Coenzyme B12 What does it do

The main focus of the work to be discussed in this chapter is the mechanism by which the B 12-dependent carbon-skeleton rearrangements occur. However, before discussing these reactions specifically, we present more information about how coenzyme-B 12 mediates rearrangements in general. 

The Bound Free-Radical Hypothesis How Does Coenzyme Bi2 Work  

Evidence supporting Co-C bond homolysis has been obtained from the X-ray crystal structures of several Bi2-binding proteins [36-39], where cobalt is found in a form consistent with Co (i.e., pentacoordinated). An abundance of electron spin resonance (ESR) studies have dso provided support for the homolysis of the cobalt-carbon bond [31, 40-43]. ESR spectra of the holoenzymes can be analyzed in terms of two dissimilar, strongly interacting, spins [41]. One spin is almost certainly cob(II)alamin [42], while the other is most likely a carbon-centered radical [41]. 

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