Reductive Cleavage of Sulfoxide and Sulfone by Two Radical S-Adenosyl-l-methionine Enzymes

Biochemistry. 2019 Jan 8;58(1):36-39. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00844. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Abstract

Sulfoxides and sulfones are commonly found in nature as a result of thioether oxidation, whereas only a very few enzymes have been found to metabolize these compounds. Utilizing the strong reduction potential of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzymes, we herein report the first enzyme-catalyzed reductive cleavage of sulfoxide and sulfone. We show two radical SAM enzymes, tryptophan lyase NosL and the class C radical SAM methyltransferase NosN, are able to act on a sulfoxide SAHO and a sulfone SAHO2, both of which are structurally similar to SAM. NosL cleaves all of the three bonds (i.e., S-C(5'), S-C(γ), and S-O) connecting the sulfur center of SAHO, with a preference for S-C(5') bond cleavage. Similar S-C cleavage activity was also found for SHAO2, but no S-O cleavage was observed. In contrast to NosL, NosN almost exclusively cleaves the S-C(5') bonds of SAHO and SAHO2 with much higher efficiencies. Our study provides valuable insights into the [4Fe-4S] cluster-mediated reduction reactions and highlights the remarkable catalytic promiscuity of radical SAM enzymes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon-Carbon Lyases / metabolism*
  • Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • S-Adenosylmethionine / chemistry*
  • S-Adenosylmethionine / metabolism
  • Safrole / analogs & derivatives*
  • Safrole / chemistry
  • Safrole / metabolism
  • Sulfones / chemistry*
  • Sulfones / metabolism
  • Tryptophan / metabolism*

Substances

  • Sulfones
  • S-Adenosylmethionine
  • Tryptophan
  • Methyltransferases
  • Carbon-Carbon Lyases
  • Safrole
  • sulfoxide