Cofactor-free ActVA-Orf6 monooxygenase catalysis via proton-coupled electron transfer: a QM/MM study†
Abstract
Uncovering the comprehensive catalytic mechanism for the activation of triplet O2 through metal-free and cofactor-free oxidases and oxygenases remains one of the most challenging problems in the area of enzymatic catalysis. Herein, we performed multiscale simulation with molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) techniques to reveal the detailed mechanism of ActVA-Orf6 monooxygenase catalyzed oxygenation of phenols to quinones from Streptomyces coelicolor, such as the oxidation of 6-deoxydihydrocarafungin (DDHK) to dihydrocarafungin (DHK). The entire catalytic mechanism consists of three steps: (1) proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) from the substrate DDHK to triplet O2 with the aid of an explicit water molecule, (2) the formation of a CāO bond via an open-shell singlet diradical complexation pathway, and (3) dehydration via a six-membered ring mode assisted by one water molecule. The complete energetic profiles show that the rate-determining step is the dehydration with an energy barrier of 20.7 kcal molā1, which is close to that of 19.7 kcal molā1 derived from experimental kinetic data. Our mechanistic study not only helps to deeply understand the fundamental mechanism of metal-free and cofactor-free oxidase and oxygenase catalyzed different reactions, but also discloses a new route that proceeds through the processes of PCET and the open-shell singlet transition state.