Theoretical study of cooperativity in biotin

To give a deeper insight into the widely discussed catalytic mechanism of biotin, four representative model molecules and their aggregates hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) to water molecules were investigated by means of ab initio calculations and compared with molecular dynamics simulations. The roles of the ureido group, the sulfur atom, and the side chain of biotin are examined and discussed, respectively. Some significant H-bonding cooperativities are theoretically demonstrated in the ureido group of biotin. The pi-electron delocalization of the ureido group makes the system a good candidate for the H-bonding cooperativities, which in turn increases the covalent character of the corresponding H-bonds and facilitates the electrophilic substitution of the nitrogen atoms in the ureido group. The sulfur of biotin may participate in the delocalized pi-electron system of the ureido group via special sulfur-nitrogen bonding interactions, which reinforces the H-bonding cooperativities of the ureido group. The side chain of biotin not only reduced the accessibility of 3-NH due to steric hindrance but also enhanced the H-bonding cooperativities of the ureido group by folding over to hydrogen bond to more water molecules. The folded states are a probable way of activating 1-NH by strong cooperative effects. In addition, the H-bonding cooperativities may be a significant reason for the strong and specific binding between biotin and streptavidin.