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Understanding the biosynthesis of cofactors is fundamental to the life sciences, yet to date a few important pathways remain unresolved. One example is the redox cofactor pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which is critical for C1 metabolism in many microorganisms, a disproportionate number of which are opportunistic human pathogens. While the initial and final steps of PQQ biosynthesis, involving PqqD/E and PqqC, have been elucidated, the precise nature and order of the remaining transformations in the pathway are unknown. Here we show evidence that the remaining essential biosynthetic enzyme PqqB is an iron-dependent hydroxylase catalyzing oxygen-insertion reactions that are proposed to produce the quinone moiety of the mature PQQ cofactor. The demonstrated reactions of PqqB are unprecedented within the metallo β-lactamase protein family and expand the catalytic repertoire of nonheme iron hydroxylases. These new findings also generate a nearly complete description of the PQQ biosynthetic pathway.

The mechanism of permanganate-mediated dual C-H oxidation of complex diketopiperazines has been examined with density functional theory computations. The products of these oxidations are enabling intermediates in the synthesis of structurally diverse ETP natural products. We evaluated, for the first time, the impact of ion-pairing and aggregation states of the permanganate ion and counter-cations, such as bis(pyridine)-silver(I) (Ag+) and tetra- n-butylammonium (TBA+), on the C-H oxidation mechanism. The C-H abstraction occurs through an open shell singlet species, as noted previously, followed by O-rebound and a competing OH-rebound pathway. The second C-H oxidation proceeds with a second equivalent of oxidant with lower free energy barriers than the first C-H oxidation due to directing effects and the generation of a more reactive oxidant species after the first C-H oxidation. The success and efficiency of the second C-H oxidation are found to be critically dependent on the presence of an ion-paired oxidant. We used the developed mechanistic knowledge to rationalize an experimentally observed oxidation pattern for C3-indole-substituted diketopiperazine (+)-5 under optimal oxidation conditions: namely, the formation of diol (-)-6 as a single diastereomer and lack of the ketone products. We proposed two factors that may impede the ketone formation: (i) the conformational flexibility of the diketopiperazine ring, and (ii) hindrance of this site, making it less accessible to the ion-paired oxidant species.

The development of a system for the operationally simple, scalable conversion of polyhydroxylated biomass into industrially relevant feedstock chemicals is described. This system includes a bimetallic Pd/Re catalyst in combination with hydrogen gas as a terminal reductant and enables the high-yielding reduction of sugar acids. This procedure has been applied to the synthesis of adipate esters, precursors for the production of Nylon-6,6, in excellent yield from biomass-derived sources.

Hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase (H6H) is an iron(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent (Fe/2OG) oxygenase that produces the prolifically administered antinausea drug, scopolamine. After its namesake hydroxylation reaction, H6H then couples the newly installed C6 oxygen to C7 to produce the drug's epoxide functionality. Oxoiron(IV) (ferryl) intermediates initiate both reactions by cleaving C-H bonds, but it remains unclear how the enzyme switches the target site and promotes (C6)O-C7 coupling in preference to C7 hydroxylation in the second step. In one possible epoxidation mechanism, the C6 oxygen would─analogously to mechanisms proposed for the Fe/2OG halogenases and, in our more recent study, N -acetylnorloline synthase (LolO)─coordinate as alkoxide to the C7-H-cleaving ferryl intermediate to enable alkoxyl coupling to the ensuing C7 radical. Here, we provide structural and kinetic evidence that H6H does not employ substrate coordination or repositioning for the epoxidation step but instead exploits the distinct spatial dependencies of competitive C-H cleavage (C6 vs C7) and C-O-coupling (oxygen rebound vs cyclization) steps to promote the two-step sequence. Structural comparisons of ferryl-mimicking vanadyl complexes of wild-type H6H and a variant that preferentially 7-hydroxylates instead of epoxidizing 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine suggest that a modest (∼10°) shift in the Fe-O-H(C7) approach angle is sufficient to change the outcome. The 7-hydroxylation:epoxidation partition ratios of both proteins increase more than 5-fold in 2 H 2 O, reflecting an epoxidation-specific requirement for cleavage of the alcohol O-H bond, which, unlike in the LolO oxacyclization, is not accomplished by iron coordination in advance of C-H cleavage.

Lysine dioxygenase (KDO) is an important enzyme in human physiology involved in bioprocesses that trigger collagen cross-linking and blood pressure control. There are several KDOs in nature; however, little is known about the factors that govern the regio- and stereoselectivity of these enzymes. To understand how KDOs can selectively hydroxylate their substrate, we did a comprehensive computational study into the mechanisms and features of 4-lysine dioxygenase. In particular, we selected a snapshot from the MD simulation on KDO5 and created large QM cluster models ( A , B , and C ) containing 297, 312, and 407 atoms, respectively. The largest model predicts regioselectivity that matches experimental observation with rate-determining hydrogen atom abstraction from the C 4 -H position, followed by fast OH rebound to form 4-hydroxylysine products. The calculations show that in model C , the dipole moment is positioned along the C 4 -H bond of the substrate and, therefore, the electrostatic and electric field perturbations of the protein assist the enzyme in creating C 4 -H hydroxylation selectivity. Furthermore, an active site Tyr 233 residue is identified that reacts through proton-coupled electron transfer akin to the axial Trp residue in cytochrome c peroxidase. Thus, upon formation of the iron(IV)-oxo species in the catalytic cycle, the Tyr 233 phenol loses a proton to the nearby Asp 179 residue, while at the same time, an electron is transferred to the iron to create an iron(III)-oxo active species. This charged tyrosyl residue directs the dipole moment along the C 4 -H bond of the substrate and guides the selectivity to the C 4 -hydroxylation of the substrate.

Highly regioselective remote hydroxylation of a natural product scaffold is demonstrated by exploiting the anchoring mechanism of the biosynthetic P450 monooxygenase PikCD50N-RhFRED. Previous studies have revealed structural and biochemical evidence for the role of a salt bridge between the desosamine N,N-dimethylamino functionality of the natural substrate YC-17 and carboxylate residues within the active site of the enzyme, and selectivity in subsequent C-H bond functionalization. In the present study, a substrate-engineering approach was conducted that involves replacing desosamine with varied synthetic N,N-dimethylamino anchoring groups. We then determined their ability to mediate enzymatic total turnover numbers approaching or exceeding that of the natural sugar, while enabling ready introduction and removal of these amino anchoring groups from the substrate. The data establish that the size, stereochemistry, and rigidity of the anchoring group influence the regioselectivity of enzymatic hydroxylation. The natural anchoring group desosamine affords a 1:1 mixture of regioisomers, while synthetic anchors shift YC-17 analogue C-10/C-12 hydroxylation from 20:1 to 1:4. The work demonstrates the utility of substrate engineering as an orthogonal approach to protein engineering for modulation of regioselective C-H functionalization in biocatalysis.

Viridicatumtoxin (1) is a tetracycline-like fungal meroterpenoid with a unique, fused spirobicyclic ring system. Puzzlingly, no dedicated terpene cyclase is found in the gene cluster identified in Penicillium aethiopicum. Cytochrome P450 enzymes VrtE and VrtK in the vrt gene cluster were shown to catalyze C5-hydroxylation and spirobicyclic ring formation, respectively. Feeding acyclic previridicatumtoxin to Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing VrtK confirmed that VrtK is the sole enzyme required for cyclizing the geranyl moiety. Thus, VrtK is the first example of a P450 that can catalyze terpene cyclization, most likely via initial oxidation of C17 to an allylic carbocation. Quantum chemical modeling revealed a possible new tertiary carbocation intermediate E that forms after allylic carbocation formation. Intermediate E can readily undergo concerted 1,2-alkyl shift/1,3-hydride shift, either spontaneously or further aided by VrtK, followed by C7 Friedel-Crafts alkylation to afford 1. The most likely stereochemical course of the reaction was proposed on the basis of the results of our computations.

Achieving single-step syntheses of a set of related compounds divergently and selectively from a common starting material affords substantial efficiency gains when compared with preparing those same compounds by multiple individual syntheses. In order for this approach to be realized, complementary reagent systems must be available; here, a panel of engineered P450 BM3 enzymes is shown to fulfill this remit in the selective C-H hydroxylation of cyclobutylamine derivatives at chemically unactivated sites. The oxidations can proceed with high regioselectivity and stereoselectivity, producing valuable bifunctional intermediates for synthesis and applications in fragment-based drug discovery. The process also applies to bicyclo[1.1.1]pentyl (BCP) amine derivatives to achieve the first direct enantioselective functionalization of the bridging methylenes and open a short and efficient route to chiral BCP bioisosteres for medicinal chemistry. The combination of substrate, enzyme, and reaction engineering provides a powerful general platform for small-molecule elaboration and diversification.

The aerobic oxidation of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds in biology is currently known to be accomplished by a limited set of cofactors that typically include heme, nonheme iron, and copper. While manganese cofactors perform difficult oxidation reactions, including water oxidation within Photosystem II, they are generally not known to be used for C-H bond activation, and those that do catalyze this important reaction display limited intrinsic reactivity. Here we report that the 2-aminoisobutyric acid hydroxylase from Rhodococcus wratislaviensis , AibH1H2, requires manganese to functionalize a strong, aliphatic C-H bond (BDE = 100 kcal/mol). Structural and spectroscopic studies of this enzyme reveal a redox-active, heterobimetallic manganese-iron active site at the locus of O 2 activation and substrate coordination. This result expands the known reactivity of biological manganese-iron cofactors, which was previously restricted to single-electron transfer or stoichiometric protein oxidation. Furthermore, the AibH1H2 cofactor is supported by a protein fold distinct from typical bimetallic oxygenases, and bioinformatic analyses identify related proteins abundant in microorganisms. This suggests that many uncharacterized monooxygenases may similarly require manganese to perform oxidative biochemical tasks.

Hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase (H6H) is an α-ketoglutarate dependent mononuclear nonheme iron enzyme that catalyzes C6-hydroxylation of hyoscyamine and oxidative cyclization of the resulting product to give the oxirane natural product scopolamine. Herein, the chemistry of H6H is investigated using hyoscyamine derivatives with modifications at the C6 or C7 position as well as substrate analogues possessing a 9-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core. Results indicate that hydroxyl rebound is unlikely to take place during the cyclization reaction and that the hydroxylase versus oxidative cyclase activity of H6H is correlated with the presence of an exo-hydroxy group having syn-periplanar geometry with respect to the adjacent H atom to be abstracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Fe(β-BPMCN)(CH3CN)2]2+ (1, BPMCN = N,N'-bis(pyridyl-2-methyl)-N,N'-dimethyl-trans-1,2-diaminocyclo- hexane) is a relatively poor catalyst for cyclohexane oxidation by H2O2 and cannot perform benzene hydroxylation. However, addition of Sc3+ activates the 1/H2O2 reaction mixture to be able to hydroxylate cyclohexane and benzene within seconds at -40 °C. A metastable S = 1/2 FeIII-(η¹- OOH) intermediate 2 is trapped at -40 °C, which undergoes rapid decay upon addition of Sc3+ at rates independent of [substrate] but linearly dependent on [Sc3+]. HClO4 elicits comparable reactivity as Sc3+ at the same concentration. We thus postulate that these additives both facilitate O-O bond heterolysis of 2 to form a common highly electrophilic FeV=O oxidant that is comparably reactive to the fastest nonheme highvalent iron-oxo oxidants found to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic activation of hydroxyl functionalities is of great interest for the production of pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. Here, 2-alkoxycarbonyl- and 2-phenoxycarbonyl-phenylboronic acid were identified as efficient catalysts for the direct and chemoselective activation of oxime N-OH bonds in the Beckmann rearrangement. This classical organic reaction provides a unique approach to prepare functionalized amide products that may be difficult to access using traditional amide coupling between carboxylic acids and amines. Using only 5 mol % of boronic acid catalyst and perfluoropinacol as an additive in a polar solvent mixture, the operationally simple protocol features mild conditions, a broad substrate scope, and a high functional group tolerance. A wide variety of diaryl, aryl-alkyl, heteroaryl-alkyl, and dialkyl oximes react under ambient conditions to afford high yields of amide products. Free alcohols, amides, carboxyesters, and many other functionalities are compatible with the reaction conditions. Investigations of the catalytic cycle revealed a novel boron-induced oxime transesterification providing an acyl oxime intermediate involved in a fully catalytic nonself-propagating Beckmann rearrangement mechanism. The acyl oxime intermediate was prepared independently and was subjected to the reaction conditions. It was found to be self-sufficient; it reacts rapidly, unimolecularly without the need for free oxime. A series of control experiments and 18O labeling studies support a true catalytic pathway involving an ionic transition structure with an active and essential role for the boronyl moiety in both steps of transesterification and rearrangement. According to 11B NMR spectroscopic studies, the additive perfluoropinacol provides a transient, electrophilic boronic ester that is thought to serve as an internal Lewis acid to activate the ortho-carboxyester and accelerate the initial, rate-limiting step of transesterification between the precatalyst and the oxime substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mechanistic study of H2O2-dependent C-H bond hydroxylation by myoglobin reconstituted with a manganese porphycene was carried out. The X-ray crystal structure of the reconstituted protein obtained at 1.5 Å resolution reveals tight incorporation of the complex into the myoglobin matrix at pH 8.5, the optimized pH value for the highest turnover number of hydroxylation of ethylbenzene. The protein generates a spectroscopically detectable two-electron oxidative intermediate in a reaction with peracid, which has a half-life up to 38 s at 10 °C. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the intermediate with perpendicular and parallel modes are silent, indicating formation of a low-spin MnV-oxo species. In addition, the MnV-oxo species is capable of promoting the hydroxylation of sodium 4-ethylbenzenesulfonate under single turnover conditions with an apparent second-order rate constant of 2.0 M-1 s-1 at 25 °C. Furthermore, the higher bond dissociation enthalpy of the substrate decreases the rate constant, in support of the proposal that the H-abstraction is one of the rate-limiting steps. The present engineered myoglobin serves as an artificial metalloenzyme for inert C-H bond activation via a high-valent metal species similar to the species employed by native monooxygenases such as cytochrome P450. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concise synthesis of (+)-pancratistatin and (+)-7-deoxypancratistatin from benzene using an enantioselective, dearomative carboamination strategy has been achieved. This approach, in combination with the judicious choice of subsequent olefin-type difunctionalization reactions, permits rapid and controlled access to a hexasubstituted core. Finally, minimal use of intermediary steps as well as direct, late stage C-7 hydroxylation provides both natural products in six and seven operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rebound mechanism for alkane hydroxylation was invoked over 40 years ago to help explain reactivity patterns in cytochrome P450, and subsequently has been used to provide insight into a range of biological and synthetic systems. Efforts to model the rebound reaction in a synthetic system have been unsuccessful, in part because of the challenge in preparing a suitable metalhydroxide complex at the correct oxidation level. Herein we report the synthesis of such a complex. The reaction of this species with a series of substituted radicals allows for the direct interrogation of the rebound process, providing insight into this uniformly invoked, but previously unobserved process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing metal single-atom materials is currently attracting tremendous attention and remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a novel core-shell strategy to synthesize single-atom materials. In this strategy, metal hydroxides or oxides are coated with polymers, followed by high-temperature pyrolysis and acid leaching, metal single atoms are anchored on the inner wall of hollow nitrogen-doped carbon (CN) materials. By changing metal precursors or polymers, we demonstrate the successful synthesis of different metal single atoms dispersed on CN materials (SA-M/CN, M = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, FeCo, FeNi, etc.). Interestingly, the obtained SA-Fe/CN exhibits much higher catalytic activity for hydroxylation of benzene to phenol than Fe nanoparticles/CN (45% vs 5% benzene conversion). First-principle calculations further reveal that the high reactivity originates from the easier formation of activated oxygen species at the single Fe site. Our methodology provides a convenient route to prepare a variety of metal single-atom materials representing a new class of catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification, optimization, and evaluation of a new catalytic protocol for sp3 C-H hydroxylation is described. Reactions are performed in aqueous acid using a bis(bipyridine)Ru catalyst to enable oxidation of substrates possessing basic amine functional groups. Tertiary and benzylic C-H hydroxylation is strongly favored over N-oxidation for numerous amine derivatives. With terpene-derived substrates, similar trends in reactivity toward tertiary and benzylic C-H bonds are observed. Hydroxylation of chiral tertiary centers is enantiospecific in spite of the ionizing strength of the reaction medium. Preliminary kinetics experiments show a marked difference in reactivity between isomeric cis- and trans-Ru catalysts suggesting that the catalyst is configurationally stable under the reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full extent of proline (Pro) hydroxylation has yet to be established, as it is largely unexplored in bacteria. We describe here a so far unknown Pro hydroxylation activity which occurs in active sites of polysaccharide deacetylases (PDAs) from bacterial pathogens, modifying the protein backbone at the Ca atom of a Pro residue to produce 2-hydroxyproline (2-Hyp). This process modifies with high specificity a conserved Pro, shares with the deacetylation reaction the same active site and one catalytic residue, and utilizes molecular oxygen as source for the hydroxyl group oxygen of 2-Hyp. By providing additional hydrogen-bonding capacity, the Pro 2-Hyp conversion alters the active site and enhances significantly deacetylase activity, probably by creating a more favorable environment for transition-state stabilization. Our results classify this process as an active-site "maturation", which is highly atypical in being a protein backbone-modifying activity, rather than a side-chain-modifying one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of an FeIVO intermediate in SyrB2 to perform chlorination versus hydroxylation was computationally evaluated for different substrates that had been studied experimentally. The π-trajectory for H atom abstraction (FeIVO oriented perpendicular to the C-H bond of substrate) was found to lead to the S = 2 five-coordinate HO-FeIII-Cl complex with the C• of the substrate, π-oriented relative to both the Cl- and the OH- ligands. From this ferric intermediate, hydroxylation is thermodynamically favored, but chlorination is intrinsically more reactive due to the energy splitting between two key redox-active dπ* frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). The splitting is determined by the differential ligand field effect of Cl- versus OH- on the Fe center. This makes chlorination effectively competitive with hydroxylation. Chlorination versus hydroxylation selectivity is then determined by the orientation of the substrate with respect to the HO-Fe-Cl plane that controls either the Cl- or the OH- to rebound depending on the relative π-overlap with the substrate C radical. The differential contribution of the two FMOs to chlorination versus hydroxylation selectivity in SyrB2 is related to a reaction mechanism that involves two asynchronous transfers: electron transfer from the substrate radical to the iron center followed by late ligand (Cl- or OH-) transfer to the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases have received significant attention as catalytic convertors of biomass to biofuel. Recent studies suggest that its peroxygenase activity (i.e., using H 2 O 2 as an oxidant) is more important than its monooxygenase functionality. Here, we describe new insights into peroxygenase activity, with a copper(I) complex reacting with H 2 O 2 leading to site-specific ligand-substrate C-H hydroxylation. [Cu I (TMG 3 tren)] + ( 1 ) (TMG 3 tren = 1,1,1-Tris{2-[ N 2 -(1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidino)]ethyl}amine) and a dry source of hydrogen peroxide, ( o -Tol 3 P═O·H 2 O 2 ) 2 react in the stoichiometry, [Cu I (TMG 3 tren)] + + H 2 O 2 → [Cu I (TMG 3 tren-OH)] + + H 2 -methyl group undergoes hydroxylation giving TMG N -methyl group undergoes hydroxylation giving TMG 3 tren-OH. Furthermore, Fenton-type chemistry (Cu I + H 2 O 2 -OH + ·OH) is displayed, in which (i) a Cu(II)-OH complex could be detected during the reaction and it could be separately isolated and characterized crystallographically and (ii) hydroxyl radical (·OH) scavengers either quenched the ligand hydroxylation reaction and/or (iii) captured the ·OH produced.II -OH + ·OH) is displayed, in which (i) a Cu(II)-OH complex could be detected during the reaction and it could be separately isolated and characterized crystallographically and (ii) hydroxyl radical (·OH) scavengers either quenched the ligand hydroxylation reaction and/or (iii) captured the ·OH produced.

Oxidative C-H hydroxylation of methyl groups, followed by their removal from DNA, RNA, or histones, is an epigenetic process critical to transcriptional reprogramming and cell fate determination. This reaction is catalyzed by Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases using the essential metabolite 2-ketoglutarate (2KG) as a cofactor. Given that the human genome encodes for more than 60 2KG-dependent dioxygenases, assigning their individual functions remains a significant challenge. Here we describe a protein-ligand interface engineering approach to break the biochemical degeneracy of these enzymes. Using histone lysine demethylase 4 as a proof-of-concept, we show that the enzyme active site can be expanded to employ bulky 2KG analogues that do not sensitize wild-type demethylases. We establish the orthogonality, substrate specificity, and catalytic competency of the engineered demethylation apparatus in biochemical assays. We further demonstrate demethylation of cognate substrates in physiologically relevant settings. Our results provide a paradigm for rapid and conditional manipulation of histone demethylases to uncloak their isoform-specific functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and reactivity of a series of mononuclear nonheme iron complexes that carry out intramolecular aromatic C-F hydroxylation reactions is reported. The key intermediate prior to C-F hydroxylation, [FeIV(O)(...)](BF4)2 (1-O, Ar1 = -2,6-difluorophenyl), was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal structure revealed a nonbonding C-H⋯O=Fe interaction with a CH3CN molecule. Variable-field Mössbauer spectroscopy of 1-O indicates an intermediate-spin (S = 1) ground state. The Mössbauer parameters for 1-O include an unusually small quadrupole splitting for a triplet FeIV(O) and are reproduced well by density functional theory calculations. With the aim of investigating the initial step for C-F hydroxylation, two new ligands were synthesized, ... (L2, Ar2 = -2,6-difluoro-4-methoxyphenyl) and ... (L3, Ar3 = -2,6-difluoro-3-methoxyphenyl), with -OMe substituents in the meta or ortho/para positions with respect to the C-F bonds. FeII complexes [Fe(...)(CH3CN)](ClO4)2 (2) and [Fe(...)(CH3CN)](ClO4)2 (3) reacted with isopropyl 2-iodoxybenzoate to give the C-F hydroxylated FeIII-OAr products. The FeIV(O) intermediates 2-O and 3-O were trapped at low temperature and characterized. Complex 2-O displayed a C-F hydroxylation rate similar to that of 1-O. In contrast, the kinetics (via stopped-flow UV-vis) for complex 3-O displayed a significant rate enhancement for C-F hydroxylation. Eyring analysis revealed the activation barriers for the C-F hydroxylation reaction for the three complexes, consistent with the observed difference in reactivity. A terminal FeII(OH) complex (4) was prepared independently to investigate the possibility of a nucleophilic aromatic substitution pathway, but the stability of 4 rules out this mechanism. Taken together the data fully support an electrophilic C-F hydroxylation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aziridines are compounds with a nitrogen-containing three-membered ring. When it is incorporated into natural products, the reactivity of the strained ring often drives the biological activities of aziridines. Despite its importance, the enzymes and biosynthetic strategies deployed to install this reactive moiety remain understudied. Herein, we report the use of in silico methods to identify enzymes with potential aziridine-installing (aziridinase) functionality. To validate candidates, we reconstitute enzymatic activity in vitro and demonstrate that an iron(IV)-oxo species initiates aziridine ring closure by the C-H bond cleavage. Furthermore, we divert the reaction pathway from aziridination to hydroxylation using mechanistic probes. This observation, isotope tracing experiments using H 2 18 O and 18 O 2 , and quantitative product analysis, provide evidence for the polar capture of a carbocation species by the amine in the pathway to aziridine installation.

The final step in the biosynthesis of the sesquiterpenoid antibiotic pentalenolactone (l) is the highly unusual cytochrome P450-catalyzed, oxidative rearrangement of pentalenolactone F (2), involving the transient generation and rearrangement of a neopentyl cation. In Streptomyces arenae this reaction is catalyzed by CYP161C2 (PntM), with highly conserved orthologs being present in at least 10 other Actinomycetes. Crystal structures of substrate-free PntM, as well as PntM with bound substrate 2, product 1, and substrate analogue 6,7-dihydropentalenolactone F (7) revealed interactions of bound ligand with three residues, F232, M77, and M81 that are unique to PntM and its orthologs and absent from essentially all other P450s. Site-directed mutagenesis, ligand-binding measurements, steady-state kinetics, and reaction product profiles established there is no special stabilization of reactive cationic intermediates by these side chains. Reduced substrate analogue 7 did not undergo either oxidative rearrangement or simple hydroxylation, suggesting that the CI carbocation is not anchimerically stabilized by the 6,7-double bond of 2. The crystal structures also revealed plausible proton relay networks likely involved in the generation of the key characteristic P450 oxidizing species, Compound I, and in mediating stereospecific deprotonation of H-3re of the substrate. We conclude that the unusual carbocation intermediate results from outer shell electron transfer from the transiently generated CI radical to the tightly paired heme-●Fe3+--OH radical species. The oxidative electron transfer is kinetically dominant as a result of the unusually strong steric barrier to oxygen rebound to the neopentyl center C-1si, which is flanked on each neighboring carbon by syn-axial substituents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a blueprint for aromatic C-H functionalization via a combination of photocatalysis and cobalt catalysis and describe the utility of this strategy for benzene amination and hydroxylation. Without any sacrificial oxidant, we could use the dual catalyst system to produce aniline directly from benzene and ammonia, and phenol from benzene and water, both with evolution of hydrogen gas under unusually mild conditions in excellent yields and selectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deprotonative directed ortho cupration of aromatic/heteroaromatic C--H bond and subsequent oxidation with f-BuOOH furnished functionalized phenols in high yields with high regio- and chemoselectivity. DFT calculations revealed that this hydroxylation reaction proceeds via a copper (I → III → I) redox mechanism. Application of this reaction to aromatic C--H amination using BnONH2 efficiently afforded the corresponding primary anilines. These reactions show broad scope and good functional group compatibility. Catalytic versions of these transformations are also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxylation reactions of aromatic rings are key reactions in various biological and chemical processes. In spite of their significance, no consensus mechanism has been established. Here we performed Marcus plot analysis for aromatic hydroxylation reactions with oxoiron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical complexes (compound I). Although many recent studies support the mechanism involving direct electrophilic attack of compound I, the slopes of the Marcus plots indicate a significant contribution of an electron transfer process in the rate-limiting step, leading us to propose a new reaction mechanism in which the electron transfer process between an aromatic compound and compound I is in equilibrium in a solvent cage and coupled with the subsequent bond formation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work uses combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanism and selectivity of H2O2-dependent hydroxylation of fatty acids by the P450SPα class of enzymes. H2O2 is found to serve as the surrogate oxidant for generating the principal oxidant, Compound I (Cpd I), in a mechanism that involves homolytic O-O bond cleavage followed by H-abstraction from the Fe-OH moiety. Our results rule out a substrate-assisted heterolytic cleavage of H2O2 en route to Cpd I. We show, however, that substrate binding stabilizes the resultant Fe-H2O2 complex, which is crucial for the formation of Cpd I in the homolytic pathway. A network of hydrogen bonds locks the HO• radical, formed by the O-O homolysis, thus directing it to exclusively abstract the hydrogen atom from Fe-OH, thereby forming Cpd I, while preventing the autoxoidative reaction, with the porphyrin ligand, and the substrate oxidation. The so formed Cpd I subsequently hydroxylates fatty acids at their α-position with S-enantioselectivity. These selectivity patterns are controlled by the active site: substrate's binding by Arg241 determines the α-regioselectivity, while the Pro242 residue locks the prochiral α-CH2, thereby leading to hydroxylation of the pro-S C-H bond. Our study of the mutant Pro242Ala sheds light on potential modifications of the enzyme's active site in order to modify reaction selectivity. Comparisons of P450SPα to P450BM3 and to P450BSβ reveal that function has evolved in these related metalloenzymes by strategically placing very few residues in the active site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mononuclear nonheme high-spin iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes bearing an N-methylated cyclam ligand were synthesized, spectroscopically characterized, and investigated in olefin epoxidation and alkane hydroxylation reactions. In the epoxidation of olefins, epoxides were yielded as the major products with high stereo-, chemo-, and enantioselectivities; cis- and transstilbenes were oxidized to cis- and trans-stilbene oxides, respectively. In the epoxidation of cyclohexene, cyclohexene oxide was formed as the major product with a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value of 1.0, indicating that nonheme iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes prefer C = C epoxidation to allylic C-H bond activation. Olefin epoxidation by chiral iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes afforded epoxides with high enantioselectivity, suggesting that iron(III)-acylperoxo species, not high-valent iron-oxo species, are the epoxidizing agent. In alkane hydroxylation reactions, iron(lll)-acylperoxo complexes hydroxylated C-H bonds as strong as those in cyclohexane at -40 °C, wherein (a) alcohols were yielded as the major products with high regio- and stereoselectivities, (b) activation of C-H bonds by the iron(III)-acylperoxo species was the rate-determining step with a large KIE value and good correlation between reaction rates and bond dissociation energies of alkanes, and (c) the oxygen atom in the alcohol product was from the iron(III)-acylperoxo species, not from molecular oxygen. In isotopically labeled water (H218O) experiments, incorporation of 18O from H218O into oxygenated products was not observed in the epoxidation and hydroxylation reactions. On the basis of mechanistic studies, we conclude that mononuclear nonheme high-spin iron(lII)-acylperoxo complexes are strong oxidants capable of oxygenating hydrocarbons prior to their conversion into iron-oxo species via O-O bond cleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory predicts herein enzymatic activity from scratch. We show that molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum-mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations of the fatty acid hydroxylase P450 BM3 predict the binding mechanism of the fatty acid substrate and its enantio/regioselective hydroxylation by the active species of the enzyme, Compound I. The MD simulations show that the substrate's entrance involves hydrogen-bonding interactions with Pro25, Glu43, and Leu188, which induce a huge conformational rearrangement that closes the substrate channel by pulling together the A helix and the β1, sheet to the F/G loop. In turn, at the bottom of the substrate's channel, residue Phe87 controls the regioselectivity by causing the substrate's chain to curl up and juxtapose its CH2 positions ω-1/ω-2/ω-3 to Compound I while preventing access to the endmost position, ω-CH3. Phe87 also controls the stereoselectivity by the enantioselective steric blocking of the pro-S C--H bond, thus preferring R hydroxylation. Indeed, the MD simulations of the mutant Phe87Ala predict predominant ω hydroxylation. These findings, which go well beyond the X-ray structural data, demonstrate the predictive power of theory and its insight, which can potentially be used as a partner of experiment for eventual engineering of P450 BM3 with site-selective C--H functionalization capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cu-catalyzed oxidation of ketones with O2 has recently been extensively utilized to cleave the α-C--C bond. This report examines the selective aerobic hydroxylation of tertiary a-C--H bonds in ketones without C--C cleavage. We set out to understand the underlying mechanisms of these two possible reactivity modes. Using experimental, in situ IR spectroscopic, and computational studies, we investigated several mechanisms. Our data suggest that both C--C cleavage and C--H hydroxylation pathways proceed via a common key intermediate, i.e., an a-peroxo ketone. The fate of this peroxide dictates the ultimate product selectivity. Specifically, we uncovered the role of hppH [= l,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[l,2- njpyrimidine] to act not only as a base in the transformation but also as a reductant of the peroxide to the corresponding αhydroxy ketone. This reduction may also be accomplished through exogenous phosphinfe additives, therefore allowing the tuning of reduction efficiency toward higher driving forces, if required (e.g., for more-activated substrates). The likely competitive pathway is the cleavage of peroxide to the a-oxy radical (likely catalyzed by Cu), which is computationally predicted to spontaneously trigger C--C bond cleavage. Increasing the susceptibility of this deperoxidation step via (i) the removal of reductant (use of different base, e.g., DBU) or the modulation of (ii) the substitution pattern toward greater activation (substrate control) and (iii) the nature of Cu catalyst (counterion and solvent dependence) will favor the C--C cleavage product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few examples of [4 + 2] cycloaddition with unmasked ortho-benzoquinones (UMOBs) as carbodiene have been reported in complex molecule synthesis. Herein we report that this cycloaddition with podocarpane-type UMOB was developed and applied to construct fully functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]octanes. Based on this methodology, divergent total syntheses of atisane-type diterpenoids, including (±)-crotobarin, crotogoudin, atisane-3β,16α-diol, and 16S,17-dihydroxy-atisan-3-one, were accomplished in 14, 14, 12, and 16 steps, respectively. Key elements in these total syntheses include: (1) FeCl3-catalyzed cationic cascade cyclization to construct podocarpane-type skeleton; (2) Mn(III)/Co(II)-catalyzed radical hydroxylation of alkene with high regio-, diastereo-, and chemoselectivities; (3) and a ketal-deprotection/lactone-opening/deprotonation/lactonization cascade. Additionally, the synthetic utility of the fully functionalized bicyclo[2.2.2]octane framework was further elucidated by applying ring distortion strategy to afford different skeleton-rearranged natural product-like compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]