Preparation, characterization, and chemical properties of the flavin coenzyme analogues 5-deazariboflavin, 5-deazariboflavin 5'-phosphate, and 5-deazariboflavin 5'-diphosphate, 5'leads to5'-adenosine ester.

In order to facilitate interpretation of the deazaisoalloxazine system as a valid mechanistic probe of flavoenzyme catalysis, we have examined some of the fundamental chemical properties of this system. The enzymatic synthesis, on a micromole scale, of the flavin coenzyme analogues 5-deazariboflavin 5'-phosphate (deazaFMN) and 5-deazariboflavin 5'-diphosphate, 5' leads to 5'adenosine ester (deazaFAD) has been achieved. This latter synthesis is accomplished with a partially purified FAD synthetase complex (from Brevibacterium ammoniagenes), containing both phosphorylating and adenylylating activities, allowing direct conversion of the riboflavin analogue to the flavin adenine dinucleotide level. The structure of the reduced deazaflavin resulting from enzymatic and chemical reduction is established as the 1,5-dihydrodeazaflavin by proton magnetic resonance. Similarly, the C-5 position of the deazaflavins is demonstrated to be the locus for hydrogen transfer in deazaflavin redox reactions. Preparation of 1,5-dihydrodeazaflavins by sodium borohydride reduction stabilized them to autoxidation (t 1/2 approximately 40 h, 22 degrees C) although dihydrodeazaflavins are rapidly oxidized by other electron acceptors, including riboflavin, phenazine methosulfate, methylene blue, and dichlorophenolindophenol. Mixtures of oxidized and reduced deazaflavins undergo a rapid two-electron disproportionation (k = 22 M-1 S-1 0 degrees C), and oxidized deazaflavins form transient covalent adducts with nitroalkane anions at pH less than 5. Generalized methods for the synthesis of isotopically labeled flavin and deazaflavin coenzymes and their purification by adsorptive chromatography are given.