Peptidylglycine-alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase generates two hydroxylated products from its mechanism-based suicide substrate, 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid.

The bifunctional enzyme peptidylglycine-alpha-amidating monooxygenase mediates the conversion of C-terminal glycine-extended peptides to their active alpha-amidated products. Peptidylglycine-alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM, EC 1.14.17. 3) catalyzes the first reaction in this two-step process. The olefinic compound 4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid (PBA) is the most potent irreversible, mechanism-based PHM inactivator known. While the details of the inhibitory action of PBA on PHM remain undefined, covalent modification of the protein has been proposed as the underlying mechanism. We report here that, in the process of inactivating PHM, PBA itself serves as a substrate without covalently labeling the enzyme. Approximately 100 molecules of PBA are metabolized per molecule of PHM inactivated, under saturating conditions. The metabolism of PBA by PHM generates two hydroxylated products, 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid and its allylic isomer, 4-hydroxy-4-phenyl-2-butenoic acid. While one enantiomer for each product is significantly favored in the reaction, both are produced. From these observations, we conclude that hydroxylated PBA products are formed by a delocalized free radical mechanism and that the lack of absolute stereospecificity indicates significant freedom of movement within the catalytic site. The ability of PHM to metabolize PBA suggests that the physiological functions of PHM may include the hydroxylation of substrates other than those containing terminal glycines.