Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2956-9781
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2012
Publication Title
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Volume
13
Issue
10
First Page
12994
Keywords
OCD, L-proline, crystallin, oxidative deamination, iminium
Last Page
13011
Abstract
Ornithine cyclodeaminase (OCD) is an NAD+-dependent deaminase that is found in bacterial species such as Pseudomonas putida. Importantly, it catalyzes the direct conversion of the amino acid L-ornithine to L-proline. Using molecular dynamics (MD) and a hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) method in the ONIOM formalism, the catalytic mechanism of OCD has been examined. The rate limiting step is calculated to be the initial step in the overall mechanism: hydride transfer from the L-ornithine’s Cα–H group to the NAD+cofactor with concomitant formation of a Cα=NH2+ Schiff base with a barrier of 90.6 kJ mol−1. Importantly, no water is observed within the active site during the MD simulations suitably positioned to hydrolyze the Cα=NH2+ intermediate to form the corresponding carbonyl. Instead, the reaction proceeds via a non-hydrolytic mechanism involving direct nucleophilic attack of the δ-amine at the Cα-position. This is then followed by cleavage and loss of the α-NH2 group to give the Δ1-pyrroline-2-carboxylate that is subsequently reduced to L-proline.
DOI
10.3390/ijms131012994
Recommended Citation
Ion, Bogdan F.; Bushnell, Eric Andre; De Luna, Phil; and Gauld, James. (2012). A Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) Study on Ornithine Cyclodeaminase (OCD): A Tale of Two Iminiums. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13 (10), 12994-13011.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/chemistrybiochemistrypub/122