The Recent Crystal Structure of Human Tyrosinase Related Protein 1 (HsTYRP1) Solves an Old Problem and Poses a New One

Show your metal: l-Tyrosine is converted into the protective antioxidative polymer melanin in a sequence of reactions. In humans, the catalytic pathway starts with the tyrosinase HsTYR and two tyrosinase-related proteins HsTYRP1 and HsTYRP2. All three enzymes have the same active site but the latter two contain two zinc ions instead of copper ions.

Die erste Kristallstruktur von Tyrosinase: alle Fragen beantwortet?

The Iron Hydrido Complex [FeH(dppe)2]+: Solution and Solid-State Reactivity with Dinitrogen

The blue compound [FeH(dppe)2]BPh4 (1) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) is investigated by optical absorption, vibrational, NMR and Mossbauer spectroscopy as well as magnetic susceptibility measurements. In the solid state, 1 is found to be paramagnetic (S=1) whereas in tetrahydrofuran (thf) solution it is diamagnetic. Importantly, 1 reacts with dinitrogen in thf solution and in the solid state to give the yellow and green dinitrogen complexes 2a and 2b, respectively, both of which have the formula [FeH(N2)(dppe)2]BPh4. Apart from their colour and optical spectroscopic properties, the dinitrogen compounds 2a and 2b also differ in their magnetic, Mossbauer and vibrational properties…

Tyrosinase versus Catechol Oxidase: One Asparagine Makes the Difference

Tyrosinases mediate the ortho-hydroxylation and two-electron oxidation of monophenols to ortho-quinones. Catechol oxidases only catalyze the oxidation of diphenols. Although it is of significant interest, the origin of the functional discrimination between tyrosinases and catechol oxidases has been unclear. Recently, it has been postulated that a glutamate and an asparagine bind and activate a conserved water molecule towards deprotonation of monophenols. Here we demonstrate for the first time that a polyphenoloxidase, which exhibits only diphenolase activity, can be transformed to a tyrosinase by mutation to introduce an asparagine. The asparagine and a conserved glutamate are necessary to…

Die erste Kristallstruktur des humanen Tyrosinase-ähnlichen Proteins 1 (HsTYRP1) löst ein altes Problem und wirft ein neues auf

Purification and spectroscopic studies on catechol oxidases from Lycopus europaeus and Populus nigra: evidence for a dinuclear copper center of type 3 and spectroscopic similarities to tyrosinase and hemocyanin.

We purified two catechol oxidases from Lycopus europaeus and Populus nigra which only catalyze the oxidation of catechols to quinones without hydroxylating tyrosine. The molecular mass of the Lycopus enzyme was determined to 39,800 Da and the mass of the Populus enzyme was determined to 56,050 Da. Both catechol oxidases are inhibited by thiourea, N-phenylthiourea, dithiocarbamate, and cyanide, but show different pH behavior using catechol as substrate. Atomic absorption spectrosopic analysis found 1.5 copper atoms per protein molecule. Using EPR spectroscopy we determined 1.8 Cu per molecule catechol oxidase. Furthermore, EPR spectroscopy demonstrated that catechol oxidase is a copper enzym…

Five-Coordinate Complexes [FeX(depe)2]BPh4, X = Cl, Br:  Electronic Structure and Spin-Forbidden Reaction with N2

The bonding of N(2) to the five-coordinate complexes [FeX(depe)(2)](+), X = Cl (1a) and Br (1b), has been investigated with the help of X-ray crystallography, spectroscopy, and quantum-chemical calculations. Complexes 1a and 1b are found to have an XP(4) coordination that is intermediate between square-pyramidal and trigonal-bipyramidal. Mössbauer and optical absorption spectroscopy coupled with angular overlap model (AOM) calculations reveal that 1a and 1b have (3)B(1) ground states deriving from a (xz)(1)(z(2))(1) configuration. The zero-field splitting for this state is found to be 30-35 cm(-1). In contrast, the analogous dinitrogen complexes [FeX(N(2))(depe)(2)](+), X = Cl (2a) and Br (…

ChemInform Abstract: New Developments in Nitrogen Fixation.

The production of ammonia from atmospheric dinitrogen at room temperature and ambient pressure in analogy to nature is a long-term goal for coordination chemists. Novel reactions of N2 -containing transition metal complexes with H2 , the first side-on N2 -bridged structure of an actinide complex, and an interesting variation of synthetic N2 fixation are the key points addressed in this contribution. The results are related to the known chemistry of N2 complexes, and their significance is discussed with respect to enzymatic N2 fixation.

Spin Density Maps in the Triplet Ground State of [Cu2(t-Bupy)4(N3)2](ClO4)2 (t-Bupy = p-tert-butylpyridine):  A Polarized Neutron Diffraction Study

This paper is devoted to the determination of the spin distribution in the spin triplet ground state of [Cu-2(t-Bupy)(4)(N-3)(2)](ClO4)(2), With t-Bupy = p-tert-butylpyridine. The crystal structure, previously solved at room temperature from X-ray diffraction, has been redetermined at 18 K from unpolarized neutron diffraction. The structure consists of binuclear cations in which Cu2+ ions are doubly bridged by azido groups in the 1,1-fashion, and noncoordinated perchlorate anions. The experimental spin distribution has been determined from polarized neutron diffraction (PND) at 1.6 K under 50 kOe. The spin populations have been found to be strongly positive on the Cu2+ ions, weakly positive…

Wie funktioniert die Tyrosinase? Neue Einblicke aus Modellchemie und Strukturbiologie

Reversible Dioxygen Binding and Phenol Oxygenation in a Tyrosinase Model System

The complex [Cu2(L-66)]2+ (L-66 = a,a'-bis¿bis[2-(1'-methyl-2'-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amino¿-m-xylene) undergoes fully reversible oxygenation at low temperature in acetone. The optical [lambda(max) = 362 (epsilon 15000), 455 (epsilon 2000), and 550 nm (epsilon 900M(-1)cm(-1))] and resonance Raman features (760 cm(-1), shifted to 719cm(-1)(-1) with 18O2) of the dioxygen adduct [Cu2(L-66)(O2)]2+ indicate that it is a mu-eta2:eta2-peroxodicopper(II) complex. The kinetics of dioxygen binding, studied at - 78 degrees C, gave the rate constant k1 = 1.1M(-1) 5(-1) for adduct formation, and k(-1) =7.8 x 10(-5)s(-1), for dioxygen release from the Cu2O2 complex. From these values, the O2 binding consta…

Similar enzyme activation and catalysis in hemocyanins and tyrosinases

This review presents the common features and differences of the type 3 copper proteins with respect to their structure and function. In spite of these differences a common mechanism of activation and catalysis seems to have been preserved throughout evolution. In all cases the inactive proenzymes such as tyrosinase and catecholoxidase are activated by removal of an amino acid blocking the entrance channel to the active site. No other modification at the active site seems to be necessary to enable catalytic activity. Hemocyanins, the oxygen carriers in many invertebrates, also behave as silent inactive enzymes and can be activated in the same way. The molecular basis of the catalytic process…

Tyrosinase/catecholoxidase activity of hemocyanins: structural basis and molecular mechanism

The enzymes tyrosinase, catecholoxidase and hemocyanin all share similar active sites, although their physiological functions differ. Hemocyanins serve as oxygen carrier proteins, and tyrosinases and catecholoxidases (commonly referred to as phenoloxidases in arthropods) catalyze the hydroxylation of monophenols or the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones, or both. Tyrosinases are activated in vivo by limited proteolytic cleavage, which might open up substrate access to the catalytic site. It has recently been demonstrated that if hemocyanins are subjected to similar proteolytic treatments (in vitro) they also exhibit at least catecholoxidase reactivity. On the basis of their molecular st…

How Does Tyrosinase Work? Recent Insights from Model Chemistry and Structural Biology

The Reduction Pathway of End-on Coordinated Dinitrogen. II. Electronic Structure and Reactivity of Mo/W−N2, −NNH, and −NNH2 Complexes

DFT calculations (B3LYP/LanL2DZ) of simplified models of [Mo(N(2))(2)(dppe)(2)] and the two protonated derivatives [MoF(NNH)(dppe)(2)] and [MoF(NNH(2))(dppe)(2)](+) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) provide quantitative insight into the reduction and protonation of dinitrogen bound end-on terminally to transition metals. This "asymmetric" reduction pathway is characterized by a stepwise increase of covalency and a concomitant charge donation from the metal center during each protonation reaction. The major part of metal-to-ligand charge transfer occurs after the first protonation leading to coordinated diazenido(-). In contrast, addition of the second proton is accompanied by a mino…

ChemInform Abstract: How Does Tyrosinase Work? Recent Insights from Model Chemistry and Structural Biology

The First Crystal Structure of Tyrosinase: All Questions Answered?

Tyrosinase versus Catecholoxidase: ein Asparagin macht den Unterschied

Tyrosinasen ermoglichen die ortho-Hydroxylierung und Zwei-Elektronen-Oxidation von Monophenolen zu ortho-Chinonen. Catecholoxidasen katalysieren dagegen nur die Oxidation von Diphenolen. Obwohl diese Prozesse von signifikantem Interesse sind, ist die molekulare Basis des funktionellen Unterschiedes zwischen Tyrosinasen und Catecholoxidasen noch unklar. Vor kurzem wurde postuliert, dass eine Glutaminsaure und ein Asparagin ein konserviertes Wassermolekul binden und aktivieren, um dadurch Monophenole zu deprotonieren. Hier zeigen wir, dass eine Polyphenoloxidase, die nur eine Diphenolase-Aktivitat besitzt, durch die Einfuhrung eines Asparagins mittels Mutagenese in eine Tyrosinase umgewandelt…

Are glutamate and asparagine necessary for tyrosinase activity of type-3 copper proteins?

Abstract Type-3 copper proteins (T3CPs) are complex proteins which share similar active sites. Two copper atoms (CuA and CuB) bind dioxygen as a peroxide in a side on coordination. This protein family comprises the enzymes tyrosinase and catechol oxidase as well as the oxygen transporter hemocyanin. T3CPs occur in almost all organisms and exhibit a number of essential functions. In particular, they are involved in all kinds of enzymatic browning reactions and immune defense. The chemical basis of the two catalytic processes, i.e., the o-hydroxylation of monophenols and the two-electron oxidation to o-quinones, is still discussed. Investigations on natural enzymes with known crystal structur…

The Reduction Pathway of End-on Coordinated Dinitrogen. I. Vibrational Spectra of Mo/W−N2, −NNH, and −NNH2 Complexes and Quantum Chemistry Assisted Normal Coordinate Analysis

Infrared and Raman spectra of [M(N(2))(2)(dppe)(2)] (M = W, Mo) and the two protonated derivatives [WF(NNH)(dppe)(2)] and [WF(NNH(2))(dppe)(2)](+) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) are presented. Using isotope substituted compounds ((15)N and D) the vibrations of the Y-M-N(2)H(x)() (x = 0, 1, 2; Y = N(2), F) central unit are identified, in particular the M-N and N-N stretching modes. In case of the monoprotonated systems, an equilibrium between metal- and nitrogen-protonated species exists that is clearly detectable in the IR spectra. Making use of theoretical force fields, a quantum chemistry assisted normal coordinate analysis (QCA-NCA) is performed for all three tungsten systems …

Evidences for the Formation of Chromium in the Unusual Oxidation State Cr(IV)

Abstract Magnetic measurements on Tl x Cr 5 Se 8 (0≤ x ≤1) reveal that stoichiometric TlCr 5 Se 8 is a three-dimensional antiferromagnet with a Neel temperature T N of about 55 K. In contrast, samples with a reduced Tl content show highly unusual magnetic properties that are without precedent in the literature of magnetically coupled systems: upon lowering the temperature from 300 K the susceptibility reaches a maximum at about 125 K and then steeply drops to a value comparable to that obtained at room temperature. The height of this maximum increases first with decreasing Tl abundance reaching its largest value at a composition Tl 0.2 Cr 5 Se 8 and then decreases again for samples with x 3…

Copper-O2 reactivity of tyrosinase models towards external monophenolic substrates: molecular mechanism and comparison with the enzyme.

The critical review describes the known dicopper systems mediating the aromatic hydroxylation of monophenolic substrates. Such systems are of interest as structural and functional models of the type 3 copper enzyme tyrosinase, which catalyzes the ortho-hydroxylation of tyrosine to DOPA and the subsequent two-electron oxidation to dopaquinone. Small-molecule systems involving μ-η²:η² peroxo, bis-μ-oxo and trans-μ-1,2 peroxo dicopper cores are considered separately. These tyrosinase models are contrasted to copper–dioxygen systems inducing radical reactions, and the different mechanistic pathways are discussed. In addition to considering the stoichiometric conversion of phenolic substrates, t…