On the Effect of Varying Constraints in the Quantum Mechanics Only Modeling of Enzymatic Reactions: The Case of Acetylene Hydratase

Biocatalytic strategy for the construction of sp3-rich polycyclic compounds from directed evolution and computational modelling

Catalysis with engineered enzymes has provided more efficient routes for the production of active pharmaceutical agents. However, the potential of biocatalysis to assist in early-stage drug discovery campaigns remains largely untapped. In this study, we have developed a biocatalytic strategy for the construction of sp3-rich polycyclic compounds via the intramolecular cyclopropanation of benzothiophenes and related heterocycles. Two carbene transferases with complementary regioisomer selectivity were evolved to catalyse the stereoselective cyclization of benzothiophene substrates bearing diazo ester groups at the C2 or C3 position of the heterocycle. The detailed mechanisms of these reactions were elucidated by a combination of crystallographic and computational analyses. Leveraging these insights, the substrate scope of one of the biocatalysts could be expanded to include previously unreactive substrates, highlighting the value of integrating evolutionary and rational strategies to develop enzymes for new-to-nature transformations. The molecular scaffolds accessed here feature a combination of three-dimensional and stereochemical complexity with 'rule-of-three' properties, which should make them highly valuable for fragment-based drug discovery campaigns.

Advancing Our Understanding of Pyranopterin-Dithiolene Contributions to Moco Enzyme Catalysis

The pyranopterin dithiolene ligand is remarkable in terms of its geometric and electronic structure and is uniquely found in mononuclear molybdenum and tungsten enzymes. The pyranopterin dithiolene is found coordinated to the metal ion, deeply buried within the protein, and non-covalently attached to the protein via an extensive hydrogen bonding network that is enzyme-specific. However, the function of pyranopterin dithiolene in enzymatic catalysis has been difficult to determine. This focused account aims to provide an overview of what has been learned from the study of pyranopterin dithiolene model complexes of molybdenum and how these results relate to the enzyme systems. This work begins with a summary of what is known about the pyranopterin dithiolene ligand in the enzymes. We then introduce the development of inorganic small molecule complexes that model aspects of a coordinated pyranopterin dithiolene and discuss the results of detailed physical studies of the models by electronic absorption, resonance Raman, X-ray absorption and NMR spectroscopies, cyclic voltammetry, X-ray crystallography, and chemical reactivity.

Quantum Mechanical-Cluster Approach to Solve the Bioisosteric Replacement Problem in Drug Design

Bioisosteres are molecules that differ in substituents but still have very similar shapes. Bioisosteric replacements are ubiquitous in modern drug design, where they are used to alter metabolism, change bioavailability, or modify activity of the lead compound. Prediction of relative affinities of bioisosteres with computational methods is a long-standing task; however, the very shape closeness makes bioisosteric substitutions almost intractable for computational methods, which use standard force fields. Here, we design a quantum mechanical (QM)-cluster approach based on the GFN2-xTB semi-empirical quantum-chemical method and apply it to a set of H → F bioisosteric replacements. The proposed methodology enables advanced prediction of biological activity change upon bioisosteric substitution of -H with -F, with the standard deviation of 0.60 kcal/mol, surpassing the ChemPLP scoring function (0.83 kcal/mol), and making QM-based ΔΔG estimation comparable to ∼0.42 kcal/mol standard deviation of in vitro experiment. The speed of the method and lack of tunable parameters makes it affordable in current drug research.

An Unprecedented Ring-Contraction Mechanism in Cobalamin-Dependent Radical S-Adenosylmethionine Enzymes

A unique member of the family of cobalamin (Cbl)-dependent radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzymes, OxsB, catalyzes the ring constriction of deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) to the base oxetane aldehyde phosphate, a crucial precursor for oxetanocin A (OXT-A), which is an antitumor, antiviral, and antibacterial compound. This enzyme reveals a new catalytic function for this big family that is different from the common methylation. On the basis of density functional theory calculations, a mechanism has been proposed to mainly include that the generation of 5'-deoxyadenosine radical, a hydrogen transfer forming 2'-dATP radical, and a Cbl-catalyzed ring contraction of the deoxyribose in 2'-dATP radical. The ring contraction is a concerted rearrangement step accompanied by an electron transfer from the deoxyribose hydroxyl oxygen to Co^III without any ring-opening intermediate. Co^IICbl has been ruled out as an active state. Other mechanistic characteristics are also revealed. This unprecedented non-methylation mechanism provides a new catalytic repertoire for the family of radical SAM enzymes, representing a new class of ring-contraction enzymes.

Computational Understanding of the Selectivities in Metalloenzymes

Metalloenzymes catalyze many different types of biological reactions with high efficiency and remarkable selectivity. The quantum chemical cluster approach and the combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods have proven very successful in the elucidation of the reaction mechanism and rationalization of selectivities in enzymes. In this review, recent progress in the computational understanding of various selectivities including chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity, in metalloenzymes, is discussed.

How does binuclear zinc amidohydrolase FwdA work in the initial step of methanogenesis: From formate to formyl-methanofuran

The initial step of methanogenesis is the fixation of CO₂ to formyl-methanofuran (formyl-MFR) catalyzed by formyl-MFR dehydrogenase, which can be divided into two half reactions. Herein, the second half reaction catalyzed by FwdA (formyl-methanofuran dehydrogenase subunit A), i.e., from formate to formyl-methanofuran, has been investigated using density functional theory and a chemical model based on the X-ray crystal structure. The calculations indicate that, compared with other well-known di-zinc hydrolases, the FwdA reaction employs a reverse mechanism, including the nucleophilic attack of MFR amine on formate carbon leading to a tetrahedral gem-diolate intermediate, two steps of proton transfer from amine to formate moieties assisted by the Asp385, and the CO bond dissociation to form the formyl-MFR product. The second step of proton transfer from the amine moiety to the Asp385 is rate-limiting with an overall barrier of 21.2 kcal/mol. The two zinc ions play an important role in stabilizing the transition states and intermediates, in particular the negative charge at the formate moiety originated from the nucleophilic attack of the MFR amine. The work here appends a crucial piece in the methanogenic mechanistics and advances the understanding of the global carbon cycle.

From NAD+ to Nickel Pincer Complex: A Significant Cofactor Evolution Presented by Lactate Racemase

Lactate racemase (LarA), a new nickel enzyme discovered recently, catalyzes the racemization between d- and l-lactates with a novel nickel pincer cofactor (Ni-PTTMN) derived from nicotinic acid. In this study, by using DFT and a 200-atom active-site model, LarA is revealed to employ a modified proton-coupled hydride-transfer mechanism in which a hydride is transferred to a cofactor pyridine carbon from the substrate α-carbon along with proton transfer from the substrate hydroxy group to a histidine, and then moved back from the opposite side. Tyr294 and Lys298 provide significant acceleration effects by orientating substrates and stabilizing the negative charge developing at the substrate hydroxy oxygen. The barrier was determined to be 12.0 kcal mol^-1 , which reveals enhanced racemase activity relative to the LarA reaction using NAD⁺ -like cofactors. Compared with NAD⁺ , Ni-PTTMN has a stronger hydride-addition reactivity in moderate and high environmental polarity and may fit perfectly the moderately polar active site of LarA.

Theoretical Study of the Mechanism of the Nonheme Iron Enzyme EgtB

EgtB is a nonheme iron enzyme catalyzing the C-S bond formation between γ-glutamyl cysteine (γGC) and N-α-trimethyl histidine (TMH) in the ergothioneine biosynthesis. Density functional calculations were performed to elucidate and delineate the reaction mechanism of this enzyme. Two different mechanisms were considered, depending on whether the sulfoxidation or the S-C bond formation takes place first. The calculations suggest that the S-O bond formation occurs first between the thiolate and the ferric superoxide, followed by homolytic O-O bond cleavage, very similar to the case of cysteine dioxygenase. Subsequently, proton transfer from a second-shell residue Tyr377 to the newly generated iron-oxo moiety takes place, which is followed by proton transfer from the TMH imidazole to Tyr377, facilitated by two crystallographically observed water molecules. Next, the S-C bond is formed between γGC and TMH, followed by proton transfer from the imidazole CH moiety to Tyr377, which was calculated to be the rate-limiting step for the whole reaction, with a barrier of 17.9 kcal/mol in the quintet state. The calculated barrier for the rate-limiting step agrees quite well with experimental kinetic data. Finally, this proton is transferred back to the imidazole nitrogen to form the product. The alternative thiyl radical attack mechanism has a very high barrier, being 25.8 kcal/mol, ruling out this possibility.

The Decarboxylation of α,β-Unsaturated Acid Catalyzed by Prenylated FMN-Dependent Ferulic Acid Decarboxylase and the Enzyme Inhibition

Ferulic acid decarboxylase (Fdc1) is able to catalyze the decarboxylation of α,β-unsaturated acids using a novel cofactor, prenylated flavin mononucleotide (PrFMN). Using density functional theory calculations, we here have investigated the Fdc1 reaction mechanism with the substrate of α-methylcinnamic acid. It is demonstrated that Fdc1 employs a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition mechanism involving four concerted steps, where the Glu282 acts as a crucial proton donor to protonate the α carbon (C_α). The last step, the decomposition of a pyrrolidine species, is rate-limiting with an overall barrier of 18.9 kcal mol^-1. Furthermore, when α-hydroxycinnamic acid is used, the Glu282 is found to have another face to transport the hydroxyl proton to the C_β atom to promote the tautomerization from enol intermediate to ketone species leading to the inhibition of the Fdc1 enzyme. The PrFMN roles are also discussed in detail.

μ3-Oxo stabilized by three metal cations is a sufficient nucleophile for enzymatic hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters

Diverse species have previously been proposed to be effective nucleophiles in the enzymatic hydrolysis of phosphate esters. A novel penta-metal cluster (two Fe(3+) and three Ca(2+)) was recently discovered in the active site of PhoX alkaline phosphatase, with the revelation of the architecture of μ3-oxo bridging one Ca(2+) and two antiferromagnetically coupled Fe(3+). In this work, using density functional theory calculations, the μ3-oxo stabilized by three cations has been demonstrated to be a new type of effective nucleophile. The calculations give strong support to the "ping-pong" mechanism involving the nucleophilic attack of the μ3-oxo on the substrate phosphor and the subsequent hydrolysis of the covalent phospho-enzyme intermediate. A base mechanism with the μ3-oxo acting as a general base to activate an additional water molecule has further been demonstrated to be inaccessible. The results advance the understanding of the enzymatic hydrolysis of phosphate esters and may give important inspiration for the exploration of multinuclear biomimetic catalysts.

Structural and electronic snapshots during the transition from a Cu(II) to Cu(I) metal center of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase by X-ray photoreduction

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are a recently discovered class of enzymes that employ a copper-mediated, oxidative mechanism to cleave glycosidic bonds. The LPMO catalytic mechanism likely requires that molecular oxygen first binds to Cu(I), but the oxidation state in many reported LPMO structures is ambiguous, and the changes in the LPMO active site required to accommodate both oxidation states of copper have not been fully elucidated. Here, a diffraction data collection strategy minimizing the deposited x-ray dose was used to solve the crystal structure of a chitin-specific LPMO from Enterococcus faecalis (EfaCBM33A) in the Cu(II)-bound form. Subsequently, the crystalline protein was photoreduced in the x-ray beam, which revealed structural changes associated with the conversion from the initial Cu(II)-oxidized form with two coordinated water molecules, which adopts a trigonal bipyramidal geometry, to a reduced Cu(I) form in a T-shaped geometry with no coordinated water molecules. A comprehensive survey of Cu(II) and Cu(I) structures in the Cambridge Structural Database unambiguously shows that the geometries observed in the least and most reduced structures reflect binding of Cu(II) and Cu(I), respectively. Quantum mechanical calculations of the oxidized and reduced active sites reveal little change in the electronic structure of the active site measured by the active site partial charges. Together with a previous theoretical investigation of a fungal LPMO, this suggests significant functional plasticity in LPMO active sites. Overall, this study provides molecular snapshots along the reduction process to activate the LPMO catalytic machinery and provides a general method for solving LPMO structures in both copper oxidation states.

Phosphate monoester hydrolysis by trinuclear alkaline phosphatase; DFT study of transition States and reaction mechanism

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is a trinuclear metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a broad range of phosphate monoesters to form inorganic phosphate and alcohol (or phenol). In this paper, by using density functional theory with a model based on a crystal structure, the AP-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters is investigated by calculating two substrates, that is, methyl and p-nitrophenyl phosphates, which represent alkyl and aryl phosphates, respectively. The calculations confirm that the AP reaction employs a "ping-pong" mechanism involving two chemical displacement steps, that is, the displacement of the substrate leaving group by a Ser102 alkoxide and the hydrolysis of the phosphoseryl intermediate by a Zn2-bound hydroxide. Both displacement steps proceed via a concerted associative pathway no matter which substrate is used. Other mechanistic aspects are also studied. Comparison of our calculations with linear free energy relationships experiments shows good agreement.

Crystal structure of glycoside hydrolase family 127 β-l-arabinofuranosidase from Bifidobacterium longum

Enzymes acting on β-linked arabinofuranosides have been unknown until recently, in spite of wide distribution of β-l-arabinofuranosyl oligosaccharides in plant cells. Recently, a β-l-arabinofuranosidase from the glycoside hydrolase family 127 (HypBA1) was discovered in the newly characterized degradation system of hydroxyproline-linked β-l-arabinooligosaccharides in the bacterium Bifidobacterium longum. Here, we report the crystal structure of HypBA1 in the ligand-free and β-l-arabinofuranose complex forms. The structure of HypBA1 consists of a catalytic barrel domain and two additional β-sandwich domains, with one β-sandwich domain involved in the formation of a dimer. Interestingly, there is an unprecedented metal-binding motif with Zn(2+) coordinated by glutamate and three cysteines in the active site. The glutamate residue is located far from the anomeric carbon of the β-l-arabinofuranose ligand, but one cysteine residue is appropriately located for nucleophilic attack for glycosidic bond cleavage. The residues around the active site are highly conserved among GH127 members. Based on biochemical experiments and quantum mechanical calculations, a possible reaction mechanism involving cysteine as the nucleophile is proposed.

Convergence in the QM-only and QM/MM modeling of enzymatic reactions: A case study for acetylene hydratase

We report systematic quantum mechanics-only (QM-only) and QM/molecular mechanics (MM) calculations on an enzyme-catalyzed reaction to assess the convergence behavior of QM-only and QM/MM energies with respect to the size of the chosen QM region. The QM and MM parts are described by density functional theory (typically B3LYP/def2-SVP) and the CHARMM force field, respectively. Extending our previous work on acetylene hydratase with QM regions up to 157 atoms (Liao and Thiel, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2012, 8, 3793), we performed QM/MM geometry optimizations with a QM region M4 composed of 408 atoms, as well as further QM/MM single-point calculations with even larger QM regions up to 657 atoms. A charge deletion analysis was conducted for the previously used QM/MM model (M3a, with a QM region of 157 atoms) to identify all MM residues with strong electrostatic contributions to the reaction energetics (typically more than 2 kcal/mol), which were then included in M4. QM/MM calculations with this large QM region M4 lead to the same overall mechanism as the previous QM/MM calculations with M3a, but there are some variations in the relative energies of the stationary points, with a mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 2.7 kcal/mol. The energies of the two relevant transition states are close to each other at all levels applied (typically within 2 kcal/mol), with the first (second) one being rate-limiting in the QM/MM calculations with M3a (M4). QM-only gas-phase calculations give a very similar energy profile for QM region M4 (MAD of 1.7 kcal/mol), contrary to the situation for M3a where we had previously found significant discrepancies between the QM-only and QM/MM results (MAD of 7.9 kcal/mol). Extension of the QM region beyond M4 up to M7 (657 atoms) leads to only rather small variations in the relative energies from single-point QM-only and QM/MM calculations (MAD typically about 1-2 kcal/mol). In the case of acetylene hydratase, a model with 408 QM atoms thus seems sufficient to achieve convergence in the computed relative energies to within 1-2 kcal/mol.