DpgC is a metal- and cofactor-free 3,5-dihydroxyphenylacetyl-CoA 1,2-dioxygenase in the vancomycin biosynthetic pathway

3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine is a crucial amino acid monomer in the nonribosomal glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin. This nonproteinogenic amino acid is constructed from malonyl-CoA by a set of four enzymes, DpgA-D, in the biosynthetic cluster. DpgC is an unusual metal-free, cofactor-free enzyme that consumes O(2) during the conversion of 3,5-dihydroxyphenylacetyl-CoA (DPA-CoA) to the penultimate intermediate 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglyoxylate (DPGx). We show that in anaerobic incubations, DpgC catalyzes the exchange of the C(2)-methylene hydrogens of DPA-CoA at unequal rates, consistent with enzyme-mediated formation of the substrate-derived C(2)-carbanion as an early intermediate. Incubations with (18)O(2) reveal that DpgC transfers both atoms of an O(2) molecule to DPGx product. This establishes DpgC as a 1,2-dioxygenase that mediates thioester cleavage by the oxygen transfer process. These results are consistent with a DPA-CoA C(2)-peroxy intermediate, followed by enzyme-directed alpha-peroxylactone formation and collapse by O-O bond cleavage.     

Titrimetrische Methoden

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Chemoenzymatic route to macrocyclic hybrid peptide/polyketide-like molecules

Hybrid peptide-polyketides are a class of medically and biologically important natural products characterized by stereochemical and functional diversity. In their biosynthesis, hybrids are often macrocyclized to achieve rigid structures that populate bioactive conformations. We herein present a chemoenzymatic strategy to access the stereochemical and functional diversity found in macrocyclic hybrid natural products in a manner amenable to efficient library synthesis. Our method makes use of small building blocks in the form of Fmoc-protected epsilon-amino acids containing embedded polyketide functionality. The building block approach allows for combinatorial synthesis of linear molecules that can be activated as soluble thioesters or tethered to a solid-phase resin. We demonstrate that these linear molecules are substrates for macrocyclization by a tolerant catalyst, TycC TE, derived from a nonribosomal peptide synthetase. The method should allow for access to diverse structures with hybrid peptide-polyketide character that can be screened for improved or novel activities.     

D-Ala-D-X ligases: evaluation of D-alanyl phosphate intermediate by MIX, PIX and rapid quench studies

BACKGROUND: The D-alanyl-D-lactate (D-Ala-D-Lac) ligase is required for synthesis of altered peptidoglycan (PG) termini in the VanA phenotype of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and the D-alanyl-D-serine (D-Ala-D-Ser) ligase is required for the VanC phenotype of VRE. Here we have compared these with the Escherichia coli D-Ala-D-Ala ligase DdlB for formation of the enzyme-bound D-alanyl phosphate, D-Ala(1)-PO(3)(2-) (D-Ala(1)-P), intermediate. RESULTS: The VanC2 ligase catalyzes a molecular isotope exchange (MIX) partial reaction, incorporating radioactivity from (14)C-D-Ser into D-Ala-(14)C-D-Ser at a rate of 0.7 min(-1), which approaches kinetic competence for the reversible D-Ala(1)-P formation from the back direction. A positional isotope exchange (PIX) study with the VanC2 and VanA ligases displayed a D-Ala(1)-dependent bridge to nonbridge exchange of the oxygen-18 label of [gamma-(18)O(4)]-ATP at rates of up to 0.6 min(-1); this exchange was completely suppressed by the addition of the second substrate D-Ser or D-Lac, respectively, as the D-Ala(1)-P intermediate was swept in the forward direction. As a third criterion for formation of bound D-Ala(1)-P, we conducted rapid quench studies to detect bursts of ADP formation in the first turnover of DdlB and VanA. With E. coli DdlB, there was a burst amplitude of ADP corresponding to 26-30% of the DdlB active sites, followed by the expected steady-state rate of 620-650 min(-1). For D-Ala-D-Lac and D-Ala-D-Ala synthesis by VanA, we measured a burst of 25-30% or 51% of active enzyme, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These three approaches support the rapid (more than 1000 min(-1)), reversible formation of the enzyme intermediate D-Ala(1)-P by members of the D-Ala-D-X (where X is Ala, Ser or Lac) ligase superfamily.     

A DFT Study on the Conversion of Aryl Iodides to Alkyl Iodides: Reductive Elimination of R−I from Alkylpalladium Iodide Complexes with Accessible β‐Hydrogens

DFT calculations have been performed on the palladium‐catalyzed carboiodination reaction. The reaction involves oxidative addition, alkyne insertion, C?N bond cleavage, and reductive elimination. For the alkylpalladium iodide intermediate, LiOtBu stabilizes the intermediate in non‐polar solvents, thus promoting reductive elimination and preventing β‐hydride elimination. The C?N bond cleavage process was explored and the computations show that PPh₃ is not bound to the Pd center during this step. Experimentally, it was demonstrated that LiOtBu is not necessary for the oxidative addition, alkyne insertion, or C?N bond cleavage steps, lending support to the conclusions from the DFT calculations. The turnover‐limiting steps were found to be C?N bond cleavage and reductive elimination, whereas oxidative addition, alkyne insertion, and formation of the indole ring provide the driving force for the reaction.     

Chemical principles underpinning the performance of the metal–organic framework HKUST-1

A common feature of multi-functional metal–organic frameworks is a metal dimer in the form of a paddlewheel, as found in the structure of Cu₃(btc)₂ (HKUST-1). The HKUST-1 framework demonstrates exceptional gas storage, sensing and separation, catalytic activity and, in recent studies, unprecedented ionic and electrical conductivity. These results are a promising step towards the real-world application of metal–organic materials. In this perspective, we discuss progress in the understanding of the electronic, magnetic and physical properties of HKUST-1, representative of the larger family of Cu···Cu containing metal–organic frameworks. We highlight the chemical interactions that give rise to its favourable properties, and which make this material well suited to a range of technological applications. From this analysis, we postulate key design principles for tailoring novel high-performance hybrid frameworks.