Molybdenum in enzymatic and heterogeneous catalysis

The chemistry common to molybdenum at the active centers of molybdoenzymes and at the surface of heterogeneous catalysts is described. Oxomolybdenum(VI) compounds catalyze selective oxidation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, e.g., propene to acrolein. Similarly, oxomolybdenum species take part in reactions catalyzed by molybdoenzymes, e.g., xanthine oxidase, sulfite oxidase, nitrate reductase. In these reactions H+, O2- or HO-, and electrons transfer between substrate molecules and molybdenum atoms and groups at the active centres. The chemistry involved is the acid-base and redox chemistry of molybdenum. Molybdenum disulfide catalyzes hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons, e.g., acetylene. The active site is a coordinately unsaturated molybdenum atom in a sulfur-ligand environment. The enzyme nitrogenase, which is a protein-bound iron-molybdenum sulfide, is also an excellent hydrogenation catalyst. Both catalysts exploit the chemistry of lower-valent molybdenum coordinated by sulfur. The extent to which understanding of the catalysis can be transferred between the two types of catalyst is assessed.     

Activation of enzymatic catalysis.

Modulation of enzyme activity by inhibition and activation plays an important physiological role in regulation of cellular metabolism. Compared to the wealth of information available regarding inhibition of metabolic pathways, little is known about activation. Limited proteolysis of zymogens exemplifies irreversible activation. Reversible activation may involve post-translational modifications or dissociable binding of small molecules. Sometimes, chemical modification may also activate enzymes. The influence of small molecules on the reversible binding and activation of enzymes is summarized.     

Biodiesel production via enzymatic catalysis

A review of current work in biodiesel production via enzymatic catalysis has been done. The parameters of the process as determined by laboratories are represented and analyzed. The main factors affecting interesterification are considered. The major types of oils and alcohols used in biodiesel synthesis are listed. The means of lipase enzyme immobilization, including exposure on the cell surface, are discussed.     

Theory of enzymatic reverse-protonation catalysis

Consideration of the requirements for realization of concurrent acid-base catalysis, together with the consequences of differential binding energy for enzyme-substrate complexes within kinetically equivalent protonation states, provides an indication of a general mechanism for promotion of substrate conversion at enzyme active sites.     

Redox regulation in ATP synthesis

Evidence is considered which points to changes of redox potential of the redox-centres in mitochondria during energization, to high sensitivity of ATP-synthetase to redox agents. Examples of ATP-syntheses in model systems stimulated with an electron are discussed. This stimulation is so efficient that it permits weakening of the bond between phosphorus atom and extremely bad leaving group O- in inorganic phosphate-phosphorylating agent in ATP synthesis during oxidative phosphorylation. The sum of these data suggests that function of the redox-centres found in the coupling site may be the accumulation of the intermediate inducing ADP and Phinorg interactions. The electron pool may serve as an intermediate. Thus the redoxcentre function in the coupling site accepting and accumulating the electrons during energization may be compared with chlorophyll function in photosynthesis. Change of redox potential of redox-centres at energization (by protonation, for example) initiates electron transfer in ATP-synthetase, which by the formation of highly reactive-free radical of ADP provides the occurrence of endergonic reaction of ATP synthesis, i.e. storage of energy as a chemical bond.     

Redox regulation of copper-metallothionein

Copper (Cu) is an essential element whose localization within cells must be carefully controlled to avoid Cu-dependent redox cycling. Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich metal-binding proteins that exert cytoprotective effects during metal exposure and oxidative stress. The specific role of MTs, however, in modulating Cu-dependent redox cycling remains unresolved. Our studies utilized a chemically defined model system to study MT modulation of Cu-dependent redox cycling under reducing (Cu/ascorbate) and mild oxidizing (Cu/ascorbate + H2O2) conditions. In the presence of Cu and ascorbate, MT blocked Cu-dependent lipid oxidation and ascorbyl radical formation with a stoichiometry corresponding to Cu/MT ratios 相似文献   

Redox regulation of RhoA

We have previously shown that redox agents including superoxide anion radical and nitrogen dioxide can react with GXXXXGK(S/T)C motif-containing GTPases (i.e., Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA) to stimulate guanine nucleotide release. We now show that the reaction of RhoA with redox agents leads to different functional consequences from that of Rac1 and Cdc42 due to the presence of an additional cysteine (GXXXCGK(S/T)C) in the RhoA redox-active motif. While reaction of redox agents with RhoA stimulates guanine nucleotide dissociation, RhoA is subsequently inactivated through formation of an intramolecular disulfide that prevents guanine nucleotide binding thereby causing RhoA inactivation. Thus, redox agents may function to downregulate RhoA activity under conditions that stimulate Rac1 and Cdc42 activity. The opposing functions of these GTPases may be due in part to their differential redox regulation. In addition, the results presented herein suggest that the platinated-chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin, which is known for targeting nucleic acids, reacts with RhoA to produce a RhoA thiol-cisplatin-thiol adduct, leading to inactivation of RhoA. Similarly, certain arsenic complexes (i.e., arsenate and arsenic trioxide) may inactivate RhoA by bridging the cysteine residues in the GXXXCGK(S/T)C motif. Thus, in addition to redox agents, platinated-chemotherapeutic agents and arsenic complexes may modulate the activity of GTPases containing the GXXXCGK(S/T)C motif (i.e., RhoA and RhoB).     

Redox regulation of enzymatic activity and proteolytic susceptibility of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase fromEuglena gracilis

The activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase fromEuglena gracilis decays steadily when exposed to agents that induce oxidative modification of cysteine residues (Cu²⁺, benzofuroxan, disulfides, arsenite, oxidized ascorbate). Inactivation takes place with a concomitant loss of cysteine sulfhydryl groups and dimerization of large subunits of the enzyme. 40% activity loss induced by the vicinal thiol-reagent arsenite is caused by modification of a few neighbor residues while the almost complete inactivation achieved with disulfides is due to extensive oxidation leading to formation of mixed disulfides with critical cysteines of the protein. In most cases oxidative inactivation is also accompanied by an increased sensitivity to proteolysis by trypsin, chymotrypsin or proteinase K. Both enzymatic activity and resistance to proteolysis can be restored through treatment with several thiols (cysteamine, cysteine, dithiothreitol and, more slowly, reduced glutathione). Redox effectors which are thought to regulate the chloroplast activity (NADPH, ferredoxin and thioredoxin) do not reactivate the oxidized enzyme. When ribulose-1,5-bisphoshate carboxylase/oxygenase is incubated with cystamine/cysteamine mixtures having different disulfide/thiol ratio (r), inactivation takes place around r=1.5 while proteolytic sensitization occurs under more oxidative conditions (r=4). It is suggested that oxidative modification may happen in vivo under exceptional circumstances, such as senescence, bleaching or different kinds of stress, leading to enzyme inactivation and triggering the selective degradation of the carboxylase that has been repeatedly observed during these processes.     

Dynamic theory of enzymatic catalysis]

Formal kinetics of an enzymatic reaction is considered in terms of a dynamic scheme of catalysis. Conformation reconstructions of a liberated enzyme and e-s-complex are analysed upon the phase plane. An expression for the enzyme stationary activity depending on the rate of conformation reconstructions is obtained. The case of purely dynamic catalysis is analysed and possible initiation of enzymatic activity variation in time connected with initial synchronization of molecules is shown. This phenomenon is considered as a possible criterion of the dynamic character of enzymatic catalysis.     

Simple physical presentation of enzymatic catalysis

The electronic-conformational interactions (ECI) in enzyme-substrate complexes are illustrated by an elementary model of electron oscillating in a parabolic potential box. The decrease in activation energy for the elementary act of enzymatic reaction is due to ECI-to increased pressure at the walls of the box produced by excited electron.