Investigation of the mechanism of action of pyrogallol-phloroglucinol transhydroxylase by using putative intermediates

Pyrogallol-phloroglucinol transhydroxylase from Pelobacter acidigallici, a molybdopterin-containing enzyme, catalyzes a key reaction in the anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. In vitro, the enzymatic reaction requires 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroxybenzene as a cocatalyst and the transhydroxylation occurs without exchange with hydroxy groups from water. To test our previous proposal that the transfer of the hydroxy group occurs via 2,4,6,3',4',5'-hexahydroxydiphenyl ether as an intermediate, we synthesized this compound and investigated its properties. We also describe the synthesis and characterization of 3,4,5,3',4',5'-hexahydroxydiphenyl ether. Both compounds could substitute for the cocatalyst in vitro. This indicates that the diphenyl ethers can intrude into the active site and initiate the catalytic cycle. Recently, the X-ray crystal structure of the transhydroxylase (TH) was published16 and it supports the proposed mechanism of hydroxy-group transfer.