Abstract
Ab initio molecular orbital theory has been used to study the reactions catalyzed by the B12-dependent enzyme diol dehydratase. The calculations show that a pathway involving the 1,2-shift of a hydroxyl group is greatly facilitated by partial proton transfer to the migrating oxygen. These results suggest a conceptually simple mechanism for the rearrangement whose reaction rate is consistent with experiment. The inclusion of a gem-diol intermediate in the proposed pathway is in accordance with18O-labeling experiments and thus overcomes important shortcomings in previously proposed mechanisms.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 5700-5704 |
Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Volume | 121 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1999 |