Binding of 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide on dicopper(II) centers: insights into tyrosinase inhibition mechanism by transition-state analogs.

2-Hydroxypyridine-N-oxide (HOPNO) is described as a new and efficient transition-state analog (TS-analog) inhibitor for the mushroom tyrosinase with an IC(50) = 1.16 microM and a K(I) = 1.8 microM. Using the binuclear copper(II) complex [Cu(2)(BPMP)(mu-OH)](ClO(4))(2) (2) known as a functional model for the tyrosinase catecholase activity, we isolated and fully characterized a 1:1 (2)/OPNO adduct in which the HOPNO is deprotonated and chelates only one Cu-atom of the binuclear site in a bidentate mode. On the basis of these results, a structural model for the tyrosinase inhibition by HOPNO is proposed.