Cobalamins enzymes

Cobalamin enzymes, which are present in most organisms, catalyze three types of reactions (1) intramolecular rearrangements (2) methylations, as in the synthesis of methionine (Section 24.2.7) and (3) reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides (Section 25.3). In mammals, the conversion of 1-methylmalonyl CoA into succinyl CoA and the formation of methionine by methylation of homocysteine are the only reactions that are known to require coenzyme Bj2. The latter reaction is especially important because methionine is required for the generation of coenzymes that participate in the synthesis of purines and thymine, which are needed for nucleic acid synthesis. 

Figure 22.13. Rearrangement Reaction Catalyzed by Cobalamin Enzymes. The R group can be an amino group, a hydroxyl group, or a substituted carbon.

Organometallic reactions can create species that are otherwise not attainable. Cobalamin enzymes are particular examples of these catalysts. 

Figure 22.14 Rearrangement reaction catalyzed by cobalamin enzymes. The R...

Cobalt is found in vitamin Bn, its only apparent biological site. The vitamin is a cyano complex, but a methyl or methylene group replaces CN in native enzymes. Vitamin-Bi2 deficiency causes the severe disease of pernicious anemia in humans, which indicates the critical role of cobalt. The most common type of reaction in which cobalamin enzymes participate results in the reciprocal exchange of hydrogen atoms if they are on adjacent carbon atoms, yet not with hydrogen in solvent water ... 

Explain the role of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) in the pathway by which propionyl CoA is converted to succinyl CoA. List the three types of reactions carried out by cobalamin enzymes. 

Mechanistic aspects of the action of folate-requiring enzymes involve one-carbon unit transfer at the oxidation level of formaldehyde, formate and methyl (78ACR314, 8OMI2I6OO) and are exemplified in pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis. A more complex mechanism has to be suggested for the methyl transfer from 5-methyl-THF (322) to homocysteine, since this transmethylation reaction is cobalamine-dependent to form methionine in E. coli. 

In mammals and in the majority of bacteria, cobalamin regulates DNA synthesis indirectly through its effect on a step in folate metabolism, catalyzing the synthesis of methionine from homocysteine and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate via two methyl transfer reactions. This cytoplasmic reaction is catalyzed by methionine synthase (5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyl-transferase), which requires methyl cobalamin (MeCbl) (253), one of the two known coenzyme forms of the complex, as its cofactor. 5 -Deoxyadenosyl cobalamin (AdoCbl) (254), the other coenzyme form of cobalamin, occurs within mitochondria. This compound is a cofactor for the enzyme methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, which is responsible for the conversion of T-methylmalonyl CoA to succinyl CoA. This reaction is involved in the metabolism of odd chain fatty acids via propionic acid, as well as amino acids isoleucine, methionine, threonine, and valine. 

The mechanistic and structural chemistry of B12 may be separated into (i) investigations of cobalamin cofactors both apart from and in complex with their enzymes, and (ii) biomimetic model complexes, both structural and functional. 

Naturally, the biosynthesis of cobalamins themselves require delivery of Co ions at a particular point in the reaction scheme. Cobaltochelatase catalyzes the ATP-dependent insertion of Co11 into the corrin ring during the biosynthesis of coenzyme B12 in Pseudomonas denitrifleans. Cobaltochelatase is a heterodimeric enzyme (140 KDA and 450 KDA subunits each inactive in isolation), and the two components have been isolated and purified to homogeneity.1119 The reaction product is divalent cobyrinic acid, demonstrating that hydrogenobyrinic acid and its diamide (255) are precursors of AdoCbl. 

It soon became apparent that the biologically active forms of Vitamin Bj.2 contained the unique Co—C-a-bond, and the instability of these covalent compounds to visible light facilitated observations on the occurrence of functional corrinoids in a number of enzymes. Deoxyadenosyl-cobalamin was found to be the most abundant corrinoid in bacteria (24) and in mammalian liver (25). Methylcobalamin was found in Escherichia coli (26), calf liver and human blood plasma (27), and also in a number of Clostridia (28). 

Ribonucleotide reductase differs from the other 5 -deoxyadenosyl-cobalamin requiring enzymes in a number of respects. Hydrogen is transferred from coenzyme to the C2-position of the ribose moiety without inversion of configuration. Also since lipoic acid functions in hydrogen transfer, exchange with solvent protons takes place. Furthermore, exchange between free and bound 5 -deoxyadenosylcobalamin occurs rapidly during catalysis. Evidence for a Co(I)-corrin as an intermediate for this reduction is presented in our section on electron spin resonance. 

There is some evidence that the iron-sulfur protein, FhuF, participates in the mobilization of iron from hydroxamate siderophores in E. coli (Muller et ah, 1998 Hantke, K. unpublished observations). However, a reductase activity of FhuF has not been demonstrated. Many siderophore-iron reductases have been shown to be active in vitro and some have been purified. The characterization of these reductases has revealed them to be flavin reductases which obtain the electrons for flavin reduction from NAD(P)H, and whose main functions are in areas other than reduction of ferric iron (e.g. flavin reductase Fre, sulfite reductase). To date, no specialized siderophore-iron reductases have been identified. It has been suggested that the reduced flavins from flavin oxidoreductases are the electron donors for ferric iron reduction (Fontecave et ah, 1994). Recently it has been shown, after a fruitless search for a reducing enzyme, that reduction of Co3+ in cobalamin is achieved by reduced flavin. Also in this case it was suggested that cobalamins and corrinoids are reduced in vivo by flavins which may be generated by the flavin... 

The water-soluble vitamins generally function as cofactors for metabolism enzymes such as those involved in the production of energy from carbohydrates and fats. Their members consist of vitamin C and vitamin B complex which include thiamine, riboflavin (vitamin B2), nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, folic acid, cobalamin (vitamin B12), inositol, and biotin. A number of recent publications have demonstrated that vitamin carriers can transport various types of water-soluble vitamins, but the carrier-mediated systems seem negligible for the membrane transport of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E, and K. 

Zinc is the active metal in the largest group of metalloproteins found in the nature. Recently a new class of zinc enzymes with a sulfur-rich environment has emerged the thiolate-alkylating enzimes, the most prominent of which is the cobalamine-independent methionine synthase.126 For these reasons several monothiolate zinc complexes have been prepared for the modelling of these enzymes with different N2S as (13),127 130 N20,13° 132 N3,132,133 S3,134 tripod ligands, or with Cd because of the favourable spectroscopic properties with an S3 tripod ligand.135... 

Methionine synthase deficiency (cobalamin-E disease) produces homocystinuria without methylmalonic aciduria. This enzyme mediates the transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to yield methionine (Fig. 40-4 reaction 4). A cobalamin group bound to the enzyme is converted to methylcobalamin prior to formation of methionine. 

In cobalamin-E (cblE) disease there is a failure of methyl-B12 to bind to methionine synthase. It is not known if this reflects a primary defect of methionine synthase or the absence of a separate enzyme activity. Patients manifest megaloblastic changes with a pancytopenia, homocystinuria and hypomethioninemia. There is no methylmalonic aciduria. Patients usually become clinically manifest during infancy with vomiting, developmental retardation and lethargy. They respond well to injections of hydroxocobalamin. 

The NO/NO+ and NO/NO- self-exchange rates are quite slow (42). Therefore, the kinetics of nitric oxide electron transfer reactions are strongly affected by transition metal complexes, particularly by those that are labile and redox active which can serve to promote these reactions. Although iron is the most important metal target for nitric oxide in mammalian biology, other metal centers might also react with NO. For example, both cobalt (in the form of cobalamin) (43,44) and copper (in the form of different types of copper proteins) (45) have been identified as potential NO targets. In addition, a substantial fraction of the bacterial nitrite reductases (which catalyze reduction of NO2 to NO) are copper enzymes (46). The interactions of NO with such metal centers continue to be rich for further exploration. 

The 5-aminolaevulinate dehydratase (or porphobilinogen synthase), which catalyses the condensation of two molecules of 5-aminolaevulinate to form the pyrrole precursor of the porphyrins (haem, chlorophyll, cobalamines), has the motif [(Cys)3 Zn2+-OH2]. As pointed out earlier (see Chapter 1), this enzyme is the target for saturnism, the Pb toxicity frequently observed among inner city children. 

Figure 15.8 (a) Structure and (b) alternative conformations of cobalamine found in B12-dependent enzymes. The functional group R is deoxyadenosine in AdoCbl, methyl in MeCbl and -CN in vitamin B12. (From Bannerjee and Ragsdale, 2003. Reprinted with permission from Annual Reviews.)... 

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