Recent developments on creation of artificial metalloenzymes

Organic synthesis using biocatalysts has been developed over many years and is still a prominent area of research. In this context, various hybrid biocatalysts composed of a synthetic metal complex catalyst and a protein scaffold (i.e. “artificial metalloenzymes”) have been constructed. One of the most recent research areas in biocatalysts-mediated synthesis is CC bond/cleavage, the most important type of reaction in organic chemistry. Some of the artificial enzymes were applied to in-cell reactions as well as in vitro systems. The effects of the structural fluctuation in biomacromolecules on their functions have also been realized. This review article includes recent research examples of artificial metalloenzymes used to CC bond formation/cleavage. As a perspective, we also focus on how we apply protein dynamics factor for the creation of new generation artificial metalloenzymes.     

Anticoagulant activity of immobilized thrombomodulin

Bovine lung thrombomodulin was partially purified, and immobilized on agarose gel (Sepharose 4B). Immobilized thrombomodulin inhibited the procoagulant activity of thrombin, and enhanced the thrombin-catalyzed protein C activation. The plasma recalcification time test showed that immobilized thrombomodulin prolonged plasma clotting time. It is suggested that the immobilization of thrombomodulin will provide an antithrombogenic biomaterial able to convert thrombin from a procoagulant to an anticoagulant enzyme.     

Regional cerebral blood flow measurement in brain tumors

The regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was determined on seventeen patients with brain tumors. Ring type single photon emission CT (SPECT) was used following intravenous injection of 133Xe. Case materials included eleven meningiomas and six malignant gliomas. Evaluation was performed with emphasis on the following points; Correlation of the flow data within tumors to the angiographic tumor stains, Influence of tumors on the cerebral blood flow of the normal brain tissue, Correlation between degree of peripheral edema and the flow data of the affected hemispheres. There was significant correlation between flow data within tumors and angiographic tumor stains in meningiomas. Influence of tumors on cerebral blood flow of the normal tissue was greater in meningiomas than in gliomas. There was negative correlation between the degree of peripheral edema and the flow data of the affected hemisphere. It has been concluded that the measurement of CBF in brain tumors is a valuable method in evaluation of brain tumors.     

Ligand binding properties of myoglobin reconstituted with iron porphycene: unusual O2 binding selectivity against CO binding

Sperm whale myoglobin, an oxygen storage hemoprotein, was successfully reconstituted with the iron porphycene having two propionates, 2,7-diethyl-3,6,12,17-tetramethyl-13,16-bis(carboxyethyl)porphycenatoiron. The physicochemical properties and ligand bindings of the reconstituted myoglobin were investigated. The ferric reconstituted myoglobin shows the remarkable stability against acid denaturation and only a low-spin characteristic in its EPR spectrum. The Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox potential (-190 mV vs NHE) determined by the spectroelectrochemical measurements was much lower than that of the wild-type. These results can be attributed to the strong coordination of His93 to the porphycene iron, which is induced by the nature of the porphycene ring symmetry. The O2 affinity of the ferrous reconstituted myoglobin is 2600-fold higher than that of the wild-type, mainly due to the decrease in the O2 dissociation rate, whereas the CO affinity is not so significantly enhanced. As a result, the O2 affinity of the reconstituted myoglobin exceeds its CO affinity (M' = K(CO)/K(O2) < 1). The ligand binding studies on H64A mutants support the fact that the slow O2 dissociation of the reconstituted myoglobin is primarily caused by the stabilization of the Fe-O2 sigma-bonding. The IR spectra for the carbon monoxide (CO) complex of the reconstituted myoglobin suggest several structural and/or electrostatic conformations of the Fe-C-O bond, but this is not directly correlated with the CO dissociation rate. The high O2 affinity and the unique characteristics of the myoglobin with the iron porphycene indicate that reconstitution with a synthesized heme is a useful method not only to understand the physiological function of myoglobin but also to create a tailor-made function on the protein.     

Comment: Proton transfer in solid benzoic acid. Reply to the comment by K. Furić

In response to the Comment of Furi?, attention is drawn to four points: the dinstinction between the reaction and normal coordinates, zero-point energy, an alternative of the NMR results, and ab initio calculations.     

Doppler-limited dye laser excitation spectrum of the C2 Swan band (v′ − v″ = 1 − 0)

The dye laser excitation spectrum of the Swan band (v′ ? v″ = 1 ? 0) has been observed with Doppler-limited resolution. The C₂ molecule was generated by the reaction of microwave discharge products of CF₄ with CH₄. The high sensitivity of laser excitation spectroscopy has enabled us to observe not only $\text{ΔΩ}\text{= 0}$ transitions, but also $\text{ΔΩ}\text{= ± 1}$ transitions and to determine molecular constants including the spin-orbit coupling constant for both the d³Π_g and a³Π_u states. The parameters thus obtained for a³Π_u were favorably compared with those previously obtained from the Ballik-Ramsay band. The present results on the d³Π_gv = 1 state were combined with those of an earlier Fourier spectroscopic study on the Swan band (v′ ? v″ = 0 ? 0) to derive equilibrium molecular constants for the d³Π_g state. The contributions of the spin-rotation interaction and the centrifugal correction for the spin-orbit coupling to the energy levels in a ³Π state have been discussed in detail.     

Dynamical structure of peptide molecules: Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy of N-methylpropionamide

In order to clarify the dynamical aspects of the peptide structure, N-methylpropionamide (NMPA) was investigated as an example of peptide molecules: XCONHY (X=CH₃CH₂ and Y=CH₃ for NMPA), paying special attention to the internal rotation of the two methyl groups. NMPA was found to have an almost planar skeleton with an extended syn/trans conformation, as indicated by the observed value of I_aa+I_bb−I_cc, and its rotational spectra were interpreted in terms of group G₁₈ consisting of six symmetry species: A₁, A₂, E₁, E₂, E₃, and E₄. The A₁ and E₂ spectra were observed split in most of b-type transitions, yielding the internal-rotation potential barrier V₃ of 796 (21) cm⁻¹ for CH₃ in the ethyl group referred to as C-CH₃. The spectra of the three E species: E₁, E₃, and E₄ appeared several tens to thousands MHz apart from the corresponding A₁ spectra, suggesting the internal-rotation potential barrier of CH₃ bonded to the nitrogen, called N-CH₃, to be quite low. In sharp contrast with the A₁ spectra, which were well fitted to the ordinary asymmetric-rotor spectral pattern, a few higher-order terms were required to reproduce the E₁ spectra, presumably because of the low N-CH₃ barrier. The spectral analysis thus performed, in fact, led to the V₃ of 80.06487 (14) cm⁻¹, an order of magnitude lower than that of C-CH₃. The E₃ and E₄ spectra were found to form triplets with the corresponding E₁ lines at the center, and the E₃-E₁ and E₄-E₁ splittings were explained essentially by the contributions of the C-CH₃ internal rotation combined with the kinetic-energy coupling between the two methyl groups. The torsion around the C-C bond between the ethyl and carbonyl groups was suggested by an ab initio calculation to be of double minimum nature, but the observed A₁ spectra did not show any indication of such a double-minimum potential for the C-C torsion, although the possibility of a small hump being present at a planar conformation could not be entirely eliminated. The present results on NMPA along with those obtained on other peptide molecules will be of some significance in clarifying important problems of structural biology such as protein folding and signal transfer through biological systems.