Oxidation, enzymic with oxygen, catalytic

A current overall picture of the reaction mechanism of xanthine oxidase, which differs substantially from one proposed earlier (87) is as follows. The enzyme is presumed to have two independent catalytic units, though this has not so far been proved rigorously. Reducing substrates are bound at molybdenum and reduce this from Mo(VI) both to Mo(V) and to Mo (IV). Reducing equivalents are then transferred by intramolecular reactions from molybdenum to iron-sulphur and also, either directly or via this, to flavin. Oxidizing substrates as a class, seem capable of reacting with all three types of centre in the enzyme. Thus, oxygen reacts predominantly with flavin, phenazine methosulphate... 

In the case of the DMSO reductase family, as pointed out above, the metal centre is bound to two molecules of the cofactor. DMSO reductase itself catalyses the reduction of dimethylsulfoxide to dimethylsulfide with incorporation of the oxygen atom of DMSO into water. The active site of the oxidized enzyme is an L2MoVI0(0-Ser) centre, which, upon reduction, loses the M=0 ligand to give a L2MoIV(0-Ser) centre. In the catalytic... 

Figure 18-11 Possible catalytic cycle of cytochrome c oxidase at the cytochrome a3 - CuB site. The fully oxidized enzyme (O left center) receives four electrons consecutively from the cyt c —> CuA —> cyt a chain. In steps a and b both heme a and CuB, as well as the CuA center and cyt a3/ are reduced to give the fully reduced enzyme (R). In the very fast step c the cyt a3 heme becomes oxygenated and in step d is converted to a peroxide with oxidation of both the Fe and Cu. Intermediate P was formerly thought to be a peroxide but is now thought to contain ferryl iron and an organic radical. This radical is reduced by the third electron in step/ to give the ferryl form F, with Cu2+ participating in the oxidation. The fourth electron reduces CuB again (step g) allowing reduction to the hydroxy form H in step h. Protonation to form H20 (step ) completes the cycle which utilizes 4 e + 4 H+ + 02 to form 2 H20. Not shown is the additional pumping of 4 H+ across the membrane from the matrix to the intermembrane space.

The mechanisms behind lipid oxidation of foods has been the subject of many research projects. One reaction in particular, autoxida-tion, is consistently believed to be the major source of lipid oxidation in foods (Fennema, 1993). Autoxidation involves self-catalytic reactions with molecular oxygen in which free radicals are formed from unsaturated fatty acids (initiation), followed by reaction with oxygen to form peroxy radicals (propagation), and terminated by reactions with other unsaturated molecules to form hydroperoxides (termination O Connor and O Brien, 1994). Additionally, enzymes inherent in the food system can contribute to lipid oxidization. 

Recently, the first asymmetric cell-free application of styrene monooxygenase (StyAB) from Pseudomonas sp. VLB 120 was reported [294]. StyAB catalyses the enantiospecific epoxidation of styrene-type substrates and requires the presence of flavin and NADH as cofactor. This two-component system enzyme consists of the actual oxygenase subunit (StyA) and a reductase (StyB). In this case, the reaction could be made catalytic with respect to NADH when formate together with oxygen were used as the actual oxidant and sacrificial reductant respectively. The whole sequence is shown in Fig. 4.106. The total turnover number on StyA enzyme was around 2000, whereas the turnover number relative to NADH ranged from 66 to 87. Results for individual substrates are also given in Fig. 4.106. Excellent enantioselectivities are obtained for a- and -styrene derivatives. 

The lack of reactivity of the semiquinone per se with either thioredoxin or NADPH shows that it cannot be involved in catalysis. The rapid production of semiquinone by irradiation of partially reduced enzyme is a light-activated disproportionation since it is totally dependent upon the presence of some oxidized enzyme. Enzyme fully reduced by dithionite forms no semiquinone, while enzyme partially reduced by dithionite rapidly forms semiquinone upon irradiation. Furthermore, the light-activated disproportionation of enzyme first reduced with NADPH results in the reduction of NADP. Thus, FAD catalyzes the disproportionation in keeping with the known photosensitizing nature of free flavins. This reaction is reversed slowly (half-time ca. 150 min 25°) in the dark. The semiquinone is rapidly reoxidized by oxygen to yield an enzyme with unaltered spectral and catalytic properties (58). Similar reactions have been very briefly reported for lipoamide dehydrogenase the dark reverse reaction is comparatively rapid, being complete in 30 min (16S). 

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