bind preferentially to the deprotonated enzyme. We also report the first carbon acid pK(a) values for proton transfer from C-6 of uridine (pK(CH) = 28.8) and 5-fluorouridine (pK(CH) = 25.1) in aqueous solution. The stabilizing effects of the 5-fluoro substituent on C-6 carbanion formation in solution (5 kcal/mol) and at ScOMPDC (6 kcal/mol) are similar. The binding of UMP and F-UMP to ScOMPDC results in a greater than 5 × 10(9)-fold increase in the equilibrium constant for proton transfer from C-6, so that ScOMPDC stabilizes the bound vinyl carbanions, relative to the bound nucleotides, by at least 13 kcal/mol. The pD-rate profile for k(cat)/K(m) for deuterium exchange into F-UMP gives the intrinsic second-order rate constant for exchange catalyzed by the deprotonated enzyme as 2300 M(-1) s(-1). This was used to calculate a total rate acceleration for ScOMPDC-catalyzed deuterium exchange of 3 × 10(10) M(-1), which corresponds to a transition-state stabilization for deuterium exchange of 14 kcal/mol. We conclude that a large portion of the total transition-state stabilization for the decarboxylation of orotidine 5'-monophosphate can be accounted for by stabilization of the enzyme-bound vinyl carbanion intermediate of the stepwise reaction.

Progress in artificial metallonucleases

The development of synthetic agents able to hydrolytically cleave DNA with high efficiency and selectivity is still a fascinating challenge. Over the years, many examples have been reported reproducing part of the behaviour of the corresponding natural enzymes. Eventually, even the possibility to apply such systems to the manipulation of DNA of higher organisms has been demonstrated. However, efficiency of enzymes is still unrivalled. This feature article discusses the progress reported toward the realization of synthetic nucleases with particular attention to the comprehension of the reaction mechanisms and to the strategies that need to be addressed to obtain more efficient systems.