Detoxification of V-Nerve Agents Assisted by a Microperoxidase: New Pathway Revealed by the Use of a Relevant VX Simulant.

The biocatalyzed oxidative detoxification of the V-series simulant PhX, by mean of the microperoxidase AcMP11, affords the corresponding phosphonothioate as the prominent product instead of the classical P-S and P-O bond cleavage. While PhX is structurally very close to the live agent VX (the methyl group is replaced by a phenyl), assessment with other surrogates missing the nucleophilic amino function displayed more resistance under the same conditions with no phosphonothioate observed. These encouraging results highlight 1) the efficacy of AcMP11 microperoxidase to efficiently detoxify V-series organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNA), and 2) the necessity to use representative alkyl or aryl phosphonothioates simulants such as PhX bearing the appropriate side chain as well as the P-O and P-S cleavable bond to mimic accurately the V-series OPNA to prevent false positive or false negative results.

Binding and Stabilization of a Semiquinone Radical by an Artificial Metalloenzyme Containing a Binuclear Copper (II) Cofactor.

A binuclear Cu(II) cofactor was covalently bound to a lauric acid anchor. The resulting conjugate was characterized then combined with beta-lactoglobulin (ßLG) to generate a new biohybrid following the so-called "Trojan horse" strategy. This biohybrid was examined for its effectiveness in the oxidation of a catechol derivative to the corresponding quinone. The resulting biohybrid did not exhibit the sought after catecholase activity, likely due to its ability to bind and stabilize the semiquinone radical intermediate DTB-SQ. This semi-quinone radical was stabilized only in the presence of the protein and was characterized using optical and magnetic spectroscopic techniques, demonstrating stability for over 16 hours. Molecular docking studies revealed that this stabilization could occur owing to interactions of the semi-quinone with hydrophobic amino acid residues of ßLG.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Catalyzed by an Artificial Cobalt Hemoprotein.

The covalent insertion of a cobalt heme into the cavity of an artificial protein named alpha Rep (αRep) leads to an artificial cobalt hemoprotein that is active as a catalyst not only for the photo-induced production of H2, but also for the reduction of CO2 in a neutral aqueous solution. This new artificial metalloenzyme has been purified and characterized by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), circular dichroism, and UltraViolet-Visible spectroscopy. Using theoretical experiments, the structure of this biohybrid and the positioning of the residues near the metal complex were examined, which made it possible to complete the coordination of the cobalt ion by an axial glutamine Gln283 ligand. While the Co(III)-porphyrin catalyst alone showed weak catalytic activity for both reactions, 10 times more H2 and four times more CO2 were produced when the Co(III)-porphyrin complex was buried in the hydrophobic cavity of the protein. This study thus provides a solid basis for further improvement of these biohybrids using well-designed modifications of the second and outer coordination sphere by site-directed mutagenesis of the host protein.

Binding of a Soluble meso-Tetraarylporphyrin to Human Galectin-7 Induces Oligomerization and Modulates Its Pro-Apoptotic Activity.

The selective targeting of protein-protein interactions remains a significant determinant for the proper modulation and regulation of cell apoptosis. Prototypic galectins such as human galectin-7 (GAL-7) are characterized by their ability to form homodimers that control the molecular fate of a cell by mediating subtle yet critical glycan-dependent interactions between pro- and anti-apoptotic molecular partners. Altering the structural architecture of GAL-7 can therefore result in resistance to apoptosis in various human cancer cells, further illustrating its importance in cell survival. In this study, we used a combination of biophysical and cellular assays to illustrate that binding of a water-soluble meso-tetraarylporphyrin molecule to GAL-7 induces protein oligomerization and modulation of GAL-7-induced apoptosis in human Jurkat T cells. Our results suggest that the integrity of the GAL-7 homodimer architecture is essential for its molecular function, in addition to providing an interesting porphyrin binding modulator for controlling apoptosis in mammalian cells.

An Artificial Hemoprotein with Inducible Peroxidase- and Monooxygenase-Like Activities.

A novel inducible artificial metalloenzyme obtained by covalent attachment of a manganese(III)-tetraphenylporphyrin (MnTPP) to the artificial bidomain repeat protein, (A3A3')Y26C, is reported. The protein is part of the αRep family. The biohybrid was fully characterized by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, circular dichroism and UV/Vis spectroscopies. The peroxidase and monooxygenase activities were evaluated on the original and modified scaffolds including those that have a) an additional imidazole, b) a specific αRep bA3-2 that is known to induce the opening of the (A3A3') interdomain region and c) a derivative of the αRep bA3-2 inducer extended with a His6 -Tag (His6 -bA3-2). Catalytic profiles are highly dependent on the presence of co-catalysts with the best activity obtained with His6 -bA3-2. The entire mechanism was rationalized by an integrative molecular modeling study that includes protein-ligand docking and large-scale molecular dynamics. This constitutes the first example of an entirely artificial metalloenzyme with inducible peroxidase and monooxygenase activities, reminiscent of allosteric regulation of natural enzymatic pathways.

Artificial iron hydrogenase made by covalent grafting of Knölker's complex into xylanase: Application in asymmetric hydrogenation of an aryl ketone in water.

We report a new artificial hydrogenase made by covalent anchoring of the iron Knölker's complex to a xylanase S212C variant. This artificial metalloenzyme was found to be able to catalyze efficiently the transfer hydrogenation of the benchmark substrate trifluoroacetophenone by sodium formate in water, yielding the corresponding secondary alcohol as a racemic. The reaction proceeded more than threefold faster with the XlnS212CK biohybrid than with the Knölker's complex alone. In addition, efficient conversion of trifluoroacetophenone to its corresponding alcohol was reached within 60 H with XlnS212CK, whereas a ≈2.5-fold lower conversion was observed with Knölker's complex alone as catalyst. Moreover, the data were rationalized with a computational strategy suggesting the key factors of the selectivity. These results suggested that the Knölker's complex was most likely flexible and could experience free rotational reorientation within the active-site pocket of Xln A, allowing it to access the subsite pocket populated by trifluoroacetophenone.

Receptor-Based Artificial Metalloenzymes on Living Human Cells.

Artificial metalloenzymes are known to be promising tools for biocatalysis, but their recent compartmentalization has led to compatibly with cell components thus shedding light on possible therapeutic applications. We prepared and characterized artificial metalloenzymes based on the A2A adenosine receptor embedded in the cytoplasmic membranes of living human cells. The wild type receptor was chemically engineered into metalloenzymes by its association with strong antagonists that were covalently bound to copper(II) catalysts. The resulting cells enantioselectively catalyzed the abiotic Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction of cyclopentadiene and azachalcone. The prospects of this strategy lie in the organ-confined in vivo preparation of receptor-based artificial metalloenzymes for the catalysis of reactions exogenous to the human metabolism. These could be used for the targeted synthesis of either drugs or deficient metabolites and for the activation of prodrugs, leading to therapeutic tools with unforeseen applications.

Enzyme Encapsulation in Mesoporous Metal-Organic Frameworks for Selective Biodegradation of Harmful Dye Molecules.

Microperoxidase-8, a small, peroxidase-type enzyme was immobilized into nanoparticles of the mesoporous and ultra-stable metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-101(Cr). The immobilized enzyme fully retained its catalytic activity and exhibited enhanced resistance to acidic conditions. The biocatalyst was reusable and showed a long-term stability. By exploiting the properties of the MOF's framework, we demonstrated, for the first time, that the MOF matrix could act in synergy with the enzyme (Microperoxidase-8) and enhance selectivity the oxidation reaction of dyes. The oxidation rate of the harmful negatively charged dye (methyl orange) was significantly increased after enzyme immobilization, probably as a result of the pre-concentration of the methyl orange reactant owing to a charge matching between this dye and the MOF.

αRep A3: A Versatile Artificial Scaffold for Metalloenzyme Design.

αRep refers to a new family of artificial proteins based on a thermostable α-helical repeated motif. One of its members, αRep A3, forms a stable homo-dimer with a wide cleft that is able to accommodate metal complexes and thus appears to be suitable for generating new artificial biocatalysts. Based on the crystal structure of αRep A3, two positions (F119 and Y26) were chosen, and independently changed into cysteine residues. A phenanthroline ligand was covalently attached to the unique cysteine residue of each protein variant, and the corresponding biohybrids were purified and characterized. Once mutated and coupled to phenanthroline, the protein remained folded and dimeric. Copper(II) was specifically bound by the two biohybrids with two different binding modes. Furthermore, the holo-biohybrid A3F119NPH was found to be capable of enantioselectively catalyzing Diels-Alder (D-A) cycloadditions with up to 62 % ee. This study validates the choice of the αRep A3 dimer as a protein scaffold and provides a promising new route for the design and production of new enantioselective biohybrids based on entirely artificial proteins obtained from a highly diverse library.

Artificial Metalloenzymes with the Neocarzinostatin Scaffold: Toward a Biocatalyst for the Diels-Alder Reaction.

A copper(II) cofactor coupled to a testosterone anchor, copper(II)-(5-(Piperazin-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline)testosterone-17-hemisuccinamide (10) was synthesized and associated with a neocarzinostatin variant, NCS-3.24 (KD =3 µm), thus generating a new artificial metalloenzyme by following a "Trojan horse" strategy. Interestingly, the artificial enzyme was able to efficiently catalyze the Diels-Alder cyclization reaction of cyclopentadiene (1) with 2-azachalcone (2). In comparison with what was observed with cofactor 10 alone, the artificial enzymes favored formation of the exo products (endo/exo ratios of 84:16 and 62:38, respectively, after 12 h). Molecular modeling studies assigned the synergy between the copper complex and the testosterone (KD =13 µm) moieties in the binding of 10 to good van der Waals complementarity. Moreover, by pushing the modeling exercise to its limits, we hypothesize on the molecular grounds that are responsible for the observed selectivity.

An Artificial Enzyme Made by Covalent Grafting of an Fe(II) Complex into ß-Lactoglobulin: Molecular Chemistry, Oxidation Catalysis, and Reaction-Intermediate Monitoring in a Protein.

An artificial metalloenzyme based on the covalent grafting of a nonheme Fe(II) polyazadentate complex into bovine ß-lactoglobulin has been prepared and characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques. Attachment of the Fe(II) catalyst to the protein scaffold is shown to occur specifically at Cys121. In addition, spectrophotometric titration with cyanide ions based on the spin-state conversion of the initial high spin (S=2) Fe(II) complex into a low spin (S=0) one allows qualitative and quantitative characterization of the metal center's first coordination sphere. This biohybrid catalyst activates hydrogen peroxide to oxidize thioanisole into phenylmethylsulfoxide as the sole product with an enantiomeric excess of up to 20 %. Investigation of the reaction between the biohybrid system and H2 O2 reveals the generation of a high spin (S=5/2) Fe(III) (η(2) -O2 ) intermediate, which is proposed to be responsible for the catalytic sulfoxidation of the substrate.

Neocarzinostatin-based hybrid biocatalysts with a RNase like activity.

A new zinc(II)-cofactor coupled to a testosterone anchor, zinc(II)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,3-diamino-propa-2-ol-N'(17'-succinimidyltestosterone) (Zn-Testo-BisPyPol) 1-Zn has been synthesized and fully characterized. It has been further associated with a neocarzinostatin variant, NCS-3.24, to generate a new artificial metalloenzyme following the so-called 'Trojan horse' strategy. This new 1-Zn-NCS-3.24 biocatalyst showed an interesting catalytic activity as it was found able to catalyze the hydrolysis of the RNA model HPNP with a good catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM=13.6M(-1)s(-1) at pH 7) that places it among the best artificial catalysts for this reaction. Molecular modeling studies showed that a synergy between the binding of the steroid moiety and that of the BisPyPol into the protein binding site can explain the experimental results, indicating a better affinity of 1-Zn for the NCS-3.24 variant than testosterone and testosterone-hemisuccinate themselves. They also show that the artificial cofactor entirely fills the cavity, the testosterone part of 1-Zn being bound to one the two subdomains of the protein providing with good complementarities whereas its metal ion remains widely exposed to the solvent which made it a valuable tool for the catalysis of hydrolysis reactions, such as that of HPNP. Some possible improvements in the 'Trojan horse' strategy for obtaining better catalysts of selective reactions will be further studied.

Incorporation of manganese complexes into xylanase: new artificial metalloenzymes for enantioselective epoxidation.

Here we report the best artificial metalloenzyme to date for the selective oxidation of aromatic alkenes; it was obtained by noncovalent insertion of Mn(III)-meso-tetrakis(p-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin [Mn(TpCPP), 1-Mn] into a host protein, xylanase 10A from Streptomyces lividans (Xln10A). Two metallic complexes-N,N'-ethylene bis(2-hydroxybenzylimine)-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid Mn(III) [(Mn-salen), 2-Mn] and 1-Mn-were associated with Xln10A, and the two hybrid biocatalysts were characterised by UV-visible spectroscopy, circular dichroism and molecular modelling. Only the artificial metalloenzyme based on 1-Mn and Xln10A was studied for its catalytic properties in the oxidation of various substituted styrene derivatives by KHSO(5): after optimisation, the 1-Mn-Xln10A artificial metalloenzyme was able to catalyse the oxidation of para-methoxystyrene by KHSO(5) with a 16 % yield and the best enantioselectivity (80 % in favour of the R isomer) ever reported for an artificial metalloenzyme.

Selective oxidation of aromatic sulfide catalyzed by an artificial metalloenzyme: new activity of hemozymes.

Two new artificial hemoproteins or "hemozymes", obtained by non covalent insertion of Fe(III)-meso-tetra-p-carboxy- and -p-sulfonato-phenylporphyrin into xylanase A from Streptomyces lividans, were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy and molecular modeling studies, and were found to catalyze the chemo- and stereoselective oxidation of thioanisole into the S sulfoxide, the best yield (85 +/- 4%) and enantiomeric excess (40% +/- 3%) being obtained with Fe(III)-meso-tetra-p-carboxyphenylporphyrin-Xln10A as catalyst in the presence of imidazole as co-catalyst.

Hemozymes peroxidase activity of artificial hemoproteins constructed from the Streptomyces lividans xylanase A and iron(III)-carboxy-substituted porphyrins.

To develop artificial hemoproteins that could lead to new selective oxidation biocatalysts, a strategy based on the insertion of various iron-porphyrin cofactors into Xylanase A (Xln10A) was chosen. This protein has a globally positive charge and a wide enough active site to accommodate metalloporphyrins that possess negatively charged substituents such as microperoxidase 8 (MP8), iron(III)-tetra-alpha4-ortho-carboxyphenylporphyrin (Fe(ToCPP)), and iron(III)-tetra-para-carboxyphenylporphyrin (Fe(TpCPP)). Coordination chemistry of the iron atom and molecular modeling studies showed that only Fe(TpCPP) was able to insert deeply into Xln10A, with a KD value of about 0.5 microM. Accordingly, Fe(TpCPP)-Xln10A bound only one imidazole molecule, whereas Fe(TpCPP) free in solution was able to bind two, and the UV-visible spectrum of the Fe(TpCPP)-Xln10A-imidazole complex suggested the binding of an amino acid of the protein on the iron atom, trans to the imidazole. Fe(TpCPP)-Xln10A was found to have peroxidase activity, as it was able to catalyze the oxidation of typical peroxidase cosubstrates such as guaiacol and o-dianisidine by H2O2. With these two cosubstrates, the KM value measured with the Fe(TpCPP)-Xln10A complex was higher than those values observed with free Fe(TpCPP), probably because of the steric hindrance and the increased hydrophobicity caused by the protein around the iron atom of the porphyrin. The peroxidase activity was inhibited by imidazole, and a study of the pH dependence of the oxidation of o-dianisidine suggested that an amino acid with a pKA of around 7.5 was participating in the catalysis. Finally, a very interesting protective effect against oxidative degradation of the porphyrin was provided by the protein.

Reactions of persulfides with the heme cofactor of oxidized myoglobin and microperoxidase 11: reduction or coordination.

Persulfides of cysteine (CysSSH), glutathione (GSSH) or N-methoxycarbonyl-penicillamine (NAcPenSSH) react with the ferric form of myoglobin (metMb(iii)) to yield the oxy-ferrous (oxyMb(ii)) or deoxy-ferrous (deoxyMb(ii)) forms of myoglobin under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, respectively. Under aerobic conditions, CysSSH and NAcPenSSH react with the hypervalent form of myoglobin (ferrylMb(iv)) to yield oxyMb(ii) as the final product with the formation of metMb(iii) as an intermediate. CysSSH and NAcPenSSH coordinate the ferric form of N-acetylated microperoxidase (NAcMP11(iii)) to yield the disulfanido complex NAcMP11(iii)(NAcPenSS), as shown by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopy. Experiments carried out with various NAcMP11 derivatives demonstrate a redox equilibrium between the ferric/ferrous forms of the heme and the polysulfides/persulfides couple. Our results suggest that persulfides possess uncommon redox properties, analogous to that of dihydrolipoic acid.

Oxidation catalysis via visible-light water activation of a [Ru(bpy)3](2+) chromophore BSA-metallocorrole couple.

Light induced enantioselective oxidation of an organic molecule with water as the oxygen atom source is demonstrated in a system where chirality is induced by a protein, oxygen atom transfer by a manganese corrole, and photocatalysis by ruthenium complexes.

Spectroscopic investigation of isonitrile complexes of ferric and ferrous microperoxidase 8.

Microperoxidase 8 (MP8) is able to react with alkyl- and aryl-isonitriles (RNC) both in its reduced and oxidized states, to form MP8Fe(II)- and MP8Fe(III)-CNR complexes. The coordination and spin states of these complexes have been fully characterized by UV-visible and resonance Raman spectroscopies. Both MP8Fe(II)- and MP8Fe(III)-CNR complexes are hexacoordinate low-spin complexes, which bear a single RNC ligand on the distal face of the heme and keep the His 18 ligand on its proximal face, trans to the RNC ligand. A comparison of these characteristics with those of the Fe-CNR complexes of other hemoproteins suggests that both MP8Fe(II)- and MP8Fe(III)-CNR complexes present a Fe-C-N linear arrangement. This may be due to the lack of any interactions of the RNC ligand with the octapeptide of MP8 that is mainly located over the opposite face of the heme. Finally the formation of hexacoordinate low-spin MP8Fe(II)- and MP8Fe(III)-CNR complexes constitutes a new example of the reactivity of MP8 with a new class of weak sigma-donating and strong pi-accepting ligands, which adds to its already very rich coordination chemistry.

Bio-inspired electron-delivering system for reductive activation of dioxygen at metal centres towards artificial flavoenzymes.

Development of artificial systems, capable of delivering electrons to metal-based catalysts for the reductive activation of dioxygen, has been proven very difficult for decades, constituting a major scientific lock for the elaboration of environmentally friendly oxidation processes. Here we demonstrate that the incorporation of a flavin mononucleotide (FMN) in a water-soluble polymer, bearing a locally hydrophobic microenvironment, allows the efficient reduction of the FMN by NADH. This supramolecular entity is then capable of catalysing a very fast single-electron reduction of manganese(III) porphyrin by splitting the electron pair issued from NADH. This is fully reminiscent of the activity of natural reductases such as the cytochrome P450 reductases with kinetic parameters, which are three orders of magnitude faster compared with other artificial systems. Finally, we show as a proof of concept that the reduced manganese porphyrin activates dioxygen and catalyses the oxidation of organic substrates in water.

Hemoabzymes: towards new biocatalysts for selective oxidations.

Catalytic antibodies with a metalloporphyrin cofactor or <>, used as models for hemoproteins like peroxidases and cytochrome P450, represent a promising route to catalysts tailored for selective oxidation reactions. A brief overview of the literature shows that until now, the first strategy for obtaining such artificial hemoproteins has been to produce antiporphyrin antibodies, raised against various free-base, N-substituted Sn-, Pd- or Fe-porphyrins. Five of them exhibited, in the presence of the corresponding Fe-porphyrin cofactor, a significant peroxidase activity, with k(cat)/K(m) values of 3.7 x 10(3) - 2.9 x 10(5) M(-1) min(-1). This value remained, however, low when compared to that of peroxidases. This strategy has also led to a few models of cytochrome P450. The best of them, raised against a water-soluble tin(IV) porphyrin containing an axial alpha-naphtoxy ligand, was reported to catalyze the stereoselective oxidation of aromatic sulfides by iodosyl benzene using a Ru(II)-porphyrin cofactor. The relatively low efficiency of the porphyrin-antibody complexes is probably due, at least in part, to the fact that no proximal ligand of Fe has been induced in those antibodies. We then proposed to use, as a hapten, microperoxidase 8 (MP8), a heme octapeptide in which the imidazole side chain of histidine 18 acts as a proximal ligand of the iron atom. This led to the production of seven antibodies recognizing MP8, the best of them, 3A3, binding it with an apparent binding constant of 10(-7) M. The corresponding 3A3-MP8 complex was found to have a good peroxidase activity characterized by a k(cat)/K(m) value of 2 x 10(6) M(-1) min(-1), which constitutes the best one ever reported for an antibody-porphyrin complex. Active site topology studies suggest that the binding of MP8 occurs through interactions of its carboxylate substituents with amino acids of the antibody and that the protein brings a partial steric hindrance of the distal face of the heme of MP8. Consequently, the use of the 3A3-MP8 complexes for the selective oxidation of substrates, such as sulfides, alkanes and alkenes will be undertaken in the future.