Sandbox Reserved 714

General structure

The Human soluble Epoxide hydrolase is a protein of 555 residues. In vivo, it exists under the form of a homodimer, with a monomeric unit of 62,5 kDa. Each subunit has , linked by a proline-rich section.

Mechanism

C-terminal domain

The C-terminal domain is called Cytosolic epoxide hydrolase 2: it catalyzes the trans-addition of water to epoxides in order to product glycols^[1]. The is made of five residues. The 3D structure of this active site is maintained by hydrogen bonds, including those created by D496. The two tyrosines (Y383 and Y466) assist the proper positioning of the substrate by polarizing it, thanks to their hydroxyl groups. D335 acts as a nucleophilic acid. Finally, H524 plays the role of a base in order to release the final product.

The reaction proceeds in two steps, including the formation of a covalent intermediate.

First, the substrate (epoxide) is accepted in the active site and its oxygen forms hydrogen bonds with Y383 and Y466. The oxygen of D335 attacks one of the two carbons included in the epoxide function. As a result, the oxygen of the subtrate takes the hydrogen of the hydroxyl function of Y466: the covalent intermediate is formed, and linked to D335. Then, the oxygen negatively charged belonging to the lateral chain of Y383 attacks the hydrogen of H524. After that, a water molecule enters the active site. The hydroxyl of D335 is therefore renewed, the diol product is created and released. The active site is available for a new catalytic cycle.

The corresponding reaction equation is the following:

Epoxide + H₂O ↔ Glycol

N-terminal domain

The N-terminal domain is responsible of the Mg²⁺ dependant hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate ^[2]. Its contains several conserved aspartates in phosphatases and phosphonatases: D9, D11, D184 and D185. This enzymatic activity is Mg²⁺ dependant, because the structure of the active site is in its optimal conformation when the cation makes coordination interactions. When the catalytic activity of the N-term domain is available, Magnesium is octahedrally coordinated with the four aspartates, one water molecule and the phosphate belonging to the substrate.

Inhibitors