Is the bound substrate in nitric oxide synthase protonated or neutral and what is the active oxidant that performs substrate hydroxylation?

Machine learning-aided engineering of a cytochrome P450 for optimal bioconversion of lignin fragments

Using machine learning, molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory calculations we gain insight into the selectivity patterns of substrate activation by the cytochromes P450. In nature, the reactions catalyzed by the P450s lead to the biodegradation of xenobiotics, but recent work has shown that fungi utilize P450s for the activation of lignin fragments, such as monomer and dimer units. These fragments often are the building blocks of valuable materials, including drug molecules and fragrances, hence a highly selective biocatalyst that can produce these compounds in good yield with high selectivity would be an important step in biotechnology. In this work a detailed computational study is reported on two reaction channels of two P450 isozymes, namely the O-deethylation of guaethol by CYP255A and the O-demethylation versus aromatic hydroxylation of p-anisic acid by CYP199A4. The studies show that the second-coordination sphere plays a major role in substrate binding and positioning, heme access, and in the selectivity patterns. Moreover, the local environment affects the kinetics of the reaction through lowering or raising barrier heights. Furthermore, we predict a site-selective mutation for highly specific reaction channels for CYP199A4.

The Biologically Relevant Coordination Chemistry of Iron and Nitric Oxide: Electronic Structure and Reactivity

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that is involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological events in biology. Metal coordination chemistry, especially with iron, is at the heart of many biological transformations involving NO. A series of heme proteins, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and nitrophorins, are responsible for the biosynthesis, sensing, and transport of NO. Alternatively, NO can be generated from nitrite by heme- and copper-containing nitrite reductases (NIRs). The NO-bearing small molecules such as nitrosothiols and dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) can serve as an alternative vehicle for NO storage and transport. Once NO is formed, the rich reaction chemistry of NO leads to a wide variety of biological activities including reduction of NO by heme or non-heme iron-containing NO reductases and protein post-translational modifications by DNICs. Much of our understanding of the reactivity of metal sites in biology with NO and the mechanisms of these transformations has come from the elucidation of the geometric and electronic structures and chemical reactivity of synthetic model systems, in synergy with biochemical and biophysical studies on the relevant proteins themselves. This review focuses on recent advancements from studies on proteins and model complexes that not only have improved our understanding of the biological roles of NO but also have provided foundations for biomedical research and for bio-inspired catalyst design in energy science.

Product Distributions of Cytochrome P450 OleTJE with Phenyl-Substituted Fatty Acids: A Computational Study

There are two types of cytochrome P450 enzymes in nature, namely, the monooxygenases and the peroxygenases. Both enzyme classes participate in substrate biodegradation or biosynthesis reactions in nature, but the P450 monooxygenases use dioxygen, while the peroxygenases take H₂O₂ in their catalytic cycle instead. By contrast to the P450 monooxygenases, the P450 peroxygenases do not require an external redox partner to deliver electrons during the catalytic cycle, and also no external proton source is needed. Therefore, they are fully self-sufficient, which affords them opportunities in biotechnological applications. One specific P450 peroxygenase, namely, P450 OleT_JE, reacts with long-chain linear fatty acids through oxidative decarboxylation to form hydrocarbons and, as such, has been implicated as a suitable source for the biosynthesis of biofuels. Unfortunately, the reactions were shown to produce a considerable amount of side products originating from C^α and C^β hydroxylation and desaturation. These product distributions were found to be strongly dependent on whether the substrate had substituents on the C^α and/or C^β atoms. To understand the bifurcation pathways of substrate activation by P450 OleT_JE leading to decarboxylation, C^α hydroxylation, C^β hydroxylation and C^α–C^β desaturation, we performed a computational study using 3-phenylpropionate and 2-phenylbutyrate as substrates. We set up large cluster models containing the heme, the substrate and the key features of the substrate binding pocket and calculated (using density functional theory) the pathways leading to the four possible products. This work predicts that the two substrates will react with different reaction rates due to accessibility differences of the substrates to the active oxidant, and, as a consequence, these two substrates will also generate different products. This work explains how the substrate binding pocket of P450 OleT_JE guides a reaction to a chemoselectivity.

Density Functional Theory Study into the Reaction Mechanism of Isonitrile Biosynthesis by the Nonheme Iron Enzyme ScoE

The nonheme iron enzyme ScoE catalyzes the biosynthesis of an isonitrile substituent in a peptide chain. To understand details of the reaction mechanism we created a large active site cluster model of 212 atoms that contains substrate, the active oxidant and the first- and second-coordination sphere of the protein and solvent. Several possible reaction mechanisms were tested and it is shown that isonitrile can only be formed through two consecutive catalytic cycles that both use one molecule of dioxygen and α-ketoglutarate. In both cycles the active species is an iron(IV)-oxo species that in the first reaction cycle reacts through two consecutive hydrogen atom abstraction steps: first from the N–H group and thereafter from the C–H group to desaturate the NH-CH2 bond. The alternative ordering of hydrogen atom abstraction steps was also tested but found to be higher in energy. Moreover, the electronic configurations along that pathway implicate an initial hydride transfer followed by proton transfer. We highlight an active site Lys residue that is shown to donate charge in the transition states and influences the relative barrier heights and bifurcation pathways. A second catalytic cycle of the reaction of iron(IV)-oxo with desaturated substrate starts with hydrogen atom abstraction followed by decarboxylation to give isonitrile directly. The catalytic cycle is completed with a proton transfer to iron(II)-hydroxo to generate the iron(II)-water resting state. The work is compared with experimental observation and previous computational studies on this system and put in a larger perspective of nonheme iron chemistry.

An isoform-specific pivot modulates the electron transfer between the flavin mononucleotide and heme centers in inducible nitric oxide synthase

Intraprotein interdomain electron transfer (IET) between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and heme centers is an obligatory step in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. An isoform-specific pivotal region near Leu406 in the heme domain of human inducible NOS (iNOS) was proposed to mediate the FMN-heme domain-domain alignment (J Inorg Biochem 153:186-196, 2015). The FMN-heme IET rate is a measure of the interdomain FMN/heme complex formation. In this work, the FMN-heme IET kinetics in the wild type (wt) human iNOS oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct were directly measured by laser flash photolysis with added synthetic peptide related to the pivotal region, in comparison with the wt construct alone. The IET rates were decreased by the iNOS HKL peptide in a dose-saturable fashion, and the inhibitory effect was abolished by a single L406 → E mutation in the peptide. A similar trend in change of the NO synthesis activity of wt iNOS holoenzyme by the peptides was observed. These data, along with the kinetics and modeling results for the L406T and L406F mutant oxyFMN proteins, indicated that the Leu406 residue modulates the FMN-heme IET through hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the IET rates were analyzed for the wt iNOS oxyFMN protein in the presence of nNOS or eNOS-derived peptide related to the equivalent pivotal heme domain site. These results together indicate that the isoform-specific pivotal region at the heme domain specifically interacts with the conserved FMN domain surface, to facilitate proper interdomain docking for the FMN-heme IET in NOS.

Lignin Biodegradation by a Cytochrome P450 Enzyme: A Computational Study into Syringol Activation by GcoA

A recently characterized cytochrome P450 isozyme GcoA activates lignin components through a selective O-demethylation or alternatively an acetal formation reaction. These are important reactions in biotechnology and, because lignin is readily available; it being the main component in plant cell walls. In this work we present a density functional theory study on a large active site model of GcoA to investigate syringol activation by an iron(IV)-oxo heme cation radical oxidant (Compound I) leading to hemiacetal and acetal products. Several substrate-binding positions were tested and full energy landscapes calculated. The study shows that substrate positioning determines the product distributions. Thus, with the phenol group pointing away from the heme, an O-demethylation is predicted, whereas an initial hydrogen-atom abstraction of the weak phenolic O-H group would trigger a pathway leading to ring-closure to form acetal products. Predictions on how to engineer P450 GcoA to get more selective product distributions are given.

How Does Replacement of the Axial Histidine Ligand in Cytochrome c Peroxidase by Nδ-Methyl Histidine Affect Its Properties and Functions? A Computational Study

Heme peroxidases have important functions in nature related to the detoxification of H₂O₂. They generally undergo a catalytic cycle where, in the first stage, the iron(III)-heme-H₂O₂ complex is converted into an iron(IV)-oxo-heme cation radical species called Compound I. Cytochrome c peroxidase Compound I has a unique electronic configuration among heme enzymes where a metal-based biradical is coupled to a protein radical on a nearby Trp residue. Recent work using the engineered N_δ-methyl histidine-ligated cytochrome c peroxidase highlighted changes in spectroscopic and catalytic properties upon axial ligand substitution. To understand the axial ligand effect on structure and reactivity of peroxidases and their axially N_δ-methyl histidine engineered forms, we did a computational study. We created active site cluster models of various sizes as mimics of horseradish peroxidase and cytochrome c peroxidase Compound I. Subsequently, we performed density functional theory studies on the structure and reactivity of these complexes with a model substrate (styrene). Thus, the work shows that the N_δ-methyl histidine group has little effect on the electronic configuration and structure of Compound I and little changes in bond lengths and the same orbital occupation is obtained. However, the N_δ-methyl histidine modification impacts electron transfer processes due to a change in the reduction potential and thereby influences reactivity patterns for oxygen atom transfer. As such, the substitution of the axial histidine by N_δ-methyl histidine in peroxidases slows down oxygen atom transfer to substrates and makes Compound I a weaker oxidant. These studies are in line with experimental work on N_δ-methyl histidine-ligated cytochrome c peroxidases and highlight how the hydrogen bonding network in the second coordination sphere has a major impact on the function and properties of the enzyme.

Bioengineering of Cytochrome P450 OleTJE: How Does Substrate Positioning Affect the Product Distributions?

The cytochromes P450 are versatile enzymes found in all forms of life. Most P450s use dioxygen on a heme center to activate substrates, but one class of P450s utilizes hydrogen peroxide instead. Within the class of P450 peroxygenases, the P450 OleT_JE isozyme binds fatty acid substrates and converts them into a range of products through the α-hydroxylation, β-hydroxylation and decarboxylation of the substrate. The latter produces hydrocarbon products and hence can be used as biofuels. The origin of these product distributions is unclear, and, as such, we decided to investigate substrate positioning in the active site and find out what the effect is on the chemoselectivity of the reaction. In this work we present a detailed computational study on the wild-type and engineered structures of P450 OleT_JE using a combination of density functional theory and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods. We initially explore the wild-type structure with a variety of methods and models and show that various substrate activation transition states are close in energy and hence small perturbations as through the protein may affect product distributions. We then engineered the protein by generating an in silico model of the double mutant Asn242Arg/Arg245Asn that moves the position of an active site Arg residue in the substrate-binding pocket that is known to form a salt-bridge with the substrate. The substrate activation by the iron(IV)-oxo heme cation radical species (Compound I) was again studied using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. Dramatic differences in reactivity patterns, barrier heights and structure are seen, which shows the importance of correct substrate positioning in the protein and the effect of the second-coordination sphere on the selectivity and activity of enzymes.

Coupled electron and proton transfer in the piperidine drug metabolism pathway by the active species of cytochromes P450

KS-DFT and MSDFT studies reveal a novel CEPT step that triggers ring contraction of piperidines by P450.

Sluggish reactivity by a nonheme iron(iv)-tosylimido complex as compared to its oxo analogue

A comparative spectroscopic and computational study of reactivity between ferryl-tosylimido and ferryl-oxo complexes of two biomimetic model systems. The Fe(iv)-tosylimido complex was found to be sluggish in comparison to its fellow oxo counterpart.

Selective Hydrogen Atom Abstraction from Dihydroflavonol by a Nonheme Iron Center Is the Key Step in the Enzymatic Flavonol Synthesis and Avoids Byproducts

The plant non-heme iron dioxygenase flavonol synthase performs a regioselective desaturation reaction as part of the biosynthesis of the signaling molecule flavonol that triggers the growing of leaves and flowers. These compounds also have health benefits for humans. Desaturation of aliphatic compounds generally proceeds through two consecutive hydrogen atom abstraction steps from two adjacent carbon atoms and in nature often is performed by a high-valent iron(IV)-oxo species. We show that the order of the hydrogen atom abstraction steps, however, is opposite of those expected from the C-H bond strengths in the substrate and determines the product distributions. As such, flavonol synthase follows a negative catalysis mechanism. Using density functional theory methods on large active-site model complexes, we investigated pathways for desaturation and hydroxylation by an iron(IV)-oxo active-site model. Contrary to thermochemical predictions, we find that the oxidant abstracts the hydrogen atom from the strong C²-H bond rather than the weaker C³-H bond of the substrate first. We analyze the origin of this unexpected selective hydrogen atom abstraction pathway and find that the alternative C³-H hydrogen atom abstraction would be followed by a low-energy and competitive substrate hydroxylation mechanism hence, should give considerable amount of byproducts. Our computational modeling studies show that substrate positioning in flavonol synthase is essential, as it guides the reactivity to a chemo- and regioselective substrate desaturation from the C²-H group, leading to desaturation products efficiently.

Reactivity patterns of vanadium(iv/v)-oxo complexes with olefins in the presence of peroxides: a computational study

Vanadium porphyrin complexes are naturally occurring substances found in crude oil and have been shown to have medicinal properties as well. Little is known on their activities with substrates; therefore, we decided to perform a detailed density functional theory study on the properties and reactivities of vanadium(iv)- and vanadium(v)-oxo complexes with a TPPCl8 or 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octachloro-meso-tetraphenylporphyrinato ligand system. In particular, we investigated the reactivity of [VV(O)(TPPCl8)]+ and [VIV(O)(TPPCl8)] with cyclohexene in the presence of H2O2 or HCO4-. The work shows that vanadium(iv)-oxo and vanadium(v)-oxo are sluggish oxidants by themselves and react with olefins slowly. However, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, these metal-oxo species can be transformed into a side-on vanadium-peroxo complex, which reacts with substrates more efficiently. Particularly with anionic axial ligands, the side-on vanadium-peroxo and vanadium-oxo complexes produced epoxides from cyclohexene via small barrier heights. In addition to olefin epoxidation, we investigated aliphatic hydroxylation mechanisms by the same oxidants and some oxidants show efficient and viable cyclohexene hydroxylation mechanisms. The work implies that vanadium-oxo and vanadium-peroxo complexes can react with double bonds through epoxidation, and under certain conditions also undergo hydroxylation, but the overall reactivity is highly dependent on the equatorial ligand, the local environment and the presence or absence of anionic axial ligands.

DFT study on the effect of proximal residues on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase (katG) heme compound I intermediate and its bonding interaction with isoniazid

Isoniazid (INH) is converted into isonicotinyl radical through its interaction with the catalase-peroxidase (katG) enzyme present in the cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb.), the bacteria that causes the tuberculosis disease. This process is important because resistance of M. tb. cells to INH treatment has been associated with the failure of completion of this process. However, this process is poorly understood and there are a variety of conflicting theories about the details of the mechanism of this process. One theory suggests that INH binds to katG and transfers a single electron to the heme while the heme is in its two electron oxidized state, compound I [Fe(iv)Por˙+] (CpdI). In this study, DFT calculations at the UB3LYP/6-31g(d)-LANL2DZ level of theory are used to study the M. tb. katG CpdI molecule. Different models of the M. tb. CpdI molecule were prepared and the calculations revealed the impact of Trp321 on the electronic properties of the heme. Without Trp321 the heme assumed a triradical state with single electrons on the πxy and πyz orbitals of Fe and another on the a2u orbital of the porphyrin ring that can either be coupled with the first two, to assume a quartet state, or decoupled to form a doublet state. With Trp321, however, a transfer of an electron from the πTrp orbital to a2u porphyrin orbital leads to loss of radical character of the porphyrin and leaves the Trp321 group with a radical character. INH was observed to have strong interaction with CpdI and the absence of Trp321 significantly decreased the binding energy by 2 kcal mol-1 explaining the importance of Trp321 in the binding of INH. The results in this study show the importance of Trp321 in the binding of INH and its effect on its electronic properties, which is consistent with previous experimental findings that mutation of Trp321 results in an increase in drug resistance.

Use of Computational Biochemistry for Elucidating Molecular Mechanisms of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential signaling molecule in the regulation of multiple cellular processes. It is endogenously synthesized by NO synthase (NOS) as the product of L-arginine oxidation to L-citrulline, requiring NADPH, molecular oxygen, and a pterin cofactor. Two NOS isoforms are constitutively present in cells, nNOS and eNOS, and a third is inducible (iNOS). Despite their biological relevance, the details of their complex structural features and reactivity mechanisms are still unclear. In this review, we summarized the contribution of computational biochemistry to research on NOS molecular mechanisms. We described in detail its use in studying aspects of structure, dynamics and reactivity. We also focus on the numerous outstanding questions in the field that could benefit from more extensive computational investigations.

Recent advances in metalloporphyrins for environmental and energy applications

Porphyrin-based chemistry has reached an unprecedented period of rapid development after decades of study. Due to attractive multifunctional properties, porphyrins and their analogues have emerged as multifunctional organometals for environmental and energy purposes. In particular, pioneer works have been conducted to explore their application in pollution abatement, energy conversion and storage and molecule recognition. This review summarizes recent advances of porphyrins chemistry, focusing on elucidating the nature of catalytic process. The Fenton-like redox chemistry and photo-excitability of porphyrins and their analogues are discussed, highlighting the generation of high-valent iron oxo porphyrin species. Finally, challenges in current research are identified and perspectives for future development in this area are presented.

A Comparative Review on the Catalytic Mechanism of Nonheme Iron Hydroxylases and Halogenases

Enzymatic halogenation and haloperoxidation are unusual processes in biology; however, a range of halogenases and haloperoxidases exist that are able to transfer an aliphatic or aromatic C–H bond into C–Cl/C–Br. Haloperoxidases utilize hydrogen peroxide, and in a reaction with halides (Cl−/Br−), they react to form hypohalides (OCl−/OBr−) that subsequently react with substrate by halide transfer. There are three types of haloperoxidases, namely the iron-heme, nonheme vanadium, and flavin-dependent haloperoxidases that are reviewed here. In addition, there are the nonheme iron halogenases that show structural and functional similarity to the nonheme iron hydroxylases and form an iron(IV)-oxo active species from a reaction of molecular oxygen with α-ketoglutarate on an iron(II) center. They subsequently transfer a halide (Cl−/Br−) to an aliphatic C–H bond. We review the mechanism and function of nonheme iron halogenases and hydroxylases and show recent computational modelling studies of our group on the hectochlorin biosynthesis enzyme and prolyl-4-hydroxylase as examples of nonheme iron halogenases and hydroxylases. These studies have established the catalytic mechanism of these enzymes and show the importance of substrate and oxidant positioning on the stereo-, chemo- and regioselectivity of the reaction that takes place.

Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Studies on the Relative Reactivities of Compound I and II in Cytochrome P450 Enzymes

The cytochromes P450 are drug metabolizing enzymes in the body that typically react with substrates through a monoxygenation reaction. During the catalytic cycle two reduction and protonation steps generate a high-valent iron (IV)-oxo heme cation radical species called Compound I. However, with sufficient reduction equivalents present, the catalytic cycle should be able to continue to the reduced species of Compound I, called Compound II, rather than a reaction of Compound I with substrate. In particular, since electron transfer is usually on faster timescales than atom transfer, we considered this process feasible and decided to investigate the reaction computationally. In this work we present a computational study using density functional theory methods on active site model complexes alongside quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations on full enzyme structures of cytochrome P450 enzymes. Specifically, we focus on the relative reactivity of Compound I and II with a model substrate for O⁻H bond activation. We show that generally the barrier heights for hydrogen atom abstraction are higher in energy for Compound II than Compound I for O⁻H bond activation. Nevertheless, for the activation of such bonds, Compound II should still be an active oxidant under enzymatic conditions. As such, our computational modelling predicts that under high-reduction environments the cytochromes P450 can react with substrates via Compound II but the rates will be much slower.

Theoretical studies of the second step of the nitric oxide synthase reaction: Electron tunneling prevents uncoupling

Nitric oxide (NO·) is a messenger molecule with diverse physiological roles including host defense, neurotransmission and vascular function. The synthesis of NO· from l-arginine is catalyzed by NO-synthases and occurs in two steps through the intermediary Nω-hydroxy-l-arginine (NHA). In both steps the P450-like reaction cycle is coupled with the redox cycle of the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (H4B). The mechanism of the second step is studied by Density Functional Theory calculations to ascertain the canonical sequence of proton and electron transfer (PT and ET) events. The proposed mechanism is controlled by the interplay of two electron donors, H4B and NHA. Consistent with experimental data, the catalytic cycle proceeds through the ferric-hydroperoxide complex (Cpd 0) and the following aqua-ferriheme resting state, and involves interim partial oxidation of H4B. The mechanism starts with formation of Cpd 0 from the ferrous-dioxy reactant complex by PT from the C-ring heme propionate coupled with hole transfer to H4B through the highest occupied π-orbital of NHA as a bridge. This enables PT from NHA+· to the proximal oxygen leading to the shallow ferriheme-H2O2 oxidant. Subsequent Fenton-like peroxide bond cleavage triggered by ET from the NHA-derived iminoxy-radical leads to the protonated Cpd II diradicaloid singlet stabilized by spin delocalization in H4B, and the closed-shell coordination complex of HO- with iminoxy-cation. The complex is converted to the transient C-adduct, which releases intended products upon PT to the ferriheme-HO- complex coupled with ET to the H4B+·. Deferred ET from the substrate or undue ET from/to the cofactor leads to side products.

Sulfoxide Synthase versus Cysteine Dioxygenase Reactivity in a Nonheme Iron Enzyme

The sulfoxide synthase EgtB represents a unique family of nonheme iron enzymes that catalyze the formation of a C-S bond between N-α-trimethyl histidine and γ-glutamyl cysteine, which is the key step in the biosynthesis of ergothioneine, an important amino acid related to aging. A controversy has arisen regarding its catalytic mechanism related to the function of the active-site Tyr₃₇₇ residue. The biosynthesis of ergothioneine in EgtB shows structural similarities to cysteine dioxygenase which transfers two oxygen atoms to the thiolate group of cysteine. The question, therefore, is how do EgtB enzymes catalyze the C-S bond-formation reaction, while also preventing a dioxygenation of its cysteinate substrate? In this work we present a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics study into the mechanism of sulfoxide synthase enzymes as compared to cysteine dioxygenase enzymes and present pathways for both reaction channels in EgtB. We show that EgtB contains a conserved tyrosine residue that reacts via proton-coupled electron transfer with the iron(III)-superoxo species and creates an iron(III)-hydroperoxo intermediate, thereby preventing the possible thiolate dioxygenation side reaction. The nucleophilic C-S bond-formation step happens subsequently concomitant to relay of the proton of the iron(II)-hydroperoxo back to Tyr₃₇₇. This is the rate-determining step in the reaction cycle and is followed by hydrogen-atom transfer from the CE1-H group of trimethyl histidine substrate to iron(II)-superoxo. In the final step, a quick and almost barrierless sulfoxidation leads to the sulfoxide product complexes. The work highlights a unique machinery and active-site setup of the enzyme that drives the sulfoxide synthase reaction.

Suicide Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes by Cyclopropylamines via a Ring-Opening Mechanism: Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Makes a Difference

N-benzyl-N-cyclopropylamine (BCA) has been attracting great interests for decades for its partial suicide inactivation role to cytochrome P450 (P450) via a ring-opening mechanism besides acting as a role of normal substrates. Understanding the mechanism of such partial inactivation is vital to the clinical drug design. Thus, density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations were carried out on such P450-catalyzed reactions, not only on the metabolic pathway, but on the ring-opening inactivation one. Our theoretical results demonstrated that, in the metabolic pathway, besides the normal carbinolamine, an unexpected enamine was formed via the dual hydrogen abstraction (DHA) process, in which the competition between rotation of the H-abstracted substrate radical and the rotation of hydroxyl group of the protonated Cpd II moiety plays a significant role in product branch; In the inactivation pathway, the well-noted single electron transfer (SET) mechanism-involved process was invalidated for its high energy barrier, a proton-coupled electron transfer [PCET(ET)] mechanism plays a role. Our results are consistent with other related theoretical works on heteroatom-hydrogen (X-H, X = O, N) activation and revealed new features. The revealed mechanisms will play a positive role in relative drug design.

A Systematic Account on Aromatic Hydroxylation by a Cytochrome P450 Model Compound I: A Low-Pressure Mass Spectrometry and Computational Study

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are heme-containing mono-oxygenases that mainly react through oxygen-atom transfer. Specific features of substrate and oxidant that determine the reaction rate constant for oxygen atom transfer are still poorly understood and therefore, we did a systematic gas-phase study on reactions by iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin cation radical structures with arenes. We present herein the first results obtained by using Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and provide rate constants and product distributions for the assayed reactions. Product distributions and kinetic isotope effect studies implicate a rate-determining aromatic hydroxylation reaction that correlates with the ionization energy of the substrate and no evidence of aliphatic hydroxylation products is observed. To further understand the details of the reaction mechanism, a computational study on a model complex was performed. These studies confirm the experimental hypothesis of dominant aromatic over aliphatic hydroxylation and show that the lack of an axial ligand affects the aliphatic pathways. Moreover, a two-parabola valence bond model is used to rationalize the rate constant and identify key properties of the oxidant and substrate that drive the reaction. In particular, the work shows that aromatic hydroxylation rates correlate with the ionization energy of the substrate as well as with the electron affinity of the oxidant.

How the Proximal Pocket May Influence the Enantiospecificities of Chloroperoxidase-Catalyzed Epoxidations of Olefins

Chloroperoxidase-catalyzed enantiospecific epoxidations of olefins are of significant biotechnological interest. Typical enantiomeric excesses are in the range of 66%-97% and translate into free energy differences on the order of 1 kcal/mol. These differences are generally attributed to the effect of the distal pocket. In this paper, we show that the influence of the proximal pocket on the electron transfer mechanism in the rate-limiting event may be just as significant for a quantitatively accurate account of the experimentally-measured enantiospecificities.

Challenging Density Functional Theory Calculations with Hemes and Porphyrins

In this paper we review recent advances in computational chemistry and specifically focus on the chemical description of heme proteins and synthetic porphyrins that act as both mimics of natural processes and technological uses. These are challenging biochemical systems involved in electron transfer as well as biocatalysis processes. In recent years computational tools have improved considerably and now can reproduce experimental spectroscopic and reactivity studies within a reasonable error margin (several kcal·mol(-1)). This paper gives recent examples from our groups, where we investigated heme and synthetic metal-porphyrin systems. The four case studies highlight how computational modelling can correctly reproduce experimental product distributions, predicted reactivity trends and guide interpretation of electronic structures of complex systems. The case studies focus on the calculations of a variety of spectroscopic features of porphyrins and show how computational modelling gives important insight that explains the experimental spectra and can lead to the design of porphyrins with tuned properties.

Site-selective formation of an iron(iv)-oxo species at the more electron-rich iron atom of heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanines

A combination of MS and computation on μ-nitrido bridged diiron complexes reveals H₂O₂ binding to the complex and generates an oxidant capable of oxidizing methane.

Iron(iv)–oxo species have been identified as the active intermediates in key enzymatic processes, and their catalytic properties are strongly affected by the equatorial and axial ligands bound to the metal, but details of these effects are still unresolved. In our aim to create better and more efficient oxidants of H-atom abstraction reactions, we have investigated a unique heteroleptic diiron phthalocyanine complex. We propose a novel intramolecular approach to determine the structural features that govern the catalytic activity of iron(iv)–oxo sites. Heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanine complexes having an unsubstituted phthalocyanine (Pc1) and a phthalocyanine ligand substituted with electron-withdrawing alkylsulfonyl groups (PcSO₂R) were prepared and characterized. A reaction with terminal oxidants gives two isomeric iron(iv)–oxo and iron(iii)–hydroperoxo species with abundances dependent on the equatorial ligand. Cryospray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS) characterized both hydroperoxo and diiron oxo species in the presence of H₂O₂. When m-CPBA was used as the oxidant, the formation of diiron oxo species (PcSO₂R)FeNFe(Pc1) Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> O was also evidenced. Sufficient amounts of these transient species were trapped in the quadrupole region of the mass-spectrometer and underwent a CID-MS/MS fragmentation. Analyses of fragmentation patterns indicated a preferential formation of hydroperoxo and oxo moieties at more electron-rich iron sites of both heteroleptic μ-nitrido complexes. DFT calculations show that both isomers are close in energy. However, the analysis of the iron(iii)–hydroperoxo bond strength reveals major differences for the (Pc1)FeN(PcSO₂R)Fe^IIIOOH system as compared to (PcSO₂R)FeN(Pc1)Fe^IIIOOH system, and, hence binding of a terminal oxidant will be preferentially on more electron-rich sides. Subsequent kinetics studies showed that these oxidants are able to even oxidize methane to formic acid efficiently.

Properties and reactivities of nonheme iron(IV)-oxo versus iron(V)-oxo: long-range electron transfer versus hydrogen atom abstraction

Recent work of Nam and co-workers [J. Yoon, S. A. Wilson, Y. K. Jang, M. S. Seo, K. Nehru, B. Hedman, K. O. Hodgson, E. Bill, E. I. Solomon and W. Nam, Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2009, 48, 1257] on a biomimetic iron complex implicated a mixture of iron(IV)-oxo and iron(V)-oxo intermediates but the latter could not be spectroscopically characterized, hence its involvement was postulated. To gain insight into the relative activity of these iron(IV)-oxo versus iron(V)-oxo intermediates, we have performed an extensive density functional theory (DFT) study on the chemical properties of the chemical system of Nam et al., namely [Fe(O)(BQEN)(NCCH3)](2+/3+) with BQEN = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(8-quinolyl)ethane-1,2-diamine and their reactivity in hydrogen atom abstraction from ethylbenzene. We show that the perceived iron(V)-oxo species actually is an iron(IV)-oxo ligand cation radical, similar to cytochrome P450 compound I. Moreover, this intermediate has an extremely large electron affinity and therefore can abstract electrons from substrates readily. In our particular system, this means that prior to the hydrogen atom abstraction, an electron is abstracted to form an iron(IV)-oxo species, which subsequently abstracts a hydrogen atom from the substrate. Thus, our calculations show for the first time how some nonheme iron complexes react by long-range electron transfer and others directly via hydrogen atom abstraction. We have rationalized our results with detailed thermochemical cycles that explain the observed reactivity patterns.

Drug metabolism by cytochrome p450 enzymes: what distinguishes the pathways leading to substrate hydroxylation over desaturation?

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are highly versatile biological catalysts in our body that react with a broad range of substrates. Key functions in the liver include the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics. One particular metabolic pathway that is poorly understood relates to the P450 activation of aliphatic groups leading to either hydroxylation or desaturation pathways. A DFT and QM/MM study has been carried out on the factors that determine the regioselectivity of aliphatic hydroxylation over desaturation of compounds by P450 isozymes. The calculations establish multistate reactivity patterns, whereby the product distributions differ on each of the spin-state surfaces; hence spin-selective product formation was found. The electronic and thermochemical factors that determine the bifurcation pathways were analysed and a model that predicts the regioselectivity of aliphatic hydroxylation over desaturation pathways was established from valence bond and molecular orbital theories. Thus, the difference in energy of the OH versus the OC bond formed and the π-conjugation energy determines the degree of desaturation products. In addition, environmental effects of the substrate binding pocket that affect the regioselectivities were identified. These studies imply that bioengineering P450 isozymes for desaturation reactions will have to include modifications in the substrate binding pocket to restrict the hydroxylation rebound reaction.

Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions Trigger a Spin-Flip in Iron(III) Porphyrin Complexes

A key step in cytochrome P450 catalysis includes the spin-state crossing from low spin to high spin upon substrate binding and subsequent reduction of the heme. Clearly, a weak perturbation in P450 enzymes triggers a spin-state crossing. However, the origin of the process whereby enzymes reorganize their active site through external perturbations, such as hydrogen bonding, is still poorly understood. We have thus studied the impact of hydrogen-bonding interactions on the electronic structure of a five-coordinate iron(III) octaethyltetraarylporphyrin chloride. The spin state of the metal was found to switch reversibly between high (S=5/2) and intermediate spin (S=3/2) with hydrogen bonding. Our study highlights the possible effects and importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions in heme proteins. This is the first example of a synthetic iron(III) complex that can reversibly change its spin state between a high and an intermediate state through weak external perturbations.

Effect of axial ligands on electronic structure and O2 reduction by iron porphyrin complexes: Towards a quantitative understanding of the "push effect"

Axial ligands play a dominating role in determining the electronic structure and reactivity of iron porphyrin active sites and synthetic models. Several properties unique to the cysteine bound heme enzyme, cytochrome P450, is attributed to the "push effect" of the thiolate axial ligand. In this mini-review the ground state electronic structure of iron porphyrins with imidazole, phenolate and thiolate complexes, derived using a combination of spectroscopy and DFT calculations, are discussed. The differences in kinetics and selectivity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), catalyzed by these iron porphyrin complexes with different axial ligands, help elucidate the varying push effects of the different axial ligands on oxygen activation by ferrous porphyrin. The spectroscopic and kinetic data help to develop a quantitative understanding of the "push effect" and, in particular, the electrostatic and covalent contributions to it.

Computational biotransformation profile of paracetamol catalyzed by cytochrome P450

The P450-catalyzed biotransformation of the analgesic drug paracetamol (PAR) is a long-debated topic, involving different mechanistic hypotheses as well as experimental evidence for the metabolites N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), p-benzoquinone, acetamide, and 3-hydroxy-PAR. During the catalytic cycle of P450, a high-valent iron(IV)-oxo species known as Compound I (Cpd I) is formed as the ultimate oxidant, featuring two energetically close-lying ground states in the doublet (low-spin) and quartet (high-spin) spin states, respectively. In order to clarify the catalytic mechanism, a computational chemistry analysis has been undertaken for both the high- and low-spin routes, employing density functional theory (DFT) including PCM (polarized continuum-solvation model) that yields an approximate simulation of the bulk polarization exerted through the protein. The results demonstrate that hydrogen abstraction transfer (HAT) by the P450 oxidant Cpd I (FeO) is kinetically strongly preferred over the alternative pathways of an oxygen addition reaction (OAR) or two consecutive single-electron transfers (SET). Moreover, only the respective high-spin route yields N-acetyl-p-semiquinone imine (NAPSQI) as an intermediate that is converted to the electrophile N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). By contrast, 3-hydroxy-PAR, acetamide, and p-benzoquinone as electrophilic and redox-active agent are formed predominantly in the low-spin state through reactions that do not involve NAPSQI. Thus, all experimentally observed PAR metabolites are in accord with an initial HAT from the phenolic oxygen, and NAPSQI should indeed be the precursor of NAPQI, both of which are generated only via the high-spin pathway.

Hydrogen-bonding interactions trigger a spin-flip in iron(III) porphyrin complexes

A key step in cytochrome P450 catalysis includes the spin-state crossing from low spin to high spin upon substrate binding and subsequent reduction of the heme. Clearly, a weak perturbation in P450 enzymes triggers a spin-state crossing. However, the origin of the process whereby enzymes reorganize their active site through external perturbations, such as hydrogen bonding, is still poorly understood. We have thus studied the impact of hydrogen-bonding interactions on the electronic structure of a five-coordinate iron(III) octaethyltetraarylporphyrin chloride. The spin state of the metal was found to switch reversibly between high (S=⁵/₂) and intermediate spin (S=³/₂) with hydrogen bonding. Our study highlights the possible effects and importance of hydrogen-bonding interactions in heme proteins. This is the first example of a synthetic iron(III) complex that can reversibly change its spin state between a high and an intermediate state through weak external perturbations.

Differences in chemical properties and reactivity patterns of mono- and dioxomanganese(V) porphyrins as revealed by density functional theory

Recent experimental studies of Liu and Groves (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010; 132: 12847) on dioxomanganese(V) porphyrin complexes implicated substrate halogenation in good yield. Currently, little is known of this unique mechanism, therefore to gain understanding on the halogenation mechanism and the chemical features of this oxidant we decided to do a computational (density functional theory) study. We show that the dioxomanganese(V) complex has considerably different molecular (valence) orbitals as compared to monooxomanganese(V) porphyrin due to mixing of the metal 3d orbitals with 2p orbitals on both oxygen atoms. This results in a set of three pairs of orbitals of which the bonding and nonbonding pairs are doubly occupied and the antibonding orbitals are vacant. As a consequence, the bonding character along the Mn–O bond is less in dioxomanganese(V) as compared to monooxomanganese(V) complexes and therefore this bond can formally be described as a double bond rather than a triple bond. The differences in orbital interactions and orbital energies also affect the intrinsic chemical properties of the oxidants, such as the electron affinity and pKa values, which result in enhanced catalytic potential for dioxomanganese(V) porphyrin. Our calculations predict a halogenation mechanism in line with that proposed by experiment with an initial hydrogen atom abstraction followed by ligand exchange and halogen transfer.

How is a metabolic intermediate formed in the mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 by using 1,1-dimethylhydrazine: hydrogen abstraction or nitrogen oxidation?

A precise understanding of the mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) at the quantum mechanical level should allow more reliable predictions of drug-drug interactions than those currently available. Hydrazines are among the molecules that act as mechanism-based inactivators to terminate the function of P450s, which are essential heme enzymes responsible for drug metabolism in the human body. Despite its importance, the mechanism explaining how a metabolic intermediate (MI) is formed from hydrazine is not fully understood. We used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to compare four possible mechanisms underlying the reaction between 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (or unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, UDMH) and the reactive compound I (Cpd I) intermediate of P450. Our DFT calculations provided a clear view on how an aminonitrene-type MI is formed from UDMH. In the most favorable pathway, hydrogen is spontaneously abstracted from the N2 atom of UDMH by Cpd I, followed by a second hydrogen abstraction from the N2 atom by Cpd II. Nitrogen oxidation of nitrogen atoms and hydrogen abstraction from the C-H bond of the methyl group were found to be less favorable than the hydrogen abstraction from the N-H bond. We also found that the reaction of protonated UDMH with Cpd I is rather sluggish. The aminonitrene-type MI binds to the ferric heme more strongly than a water molecule. This is consistent with the notion that the catalytic cycle of P450 is impeded when such an MI is produced through the P450-catalyzed reaction.

Metabolic-intermediate complex formation with cytochrome P450: theoretical studies in elucidating the reaction pathway for the generation of reactive nitroso intermediate

Mechanism-based inhibition (MBI) of cytochrome P450 (CYP) can lead to drug-drug interactions and often to toxicity. Some aliphatic and aromatic amines can undergo biotransformation reactions to form reactive metabolites such as nitrosoalkanes, leading to MBI of CYPs. It has been proposed that the nitrosoalkanes coordinate with the heme iron, forming metabolic-intermediate complex (MIC), resulting in the quasi-irreversible inhibition of CYPs. Limited mechanistic details regarding the formation of reactive nitroso intermediate and its coordination with heme-iron have been reported. A quantum chemical analysis was performed to elucidate potential reaction pathways for the generation of nitroso intermediate and the formation of MIC. Elucidation of the energy profile along the reaction path, identification of three-dimensional structures of reactive intermediates and transition states, as well as charge and spin density analyses, were performed using the density functional B3LYP method. The study was performed using Cpd I [iron (IV-oxo] heme porphine with SH(-) as the axial ligand) to represent the catalytic domain of CYP, simulating the biotransformation process. Three pathways: (i) N-oxidation followed by proton shuttle, (ii) N-oxidation followed by 1,2-H shift, and (iii) H-abstraction followed by rebound mechanism, were studied. It was observed that the proton shuttle pathway was more favorable over the whole reaction leading to reactive nitroso intermediate. This study revealed that the MIC formation from a primary amine is a favorable exothermic process, involving eight different steps and preferably takes place on the doublet spin surface of Cpd I. The rate-determining step was identified to be the first N-oxidation of primary amine.