Catalysis of a flavoenzyme-mediated amide hydrolysis.
Mukherjee, T., Zhang, Y., Abdelwahed, S., Ealick, S.E., Begley, T.P.(2010) J Am Chem Soc 132: 5550-1
- PubMed: 20369853 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ja9107676
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
5WAN - PubMed Abstract: 
A new pyrimidine catabolic pathway (the Rut pathway) was recently discovered in Escherichia coli K12. In this pathway, uracil is converted to 3-hydroxypropionate, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. The seven-gene Rut operon is required for this conversion. Here we demonstrate that the flavoenzyme RutA catalyzes the initial uracil ring-opening reaction to give 3-ureidoacrylate. This reaction, while formally a hydrolysis reaction, proceeds by an oxidative mechanism initiated by the addition of a flavin hydroperoxide to the C4 carbonyl. While peroxide-catalyzed amide hydrolysis has chemical precedent, we are not aware of a prior example of analogous chemistry catalyzed by flavin hydroperoxides. This study further illustrates the extraordinary catalytic versatility of the flavin cofactor.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.