A comprehensive study of the active site residues of DT-diaphorase: rational design of benzimidazolediones as DT-diaphorase substrates.

A series of quinone substrates were modeled into the active site of human DT-diaphorase and minimized. Correlation of these models with the substrate specificity k(cat)/K(m) provided insights into the structural requirements of quinone substrates. The W105, F106, and H194 residues can influence the position of the quinone substrate in the active site resulting in formation of one of the two possible Michael anions resulting from hydride transfer from FADH(2). Electron withdrawing groups on the substrate can stabilize these anions resulting in excellent substrate specificity. Inspection of models indicated that the W-105 and F-106 residues form parallel walls that will accommodate large polycyclic substrates. Thus excellent polycyclic substrates of DT-diaphorase were designed. However, the placement of tetrahedral centers on these polycyclic substrates interfered with the W-105 and the F-106 residues resulting in their exclusion from the active site. The histidine (H194) residue permits recognition of substrate enantiomers as a result of hydrogen bonding interactions. As a result of this study, it will be possible to design poor to excellent substrates of DT-diaphorase and take advantage of varying levels of this enzyme in histologically different cancers.