Enzyme Activity by Design: An Artificial Rhodium Hydroformylase for Linear Aldehydes

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) are hybrid catalysts that offer a unique opportunity to combine the superior performance of natural protein structures with the unnatural reactivity of transition‐metal catalytic centers. Therefore, they provide the prospect of highly selective and active catalytic chemical conversions for which natural enzymes are unavailable. Herein, we show how by rationally combining robust site‐specific phosphine bioconjugation methods and a lipid‐binding protein (SCP‐2L), an artificial rhodium hydroformylase was developed that displays remarkable activities and selectivities for the biphasic production of long‐chain linear aldehydes under benign aqueous conditions. Overall, this study demonstrates that judiciously chosen protein‐binding scaffolds can be adapted to obtain metalloenzymes that provide the reactivity of the introduced metal center combined with specifically intended product selectivity.     

Effect of Additives on the Selectivity and Reactivity of Enzymes

Enzymes have been widely used as efficient, eco‐friendly, and biodegradable catalysts in organic chemistry due to their mild reaction conditions and high selectivity and efficiency. In recent years, the catalytic promiscuity of many enzymes in unnatural reactions has been revealed and studied by chemists and biochemists, which has expanded the application potential of enzymes. To enhance the selectivity and activity of enzymes in their natural or promiscuous reactions, many methods have been recommended, such as protein engineering, process engineering, and media engineering. Among them, the additive approach is very attractive because of its simplicity to use and high efficiency. In this paper, we will review the recent developments about the applications of additives to improve the catalytic performances of enzymes in their natural and promiscuous reactions. These additives include water, organic bases, water mimics, cosolvents, crown ethers, salts, surfactants, and some particular molecular additives.     

Catalytic hyperbranched polymers as enzyme mimics; exploiting the principles of encapsulation and supramolecular chemistry

Nature uses the principles of encapsulation and supramolecular chemistry to bind and orientate substrates within active catalytic sites. Over the years, synthetic chemistry has generated a number of small molecule active site mimics capable of catalysing reactions involving bound substrates. Another approach uses larger molecules that better represent an enzymes globular structure. These molecules mimic an enzymes structure by incorporating binding/catalytic sites within the globular structure of the polymer. As such, the electronic and steric properties around the binding/catalytic site(s) can be controlled and fine-tuned. One class of polymer that is particularly adept at mimicking the globular structure of enzymes are dendritic polymers. This review will concentrate on the use of hyperbranched polymers as synthetic enzyme mimics.     

Enzyme Mimic Based on a Self-Assembled Chitosan/DNA Hybrid Exhibits Superior Activity and Tolerance

Nature has evolved enzymes with exquisite active sites that catalyze biotransformations with high efficiency. However, the exploitation of natural enzymes is often hampered by poor stability, and natural enzyme production and purification are costly. Supramolecular self-assembly allows the construction of biomimetic active sites, although it is challenging to produce such artificial enzymes with catalytic activity and stability that rival those of natural enzymes. We report herein a strategy to produce a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) mimic based on the assembly of chitosan with a G-quadruplex DNA (G-DNA)/hemin complex. A network-like morphology of the assembled nanomaterial was observed together with a remarkable enhancement of peroxidase activity induced by the chitosan and G-DNA components. The turnover frequency and catalytic efficiency of the enzyme-mimicking material reached or even surpassed those of HRP. Moreover, the catalytic complex exhibited higher tolerance than HRP to harsh environments, such as extremely low pH or high temperatures. In accord with the experimental and simulated results, it is concluded that the spatial distribution of the G-DNA and chitosan components and the exposure of the catalytic center may facilitate the coordination of substrates by the hemin iron, leading to the superior activity of the material. Our work provides a simple and affordable avenue to produce highly active and robust enzyme-mimicking catalytic nanomaterials.     

Studies on the Phenol Oxidation by H2O2 Catalyzed by Metallomicelle Made from Crowned Schiff Base Co(II) Complexes Containing Benzoaza-15-crown-5

Three novel cobalt(II) complexes of the benzoaza-15-crown-5 Schiff base, CoL¹, CoL², and CoL³ were synthesized and characterized. Metallomicelles made from CoL and surfactants (CTAB, LSS, and Brij35) were used as mimetic peroxidase in the catalytic oxidation of phenol by H₂O₂. For comparison, the catalytic activity of the complexes (CoL¹, CoL², and CoL³) were also investigated. The mechanism and a kinetic mathematic model of the phenol catalytic oxidation were studied. The acid effect of reaction system, structural effect of the complexes, and effect of temperature on the rate of the phenol catalytic oxidation by the mimetic peroxidase were discussed. The results show that the Schiff base cobalt(II) complexes and their metallomicelles as peroxidase mimics exhibit good catalytic activity and similar catalytic character to natural enzyme.     

Current State of [Fe]-Hydrogenase and Its Biomimetic Models

[Fe]-hydrogenase, the third type of natural hydrogenase, is capable to heterolytically activate hydrogen molecule and transfer the resulting hydride to an unsaturated substrate, making it a promising hydrogenation catalyst. Over the last three decades, fruitful results on this enzyme have been achieved. In this review, we have summarized the major progresses about this enzyme including its structural characterisation, catalytic mechanism, cofactor biosynthesis, mimetic model development as well as artificial enzymes construction. In the meanwhile, challenges and opportunities of this enzyme and its mimetic systems in the application of synthetic chemistry and others are discussed.     

酶催化反应模拟作用的研究及分析应用

生物转是化学和生物学交叉研究领域，包括生物催化剂（酶）工程和反应介质工程两大要素。一方面，开发性能优良的模拟酶，能模拟天然酶生物体内的高催化活性（酶模拟）；另一方面，介质工程可以用体外的方法模拟酶在生物体内细胞膜的微环境（膜模拟），对用体外的方法研究生物内催化信息，探讨生物体系的生命现象具有重要的意义。     

De Novo Design,Synthesis and Characterisation of MP3, A New Catalytic Four‐Helix Bundle Hemeprotein

A new artificial metalloenzyme, MP3 (MiniPeroxidase 3), designed by combining the excellent structural properties of four‐helix bundle protein scaffolds with the activity of natural peroxidases, was synthesised and characterised. This new hemeprotein model was developed by covalently linking the deuteroporphyrin to two peptide chains of different compositions to obtain an asymmetric helix–loop–helix/heme/helix–loop–helix sandwich arrangement, characterised by 1) a His residue on one chain that acts as an axial ligand to the iron ion; 2) a vacant distal site that is able to accommodate exogenous ligands or substrates; and 3) an Arg residue in the distal site that should assist in hydrogen peroxide activation to give an HRP‐like catalytic process. MP3 was synthesised and characterised as its iron complex. CD measurements revealed the high helix‐forming propensity of the peptide, confirming the appropriateness of the model procedure; UV/Vis, MCD and EPR experiments gave insights into the coordination geometry and the spin state of the metal. Kinetic experiments showed that Fe^III–MP3 possesses peroxidase‐like activity comparable to R38A–hHRP, highlighting the possibility of mimicking the functional features of natural enzymes. The synergistic application of de novo design methods, synthetic procedures, and spectroscopic characterisation, described herein, demonstrates a method by which to implement and optimise catalytic activity for an enzyme mimetic.     

Studies on Phenol Oxidation with H2O2 Catalyzed by Schiff Base Cobalt(II) Complexes in Micellar Solution

The two Schiff base cobalt(II) complexes, CoL¹ and CoL², were synthesized and characterized. The metallomicelle made up of the cobalt(II) complexes and surfactants (CTAB, LSS and Brij35), as mimic peroxidase metalloenzyme, were used in the catalytic oxidation of phenol by H₂O₂. The mechanism and a kinetic mathematic model of the phenol catalytic oxidation were studied. The acid effect of reaction system, structural effect of the complexes, and effect of temperature on the rate of the phenol oxidation catalyzed by the mimetic peroxidases have been discussed. The results showed that the schiff base cobalt(II) complexes and their metallomicelles as peroxidase mimics exhibit good catalytic activity and similar catalytic character to natural enzyme.     

Synthesis of an enzyme-like imprinted polymer with the substrate as the template, and its catalytic properties under aqueous conditions

Transition state analogues (TSAs) have long been regarded as ideal templates for the preparation of catalytically active synthetic imprinted polymers. In the current work, however, a new type of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized with the substrate (homovanillic acid, HVA) as the template and hemin introduced as the catalytic center, with the use of plural functional monomers to prepare the active sites. The MIP successfully mimicked natural peroxidase, suggesting that it may not be imperative to employ a TSA as the template when preparing enzyme-like imprinted polymers and that the imprinted polymer matrix provided an advantageous microenvironment around the catalytic center (hemin), essentially similar to that supplied by apo-proteins in natural enzymes. Significantly, by taking advantage of the special structure of hemin and multiple-site interactions provided by several functional monomers, the intrinsic difficulties for MIPs in recognizing template molecules in polar solutions were overcome. The newly developed polymer showed considerable recognizing ability toward HVA, catalytic activity, substrate specificity and also stability, which are the merits lacked by the natural peroxidase. Meanwhile, the ease of recovery and reuse the MIP implies the potential for industrial application.     

载酶纳米催化体系用于疾病诊疗的研究进展

酶作为一种具有高度特异性和高效性的催化剂, 可在细胞器中通过复杂有序的生化反应调节细胞的代谢过程. 受细胞区隔化结构的启发, 仿生设计纳米酶催化体系、 构筑限域酶催化微环境从而提高酶催化活性的研究为酶催化应用开辟了新思路. 纳米催化体系保留了小尺寸、 大比表面积、 肿瘤部位选择性富集等优势, 在疾病的诊疗方面发挥了巨大的优势. 本文首先总结了天然酶、 模拟酶和级联酶体系的催化机理, 对仿生构筑的纳米酶催化材料的载体体系进行了概述, 介绍了纳米酶催化体系在生物成像方面的应用, 讨论了其在相关代谢类疾病的作用途径, 并对纳米酶催化体系用于生物诊疗的发展前景进行了展望.     

Renewable Molecular Flasks with NADH Models: Combination of Light-Driven Proton Reduction and Biomimetic Hydrogenation of Benzoxazinones

Using small molecules with defined pockets to catalyze chemical transformations resulted in attractive catalytic syntheses that echo the remarkable properties of enzymes. By modulating the active site of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) model in a redox-active molecular flask, we combined biomimetic hydrogenation with in situ regeneration of the active site in a one-pot transformation using light as a clean energy source. This molecular flask facilitates the encapsulation of benzoxazinones for biomimetic hydrogenation of the substrates within the inner space of the flask using the active sites of the NADH models. The redox-active metal centers provide an active hydrogen source by light-driven proton reduction outside the pocket, allowing the in situ regeneration of the NADH models under irradiation. This new synthetic platform, which offers control over the location of the redox events, provides a regenerating system that exhibits high selectivity and efficiency and is extendable to benzoxazinone and quinoxalinone systems.     

稀土及其配合物对核酸的断裂作用

人工核酸酶是一类具有限制性内切酶的功能、能高效高选择性地催化水解DNA 或RNA 的断裂工具。它们一般由核酸结构识别系统及催化断裂系统组成, 将两种功能有效地结合起来, 可模拟核酸的酶切反应。本文综述了稀土及其配合物对核酸的断裂作用, 并对其断裂机制进行了探讨。     

Evaluation and comparison of alternatives to Protein A chromatography Mimetic and hydrophobic charge induction chromatographic stationary phases

In this paper Protein A mimetic and hydrophobic charge induction chromatographic (HCIC) stationary phases are characterized in terms of their protein adsorption characteristics and their selectivity is compared with Protein A chromatography using a set of Chinese hamster ovary-derived monoclonal antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins. Linear retention experiments were employed to compare the selectivities of these resins for both non-IgG model proteins as well as antibodies and the fusion proteins. While none of the non-IgG model proteins were observed to bind to the Protein A resin, most of them did in fact bind to the alternative resins. In addition, while the elution pH was similar for the model proteins and antibodies on the HCIC resin, the mimetic resins did exhibit higher binding for the antibodies under these linear pH gradient conditions. A mixed mode preparative isotherm model previously developed for HCIC was shown to accurately describe the adsorption behavior of the mimetic materials as well. Host cell protein clearance profiles were also investigated under preparative conditions using complex biological feeds and the results indicated that while some selectivity was observed for both the HCIC and the mimetic materials, the purification factors were in general significantly less than those obtained with Protein A. It is important to note, however, that the selectivity of the mimetic and HCIC materials was also observed to be antibody specific indicating that further optimization may well result in increased selectivities for these materials.     

Direct electrochemical detection of kanamycin based on peroxidase-like activity of gold nanoparticles

An enzyme-free, ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of kanamycin residue was achieved based on mimetic peroxidase activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and target-induced replacement of the aptamer. AuNPs which were synthesized using tyrosine as a reducing and capping agent, exhibited mimetic peroxidase activity. In the presence of kanamycin-specific aptamer, however, the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) adsorbed on the surface of AuNPs via the interaction between the bases of ssDNA and AuNPs, and therefore blocked the catalytic site of AuNPs, and inhibited their peroxidase activity. While in the presence of target kanamycin, it bound with the adsorbed aptamer on AuNPs with high affinity, exposed the surface of AuNPs and recovered the peroxidase activity. Then AuNPs catalyzed the reaction between H₂O₂ and reduced thionine to produce oxidized thionine. The latter exhibited a distinct reduction peak on gold electrode in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and could be utilized to quantify the concentration of kanamycin. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed electrochemical assay showed an extremely high sensitivity towards kanamycin, with a linear relationship between the peak current and the concentration of kanamycin in the range of 0.1–60 nM, and a detection limit of 0.06 nM. Moreover, the established approach was successfully applied in the detection of kanamycin in honey samples. Therefore, the proposed electrochemical assay has great potential in the fields of food quality control and environmental monitoring.     

Renewable Molecular Flasks with NADH Models: Combination of Light‐Driven Proton Reduction and Biomimetic Hydrogenation of Benzoxazinones

Using small molecules with defined pockets to catalyze chemical transformations resulted in attractive catalytic syntheses that echo the remarkable properties of enzymes. By modulating the active site of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) model in a redox‐active molecular flask, we combined biomimetic hydrogenation with in situ regeneration of the active site in a one‐pot transformation using light as a clean energy source. This molecular flask facilitates the encapsulation of benzoxazinones for biomimetic hydrogenation of the substrates within the inner space of the flask using the active sites of the NADH models. The redox‐active metal centers provide an active hydrogen source by light‐driven proton reduction outside the pocket, allowing the in situ regeneration of the NADH models under irradiation. This new synthetic platform, which offers control over the location of the redox events, provides a regenerating system that exhibits high selectivity and efficiency and is extendable to benzoxazinone and quinoxalinone systems.     

Gerichtete Evolution und rationales Design. Maßgeschneiderte Enzyme

While most enzymes are highly adapted to their natural role, few biocatalysts meet the requirements for industrial applications such as high activity, high stability and excellent selectivity. Modern methods of protein evolution allow the optimisation of enzymes by the alteration of the amino acid sequence and hence the modification of chemical and catalytic properties. This article gives an overview about the strategies rational protein design and directed evolution. The scope and limitations of both methods are outlined by the discussion of very recent examples on the optimisation of stability and selectivity and the creation of novel biocatalysts.     

Enhanced Peroxidase‐Like Properties of Graphene–Hemin‐Composite Decorated with Au Nanoflowers as Electrochemical Aptamer Biosensor for the Detection of K562 Leukemia Cancer Cells

Graphene composites with hemin and gold nanoparticles show a better performance for hydrogen peroxide decomposition compared to that of the three components alone or duplex/hybrid complexes. Our previous studies showed that the morphology of the Au nanoparticles may greatly influence the catalytic activity of graphene‐family peroxidase mimics. Recently, we found that Au nanoflowers could grow in situ and form on the surface of hemin/RGO (reduced graphene oxide). The prickly morphology of this Au nanoflower brought a higher catalytic ability with enhanced kinetic parameters than traditional Au nanoparticles that showed a smooth surface. Therefore, based on this discovery, a smart electrochemical aptamer biosensor for K562 leukemia cancer cells was further presented with good performance in selectivity and sensitivity attributed to the excellent mimetic peroxidase catalytic activity of this newly synthesized Au nanoflower decorated graphene–hemin composite (H‐RGO‐Au NFs).     

DNA增强金纳米颗粒过氧化物模拟酶活性检测K~+

许多纳米材料因具有与天然酶类似的催化活性而被应用于过程催化和酶促动力学分析等领域.本研究发现,当单链DNA如核酸适配子包被在金纳米颗粒表面时,金纳米颗粒的过氧化物模拟酶活性被增强,能催化更多的酶底物3,3′,5,5′-四甲基联苯胺(TMB)生成氧化态的蓝色产物,在650 nm处出现特征吸收峰.若进一步加入能与核酸适配子结合的靶物如K+,由于靶物与核酸适配子的特异性结合形成G-4折叠而从金纳米颗粒表面脱离,导致模拟酶活性降低,溶液颜色变浅,650 nm处的吸光度值随之降低.以此为反应基础,建立了靶物K+的可视化检测分析方法.以650 nm处吸收值变化(ΔA650)对K+浓度的自然对数进行拟合,发现在1.5×10-4~2.8×10-3 mol/L范围内有良好的线性关系,相关系数(r)为0.9916.本方法有很好的选择性,同时具有较强的普适性,可应用于其他具有核酸适配体的物质检测.