Mechanism Cytochrome

As a class of compounds, the two main toxicity concerns for nitriles are acute lethality and osteolathyrsm. A comprehensive review of the toxicity of nitriles, including detailed discussion of biochemical mechanisms of toxicity and stmcture-activity relationships, is available (12). Nitriles vary broadly in their abiUty to cause acute lethaUty and subde differences in stmcture can greatly affect toxic potency. The biochemical basis of their acute toxicity is related to their metaboHsm in the body. Following exposure and absorption, nitriles are metabolized by cytochrome p450 enzymes in the Hver. The metaboHsm involves initial hydrogen abstraction resulting in the formation of a carbon radical, followed by hydroxylation of the carbon radical. MetaboHsm at the carbon atom adjacent (alpha) to the cyano group would yield a cyanohydrin metaboHte, which decomposes readily in the body to produce cyanide. Hydroxylation at other carbon positions in the nitrile does not result in cyanide release. 

Why has nature chosen this rather convoluted path for electrons in Complex 111 First of all. Complex 111 takes up two protons on the matrix side of the inner membrane and releases four protons on the cytoplasmic side for each pair of electrons that passes through the Q cycle. The apparent imbalance of two protons in ior four protons out is offset by proton translocations in Complex rV, the cytochrome oxidase complex. The other significant feature of this mechanism is that it offers a convenient way for a two-electron carrier, UQHg, to interact with the bj and bfj hemes, the Rieske protein Fe-S cluster, and cytochrome C, all of which are one-electron carriers. 

FIGURE 21.20 A model for the mechanism of O9 reduction by cytochrome oxidase. 

Scheme 10.5 Tentative mechanism for cytochrome P450-cata-lyzed epoxidation of a double bond. The reactive iron-oxo species VII (see Scheme 10.4) reacts with the olefin to give a charge transfer (CT) complex. This complex then resolves into the epoxide either through a radical or through a cationic intermediate.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes have been the subject of a number of recent reviews in which their mechanism and scope of action are covered in much detail [1, 6, 10, 11]. The reader is referred to these articles for a more thorough account of the mechanism and reactivity of cytochrome P450 enzymes, while we present a few representative examples of cytochrome P450-catalyzed epoxidation below. The enzymes we chose are all involved in the biosynthesis of polyketide natural products. Polyketides are a large, structurally diverse family of compounds and have provided a wealth of therapeutically useful drugs and drug leads. 

Like the examples above, dihydroxyacetanilide epoxidase (DHAE) uses an olefin as the substrate for epoxidation. Its mechanism, however, is fundamentally different from those of cytochrome P450 or flavin-dependent enzymes. Dihydroxyacetanilide is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of the epoxyquinones LL-C10037a, an antitumor agent produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces LL-C10037 [75, 76], and MM14201, an antibiotic produced by Streptomyces MPP 3051 (Scheme 10.20) [77]. The main structural difference between the two antibiotics lies in the opposite stereochemistry of the oxirane ring. 

P. R. Ortiz de Montellano, Cytochrome P450 Structure, Mechanism, and Biochemistry, 2nd ed., Plenum, New York, 1995. 

Anthracyclins. Figure 2 Mechanisms of anthracycline-induced apoptosis of tumor cells. ROS, reactive oxygen species topo II, topoisomerase II cyt c, cytochrome c. 

BH3 domain) of the BH3-only proteins binds to other Bcl-2 family members thereby influencing their conformation. This interaction facilitates the release of cytochrome C and other mitochondrial proteins from the intermembrane space of mitochondria. Despite much effort the exact biochemical mechanism which governs this release is not yet fully understood. The release of cytochrome C facilitates the formation of the apoptosome, the second platform for apoptosis initiation besides the DISC. At the apoptosome which is also a multi-protein complex the initiator caspase-9 is activated. At this point the two pathways converge. 

MDR-ABC Transporters. Figure 3 Detoxification cellular mechanisms. X, toxic compound X-OH, oxidized toxic compound GS-X, conjugated toxic compound OATP, organic anion transporting proteins CYPs, cytochromes GSH, glutathion UDPGIcUA, Uridine 5-diphosphoglucuronic acid PAPs, 3-phosphoadenylylsulfate. 

Neurodegeneration. Figure 3 Illustration of synaptic (neuritic) apoptosis. A pyramidal neuron is depicted with cortical afferents synapsing on its dendrites. Localized apoptotic mechanisms lead to the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and an increase in the concentration of activated caspase-3 in a presynaptic terminal that is synapsing on a dendritic spine. Increased caspase-3 activity results in a localized breakdown of this nerve terminal and its synapse. Subsequently, the postsynaptic dendritic spine retracts and disappears (Figure modified from Glantz et al. [5] [3]). 

Nuclear Receptor Regulation of Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Enzymes. Figure 1 General mechanism for transcriptional activation of CYP genes by xenochemicals that activate their cognate xeno-receptor proteins. In the case of Ah receptor, the receptor s heterodimerization partner is Arnt, whereas in the case of the nuclear receptors CAR, PXR, and PPARa, the heterodimerization partner is RXR. The coactivator and basal transcription factor complexes shown are each comprised of a large number of protein components. 

Ortiz de Montellano, Paul R (eds) (2005) Cytochrome P450. Structure, mechanism, and biochemistry, 3rd edn. Kluwer Academic/Plenum, New York, p 689... 

Chemical mechanisms of catalysis by cytochromes P-450 towards a unified view. F. P. Guengerich andT. L. Macdonald, Acc. Chem. Res., 1984,17, 9-16 (68). 

The mechanism of reduction of dioxygen by fully reduced cytochrome oxidase. Correlation of room and low temperature studies. G. M. Clore, Rev. Inorg. Chem., 1980,2, 343-360 (52). 

Chemical structure and reaction mechanisms of cytochrome c oxidase. R. Lemberg, Rev. Pure Appl. Chem., 1965,15,125-136 (132). 

Figure 7. Mechanism of the proton-translocating ubiquinol cytochrome c reductase (complex III) Q cycle. There is a potential difference of up to 150 mV across the hydrophobic core of this complex (potential barrier represented by the vertical broken line). Cytochromes hour and b N are heme groups on the same peptide subunits of complex III which can transfer electrons across the hydrophobic core. The movement of two electrons provides the driving force to transfer two protons from the matrix to the cytosol. Diffusion of UQ and UQHj, which are uncharged, in the hydrophobic core, and lipid bilayer of the inner membrane is not influenced by the membrane potential (see Nicholls and Ferguson, 1992).

Figure 8. Mechanism of cytochrome c oxidase. Explanation given in text.

While it has been known for many years that the N-terminal presequence is sufficient to promote mitochondrial targeting and assembly, the subsequent interaction of the precursor molecule with the outer mitochondrial membrane and the uptake of the protein is still an area of active research. There seems little doubt, however, that there are proteins on the outer mitochondrial membrane which are required for the import process. The function of these proteins is uncertain, but they may act as receptors with the subsequent transfer through the membrane at proteinous pores located at contact sites between the inner and outer membranes. Several proteins have been identified which seem to play an important role as either receptor proteins or part of the import channel (Pfanner et al., 1991). Again, not all proteins seem to depend on this mechanism. Cytochrome c, which is loosely associated with the outer aspect of the inner mitochondrial membrane, can cross... 

Although only two protons are pumped out of the matrix, two others from the matrix are consumed in the formation of H2O. There is therefore a net translocation of four positive charges out of the matrix which is equivalent to the extrusion of four protons. If four protons are required by the chemiosmotic mechanism to convert cytosolic ADP + Pj to ATP, then 0.5 mol ATP is made for the oxidation of one mol of ubiquinol and one mol ATP for the oxidation of 2 mols of reduced cytochrome c. These stoichiometries were obtained experimentally when ubiquinol was oxidized when complexes I, II, and IV were inhibited by rotenone, malonate, and cyanide, respectively, and when reduced cytochrome c was oxidized with complex III inhibited by antimycin (Hinkle et al., 1991). (In these experiments, of course, no protons were liberated in the matrix by substrate oxidation.) However, in the scheme illustrated in Figure 6, with the flow of two electrons through the complete electron transport chain from substrate to oxygen, it also appears valid to say that four protons are extmded by complex I, four by complex III, and two by complex 1. 

Mitchell, P. (1976). Possible molecular mechanisms of the proton motive function of cytochrome systems. J. Theoret. Biol. 62. 327-367. 

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