Exploring Dihydroflavonol-4-Reductase Reactivity and Selectivity by QM/MM-MD Simulations.

Julien Diharce, Emmanuelle Bignon, Sébastien Fiorucci, Serge Antonczak

Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology 2022 Feb 04

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Flavonoids are secondary metabolites ubiquitously found in plants. Their antioxidant properties make them highly interesting natural compounds for use in pharmacology. Therefore, unravelling the mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis is an important challenge. Among all the enzymes involved in this biosynthetic pathway, dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) plays a key role in the production of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. Here, we provide new information on the mechanism of action of this enzyme by using QM/MM-MD simulations applied to both dihydroquercetin (DHQ) and dihydrokaempferol (DHK) substrates. The consideration of these very similar compounds shed light on the major role played by the enzyme on the stabilization of the transition state but also on the activation of the substrate before the reaction through near-attack conformer effects. © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Citation

Julien Diharce, Emmanuelle Bignon, Sébastien Fiorucci, Serge Antonczak. Exploring Dihydroflavonol-4-Reductase Reactivity and Selectivity by QM/MM-MD Simulations. Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology. 2022 Feb 04;23(3):e202100553