Dinuclear site transfer

Finally we should briefly mention the purple acid phosphatases, which, unlike the alkaline phosphatases, are able to hydrolyse phosphate esters at acid pH values. Their purple colour is associated with a Tyr to Fe(III) charge transfer band. The mammalian purple acid phosphatase is a dinuclear Fe(II)-Fe(III) enzyme, whereas the dinuclear site in kidney bean purple acid phosphatase (Figure 12.13) has a Zn(II), Fe(III) centre with bridging hydroxide and Asp ligands. It is postulated that the iron centre has a terminal hydroxide ligand, whereas the zinc has an aqua ligand. We do not discuss the mechanism here, but it must be different from the alkaline phosphatase because the reaction proceeds with inversion of configuration at phosphorus. 

This is a remarkable reaction because the transition metal chemistry of N2O is sparse, especially with copper. Most N2O reductases are soluble, periplasmic homodimers however, there are examples of membrane-associated enzymes. " The best characterized N2O reductases are from Paracoccus denitrificans, Pseudomonas nautica, and Pseudomonas stutzeri, and most of the information presented here is derived from experiments on these enzymes. Where comparable data are available, N2O reductases from various organisms appear to be fairly similar, with the exception of the enzyme from Wolinella succinogenes, as noted above. The crystal stractmes of N2O reductase from P. nautica and more recently from P. denitrificans show two distinct copper clusters per subunit a bis-thiolate bridged dinuclear electron-transfer site (Cua), which is analogous to the Cua site in cytochrome c oxidase see Cyanide Complexes of the Transition Metals), and a novel four-copper cluster ligated by seven histidines, the catalytic copper site (Cuz), where N2O is thought to bind and be reduced. Cuz was proposed to be a copper-histidine cluster on the basis of the presence of nine strictly conserved histidine residues, and this was supported by a H NMR study that identified two non-CuA associated resonances that were assigned as copper-histidine N-H protons. ... 

Cytochrome c oxidase is an enzyme that couples the one-electron oxidation of cytochrome c to the four-electron reduction of 02 and is thus a crucial component of respiration. Cytochrome c contains the redox-active heme c, while cytochrome c oxidase contains a dinuclear Cua redox site in subunit II and three redox-active sites in subunit I heme a, heme a3, and Cur. It is believed that heme a is an electron-transfer site, while heme a3 and Cur function together at the 02 reduction site. 

The high lability of bound N2 in [FeII(CN)5N2]3 regenerates the active site, namely the [FeII(CN)5H20]3 ion, which is able to further bind and process hydrazine. A more detailed kinetic study could be warranted for this interesting set of reactions. Some uncertainties still remain as to the nature of the intramolecular electron-transfer rate processes (91). At the employed concentration levels of the complex, the participation of mixtures of mononuclear and dinuclear complexes complicate the spectral evolution. Even the nature of the dinuclear intermediates (cyano- or hydrazino-bridged) could be put into question (probably both are involved, due to the labile interconversion equilibria). The participation of Fe(III) species, either in the mononuclear or dinuclear species, as reactive intermediate precursors of the formation of diazene and N2... 

The formal transfer of an oxygen atom is one way of describing the function of the Mo site in molybdoenzymes.5 The formation of dinuclear reduction products is a complication that causes difficulty in trying to model the mononuclear site.5,165 This difficulty can be overcome by the use of sterically demanding ligands that prevent the formation of the dinuclear complex,73 79,125 176 177 For example, the cycle shown in Scheme 3 can be effected without dimerization. Further, in this case DMSO and the enzyme substrate biotin sulfoxide, can serve as the oxo donor to form the Movl dioxo complex during the catalytic cycle.79,177 The Movl complex involved is discussed structurally above (Figure 7). 

The chemistry of cluster complexes, e.g. of the sort [FeitSi, (SR) i,] 2, is of particular interest since such complexes are known to be close representations or synthetic analogues of the redox centres present in various iron-sulphur proteins. It is important to know whether the valence electrons are localized or delocalized in such complexes - in fact several studies by e.s.r., n.m.r., and, more recently, resonance Raman spectroscopy have shown that such clusters are delocalized rather than trapped-valence species. This result is linked with the most important biophysical property of iron-sulphur proteins, viz. that of electron transfer. Rapid electron transfer is possible if any consequential geometric rearrangements around the metal atom sites are small, as implied by many resonance Raman results on such cluster complexes (cf. the small-displacement approximation, which provides a basis for enhancement to fundamental but not to overtone bands) (22). Initial studies of [MSi,]2- ions (M = Mo or W) (23,24) have since been supplemented by studies of dinuclear species e.g. [(PhS)2FeS2MS2]2 (25) and cluster species... 

This type of active site is also known as a mixed-valence copper site. Similarly to the type 3 site, it contains a dinuclear copper core, but both copper ions have a formal oxidation state of +1.5 in the oxidized form. This site exhibits a characteristic seven-line pattern in the EPR spectra and is purple colored. Both copper ions have a tetrahedral geometry and are bridged by two sulfur atoms of two cysteinyl residues. Each copper ion is also coordinated by a nitrogen atom from a histidine residue. The function of this site is long-range electron transfer, and it can be found, for example, in cytochrome c oxidase [12-14], and nitrous oxide reductase (Figure 5.1 e). 

Mo(V) complex disproportionates as it dissociates to produce mononuclear Mo (IV) and Mo (VI). As Mo (IV) and Mo (VI) are directly interconvertible by an oxo transfer reaction, they are viable participants in catalytic cycles. A dinuclear Mo(V) species of this nature can thus supply either the oxidizing or reducing member of this couple and presents a mechanism by which molybdenum enzymes can channel reducing or oxidizing power. Several inorganic reactions have recently been explained using this scheme (80, 81). To date, however, Reaction 12 only applies when the ligand is a dithiocarbamate or dithiophosphate. Nevertheless, were there known dinuclear active sites in enzymes, this would be an important mechanism to consider. 

Copper Hemocyanrn/Tyrosinase Models Copper Proteins with Dinuclear Active Sites Copper Proteins with Type 1 Sites Copper Proteins with Type 2 Sites Cytochrome Oxidase Electron Transfer Reactions Theory Long-range Electron Transfer in Biology Metal Ion Toxicity Metal-related Diseases of Genetic Origin Metallochaperones Metal Ion Homeostasis Nutritional Aspects of Metals Trace Elements. 

Figure 1 Potential wells for an electron trapped by polarization of solvent or ligand environment in a dinuclear complex (A- B). V = electron potential energy, r = distance along the A-B axis, (a) Ground state p(A+- B) with electron localized mainly at site B, excited state s (A - B ) with electron mainly transferred to site A. (b) The energy wells adjusted to equal depth by solvent and ligand motion. The electron is delocalized with two energy levels separated by 2Hab- (c) The reverse polarization, ground state i(A- B ), excited state -B)...

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