Volume 134, Issue 46 e202211843
Forschungsartikel

C(sp3)−H Hydroxylation in Diiron β-Hydroxylase CmlA Transpires by Amine-Assisted O2 Activation Avoiding FeIV2O2 Species

Dr. Jiarui Lu

Dr. Jiarui Lu

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872 China

School of Medical Engineering, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003 China

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Prof. Dr. Wenzhen Lai

Prof. Dr. Wenzhen Lai

Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872 China

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Prof. Dr. Hui Chen

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Hui Chen

Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Photochemistry, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China

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First published: 10 September 2022

Abstract

Through QM/MM modeling, we discovered that C(sp3)−H β-hydroxylation in the diiron hydroxylase CmlA transpires by traceless amine-assisted O2 activation. Different from the canonical diiron hydroxylase sMMO, this aliphatic-amine-assisted O2 activation avoids generating the high-valent diferryl FeIV2O2 species, but alternatively renders a diferric FeIII2O species as the reactive oxidant. From this unprecedented O2 activation mode, the derived C(sp3)−H hydroxylation mechanism in CmlA also differs drastically from the toluene aromatic C(sp2)−H hydroxylation in the diiron hydroxylase T4MO. This substrate-modulated O2 activation in CmlA has rich mechanistic implications for other diiron hydroxylases with an amine group adjacent to the C−H bond under hydroxylation in substrates, such as hDOHH. Furthermore, the adapted coordination environment of the diiron cofactor upon O2 binding in CmlA opens up more structural and mechanistic possibilities for O2 activation in non-heme diiron enzymes.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.

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