Protein cavities, metal complexes

Non-covalent insertion of several modified metal cofactors and synthetic metal complexes into protein cavities such as serum albumin (SA) and Mb has been reported [5, 24, 28, 30, 69], If synthetic metal complexes, whose structures are very different from native cofactors, can be introduced into protein cages, the bioconjugation of metal complexes will be applicable to many proteins and metal complexes. Mn(corrole) and Cn(phthalocyanine) are inserted into SA by non-covalent interactions and the composites catalyze asymmetric sulfoxidation and Diels-Alder reactions with up to 74 and 98% ee, respectively (Fig. 2c) [28, 30], Since the heme is coordinated to Tyrl61 in the albumin cavity, determined by X-ray crystal structure [20], it is expected that both Mn(corrole) and Cu(phtalocyanine) are also bound to albumin with the same coordination. The incorporation of synthetic metal complexes in protein cavities using these methods is a powerful approach for asymmetric catalytic reactions. However, there are still some difficulties in further design of the composites for improving reactivities and understanding reaction mechanisms because detailed structural analyses are not available for most of the composites. 

Transition metal complexes of phthalocyanine encaged in faujasite type zeolites have been reported as efficient catalysts in the oxidation of alkanes at room temperature and atmospheric pressure [6-13]. These catalysts constitute potential inorganic mimics of remarkable enzymes such as monooxygenase cytochrome P-450 which displays the ultimate in substrate selectivity. In these enzymes the active site is the metal ion and the protein orientates the incoming substrate relative to the active metal center. Zeolites can be used as host lattices of metal complexes [14, 15]. The cavities of the aluminosilicate framework can replace the protein terciary structure of natural enzymes, thus sieving and orientating the substrate in its approach to the active site. Such catalysts are constructed by the so-called ship in a bottle synthesis the metal phthalocyanine complexes are synthesized in situ within the supercages of the zeolite... 

Functions and Structures of Metal Complexes in Protein Cavities. 29... 

There have been many reports that described protein composites containing metal complexes [1-3, 5, 6], Three different approaches for the incorporation of synthetic metal complexes into protein cavities have been reported (i) modification of natural snbstrates, (ii) covalent anchoring, and (iii) non-covalent insertion. For example, Whiteside et al. constructed artificial metaUoenzymes by the conjugation of a Rh diphosphine complex with biotin, which strongly binds to avidin [8], Ward et al. have improved this method to increase the reaction activities [25]. They optimized the reaction conditions by screening the structures of metal complexes and protein environments. Finally, optimized composites catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation with np to 97% ee (Fig. 2a) [2, 3, 26],... 

The ability of zinc in carbonic anhydrase to become five-coordinate is also confirmed by the structural studies on enzyme-inhibitor complexes discussed in Section 62.1.4.2.1. There is much evidence for the coordination of anionic inhibitors to the metal, while the competitive inhibitor imidazole gives a five-coordinate centre. Sulfonamides are powerful inhibitors which bind directly to the zinc and also interact with the protein. The sulfonamide acetazolamide has significant affinity for the apoenzyme. It is probable " that the first interaction between the enzyme and aromatic sulfonamides is a hydrophobic interaction between the aromatic ring and residues in the active site cavity, followed by ionization of the SO2NH2 group prior to complex formation. Sulfonamides only bind to the zinc and cobalt enzymes, i.e. the two metals that give an active enzyme. 

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