title: Chloroperoxidase-catalyzed benzylic hydroxylation.
abstract: Chloroperoxidase oxidizes p-methylanisole and p-ethylanisole to 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol and 1-(4'-methoxyphenyl)ethanol, respectively. It ineffectively oxidizes toluene to benzyl alcohol but does not appear to oxidize toluene substituted with strong electron-withdrawing groups. O-Demethylation is also observed. The enzyme is sensitive to substituents at other than the para position and does not detectably catalyze benzylic hydroxylation of p-methylanisole if it bears additional methyl or methoxy groups. An exception is 1,2-(methylenedioxy)-4-methylbenzene, which is oxidized to both 3,4-(methylenedioxy)benzyl alcohol and 2-hydroxy-4-methylphenol. Studies with H2(18)O2 indicate that all the oxygen incorporated into the product in the oxidation of p-methylanisole to 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol derives from the peroxide. The mono- and dideuterated methyl analogues of p-methylanisole are oxidized with apparent intramolecular isotope effects of 3.51 and 3.34, respectively. Abstraction of a hydrogen from a carbon bearing a hydroxyl group competes effectively with benzylic oxidation because 2-[1,1-2H2]phenylethanol is oxidized to 2-[1-2H]- rather than 2-[1,2-2H2]phenylacetaldehyde. Aldehyde formation therefore involves abstraction of the carbinol hydrogen rather than hydrogen migration to a benzylic carbocation intermediate. Chloroperoxidase resembles cytochrome P450 in that it catalyzes benzylic hydroxylation reactions but it has a more limited substrate specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0446, USA.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tschirret-Guth
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ortiz de Montellano
mesh_terms: D000840:Anisoles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001593:Benzyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D001665:Binding Sites; D002711:Chloride Peroxidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006900:Hydroxylation
chemical_list: D000840:Anisoles; D001593:Benzyl Compounds; C060998:anisole; D002711:Chloride Peroxidase