title: Flavins as Covalent Catalysts: New Mechanisms Emerge.
abstract: With approximately 1% of proteins being flavoproteins, flavins are at the heart of a plethora of redox reactions in all areas of biology. Thanks to a series of fascinating recent discoveries, in addition to redox chemistry, covalent catalysis is now being recognized more frequently as a common strategy in flavoenzymes, with unprecedented mechanisms becoming apparent. Thus, noncanonical covalent reactions by flavins are emerging as a new pervasive concept in basic enzymology and biochemistry. These diverse enzymes are engaged in most biological processes, positioning the knowledge being gained from these new mechanisms to be translated into drugs that function through covalent mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'L. Spallanzani', University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Piano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry,University of Michigan Medical School 5220E MSRB III 1150 W. Medical Center Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0606. Electronic address: brupalf@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Palfey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology 'L. Spallanzani', University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia Italy. Electronic address: andrea.mattevi@unipv.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattevi
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D005415:Flavins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005415:Flavins; D010088:Oxidoreductases