Coenzyme reactivation

The conversion (19) of thiols to disulphides coupled with reduction of flavin (vitamin B2 family) is a topic of import in connection with coenzyme reactivity in flavoenzymes. Since flavin oxidation of thiols involves nucleophilic attack of thiolate ion in the rate-determining step (Loechler and Hollocher, 1975 Yokoe and Bruice, 1975), this biologically important reaction would be markedly affected by hydrophobic environments. 

Coenzymes facilitate chemical reactions through a range of different reaction mechanisms, some of which will be discussed in detail in this review. However, in all cases structural features of the coenzyme allow particular reactions to proceed along a mechanistic pathway in which reaction intermediates are more thermodynamically and kinetically accessible. When incorporated into apoen-zyme active sites, the coenzyme reactivity is influenced by a well-defined array of amino acid functional groups. For a given coenzyme, the particular array of amino acids presented by the different apoenzymes can drastically alter the degree of rate acceleration and product turnover and can specify the nature of the reaction catalyzed. 

While nature uses coenzyme-dependent enzymes to influence the inherent reactivity of the coenzyme, in principle, any chemical microenvironment could modulate the chemical properties of coenzymes to achieve novel functional properties. In some cases even simple changes in solvent, pH, and ionic strength can alter the coenzyme reactivity. Early attempts to present coenzymes with a more complex chemical environment focused on incorporating coenzymes into small molecule scaffolds or synthetic host molecules such as cyclophanes and cyclo-dextrins [1,2]. While some notable successes have been reported, these strategies have been less successful for constructing more complex coenzyme microenvironments and have suffered from difficulties in readily manipulating the structure of the coenzyme microenvironment. 

Peptide and protein scaffolds offer a means to influence coenzyme reactivity without some of the Hmitations of the host organic scaffolds described above. Both proteins and peptides can be used to generate complex chemical environments. Existing proteins, which already contain structural complexity, can be... 

Powerful mechanistic enzymology in conjunction with structural biology studies have provided insight into the manner in which the protein environment of an apoenzyme augments and controls coenzyme reactivity. The goal of the protein design efforts that include coenzyme functionality is to estabhsh whether these features can be emulated within designed peptide and protein constructs. 

Significant advances have been made in the preparation of discrete macromolecules that include both coenzyme function and a defined polypeptide or protein architecture. Preliminary, but promising, functional studies have been carried out and assay methods developed. While in many cases rather modest effects have been observed, what is significant is that the methodology exists to prepare, characterize, and study defined macromolecular constructs. With new information becoming available on co enzyme-dependent protein catalysts from structural biology and mechanistic enzymology, it should be possible to more fully exploit the remarkable breadth of coenzyme reactivity in tailored synthetic systems. 

As we saw m Chapter 20 thioesters are more reactive than ordinary esters toward nucleophilic acyl substitution They also contain a greater proportion of enol at equilib rmm Both properties are apparent m the properties of acetyl coenzyme A In some reactions it is the carbonyl group of acetyl coenzyme A that reacts m others it is the a carbon atom... 

It may seem strange that we have left the transfer of sulfur out of this description, but it was available initially as H2S, which diffuses easily, compare H20, and is reactive with metal ions and some organic centres. Sulfur from intermediate states of oxidation of this element, e.g. S2Of, is transferred by molybdenum enzymes. Later, when sulfur became sulfate, a coenzyme (PAPS) was required for its transfer (see aerobes and eukaryotes).)... 

The role of N-acetoxy arylamides as metabolically formed ultimate carcinogens jji vivo also appears to be limited. Their enzymatic formation via peroxidation of N-hydroxy arylamides can be excluded since tissues containing high levels of peroxidases such as the rat mammary gland (83) and the dog urinary bladder (84) do not form acetylated carcinogen-DNA adducts in vivo (63). Their non-enzymatic formation by reaction of acetyl coenzyme A with N-hydroxy arylamides (6 ) cannot be excluded however, even if formed, their direct reaction with cellular DNA appears unlikely as treatment of cultured cells with synthetic N-acetoxy AAF (85,86) results primarily in deacetylated arylamine-DNA adducts, apparently due to rapid N-deacetylation to form the reactive N-acetoxy arylamine (V). 

In recent years, much effort has been devoted to the enantioselective hydrogenation of yS-ketoesters, essentially using ruthenium-based catalysts. The aim of these reactions is to produce selectively enantiopure syn diols which are the key building blocks for the synthesis of inhibitors of HMG-coenzyme A reductase. Due to the availability of the AMPP ligands, and the reactivity of the rhodium catalysts based on them (notably the alkyl-substituted ones) towards ketonic sub-... 

Thioesters play a paramount biochemical role in the metabolism of fatty acids and lipids. Indeed, fatty acyl-coenzyme A thioesters are pivotal in fatty acid anabolism and catabolism, in protein acylation, and in the synthesis of triacylglycerols, phospholipids and cholesterol esters [145], It is in these reactions that the peculiar reactivity of thioesters is of such significance. Many hydrolases, and mainly mitochondrial thiolester hydrolases (EC 3.1.2), are able to cleave thioesters. In addition, cholinesterases and carboxylesterases show some activity, but this is not a constant property of these enzymes since, for example, carboxylesterases from human monocytes were found to be inactive toward some endogenous thioesters [35] [146], In contrast, allococaine benzoyl thioester was found to be a good substrate of pig liver esterase, human and mouse butyrylcholinesterase, and mouse acetylcholinesterase [147],... 

R. Hilal, A. M. El-Aaser, A Comparative Quantum Chemical Study of Methyl Acetate and 5-Methyl Thioacetate. Toward an Understanding of the Biochemical Reactivity of Esters of Coenzyme A , Biophys. Chem. 1985, 22, 145-150. 

Scheme 20 Side-arm protein tethering. Reactions of biotin, iipoate, and coenzyme A to provide proteins with reactive handies for biosynthetic pathways.

Coenzymes are densely functionalized organic cofactors capable of catalyzing numerous diverse chemical reactions. Nature exploits the intrinsic chemical reactivity of these molecules to extend the chemical fimctionaUty of enzymes well beyond the reactivity of the coded amino acids. When these constituents are incorporated via covalent or non-covalent interactions into coenzyme-depen-dent enzymes, the inherent reactivity of the co enzyme is augmented and directed to effect chemical transformations with substrate and product selectivities, rates, and yields that are unachievable by either the protein or coenzyme alone. Thus, coenzymes play a critical role in the execution of a large number of essential metabolic processes. 

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