Theoretical Study of Enzyme Promiscuity: Mechanisms of Hydration and Carboxylation Activities of Phenolic Acid Decarboxylase

The cofactor-free phenolic acid decarboxylases (PADs) catalyze the nonoxidative decarboxylation of phenolic acids to their corresponding p-vinyl derivatives. Since these compounds are useful industrially, PADs have potential applications as biocatalysts. Recently, PADs have been reported to also catalyze the hydration and carboxylation of hydroxystyrenes, increasing further their biocatalytic utility. We have used quantum chemical methodology to investigate the detailed mechanisms of both promiscuous reactions. A large model of the active site is designed starting from the crystal structure of PAD from Bacillus subtilis. The calculations suggest new mechanisms, quite different from the literature proposals. For the carboxylation reaction, a carbon dioxide molecule is proposed to be generated from bicarbonate first and then act as the source for the carboxylate group of the product. For the hydration activity, the reaction is suggested to start with the formation of a quinone methide intermediate by protonation of the C=C double bond of the p-vinylphenol substrate. A water molecule then attacks the alpha-carbon to generate the alcohol product. The enantioselectivity of the hydration reaction is also investigated in this study, and the calculations are able to reproduce and rationalize the observed experimental outcome.