Reaction mechanism of the dinuclear zinc enzyme N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolase: a quantum chemical study.

N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolase (AHL lactonase) is a dinuclear zinc enzyme responsible for the hydrolytic ring opening of AHLs, disrupting quorum sensing in bacteria. The reaction mechanism is investigated using hybrid density functional theory. A model of the active site is designed on the basis of the X-ray crystal structure, and stationary points along the reaction pathway are optimized and analyzed. Two possible mechanisms based on two different substrate orientations are considered. The calculations give support to a reaction mechanism that involves two major chemical steps: nucleophilic attack on the substrate carbonyl carbon by the bridging hydroxide and ring opening by direct ester C-O bond cleavage. The roles of the two zinc ions are analyzed. Zn1 is demonstrated to stabilize the charge of the tetrahedral intermediate, thereby facilitating the nucleophilic attack, while Zn2 stabilizes the charge of the alkoxide resulting from the ring opening, thereby lowering the barrier for the C-O bond cleavage.