Theoretic Simulation of Pr^(3+) and Nd^(3+) Complexes with αHydroxyl Carboxylic Acids

The potential energy difference of trivalent Pr/Nd complex ions with various α hydroxyl carboxylic acids were computed by molecular mechanics plus(MM +) model. Its relationships with the steric hindrance of the coordinating lignads and with the separation factor of Pr/Nd were discussed. It is found that the MM + model can be used for selecting and designing ligand as effective eluant, with which Pr 3+ and Nd 3+ can be separated by ion exchange chromatography.

HYDROXYLATION OF BENZENE BY HETEROPOLY ACIDS(SALTS)CONTAINING VANADIUM

Direct hydroxylation of benzene catalyzed by vanadium-con- taining heteropoly compounds with Keggin or Dawson structure has been investigated.The effects of several factors upon the hydroxylation reaction have also been examined.It is indicated that the highest yield of phenol reached 76%(based on H_2O_(?))with 99.4～100% selectivity.

Creation of cytochrome P450 catalysis depending on a non-natural cofactor for fatty acid hydroxylation

Cytochrome P450 enzymes catalyze diverse oxidative transformations at the expense of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate(NADPH),however,their applications remain limited largely because NADPH is cost-prohibitive for biocatalysis at scale yet tightly regulated in host cells.A highly challenging task for P450 catalysis has been to develop an alternative and biocompatible electrondonating system.Here we engineered P450 BM3 to favor reduced nicotinamide cytosine dinucleotide(NCDH)and created non-natural cofactor-dependent P450 catalysis.Two outstanding mutants were identified with over 640-fold NCDH preference improvement and good catalytic efficiencies of over15,000 M^(-1)s^(-1)for the oxidation of the fatty acid probe 12-(para-nitrophenoxy)-dodecanoate.Molecular docking analysis indicated that these mutants bear a compacted cofactor entrance.Upon fusing with an NCD-dependent formate dehydrogenase,fused proteins functioned as NCDH-specific P450catalysts by using formate as the electron donor.Importantly,these mutants and fusions catalyzed NCDH-dependent hydroxylation of fatty acids with similar chain length preference to those by natural P450 BM3 in the presence of NADPH and also similar regioselectivity for subterminal hydroxylation of lauric acid.As P450 BM3 and its variants are catalytically powerful to take diverse substrates and convey different reaction paths,our results offer an exciting opportunity to devise advanced cell factories that convey oxidative biocatalysis with an orthogonal reducing power supply system.

Modification of Chiral Stationary Phases with L-Proline as a Selector for Ligand-exchange Chromatography via Introducing Hydrophobic Groups

Three chiral stationary phases（CSPl, CSP2 and CSP3） for ligand-exchange chromatography were prepared by firstly using dimethylchlorosilane as an endcapping reagent for decreasing residual silanol groups on the surface of silica gel, and then modifying the surface of silica gel with allyl glycidyl ether and alkenes through the hydrosilation reaction, and lastly introducing L-proline as a chiral selector. The enantiomer resolutions of 14 amino acids and 2 hydroxyl acids were completed on the CSPs by using an aqueous solution of Cu（Ac）2 as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and column temperature of 40 ℃ with detection at UV 254 nm. In terms of enantioseleetivity a, column efficiency and resolution Rs, the chromatographic behaviors of the analytes on the CSPs were discussed via comparing them to those on the CSP4 prepared via the reference method. The results show that enantioselectivity a, column efficiency and resolution Rs of the analytes on the CSPs could be improved by using the above modifying method.

A novel insight of enhancing the hydrogen peroxide tolerance of unspecific peroxygenase from Daldinia caldariorum based on structure

Unspecific peroxygenases(UPOs, EC 1.11.2.1) is a kind of thioheme enzyme capable of catalyzing various oxidations of inert C–H bonds using H_(2)O_(2) as an oxygen donor without cofactors. However, the enhancement of the H_(2)O_(2) tolerance of UPOs is always challenging. In this study, the A161C mutant of r Dca UPO,which originates from Daldinia caldariorum, was found to be highly H_(2)O_(2)-resistant. Compared with the wild type, the mutant r Dca UPO-A161C showed a 10-h prolonged half-life and a 64% improved enzyme activity when incubated in 10 mmol/L H_(2)O_(2). The crystal structure analysis at 1.47 A showed that r Dca UPOA161C exhibited 10 α-helixes(cyan) and a series of ordered rings, forming a single asymmetric spherical structure. The two conserved domains near heme formed an active site with the catalytic PCP and EHD regions(Glu86, His87, Asp88 residues). The H_(2)O_(2) tolerance of r Dca UPO-A161C was preliminarily explored by comparing its structure with the wild type. Notably, r Dca UPO-A161C showed significantly higher catalytic efficiency than the wild type for the production of hydroxyl fatty acids. This study is anticipated to provide an insight into the structure-function relationship and expand potential applications of UPOs.

Rice CYP703A3, a cytochrome P450 hydroxylase, is essential for development of anther cuticle and pollen exine

Anther cuticle and pollen exine act as protective envelopes for the male gametophyte or pollen grain, but the mechanism underlying the synthesis of these lipidic polymers remains unclear. Previously, a tapetum‐expressed CYP703A3, a putative cytochrome P450 fatty acid hydroxylase, was shown to be essential for male fertility in rice（Oryza sativa L.）. However,the biochemical and biological roles of CYP703A3 has not been characterized. Here, we observed that cyp703a3‐2 caused by one base insertion in CYP703A3 displays defective pollen exine and anther epicuticular layer, which differs from Arabidopsis cyp703a2 in which only defective pollen exine occurs. Consistently, chemical composition assay showed that levels of cutin monomers and wax components were dramatically reduced in cyp703a3‐2 anthers. Unlike the wide range of substrates of Arabidopsis CYP703A2, CYP703A3 functions as an in‐chain hydroxylase only for a specific substrate, lauric acid, preferably generating 7‐hydroxylated lauric acid. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression analyses revealed that the expression of CYP703A3 is directly regulated by Tapetum Degeneration Retardation, a known regulator of tapetum PCD and pollen exine formation. Collectively, our results suggest that CYP703A3 represents a conserved and diversified biochemical pathway for in‐chain hydroxylation of lauric acid required for the development of male organ in higher plants.

Advances in Fe(II)/2-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase-mediated C-H bond oxidation for regioselective and stereoselective hydroxyl amino acid synthesis:from structural insights into practical applications

The asymmetric hydroxylation of inactive carbon atoms in organic compounds remains an important reaction in the industrial synthesis of valuable chiral compounds.Fe(II)and 2-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases(Fe/2-kg DOs)are the largest known subgroups of mononuclear nonheme-Fe(II)-dependent oxygenases,catalyzing various oxidation reactions of C-H bonds.Recent developments in Fe/2-kg DO-related researches have coupled concepts from bioinformatics,synthetic biology,and computational biology to establish effective biotransformation systems.The most well-studied and characterized activ-ity of the Fe/2-kg DOs is substrate hydroxylation,with regard to which mechanistic studies involving the Fe center assist in engineering the protein frameworks of these enzymes to obtain the desired catalytic enhancements.Amino acids are typical substrates of Fe/2-kg DOs and are usually converted into hydroxyl amino acids,which are widely used as intermediates in pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries.Herein,we have reviewed prior structural and mechanistic studies on Fe/2-kg DOs,as well as studies on the Fe/2-kg DO-mediated selective C-H oxidation process for selective hydroxyl amino acid synthesis,which will further our journey along the promising path of building complexity via C-H bond oxidation.Further,new bioinformatics techniques should be adopted with structure-based protein rational design to mine sequence databases and shrink mutant libraries to produce a diverse panel of functional Fe/2-kg DOs capable of catalyzing targeted reactions.