title: Metal-mediated reactions modeled after nature.
abstract: The Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 436 'Metal-Mediated Reactions Modeled after Nature' was founded for the express purpose of analyzing the catalytic principles of metallo-enzymes in order to construct efficient catalysts on a chemical basis. The structure of the active center and neighboring chemical environment in enzymes serves as a focal point for developing reactivity models for the chemical redesign of catalysts. Instead of simply copying enzyme construction, we strive to achieve new chemical intuition based on the results of long-lasting natural evolution. We hope for success, since nature uses a limited set of building blocks, whereas we can apply the full repertoire of chemistry. Key substrates in this approach are small molecules, such as CO2, O2 NO3- and N2. Nature complexes these substrates, activates them and performs chemical transformations--all within the active center of a metalloenzyme. In this article, we report on some aspects and first results of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 436, such as nitrate reductase, sphingolipid desaturase, carbonic anhydrase, leucine aminopeptidase and dopamine beta-monooxygenase.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Research Center (SFB), Metal-Mediated Reactions Modeled after Nature, Institut für Organische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany. diekmann@imb-jena.de
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diekmann
authors.forename: Jennie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weston
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boland
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schönecker
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hettmann
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Langen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mauksch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bräuer
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rost
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sperling
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heinz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002384:Catalysis; D002417:Cattle; D004798:Enzymes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D008670:Metals