Redox Potentials of Cobalt Corrinoids with Axial Ligands Correlate with Heterolytic Co-C Bond Dissociation Energies.

We investigate the correlations between the redox potentials of nonalkylated cobalt corrinoids and the Co-C bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of the methylated species with an aqua or histidine axial ligand. A set of cobalt corrinoids, cobalamin, and its model systems, which include new version of myoglobin reconstituted with cobalt didehydrocorrin, are investigated. The Co(III)/Co(II) and Co(II)/Co(I) redox potentials of myoglobin reconstituted with cobalt tetradehydrocorrin and didehydrocorrin and the bare cofactors were determined. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to estimate the Co-C BDEs of the methylated species. It is found that the redox potentials correlate well with the heterolytic BDEs, which are dependent on the electronegativity of the corrinoid frameworks. The present study offers two important insights into our understanding of how enzymes promote the reactions: (i) homolysis is promoted by strong axial ligation and (ii) heterolysis is controlled by the redox potentials, which are regulated by the saturated framework and axial ligation in the enzyme.

Amitorines A and B, Nitrogenous Diterpene Metabolites of Theonella swinhoei: Isolation, Structure Elucidation, and Asymmetric Synthesis.

Two new nitrogenous prenylbisabolanes never before found in Lithistid sponges have been isolated from Theonella swinhoei. These new diterpenes, named amitorine A (1) and amitorine B (2), containing a prenylbisabolane skeleton have been characterized by spectroscopic analyses, and the relative and absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by asymmetric synthesis of both diastereomers via the common bicyclic lactone 6 intermediate.

Crystal Structures and Coordination Behavior of Aqua- and Cyano-Co(III) Tetradehydrocorrins in the Heme Pocket of Myoglobin.

Myoglobins reconstituted with aqua- and cyano-Co(III) tetradehydrocorrins, rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)), respectively, were prepared and investigated as models of a cobalamin-dependent enzyme. The former protein was obtained by oxidation of rMb(Co(II)(TDHC)) with K3[Fe(CN)6]. The cyanide-coordinated Co(III) species in the latter protein was prepared by ligand exchange of rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) with exogenous cyanide upon addition of KCN. The X-ray crystallographic study reveals the hexacoordinated structures of rMb(Co(III)(OH)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) at 1.20 and 1.40 Å resolution, respectively. The (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the cyanide in rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) were determined to be 108.6 and 110.6 ppm. IR measurements show that the cyanide of rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) has a stretching frequency peak at 2151 cm(-1) which is higher than that of cyanocobalamin. The (13)C NMR and IR measurements indicate weaker coordination of the cyanide to Co(III)(TDHC) relative to cobalamin, a vitamin B12 derivative. Thus, the extent of π-back-donation from the cobalt ion to the cyanide ion is lower in rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)). Furthermore, the pK(1/2) values of rMb(Co(III)(OH2)(TDHC)) and rMb(Co(III)(CN)(TDHC)) were determined by a pH titration experiment to be 3.2 and 5.5, respectively, indicating that the cyanide ligation weakens the Co-N(His93) bond. Theoretical calculations also demonstrate that the axial ligand exchange from water to cyanide elongates the Co-N(axial) bond with a decrease in the bond dissociation energy. Taken together, the cyano-Co(III) tetradehydrocorrin in myoglobin is appropriate for investigation as a structural analogue of methylcobalamin, a key intermediate in methionine synthase reaction.

Intraprotein transmethylation via a CH3-Co(iii) species in myoglobin reconstituted with a cobalt corrinoid complex.

Myoglobin reconstituted with a cobalt tetradehydrocorrin derivative, rMb(Co(TDHC)), was investigated as a hybrid model to replicate the reaction catalyzed by methionine synthase. In the heme pocket, Co(I)(TDHC) is found to react with methyl iodide to form the methylated cobalt complex, CH3-Co(III)(TDHC), although it is known that a similar nucleophilic reaction of a cobalt(i) tetradehydrocorrin complex does not proceed effectively in organic solvents. Furthermore, we observed a residue- and regio-selective transmethylation from the CH3-Co(III)(TDHC) species to the Nε2 atom of the His64 imidazole ring in myoglobin at 25 °C over a period of 48 h. These findings indicate that the protein matrix promotes the model reaction of methionine synthase via the methylated cobalt complex. A theoretical calculation provides support for a plausible reaction mechanism wherein the axial histidine ligation stabilizes the methylated cobalt complex and subsequent histidine-flipping induces the transmethylation via heterolytic cleavage of the Co-CH3 bond in the hybrid model.