Reaction: L-phenylalanine + a 5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine + O2 = L-tyrosine + a 4a-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridine
For diagram of reactions, click here, or click here or click here
Other name(s): phenylalaninase; phenylalanine 4-hydroxylase; phenylalanine hydroxylase
Systematic name: L-phenylalanine,tetrahydropteridine:oxygen oxidoreductase (4-hydroxylating)
Comments: The active centre contains mononuclear iron(II). The reaction involves an arene oxide that rearranges to give the phenolic hydroxy group. This results in the hydrogen at C-4 migrating to C-3 and in part being retained. This process is known as the NIH-shift. The 4a-hydroxytetrahydropteridine formed can dehydrate to 6,7-dihydropteridine, both spontaneously and by the action of EC 4.2.1.96, 4a-hydroxytetrahydrobiopterin dehydratase. The 6,7-dihydropteridine must be enzymically reduced back to tetrahydropteridine, by EC 1.5.1.34, 6,7-dihydropteridine reductase, before it slowly rearranges into the more stable but inactive compound 7,8-dihydropteridine.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 9029-73-6
References:
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7. Erlandsen, H., Kim, J.Y., Patch, M.G., Han, A., Volner, A., Abu-Omar, M.M. and Stevens, R.C. Structural comparison of bacterial and human iron-dependent phenylalanine hydroxylases: similar fold, different stability and reaction rates. J. Mol. Biol. 320 (2002) 645-661. [PMID: 12096915]