Characterization of alkyl-nickel adducts generated by reaction of methyl-coenzyme M reductase with brominated acids

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) from methanogenic archaea catalyzes the final step in the biological synthesis of methane. Using coenzyme B (CoBSH) as the two-electron donor, MCR reduces methyl-coenzyme M (methyl-SCoM) to methane and the mixed disulfide, CoB-S-S-CoM. MCR contains coenzyme F-430, an essential redox-active nickel tetrahydrocorphin, at its active site. The active form of MCR (MCRredl) contains Ni(I)-F-430. When 3-bromopropane sulfonate (BPS) is incubated with MCRredl, an alkyl-Ni(III) species is formed that elicits the MCRPS EPR signal. Here we used EPR and UV-visible spectroscopy and transient kinetics to study the reaction between MCR from Methanothermobacter marburgensis and a. series of brominated carboxylic acids, with carbon chain lengths of 4-16. All of these compounds give rise to an alkyl-Ni intermediate with an EPR signal similar to that of the MCRPS species. Reaction of the alkyl-Ni(III) adduct, formed from brominated acids with eight or fewer total carbons, with HSCoM as nucleophile at pH 10.0 results in the formation of a thioether coupled to regeneration of the active MCRred1 state. When reacted with 4-bromobutyrate, MCRredl forms the alkyl-Ni(III) MCRXA state and then, surprisingly, undergoes "self-reactivation" to regenerate the Ni(I) MCRredl state and a bromocarboxy ester. The results demonstrate an unexpected reactivity and flexibility of the MCR active site in accommodating a broad range of substrates, which act as molecular rulers for the substrate channel in MCR.