5dyv

Publication Abstract from PubMed

The Diels-Alder reaction, a [4 + 2] cycloaddition of a conjugated diene to a dienophile, is one of the most powerful reactions in synthetic chemistry. Biocatalysts capable of unlocking new and efficient Diels-Alder reactions would have major impact. Here we present a molecular-level description of the reaction mechanism of the spirotetronate cyclase AbyU, an enzyme shown here to be a bona fide natural Diels-Alderase. Using enzyme assays, X-ray crystal structures, and simulations of the reaction in the enzyme, we reveal how linear substrate chains are contorted within the AbyU active site to facilitate a transannular pericyclic reaction. This study provides compelling evidence for the existence of a natural enzyme evolved to catalyze a Diels-Alder reaction and shows how catalysis is achieved.

The Catalytic Mechanism of a Natural Diels-Alderase Revealed in Molecular Detail.,Byrne MJ, Lees NR, Han LC, van der Kamp MW, Mulholland AJ, Stach JE, Willis CL, Race PR J Am Chem Soc. 2016 May 18;138(19):6095-8. doi: 10.1021/jacs.6b00232. Epub 2016, May 6. PMID:27140661^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.