Dioxygen activation at non-heme diiron centers: characterization of intermediates in a mutant form of toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase

We report the generation and characterization of an intermediate in a mutant form of the toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase component from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1. The reaction of chemically reduced I100W variant in the presence of the coupling protein, ToMOD, with dioxygen was monitored by stopped-flow UV/visible spectroscopy. Rapid-freeze quench (RFQ) samples were also generated for EPR and M?ssbauer spectroscopy. A transient species is observed in the UV/visible spectrum with an absorption maximum at 500 nm. EPR and M?ssbauer spectra of RFQ samples identified this species as a diiron(III,IV) cluster spin-coupled to a neutral W radical. A diamagnetic precursor to the mixed-valent diiron(III,IV) was also observed at an earlier time point, with M?ssbauer parameters typical of high-spin FeIII. We have tentatively assigned this antiferromagnetically coupled diiron(III) intermediate as a peroxo-bridged cluster, and this complex has also been observed in preliminary studies of the wild-type hydroxylase.     

X-ray crystal structures of manganese(II)-reconstituted and native toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase reveal rotamer shifts in conserved residues and an enhanced view of the protein interior

We report the X-ray crystal structures of native and manganese(II)-reconstituted toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase (ToMOH) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 to 1.85 and 2.20 A resolution, respectively. The structures reveal that reduction of the dimetallic active site is accompanied by a carboxylate shift and alteration of the coordination environment for dioxygen binding and activation. A rotamer shift in a strategically placed asparagine 202 accompanies dimetallic center reduction and is proposed to influence protein component interactions. This rotamer shift is conserved between ToMOH and the corresponding residue in methane monooxygenase hydroxylase (MMOH). Previously unidentified hydrophobic pockets similar to those present in MMOH are assigned.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of the reduced hydroxylases of methane monooxygenase and toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase: differences in active site structure and effects of the coupling proteins MMOB and ToMOD

The diiron active sites of the reduced hydroxylases from methane monooxygenase (MMOH(red)) and toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase (ToMOH(red)) have been investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Results of Fe K-edge and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis reveal subtle differences between the hydroxylases that may be correlated to access of the active site. XAS data were also recorded for each hydroxylase in the presence of its respective coupling protein. MMOB affects the outer-shell scattering contributions in the diiron site of MMOH(red), whereas ToMOD exerts its main effect on the first-shell ligation of ToMOH(red); it also causes a slight decrease in the Fe-Fe separation. These results provide an initial step toward delineating the differences in structure and reactivity in bacterial multicomponent monooxygenase proteins.     

Reactions of the peroxo intermediate of soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase with ethers

Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) isolated from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) utilizes a carboxylate-bridged diiron center and dioxygen to catalyze the conversion of methane to methanol. Previous studies revealed that a di(mu-oxo)diiron(IV) intermediate termed Q is responsible for the catalytic activity with hydrocarbons. In addition, the peroxodiiron(III) intermediate (H(peroxo)) that precedes Q formation in the catalytic cycle has been demonstrated to react with propylene, but its reactivity has not been extensively investigated. Given the burgeoning interest in the existence of multiple oxidants in metalloenzymes, a more exhaustive study of the reactivity of H(peroxo) was undertaken. The kinetics of single turnover reactions of the two intermediates with ethyl vinyl ether and diethyl ether were monitored by single- and double-mixing stopped-flow optical spectroscopy. For both substrates, the rate constants for reaction with H(peroxo) are greater than those for Q. An analytical model for explaining the transient kinetics is described and used successfully to fit the observed data. Activation parameters were determined through temperature-dependent studies, and the kinetic isotope effects for the reactions with diethyl ether were measured. The rate constants indicate that H(peroxo) is a more electrophilic oxidant than Q. We propose that H(peroxo) reacts via two-electron transfer mechanisms, and that Q reacts by single-electron transfer steps.     

Dioxygen activation in methane monooxygenase: a theoretical study

Using broken-symmetry unrestricted Density Functional Theory, the mechanism of enzymatic dioxygen activation by the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase (MMOH) is determined to atomic detail. After a thorough examination of mechanistic alternatives, an optimal pathway was identified. The diiron(II) state H(red) reacts with dioxygen to give a ferromagnetically coupled diiron(II,III) H(superoxo) structure, which undergoes intersystem crossing to the antiferromagnetic surface and affords H(peroxo), a symmetric diiron(III) unit with a nonplanar mu-eta(2):eta(2)-O(2)(2)(-) binding mode. Homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond yields the catalytically competent intermediate Q, which has a di (mu-oxo)diiron(IV) core. A carboxylate shift involving Glu243 is essential to the formation of the symmetric H(peroxo) and Q structures. Both thermodynamic and kinetic features agree well with experimental data, and computed spin-exchange coupling constants are in accord with spectroscopic values. Evidence is presented for pH-independent decay of H(red) and H(peroxo). Key electron-transfer steps that occur in the course of generating Q from H(red) are also detailed and interpreted. In contrast to prior theoretical studies, a requisite large model has been employed, electron spins and couplings have been treated in a quantitative manner, potential energy surfaces have been extensively explored, and quantitative total energies have been determined along the reaction pathway.     

Stopped-flow Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of nitromethane oxidation by the diiron(IV) intermediate of methane monooxygenase

The hydroxylase component (MMOH) of soluble methane monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) was reduced to the diiron(II) form and then allowed to react with dioxygen to generate the diiron(IV) intermediate Q in the first phase of a double-mixing stopped-flow experiment. CD3NO2 was then introduced in the second phase of the experiment, which was carried out in D2O at 25 degrees C. The kinetics of the reaction of the substrate with Q were monitored by stopped-flow Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, observing the disappearance of the asymmetric NO2 bending vibration at 1548 cm-1. The data were fit to a single-exponential function, which yielded a kobs of 0.45 +/- 0.07 s-1. This result is in quantitative agreement with a kobs of 0.39 +/- 0.01 s-1 obtained by observing the disappearance of Q by double-mixing stopped-flow optical spectroscopy at its absorption maximum of 420 nm. These results provide for the first time direct monitoring of the hydroxylation of a methane-derived substrate in the MMOH reaction pathway and demonstrate that Q decay occurs concomitantly with substrate consumption.     

Mechanistic studies on the formation and reactivity of dioxygen adducts of diiron complexes supported by sterically hindered carboxylates

Dioxygen activation by enzymes such as methane monooxygenase, ribonucleotide reductase, and fatty acid desaturases occurs at a nonheme diiron active site supported by two histidines and four carboxylates, typically involving a (peroxo)diiron(III,III) intermediate in an early step of the catalytic cycle. Biomimetic tetracarboxylatodiiron(II,II) complexes with the familiar "paddlewheel" topology comprising sterically bulky o-dixylylbenzoate ligands with pyridine, 1-methylimidazole, or THF at apical sites readily react with O(2) to afford thermally labile peroxo intermediates that can be trapped and characterized spectroscopically at low temperatures (193 K). Cryogenic stopped-flow kinetic analysis of O(2) adduct formation carried out for the three complexes reveals that dioxygen binds to the diiron(II,II) center with concentration dependences and activation parameters indicative of a direct associative pathway. The pyridine and 1-methylimidazole intermediates decay by self-decomposition. However, the THF intermediate decays much faster by oxygen transfer to added PPh(3), the kinetics of which has been studied with double mixing experiments in a cryogenic stopped-flow apparatus. The results show that the decay of the THF intermediate is kinetically controlled by the dissociation of a THF ligand, a conclusion supported by the observation of saturation kinetic behavior with respect to PPh(3), inhibition by added THF, and invariant saturation rate constants for the oxidation of various phosphines. It is proposed that the proximity of the reducing substrate to the peroxide ligand on the diiron coordination sphere facilitates the oxygen-atom transfer. This unique investigation of the reaction of an O(2) adduct of a biomimetic tetracarboxylatodiiron(II,II) complex provides a synthetic precedent for understanding the electrophilic reactivity of like adducts in the active sties of nonheme diiron enzymes.     

Dioxygen Activation and Methane Hydroxylation by Soluble Methane Monooxygenase: A Tale of Two Irons and Three Proteins A list of abbreviations can be found in Section 7

Methanotrophic bacteria are capable of using methane as their sole source of carbon and energy. The first step in methane metabolism, the oxidation of methane to methanol, is catalyzed by a fascinating enzyme system called methane monooxygenase (MMO). The selective oxidation of the very stable C-H bond in methane under ambient conditions is a remarkable feat that has not yet been repeated by synthetic catalysts and has attracted considerable scientific and commercial interest. The best studied MMO is a complex enzyme system that consists of three soluble protein components, all of which are required for efficient catalysis. Dioxygen activation and subsequent methane hydroxylation are catalyzed by a hydroxylase enzyme that contains a non-heme diiron site. A reductase protein accepts electrons from NADH and transfers them to the hydroxylase where they are used for the reductive activation of O(2). The third protein component couples electron and dioxygen consumption with methane oxidation. In this review we examine different aspects of catalysis by the MMO proteins, including the mechanisms of dioxygen activation at the diiron site and substrate hydroxylation by the activated oxygen species. We also discuss the role of complex formation between the different protein components in regulating various aspects of catalysis.     

Product bound structures of the soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath): protein motion in the alpha-subunit

The soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase (MMOH) alpha-subunit contains a series of cavities that delineate the route of substrate entrance to and product egress from the buried carboxylate-bridged diiron center. The presence of discrete cavities is a major structural difference between MMOH, which can hydroxylate methane, and toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase (ToMOH), which cannot. To understand better the functions of the cavities and to investigate how an enzyme designed for methane hydroxylation can also accommodate larger substrates such as octane, methylcubane, and trans-1-methyl-2-phenylcyclopropane, MMOH crystals were soaked with an assortment of different alcohols and their X-ray structures were solved to 1.8-2.4 A resolution. The product analogues localize to cavities 1-3 and delineate a path of product exit and/or substrate entrance from the active site to the surface of the protein. The binding of the alcohols to a position bridging the two iron atoms in cavity 1 extends and validates previous crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational work indicating this site to be where substrates are hydroxylated and products form. The presence of these alcohols induces perturbations in the amino acid side-chain gates linking pairs of cavities, allowing for the formation of a channel similar to one observed in ToMOH. Upon binding of 6-bromohexan-1-ol, the pi helix formed by residues 202-211 in helix E of the alpha-subunit is extended through residue 216, changing the orientations of several amino acid residues in the active site cavity. This remarkable secondary structure rearrangement in the four-helix bundle has several mechanistic implications for substrate accommodation and the function of the effector protein, MMOB.     

Cover Picture

The cover picture shows in the background the whole cell of a methanotrophic bacterium on which are superimposed components of methane monooxygenase (the structure of the hydroxylase component (top), one of the two four-helix bundles that house the catalytic diiron centers (left)) and a schematic diagram of the catalytic cycle by which the enzyme converts dioxygen and methane into methanol and water. More about this unusual enzyme system is reported by Lippard et al. on p. 2782 ff.     

Crystal structures of the soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) demonstrating geometrical variability at the dinuclear iron active site.

The oxidation of methane to methanol is performed at carboxylate-bridged dinuclear iron centers in the soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase (MMOH). Previous structural studies of MMOH, and the related R2 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, have demonstrated the occurrence of carboxylate shifts involving glutamate residues that ligate the catalytic iron atoms. These shifts are thought to have important mechanistic implications. Recent kinetic and theoretical studies have also emphasized the importance of hydrogen bonding and pH effects at the active site. We report here crystal structures of MMOH from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) in the diiron(II), diiron(III), and mixed-valent Fe(II)Fe(III) oxidation states, and at pH values of 6.2, 7.0, and 8.5. These structures were investigated in an effort to delineate the range of possible motions at the MMOH active site and to identify hydrogen-bonding interactions that may be important in understanding catalysis by the enzyme. Our results present the first view of the diiron center in the mixed-valent state, and they indicate an increased lability for ferrous ions in the enzyme. Alternate conformations of Asn214 near the active site according to redox state and a distortion in one of the alpha-helices adjacent to the metal center in the diiron(II) state have also been identified. These changes alter the surface of the protein in the vicinity of the catalytic core and may have implications for small-molecule accessibility to the active site and for protein component interactions in the methane monooxygenase system. Collectively, these results help to explain previous spectroscopic observations and provide new insight into catalysis by the enzyme.     

Formation and High Reactivity of the anti‐Dioxo Form of High‐Spin μ‐Oxodioxodiiron(IV) as the Active Species That Cleaves Strong C−H Bonds

Recently, it was shown that μ‐oxo‐μ‐peroxodiiron(III) is converted to high‐spin μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) through O?O bond scission. Herein, the formation and high reactivity of the anti‐dioxo form of high‐spin μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) as the active oxidant are demonstrated on the basis of resonance Raman and electronic‐absorption spectral changes, detailed kinetic studies, DFT calculations, activation parameters, kinetic isotope effects (KIE), and catalytic oxidation of alkanes. Decay of μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) was greatly accelerated on addition of substrate. The reactivity order of substrates is toluene<ethylbenzene≈cumene<trans‐β‐methylstyrene. The rate constants increased proportionally to the substrate concentration at low substrate concentration. At high substrate concentration, however, the rate constants converge to the same value regardless of the kind of substrate. This is explained by a two‐step mechanism in which anti‐μ‐oxodioxodiiron(IV) is formed by syn‐to‐anti transformation of the syn‐dioxo form and reacts with substrates as the oxidant. The anti‐dioxo form is 620 times more reactive in the C?H bond cleavage of ethylbenzene than the most reactive diiron system reported so far. The KIE for the reaction with toluene/[D₈]toluene is 95 at ?30 °C, which the largest in diiron systems reported so far. The present diiron complex efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of various alkanes with H₂O₂.     

Oxidation of sulfide, phosphine, and benzyl substrates tethered to N-donor pyridine ligands in carboxylate-bridged diiron(II) complexes

Substituted pyridines were employed to prepare a series of terphenylcarboxylate-bridged diiron(II) compounds to mimic aspects of the chemistry at the active sites of bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases, including soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) and toluene monooxygenase (ToMO). Complexes of general formula [Fe2(O2CArTol)4L], L = 2, 3, or 4-pyridyldiphenylphosphine, 2-pyridylphenylsulfide, or 2-benzylpyridine and ArTol = 2,6-di(p-tolyl)benzoate, were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Upon exposure of these compounds to dioxygen, ligand oxidation ensued and, in one case, proceeded catalytically.     

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of (mu-hydroxo or mu-oxo)(mu-peroxo)diiron(III) complexes: models for peroxo intermediates of non-heme diiron proteins

(mu-Hydroxo or oxo)(mu-1,2-peroxo)diiron(III) complexes having a tetradentate tripodal ligand (L) containing a carboxylate sidearm [Fe2(mu-OH or mu-O)(mu-O2)(L)2]n+ were synthesized as models for peroxo-intermediates of non-heme diiron proteins and characterized by various physicochemical measurements including X-ray analysis, which provide fundamental structural and spectroscopic insights into the peroxodiiron(III) complexes.     

Insights into the different dioxygen activation pathways of methane and toluene monooxygenase hydroxylases

The methane and toluene monooxygenase hydroxylases (MMOH and TMOH, respectively) have almost identical active sites, yet the physical and chemical properties of their oxygenated intermediates, designated P*, H(peroxo), Q, and Q* in MMOH and ToMOH(peroxo) in a subclass of TMOH, ToMOH, are substantially different. We review and compare the structural differences in the vicinity of the active sites of these enzymes and discuss which changes could give rise to the different behavior of H(peroxo) and Q. In particular, analysis of multiple crystal structures reveals that T213 in MMOH and the analogous T201 in TMOH, located in the immediate vicinity of the active site, have different rotatory configurations. We study the rotational energy profiles of these threonine residues with the use of molecular mechanics (MM) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) computational methods and put forward a hypothesis according to which T213 and T201 play an important role in the formation of different types of peroxodiiron(III) species in MMOH and ToMOH. The hypothesis is indirectly supported by the QM/MM calculations of the peroxodiiron(III) models of ToMOH and the theoretically computed Mo?ssbauer spectra. It also helps explain the formation of two distinct peroxodiiron(III) species in the T201S mutant of ToMOH. Additionally, a role for the ToMOD regulatory protein, which is essential for intermediate formation and protein functioning in the ToMO system, is advanced. We find that the low quadrupole splitting parameter in the Mo?ssbauer spectrum observed for a ToMOH(peroxo) intermediate can be explained by protonation of the peroxo moiety, possibly stabilized by the T201 residue. Finally, similarities between the oxygen activation mechanisms of the monooxygenases and cytochrome P450 are discussed.     

Synthetic analogue of the [Fe(2)(mu-OH)(2)(mu-O(2)CR)](3+) core of soluble methane monooxygenase hydroxylase via synthesis and dioxygen reactivity of carboxylate-bridged diiron(II) complexes

We describe the synthesis and dioxygen reactivity of diiron(II) tetracarboxylate complexes [Fe(2)(mu-O(2)CAr(Tol))(2)(O(2)CAr(Tol))(2)(N,N-Me(2)en)(2)] (2) and [Fe(2)(mu-O(2)CAr(Tol))(2)(O(2)CAr(Tol))(2)(N,N-Bn(2)en)(2)] (6), where Ar(Tol)CO(2)(-) = 2,6-di(p-tolyl)benzoate. These complexes were prepared as models for the diiron(II) center in the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase (MMOH). Compound 6 reacts with dioxygen to afford PhCHO in approximately 60(5)% yield, following oxidative N-dealkylation of the pendant benzyl group on the diamine ligand. The diiron(III) complex [Fe(2)(mu-OH)(2)(mu-O(2)CAr(Tol))(O(2)CAr(Tol))(3)(N-Bnen)(N,N-Bn(2)en)] (8) was isolated from the reaction mixture. The 4.2 K M?ssbauer spectrum of 8 displays a single quadrupole doublet with parameters delta = 0.48(2) mm s(-1) and Delta E(Q) = 0.61(2) mm s(-1). The [Fe(2)(mu-OH)(2)(mu-O(2)CR)](3+) core structure in 8 matches that of the fully oxidized form of MMOH. The conversion of 6 to 8 closely parallels the chemistry of MMOH in which an O(2)-derived oxygen atom is inserted into the C-H bond of methane. Several reaction pathways are considered to account for this novel chemical transformation, and these are compared with mechanistic frameworks previously developed for related cytochrome P450 and copper(I) dioxygen chemistry.     

Dioxygen binding to complexes with Fe(II)2(mu-OH)2 cores: steric control of activation barriers and O2-adduct formation

A series of complexes with [Fe(II)(2)(mu-OH)(2)] cores has been synthesized with N3 and N4 ligands and structurally characterized to serve as models for nonheme diiron(II) sites in enzymes that bind and activate O(2). These complexes react with O(2) in solution via bimolecular rate-limiting steps that differ in rate by 10(3)-fold, depending on ligand denticity and steric hindrance near the diiron center. Low-temperature trapping of a (mu-oxo)(mu-1,2-peroxo)diiron(III) intermediate after O(2) binding requires sufficient steric hindrance around the diiron center and the loss of a proton (presumably that of a hydroxo bridge or a yet unobserved hydroperoxo intermediate). The relative stability of these and other (mu-1,2-peroxo)diiron(III) intermediates suggests that these species may not be on the direct pathway for dioxygen activation.     

Reversible O-O Bond Scission of Peroxodiiron(III) to High-Spin Oxodiiron(IV) in Dioxygen Activation of a Diiron Center with a Bis-tpa Dinucleating Ligand as a Soluble Methane Monooxygenase Model

The conversion of peroxodiiron(III) to high-spin S = 2 oxodiiron(IV) via reversible O-O bond scission in a diiron complex with a bis-tpa dinucleating ligand, 6-hpa, has been characterized by elemental analysis; kinetic measurements for alkene epoxidation; cold-spray ionization mass spectrometry; and electronic absorption, M?ssbauer, and resonance Raman spectroscopy to gain insight into the O(2) activation mechanism of soluble methane monooxygenases. This is the first synthetic example of a high-spin S = 2 oxodiiron(IV) species that oxidizes alkenes to epoxides efficiently. The bistability of the peroxodiiron(III) and high-spin S = 2 oxodiiron(IV) moieties is the key feature for the reversible O-O bond scission.     

Mechanistic Studies of the Formation and Decay of Diiron(III) Peroxo Complexes in the Reaction of Diiron(II) Precursors with Dioxygen

Mechanistic studies of the reactions of three analogous alkoxo-bridged diiron(II) complexes with O(2) have been carried out. The compounds, which differ primarily in the steric accessibility of dioxygen to the diiron(II) center, form metastable &mgr;-peroxo intermediates when studied at low temperature. At ambient temperatures, these intermediates decay to form (&mgr;-oxo)polyiron(III) products. The effect of ligand steric constraints on the O(2) reactivity was investigated. When access to the diiron center was unimpeded, the reaction was first-order with respect to both [Fe(II)(2)] and [O(2)] and the activation parameters for O(2) addition were similar to those for O(2) reacting with the dioxygen transport protein hemerythrin. When the binding site was occluded, however, reduced order with respect to [O(2)] was observed and a two-step mechanism was required to explain the kinetic results. Decay of all three peroxide intermediates involves a bimolecular event, implying the formation of tetranuclear species in the transition state.     

A mechanistic study of the reaction between a diiron(II) complex [FeII(2)(mu-OH)2(6-Me3-TPA)2](2+) and O2 to form a diiron(III) peroxo complex

A kinetic study of the reaction between a diiron(II) complex [Fe(II)(2)(mu-OH)(2)(6-Me(3)-TPA)(2)](2+) 1, where 6-Me(3)-TPA = tris(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine, and dioxygen is presented. A diiron(III) peroxo complex [Fe(III)(2)(mu-O)(mu-O(2))(6-Me(3)-TPA)(2)](2+) 2 forms quantitatively in dichloromethane at temperatures from -80 to -40 degrees C. The reaction is first order in [Fe(II)(2)] and [O(2)], with the activation parameters DeltaH(double dagger) = 17 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS(double dagger) = -175 +/- 20 J mol(-1) K(-1). The reaction rate is not significantly influenced by the addition of H(2)O or D(2)O. The reaction proceeds faster in more polar solvents (acetone and acetonitrile), but the yield of 2 is not quantitative in these solvents. Complex 1 reacts with NO at a rate about 10(3) faster than with O(2). The mechanistic analysis suggests an associative rate-limiting step for the oxygenation of 1, similar to that for stearoyl-ACP Delta(9)-desaturase, but distinct from the probable dissociative pathway of methane monoxygenase. An eta(1)-superoxo Fe(II)Fe(III) species is a likely steady-state intermediate during the oxygenation of complex 1.