Catalytic antibodies as a new generation of biocatalysts

The present state and perspectives of the creation of a new generation of biocatalysts, catalytic antibodies (CA), and their application to organic synthesis are discussed. The problems to be solved for the development of the practical application of CA are especially noted. This paper was prepared in response to a request from the Editorial board in order to attract the attention of investigators to the creation of artificial enzymes, called catalytic antibodies, which is a new and important direction in science. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1568–1574, September, 1997     

Catalytic Antibodies: A New Class of Transition-State Analogues Used to Elicit Hydrolytic Antibodies

The design and generation of selective catalysts is an important aim of chemists and biologists. A number of successful strategies have emerged, including the synthesis and derivatization of synthetic hosts, the chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis of enzymes, and the attenuation of natural enzyme activities in organic solvents. Since 1986 several laboratories have exploited the immune system to generate selective catalysts capable of catalyzing a wide range of chemical transformations. These include acyl transfer, β-elimination, carbon—carbon bond-forming, carbon—carbon bond-cleaving, porphyrin metalation, peroxidation, and redox reactions. The variety and number of transformations catalyzed by antibodies in this short period of time is testament to the versatility and power of the method in generating selective catalysts for applications in chemistry, biology, and medicine. Here we report the use of a new class of uncharged transition-state analogues for generating antibodies capable of catalyzing ester and carbonate hydrolysis. These antibodies are compared to those raised against tetrahedral phosphate and phosphonate transition-state analogues.     

磷钨酸铜绿色催化合成缩醛(酮)及其催化活性测定

合成了绿色杂多酸盐催化剂磷钨酸铜;将环己酮、苯甲醛同乙二醇、1,2-丙二醇的缩合反应作为探针反应,测定了催化剂的催化活性,比较系统地考察了催化剂用量、物料配比、反应时间、带水剂用量等因素对反应产率的影响.结果表明:在底物醛(酮)用量0.2 mol、醛(酮)/乙二醇(1,2-丙二醇)摩尔比1.0/1.5、催化剂用量0.5 g、带水剂环己烷用量18 mL、一定温度下回流反应2.0 h,1,4-二氧螺[4,5]癸烷产率为83.3%,3-甲基-1,4-二氧螺[4,5]癸烷产率为89.7%,2-苯基-1,3-二氧环戊烷产率为66.7%,4-甲基-2-苯基-1,3-二氧环戊烷产率为78.5%.     

Pollutant Degrading Enzyme: Catalytic Mechanisms and Their Expanded Applications

The treatment of environmental pollution by microorganisms and their enzymes is an innovative and socially acceptable alternative to traditional remediation approaches. Microbial biodegradation is often characterized with high efficiency as this process is catalyzed via degrading enzymes. Various naturally isolated microorganisms were demonstrated to have considerable ability to mitigate many environmental pollutants without external intervention. However, only a small fraction of these strains are studied in detail to reveal the mechanisms at the enzyme level, which strictly limited the enhancement of the degradation efficiency. Accordingly, this review will comprehensively summarize the function of various degrading enzymes with an emphasis on catalytic mechanisms. We also inspect the expanded applications of these pollutant-degrading enzymes in industrial processes. An in-depth understanding of the catalytic mechanism of enzymes will be beneficial for exploring and exploiting more degrading enzyme resources and thus ameliorate concerns associated with the ineffective biodegradation of recalcitrant and xenobiotic contaminants with the help of gene-editing technology and synthetic biology.     

催化膜和催化膜反应器:整合的高效和环保催化过程

 The design of new heterogeneous photooxygenation systems able to employ visible light, oxygen, mild temperatures, and solvent with a low environmental impact has been investigated. In particular, the heterogenization of decatungstate (W10O4-32), a polyoxometalate with photocatalytic activity in oxidation reactions, has been carried out in polymeric membranes of polyvinylidenefluoride. The polymeric catalytic membranes prepared by phase inversion technique have been successfully applied in the aerobic mineralization of phenol in water, which was used as an example of organic pollutant. In order to evaluate the effect of the polymeric environment on the overall catalyst behavior, we have also heterogenized the decatungstate (opportunely functionalized) in perfluorinated membrane made of Hyflon. The photocatalytic composite membranes are characterized by different and tuneable properties depending on the nature of the polymeric micro-environment, in which the catalyst is confined. Moreover, the selective separation function of the membrane results in enhanced performance in comparison with homogeneous reactions.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Retro-Aldol Reactions: Kinetic Resolution of β-Hydroxyketones with Aldolase Antibodies

High enantiomeric enrichment after 50% conversion : Racemates of aldols can be resolved by the title reaction [Eq.(1)] by use of the aldolase antibody 38C2 or 33F12; the ee values of the unconverted aldols are greater than 95% in most cases. Since the antibodies also catalyze the aldol reaction–that is, the reverse reaction–it is possible to prepare both enantiomers using the same antibody catalysts.     

Metallosurfactant Ionogels in Imidazolium and Protic Ionic Liquids as Precursors To Synthesize Nanoceria as Catalase Mimetics for the Catalytic Decomposition of H2O2

The gelation behavior of cationic surfactants with different counterions, Br^?, [FeCl₃Br]^?, and [CeCl₃Br]^?, in imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) and protic ethylammonium nitrate was investigated. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements and freeze‐fracture transmission electron microscopy observations revealed the lamellar phases of metallosurfactant ionogels. The characteristics of imidazolium ILs, including the size and type, have effects on metallosurfactant ionogel properties, such as transformation temperatures, interlayer spacing, and mechanical strength. Cubic fluorite structured cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) were produced by using metallosurfactant ionogels as precursors. Cubic fluorite CeO₂ exhibited good catalase mimetic activity toward H₂O₂ to generate O₂, providing more multiple mimetic enzyme activities of CeO₂ NPs for H₂O₂.     

Catalytic,theoretical, and biological investigation of an enzyme mimic model

Artificial catalyst studies were always stayed at the kinetics investigation level, in this work bioactivity of designed catalyst were shown by the induction of biomineralization of the cells, indicating the possible use of enzyme mimics for biological applications. The development of artificial enzymes is a continuous quest for the development of tailored catalysts with improved activity and stability. Understanding the catalytic mechanism is a replaceable step for catalytic studies and artificial enzyme mimics provide an alternative way for catalysis and a better understanding of catalytic pathways at the same time. Here we designed an artificial catalyst model by decorating peptide nanofibers with a covalently conjugated catalytic triad sequence. Owing to the self-assembling nature of the peptide amphiphiles, multiple action units can be presented on the surface for enhanced catalytic performance. The designed catalyst has shown an enzyme-like kinetics profile with a significant substrate affinity. The cooperative action in between catalytic triad amino acids has shown improved catalytic activity in comparison to only the histidine-containing control group. Histidine is an irreplaceable contributor to catalytic action and this is an additional reason for control group selection. This new method based on the self-assembly of covalently conjugated action units offers a new platform for enzyme investigations and their further applications. Artificial catalyst studies always stayed at the kinetics investigation level, in this work bioactivity of the designed catalyst was shown by the induction of biomineralization of the cells, indicating the possible use of enzyme mimics for biological applications.     

Orientation of Antibodies on a 3-Aminopropyltriethoxylsilane-Modified Silicon Wafer Surface

An antibody can be specifically oxidized with periodate (NaIO₄) on the carbohydrate side chains at its C-terminal. Rabbit anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBsAg) IgG antibodies were bound to the silicon wafer surface by covalent bonds between aldehydes generated on the carbohydrate side chains of the antibodies and the reactive amine groups of 3-aminopropyltriethoxylsilane(APTES)-modified silicon wafer surfaces. A control experiment was also performed by direct attachment of antibodies to glutaraldehyde-treated silicon surfaces. Two different coupling antibody strategies were investigated in this paper. Atomic force microscopy was used to observe the orientation of the site-directed and random attachment of rabbit anti-HBsAg IgG antibodies and the conservation of their antigen-binding capacity (AgBC) was assessed using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA).     

Antibodies as Tailor-Made Chiral Selectors: an Interdisciplinary Approach to Enantiomer Separation and Detection

 It has long been known that the configurational isomers of biologically active compounds, e.g., nutrients, pesticides, and drugs, may exhibit different activities in a chiral environment such as the human body. Although the majority of drugs presently in development are chiral, analytical and preparative methods for the quantitative determination and purification of stereoisomers still lag behind. One reason is that commonly used chiral selectors for the direct resolution of enantiomers are not tailor-made for a specific analyte. The identification of suitable selectors for a particular pair of enantiomers still requires considerable experimentation and is generally demanding with regard to material, time and labor. The rational design of chiral host molecules, therefore, represents a challenge in facilitating enantiomer analysis. In this article, we describe how a combination of techniques ranging from organic synthesis to molecular biology yields antibodies of predetermined specificity and stereoselectivity that can be used as tailor-made chiral selectors for the chromatographic separation of enantiomers and their sensitive detection in immunosensors.     

An Unsual Cys-Glu-Lys Catalytic Triad is Responsible for the Catalytic Mechanism of the Nitrilase Superfamily: A QM/MM Study on Nit2

Nitrilase 2 (Nit2) is a representative member of the nitrilase superfamily that catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-ketosuccinamate into oxaloacetate. It has been associated with the metabolism of rapidly dividing cells like cancer cells. The catalytic mechanism of Nit2 employs a catalytic triad formed by Cys191, Glu81 and Lys150. The Cys191 and Glu81 play an active role during the catalytic process while the Lys150 is shown to play only a secondary role. The results demonstrate that the catalytic mechanism of Nit2 involves four steps. The nucleophilic attack of Cys191 to the α-ketosuccinamate, the formation of two tetrahedral enzyme adducts and the hydrolysis of a thioacyl-enzyme intermediate, from which results the formation of oxaloacetate and enzymatic turnover. The rate limiting step of the catalytic process is the formation of the first tetrahedral intermediate with a calculated activation free energy of 18.4 kcal/mol, which agrees very well with the experimental k_cat (17.67 kcal/mol).     

非官能化烯烃的不对称催化环氧化反应

手性环氧化合物是有机合成的重要中间体,由于三元杂环的张力使其很容易与各种亲核试剂作用,通过官能团转化反应,可以从环氧化物制备一系列不同结构的手性化合物.烯烃的不对称环氧化反应可以使潜手性的烯烃转化为带有手性碳的环氧化合物,在医药、农药、香料等精细化学品的合成上具有非常重要的意义.非官能化烯烃经手性催化剂诱导的不对称环氧化反应是获得光学纯手性化合物的有效方法.这些手性催化剂包括生物酶、金属卟啉、金属Salen配合物以及有机小分子催化剂.本文综述了这几种催化剂催化的非官能化烯烃不对称催化环氧化反应近几年的研究进展,介绍了催化剂的催化机理,并就其发展趋势提出了构想.     

Catalytic Membranes and Membrane Reactors： An Integrated Approach to Catalytic Process with a High Efficiency and a Low Environmental Impact

The design of new heterogeneous photooxygenation systems able to employ visible light,oxygen,mild temperatures,and solvent with a low environmental impact has been investigated. In particular,the heterogenization of decatungstate (W10O4-32),a polyoxometalate with photocatalytic activity in oxidation reactions,has been carried out in polymeric membranes of polyvinylidenefluoride. The polymeric catalytic membranes prepared by phase inversion technique have been successfully applied in the aerobic mineralization of phenol in water,which was used as an example of organic pollutant. In order to evaluate the effect of the polymeric environment on the overall catalyst behavior,we have also heterogenized the decatungstate (opportunely functionalized) in perfluorinated membrane made of Hyflon. The photocatalytic composite membranes are characterized by different and tuneable properties depending on the nature of the polymeric micro-environment,in which the catalyst is confined. Moreover,the selective separation function of the membrane results in enhanced performance in comparison with homogeneous reactions.     

The Influence of Elastic Strain on Catalytic Activity in the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Understanding the role of elastic strain in modifying catalytic reaction rates is crucial for catalyst design, but experimentally, this effect is often coupled with a ligand effect. To isolate the strain effect, we have investigated the influence of externally applied elastic strain on the catalytic activity of metal films in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We show that elastic strain tunes the catalytic activity in a controlled and predictable way. Both theory and experiment show strain controls reactivity in a controlled manner consistent with the qualitative predictions of the HER volcano plot and the d‐band theory: Ni and Pt's activities were accelerated by compression, while Cu's activity was accelerated by tension. By isolating the elastic strain effect from the ligand effect, this study provides a greater insight into the role of elastic strain in controlling electrocatalytic activity.     

Directed Evolution of a Nonheme Diiron N-oxygenase AzoC for Improving Its Catalytic Efficiency toward Nitrogen Heterocycle Substrates

The azoxy compounds with an intriguing chemical bond [-N=N⁺(-O⁻)-] are known to have broad applications in many industries. Our previous work revealed that a nonheme diiron N-oxygenase AzoC catalyzed the oxidization of amino-group to its nitroso analogue in the formation of azoxy bond in azoxymycins biosynthesis. However, except for the reported pyridine alkaloid azoxy compounds, most azoxy bonds of nitrogen heterocycles have not been biosynthesized so far, and the substrate scope of AzoC is limited to p-aminobenzene-type compounds. Therefore, it is very meaningful to use AzoC to realize the biosynthesis of azoxy nitrogen heterocycles compounds. In this work, we further studied the catalytic potential of AzoC toward nitrogen heterocycle substrates including 5-aminopyrimidine and 5-aminopyridine compounds to form new azoxy compounds through directed evolution. We constructed a double mutant L101I/Q104R via molecular engineering with improved catalytic efficiency toward 2-methoxypyrimidin-5-amine. These mutations also proved to be beneficial for N-oxygenation of methyl 5-aminopyrimidine-2-carboxylate. The structural analysis showed that relatively shorter distance between the substrate and the diiron center and amino acid residues of the active center may be responsible for the improvement of catalytic efficiency in L101I/Q104R. Our results provide a molecular basis for broadening the AzoC catalytic activity and its application in the biosynthesis of azoxy six-membered nitrogen catenation compounds.