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Mononuclear nonheme iron(II) and 2‐oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG)‐dependent oxygenases and halogenases are known to catalyze a diverse set of oxidative reactions, including hydroxylation, halogenation, epoxidation, and desaturation in primary metabolism and natural product maturation. However, their use in abiotic transformations has mainly been limited to C−H oxidation. Herein, we show that various enzymes of this family, when reconstituted with Fe(II) or Fe(III), can catalyze Mukaiyama hydration—a redox neutral transformation. Distinct from the native reactions of the Fe/2OG enzymes, wherein oxygen atom transfer (OAT) catalyzed by an iron‐oxo species is involved, this nonnative transformation proceeds through a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) pathway in a 2OG‐independent manner. Additionally, in contrast to conventional inorganic catalysts, wherein a dinuclear iron species is responsible for HAT, the Fe/2OG enzymes exploit a mononuclear iron center to support this reaction. Collectively, our work demonstrates that Fe/2OG enzymes have utility in catalysis beyond the current scope of catalytic oxidation.

 

Deoxypodophyllotoxin contains a core of four fused rings (A to D) with three consecutive chiral centers, the last being created by the attachment of a peripheral trimethoxyphenyl ring (E) to ring C. Previous studies have suggested that the iron(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate–dependent (Fe/2OG) oxygenase, deoxypodophyllotoxin synthase (DPS), catalyzes the oxidative coupling of ring B and ring E to form ring C and complete the tetracyclic core. Despite recent efforts to deploy DPS in the preparation of deoxypodophyllotoxin analogs, the mechanism underlying the regio- and stereoselectivity of this cyclization event has not been elucidated. Herein, we report 1) two structures of DPS in complex with 2OG and (±)-yatein, 2) in vitro analysis of enzymatic reactivity with substrate analogs, and 3) model reactions addressing DPS’s catalytic mechanism. The results disfavor a prior proposal of on-pathway benzylic hydroxylation. Rather, the DPS-catalyzed cyclization likely proceeds by hydrogen atom abstraction from C7', oxidation of the benzylic radical to a carbocation, Friedel–Crafts-like ring closure, and rearomatization of ring B by C6 deprotonation. This mechanism adds to the known pathways for transformation of the carbon-centered radical in Fe/2OG enzymes and suggests what types of substrate modification are likely tolerable in DPS-catalyzed production of deoxypodophyllotoxin analogs. 

Applying enzymatic reactions to produce useful molecules is a central focus of chemical biology. Iron and 2-oxoglutarate (Fe/2OG) enzymes are found in all kingdoms of life and catalyze a broad array of oxidative transformations. Herein, we demonstrate that the activity of an Fe/2OG enzyme can be redirected when changing the targeted carbon hybridization from sp3 to sp2. During leucine 5-hydroxylase catalysis, installation of an olefin group onto the substrate redirects the Fe(IV)−oxo species reactivity from hydroxylation to asymmetric epoxidation. The resulting epoxide subsequently undergoes intramolecular cyclization to form the substituted piperidine, 2S,5S-hydroxypipecolic acid.