Oxo transfer mechanisms

Both assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrate reductases are molybdoenzymes, which bind nitrate at the molybdenum. EXAFS studies1050 have shown that there are structural differences between the assimilatory nitrate reductase from Chlorella vulgaris and the dissimilatory enzyme from E. coli. The Chlorella enzyme strongly resembles sulfite oxidase1050,1053 and shuttles between mon-and di-oxo forms, suggesting an oxo-transfer mechanism for reduction of nitrate. This does not appear to be the case for the E. coli enzyme, for which an oxo-transfer mechanism seems to be unlikely. The E. coli enzyme probably involves an electron transfer and protonation mechanism for the reduction of nitrate.1056 It is noteworthy that the EXAFS study on the E. coli nitrate reductase showed a long-distance interaction with what could be an electron-transfer subunit. 

Figure 28 Oxo transfer mechanism for the oxidation of SO32 to S042 by (MPT)Mo-(S-cys)(0)2 site of sulfite oxidase.

Figure 30 Oxo transfer mechanism for the reduction of dmso to dms by the (MPTpG)2 MoIV(0-Ser)(OH) site of dmso reductase.

Another argument against the oxo-transfer mechanism in our catalytic aerobic oxidation protocol is the lack of formation of sulfoxides from sulfides, N-oxydes from amines and phosphine oxydes from phosphines. Alkenes also proved to be inert towards oxidation no epoxide formation could be detected under our reaction conditions. 

Oxo Transfer Mechanisms. Except for nitrogenase, all substrate half-reactions involve the addition or removal of oxygen. The simplest manner of representing these reactions, involves the direct transfer of an oxygen atom to or from substrate, e.g., Reactions 13 and 14. Furthermore,... 

This process can be contrasted directly with the oxo transfer scheme (Reaction 16) discussed above. In either case, the cleavage of the N-O bond is assisted by the binding of oxygen to an electrophile (to molybdenum itself in the oxo transfer mechanism or to proton(s) in the coupled proton-electron transfer scheme). Although the coupled proton-electron transfer mechanism would possibly have the advantage of leaving an open site on molybdenum to restart the cycle, there is no strong data to support either of these mechanisms at present. 

Tranj-dioxoRu(VI) complexes are known to react with olefins according to the classical oxo-transfer mechanism [2] (Fig. 1). The oxoRu(IV) intermediate produced in this process disproportionates readily to give dioxoRu(VI) complex and Ru(II) porphyrin which has strong affinity even towards trace amounts of carbon monoxide. A similar process realized as a side reaction in the rapid oxygenation system would constantly and effectively tie up the catalyst in the catalytically inactive form of Ru (TPFPP)(CO). Indeed, no noticeable changes had been detected in the UV-vis spectrum of the ruthenium porphyrin during the course of Ru (TPFPP)(CO) catalyzed oxidation of cyclohexene. 

Aerobic oxidation of alkanes is also possible, using dioxygen as the terminal oxidant. In these cases, Ru-porphyrin and RuCla systems have been shown to oxidize cyclohexane to cyclohexanone in the presence of acetaldehyde, with a fairly high turnover number (TON = 14,100 moles/(mole catalyst-h)). The mechanism for alkane oxidation remains largely unexplored but is suspected to be similar to the oxo-transfer mechanism that governs epoxidation of alkenes (44). 

As for the mechanism of oxygenation of paraffins with oxygen donors (DO) such as iodosylbenzene and potassium persulfate, Eqs. (33) and (34) have been proposed, whereby oxgenation of metal centers by oxygen donor is followed by oxo transfer from the transition metal to CH bonds of paraffins ... 

Model studies clearly demonstrate that oxo transfer is a viable mechanism for many of the enzyme reactions shown in Table 2d. However, primarily because of difficulties in labeling studies, it has not yet proved possible to validate oxo transfer as a physiologically relevant enzymatic mechanism. Although it has been possible to oxidize and reduce molybdenum centers using certain oxygen atom donors or acceptors, these experiments serve only to demonstrate that such processes are possible and not that they are part of the physiologically relevant pathway [231,233],... 

Over the course of study of xanthine oxidase, proposals for the mechanism by which the metal functions have ranged from hydride transfer to oxo transfer to CEPT linked to water activation [226,233-235], The latter proposal is presently favored, given what is known about (1) the source of the oxygen atom incorporated into product, (2) the fate of the substrate C(8)—H bond, (3) the role of the sulfido ligand, and (4) substrate binding. 

Since the oxido ligand is not the source of the oxygen atom incorporated into product, simple oxo transfer does not appear to be viable mechanism. Rather, some form of CEPT seems more likely and, as discussed in the next section, appears to involve the sulfido ligand of the (MPT)MoVI(0)(S)(L) cofactor where L = OH or H20. 

Mechanistic speculations about the molybdoenzymes must be considered to be in their infancy with the possible exception of those for xanthine oxidase. Although the detailed structural nature of the molybdenum site is unknown, there is sufficient information from biochemical and coordination chemistry studies to allow informed arguments to be drawn. Here we first discuss evidence for the nuclearity of the molybdenum site and then discuss both oxo-transfer and proton-electron transfer mechanisms for molybdenum enzymes. A final discussion considers the unique aspects of nitrogenase and the possible reasons for the use of molybdenum in enzymes. 

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. 

Diolate 10 was apparently not formed by hydrolysis of the epoxide, but was in fact a result of rearrangement that occurs within the coordination sphere of the rhenium. In the presence of phosphine, oxo transfer to Ph3P presumably creates a Re( V) diolate that rapidly extrudes alkene. The mechanism for the latter was not discussed. 

The molybdenum-containing oxidoreductases that catalyze Eq. (1) have been variously termed molybdenum hydroxylases (6), oxotransferases (7), and oxo-type molybdenum enzymes (8). Molybdenum hydroxylase aptly describes the conversion of xanthine to uric acid, but the name seems less appropriate for the reactions catalyzed by sulfite oxidase and nitrate reductase oxotransferase implies that the function of these enzymes is to transfer oxo groups, even though relatively little is known about their actual mechanism of action and the name oxo-type molybdenum enzyme recognizes both the apparent oxo transfer chemistry of Eq. (1) and the fact that the molybdenum atom in each of these enzymes contains at least one terminal oxo group. In this chapter, we shall refer to these enzymes as pterin-containing molybdenum enzymes because a 6-substituted pterin appears to be a common chemical feature of all of the enzymes. 

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