Acyl-Carbon Bond Cleaving Cytochrome P450 Enzymes: CYP17A1, CYP19A1 and CYP51A1

Cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) enzymes in their resting state contain the heme-iron in a high-spin Fe-III state. Binding of a substrate to a P450 enzyme allows transfer of the first electron, producing a Fe II species that reacts with oxygen to generate a low-spin iron superoxide intermediate (Fe-III -O-O-center dot) ready to accept the second electron to produce an iron peroxy anion intermediate (a, Fe-III-O-O-). In classical monooxygenation reactions, the peroxy anion upon protonation fragments to form the reactive Compound I intermediate (Por center dot Fe-+(IV) = O), or its ferryl radical resonance form(Fe-IV-O-center dot). However, when the substrate projects a carbonyl functionality, of the type b, at the active site as is the case for reactions catalyzed by CYP17A1, CYP19A1 and CYP51A1, the peroxy anion (Fe-III -O-O-) is trapped, yielding a tetrahedral intermediate (c) that fragments to an acyl-carbon cleavage product (d plus an acid). Analogous acyl-carbon cleavage reactions are also catalyzed by certain hepatic P450s and CYP125A1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A further improvisation on the theme is provided by aldehyde deformylases that convert long-chain aliphatic aldehydes to hydrocarbons. CYP17A1 is involved in the biosynthesis of corticoids as well as androgens. The flux toward these two classes of hormones seems to be regulated by cytochrome b(5), at the level of the acyl-carbon cleavage reaction. It is this regulation of CYP17A1 that provides a safety mechanism, ensuring that during corticoid biosynthesis, which requires 17 alpha-hydroxylation by CYP17A1, androgen formation is avoided (Fig. 4.1).