Are Heme-Dependent Enzymes Always Using a Redox Mechanism? A Theoretical Study of the Kemp Elimination Catalyzed by a Promiscuous Aldoxime Dehydratase
The design of biocatalysts is a goal to improve the rate, selectivity and environmental friendship of chemical processes in biotechnology. In this regard, the use of computational techniques has provided valuable assistance in the design of enzymes with remarkable catalytic activity. In this paper, hybrid QM/MM simulations have allowed getting an insight into the mechanism of a promiscuous aldoxime dehydratase (OxdA) for the Kemp elimination. We first demonstrate that, based on the use of linear response approximation (LRA) methods, the lowest energy electronic state of the benzisoxazole placed in the active sit of OxdA corresponds to a singlet state, being the triplet and the quintet state…
Protein Flexibility and Preorganization in the Design of Enzymes. The Kemp Elimination Catalyzed by HG3.17
A recently designed enzyme, HG3.17, obtained by directed evolution, has shown a catalytic activity close to natural enzymes. Hybrid QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations for the Kemp elimination in this new enzyme have provided a deep insight into the origin of its catalytic efficiency. In this case, we have first demonstrated the presence of different conformations with significantly different reactivity. The larger reactivity is related with a better electrostatic preorganization of the environment that creates a more favorable electrostatic potential for the reaction to proceed. In HG3.17, efforts to improve the catalytic properties must be focused in possible mutations increasing the pre…
Theoretical Studies of the Self Cleavage Pistol Ribozyme Mechanism
AbstractRibozymes are huge complex biological catalysts composed of a combination of RNA and proteins. Nevertheless, there is a reduced number of small ribozymes, the self-cleavage ribozymes, that are formed just by RNA and, apparently, they existed in cells of primitive biological systems. Unveiling the details of these “fossils” enzymes can contribute not only to the understanding of the origins of life but also to the development of new simplified artificial enzymes. A computational study of the reactivity of the pistol ribozyme carried out by means of classical MD simulations and QM/MM hybrid calculations is herein presented to clarify its catalytic mechanism. Analysis of the geometries…
Revealing the Origin of the Efficiency of the De Novo Designed Kemp Eliminase HG-3.17 by Comparison with the Former Developed HG-3
The design of new biocatalysts is a goal in biotechnology to improve the rate, selectivity and environmental impact of industrial chemical processes. In this regard, the use of computational techniques has provided valuable assistance in the design of new enzymes with remarkable catalytic activity. In this paper, hybrid QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations have allowed insights to be gained on the origin of the limited efficiency of a computationally designed enzyme for the Kemp elimination; the HG-3. Comparison of results derived from this enzyme with those of a more evolved protein containing additional point mutations, HG-3.17, rendered important information that should be taken into acc…