This paper reports a quantitative study of the effect of ring substituents in the 1-position of the aromatic ring on the rate of monophenol hydroxylation and o-diphenol oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase. A possible correlation between the electron density of the carbon atom supporting the oxygen from the monophenolic hydroxyl group and the V M max values for each monophenol was found. In the case of o-diphenols the same effect was observed but the size of the side-chain became very important. NMR studies on the monophenols justified the sequence of the V M max values obtained. As regards the o-diphenols, on the other hand, only a fair correlation between NMR and V D max values was observed due to the effect of the molecular size of the ring substituent. From these data, it can be concluded that the redox step k 33 is not the rate-determining step of the reaction mechanism. Thus, the monophenols are converted into diphenols, but the order of specificities towards monophenols is different to that of o-diphenols. The rate-limiting step of the monophenolase activity could be the nucleophilic attack k 5 1 of the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group on the copper atoms of the active site of the enzyme. This step could also be similar to or have a lower rate of attack than the electrophilic attack (k 5 2 ) of the oxygen atom of the active site of oxytyrosinase on the C-3 of the monophenolic ring. However, the rate-limiting step in the diphenolase activity of tyrosinase could be related to both the nucleophilic power of the oxygen atom belonging to the hydroxyl group at the carbon atom in the 3-position k 32 and to the size of the substituent side-chain. On the basis of the results obtained, kinetic and structural models describing the monophenolase and diphenolase reaction mechanisms for tyrosinase are proposed.Keywords: diphenolase; enzyme kinetics; 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH); monophenolase; mushroom.The enzyme tyrosinase or polyphenol oxidase, PPO (monophenol, o-diphenol:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.18.1) is of central importance in vertebrate melanin pigmentation. Enzymatic browning in vegetables and fruits is caused by the activity of tyrosinase in plant tissues. Tyrosinase plays an important role in fruit and vegetable processing and during the storage of processed foods. This enzyme catalyzes the hydroxylation of monophenols (monophenolase activity) and the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones (diphenolase activity). These o-quinones evolve nonenzymatically to yield several unstable intermediates, which polymerize to render melanins [1,2]. The active site of tyrosinase consists of two copper atoms and three states:`met',`deoxy', and`oxy' [3±10]. Structural models for the active site of these three forms of tyrosinase have been proposed [11±15]. Recent advances on structural homology [16] and on the active-site conformation [17,18] have been reported. Nevertheless, the complete spatial structure of the active site is still unknown.The conversion of p-monophenols into o-diphenols is an interesti...

The reaction of mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) tyrosinase with dioxygen in the presence of several o-diphenolic substrates has been studied by steady-state and transient-phase kinetics in order to elucidate the rate-limiting step and to provide new insights into the mechanism of oxidation of these substrates. A kinetic analysis has allowed for the first time the determination of individual rate constants for several of the partial reactions that comprise the catalytic cycle. Mushroom tyrosinase rapidly reacts with dioxygen with a second-order rate constant k(+8) = 2.3 x 10(7) M(-)(1) s(-)(1), which is similar to that reported for hemocyanins [(1.3 x 10(6))-(5.7 x 10(7)) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)]. Deoxytyrosinase binds dioxygen reversibly at the binuclear Cu(I) site with a dissociation constant K(D)(O)()2 = 46.6 microM, which is similar to the value (K(D)(O)()2 = 90 microM) reported for the binding of dioxygen to Octopus vulgaris deoxyhemocyanin [Salvato et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14065-14077]. Transient and steady-state kinetics showed that o-diphenols such as 4-tert-butylcatechol react significantly faster with mettyrosinase (k(+2) = 9.02 x 10(6) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)) than with oxytyrosinase (k(+6) = 5.4 x 10(5) M(-)(1) s(-)(1)). This difference is interpreted in terms of differential steric and polar effects that modulate the access of o-diphenols to the active site for these two forms of the enzyme. The values of k(cat) for several o-diphenols are also consistent with steric and polar factors controlling the mobility, orientation, and thence the reactivity of substrates at the active site of tyrosinase.

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This paper reports experiments on the stereospecificity observed in the monophenolase and diphenolase activities of mushroom tyrosinase. Several enantiomorphs of monophenols and o-diphenols were assayed: L-tyrosine, D,L-tyrosine, D-tyrosine; L-alpha-methyltyrosine, D,L-alpha-methyltyrosine; L-dopa, D,L-dopa, D-dopa; L-alpha-methyldopa, D,L-alpha-methyldopa; L-isoprenaline, D,L-isoprenaline and D-isoprenaline. The Vmax values obtained for each series were the same. The electronic densities on the carbon atoms in the meta (C-3) and the para (C-4) positions of the benzene ring were determined by NMR assays. This value is related to the nucleophilic power of the oxygen atom belonging to the hydroxy group, which could explain the Vmax values experimentally obtained for the monophenolase and diphenolase activities of mushroom tyrosinase. The spatial orientation of the ring substituents led to lower Km values for L-isomers than for D-isomers. However, the Vmax values were the same for each series of isomers because spatial orientation did not affect the NMR value of C-4. Therefore mushroom tyrosinase showed stereospecificity in its affinity towards its substrates (Km) but not in the transformation reaction rate (Vmax) of these substrates.

The suicide inactivation mechanism of tyrosinase acting on its substrates has been studied. The kinetic analysis of the proposed mechanism during the transition phase provides explicit analytical expressions for the concentrations of o-quinone against time. The electronic, steric and hydrophobic effects of the substrates influence the enzymatic reaction, increasing the catalytic speed by three orders of magnitude and the inactivation by one order of magnitude. To explain the suicide inactivation, we propose a mechanism in which the enzymatic form E(ox) (oxy-tyrosinase) is responsible for such inactivation. A key step might be the transfer of the C-1 hydroxyl group proton to the peroxide, which would act as a general base. Another essential step might be the axial attack of the o-diphenol on the copper atom. The rate constant of this reaction would be directly related to the strength of the nucleophilic attack of the C-1 hydroxyl group, which depends on the chemical shift of the carbon C-1 (delta(1)) obtained by (13)C-NMR. Protonation of the peroxide would bring the copper atoms together and encourage the diaxial nucleophilic attack of the C-2 hydroxyl group, facilitating the co-planarity with the ring of the copper atoms and the concerted oxidation/reduction reaction, and giving rise to an o-quinone. The suicide inactivation would occur if the C-2 hydroxyl group transferred the proton to the protonated peroxide, which would again act as a general base. In this case, the co-planarity between the copper atom, the oxygen of the C-1 and the ring would only permit the oxidation/reduction reaction on one copper atom, giving rise to copper(0), hydrogen peroxide and an o-quinone, which would be released, thus inactivating the enzyme.

A spectrophotometric method for determining the monophenolase and diphenolase activities of mushroom polyphenol oxidase (PPO) at pH 6.8 has been improved. The method is based on the coupling reaction between the nucleophile 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) and the quinone products of the oxidation of monophenols and o-diphenols in the presence of polyphenol oxidase. MBTH−quinone adduct is further oxidized by another molecule of o-quinone. Different o-diphenols were assayed:  l-dopa, dopamine, catechol, 4-methylcatechol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DHPAA), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (DHPPA) (and their corresponding monophenols). The PHPPA (p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid)/DHPPA pair was chosen as the best pair from those assayed thanks to its kinetic features, molar absorptivity (ε), and solubility. All the MBTH−o-quinone adducts from the above substrates evolved at pH 6.8. A reaction mechanism for explaining the evolution of the MBTH−o-quinone adduct of DHPPA has been proposed and kinetically studied for the first time. The wavelength where the MBTH−o-quinone adduct of DHPPA showed an isosbestic point (λi = 466 nm) was chosen for spectrophotometrically recording the action of PPO on the PHPPA/DHPPA pair. This method could be useful for determining microquantities of PPO in problem samples. Keywords: 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid; diphenols; enzyme kinetics; p-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid; MBTH; monophenols; mushroom; polyphenol oxidase; spectrophotometry; tyrosinase

SummaryThe suicide inactivation mechanism of tyrosinase acting on its phenolic substrates has been studied. Kinetic analysis of the proposed mechanism during the transition phase provides explicit analytical expressions for the concentrations of o-quinone versus time. The electronic, steric, and hydrophobic effects of the phenolic substrates influence the enzymatic reaction, increasing the catalytic speed by three orders of magnitude and the inactivation by one order of magnitude. To explain this suicide inactivation, we propose a mechanism in which the enzymatic form oxy-tyrosinase is responsible for the inactivation. In this mechanism, the rate constant of the reaction would be directly related with the strength of the nucleophilic attack of the C-1 hydroxyl group, which depends on the chemical shift of the carbon C-1 (d 1 ) obtained by 13 C-NMR. The suicide inactivation would occur if the C-2 hydroxyl group transferred the proton to the protonated peroxide, which would again act as a general base. In this case, the coplanarity between the copper atom, the oxygen of the C-1 and the ring would only permit the oxidation/reduction of one copper atom, giving rise to copper (0), hydrogen peroxide, and an o-quinone, which would be released, thus inactivating the enzyme. One possible application of this property could be the use of these suicide substrates as skin depigmenting agents.

Mushroom tyrosinase exhibits catalase activity with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as substrate. In the absence of a one-electron donor substrate, H(2)O(2) is able to act as both oxidizing and reducing substrate. The kinetic parameters V(max) and K(m) that characterize the reaction were determined from the initial rates of oxygen gas production (V(0)(O)()2) under anaerobic conditions. The reaction can start from either of the two enzyme species present under anaerobic conditions: met-tyrosinase (E(m)) and deoxy-tyrosinase (E(d)). Thus, a molecule of H(2)O(2) can reduce E(m) to E(d) via the formation of oxy-tyrosinase (E(ox)) (E(m) + H(2) <==> O(2) right harpoon over left harpoon E(ox)), E(ox) releases oxygen into the medium and is transformed into E(d), which upon binding another molecule of H(2)O(2) is oxidized to E(m). The effect of pH and the action of inhibitors have also been studied. Catalase activity is favored by increased pH, with an optimum at pH = 6.4. Inhibitors that are analogues of o-diphenol, binding to the active site coppers diaxially, do not inhibit catalase activity but do reduce diphenolase activity. However, chloride, which binds in the equatorial orientation to the protonated enzyme (E(m)H), inhibits both catalase and diphenolase activities. Suicide inactivation of the enzyme by H(2)O(2) has been demonstrated. A kinetic mechanism that is supported by the experimental results is presented and discussed.