Okuda, J.

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2016, 12, 1314-1321, 10.3762/bjoc.12.124

Copper(I) and copper(II) complexes were covalently linked to an engineered variant of the transmembrane protein Ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA ΔCVFtev). Copper(I) was incorporated using an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand equipped with a maleimide group on the side arm at the imidazole nitrogen. Copper(II) was attached by coordination to a terpyridyl ligand. The spacer length was varied in the back of the ligand framework. These biohybrid catalysts were shown to be active in the Diels–Alder reaction of a chalcone derivative with cyclopentadiene to preferentially give the endo product.

Onoda, A.

J. Inorg. Biochem. 2016, 158, 55-61, 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2015.12.026

A hybrid biocatalyst containing a metal terpyridine (tpy) complex within a rigid β-barrel protein nitrobindin (NB) is constructed. A tpy ligand with a maleimide group, N-[2-([2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridin]-4′-yloxy)ethyl]maleimide (1), was covalently linked to Cys96 inside the cavity of NB to prepare a conjugate NB–1. Binding of Cu2 +, Zn2 +, or Co2 + ion to the tpy ligand in NB–1 was confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy and ESI–TOF MS measurements. Cu2 +-bound NB–1 is found to catalyze a Diels–Alder reaction between azachalcone and cyclopentadiene in 22% yield, which is higher than that of the Cu2 +–tpy complex without the NB matrix. The results suggest that the hydrophobic cavity close to the copper active site within the NB scaffold supports the binding of the two substrates, dienophile and diene, to promote the reaction.

Lombardi, A.; Louro, R.O.

Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 990-993, 10.1039/d0cc06676a

Fe-Mimochrome VI*a is a synthetic peroxidase and peroxygenase, featuring two different peptides that are covalently-linked to deuteroheme. To perform a systematic structure/function correlation, we purposely shortened the distance between the distal peptide and the heme, allowing for the separation and characterization of two regioisomers. They differ in both His axial-ligand orientation, as determined by paramagnetic NMR shifts, and activity. These findings highlight that synthetic metalloenzymes may provide an efficient tool for disentangling the role of axial ligand orientation over peroxidase activity.

Ueno, T.; Watanabe, Y.

Small 2008, 4, 50-54, 10.1002/smll.200700855

A bionanocup chemical reactor is constructed from a heteroprotein assembly from bacteriophage T4. The preparation of a stable iron(III) porphyrin–bionanocup composite is described. The hydrophobic cup provides a space suitable for the fixation of low‐water‐solubility iron(III) porphyrins. The application of the iron(III) porphyrin–bionanocup composites for the catalysis of sulfoxidation of thioanisoles is demonstrated (see figure).