IChO 2025 · Theory problem 9

Enzymes and cofactors

7% of the total

9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Total
2 6 2 6 10 10 36

In any answer for this task, stereochemistry is not required and the phosphate group can be abbreviated as "OP" (see the scheme below).

Transketolase (TK) and transaldolase (TA) are enzymes that catalyse C–C bond cleavage. TK contains the cofactor thiamine pyrophosphate 1, a derivative of vitamin B1, in the active site.

Breslow and coworkers studied cation 2, a model of cofactor 1, to demonstrate the relatively acidic properties of thiamine. Cation 2 underwent a single H/D exchange in \(\ce{D2O}\), which yielded 4 via intermediate 3.

Figure 1

9.1 From the structures in the answer sheet, choose the one that corresponds to compound 4.

Compounds such as 3 have many applications in organocatalysis. When a catalytic amount of 3 is generated in a solution of benzaldehyde 5, a condensation reaction leads to product 9 via the catalytic cycle shown.

Figure 2

9.2 Draw the structures of compounds 3, 6, and 8. Intermediates 6 and 8 are cations. There is no rearrangement in this catalytic cycle.

An aldose is a sugar containing an aldehyde. A ketose is a sugar containing a ketone. Enzyme TK contains 1 as a cofactor which catalyses the transfer of a two-carbon fragment from a ketose to an aldose by the catalytic cycle presented below.

Figure 3

9.3 Draw the structure of 13.

9.4 Draw the structures of intermediates 15-17.

Enzyme TA catalyses the transfer of a three-carbon fragment from a ketose to an aldose. The residue of amino acid lysine 20 in the active site of TA is responsible for the enzyme activity.

Figure 4

9.5 Draw the structures of intermediates 21-25. 23 and 25 have the same functional groups.

TK and TA are used in some organisms to transform five molecules of three-carbon sugars into three molecules of a five-carbon sugars.

9.6 Propose a reaction sequence for this transformation. Label all sugars with a letter followed by a number. Use the letter A for any aldose and the letter K for any ketose. Use the number corresponding to the number of carbon atoms in the sugar; see the example below (e.g., present structure 10 as K7; using full structural formulae is not required). The number of carbon atoms in the sugar intermediates is between 3 and 7. There are no non-enzymatic steps in the pathway.

Write either TA or TK as the catalyst for each step. Ignore any phosphorylation, dephosphorylation, and isomerisation reactions. Beside transaldolase activity, TA exhibits aldolase activity resulting in only one product. Any five-carbon sugar (A5 or K5) is an acceptable product. Use the same style as shown in the figure below.

Figure 5

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Stereochemistry is omitted throughout, as permitted. Phosphate charges in the SMILES follow the drawings. For 21–25, [*:1] represents the unchanged protein substituent \(R\) attached to the lysine nitrogen.

  • 9.1 — 2 points.
    4 is 2-deuterio-3,4-dimethylthiazolium, with D on the ring carbon between S and N:
    C[N+]1=C([2H])SC=C1C

In the figure’s notation: \[ \boxed{R^1=\ce{D},\qquad R^2=R^3=\ce{CH3},\qquad R^4=\ce{H}.} \]

  • 9.2 — 6 points.

3: 3,4-Dimethylthiazol-2-ylidene, shown as its neutral, charge-separated thiazolium-ylide resonance form:
C[N+]1=[C-]SC=C1C

6: 2-[Hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]-3,4-dimethylthiazolium, the first aldehyde adduct:
C[N+]1=C(C(O)c2ccccc2)SC=C1C

8: 2-(1,2-Dihydroxy-1,2-diphenylethyl)-3,4-dimethylthiazolium, the coupled diol adduct:
C[N+]1=C(C(O)(c2ccccc2)C(O)c2ccccc2)SC=C1C

  • 9.3 — 2 points.
    13 is ketopentose 5-phosphate, conventionally xylulose 5-phosphate: \[ \boxed{\ce{HOCH2-C(=O)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}} \] SMILES: OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

  • 9.4 — 6 points.

15: Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate–TPP covalent adduct; donor sugar C2 bears OH and is bonded to thiazolium C2:
Cc1ncc(C[N+]2=C(C(O)(CO)C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-])SC(CCOP(=O)([O-])OP(=O)([O-])[O-])=C2C)c(N)n1

16: Dihydroxyethyl-TPP enaminol; the thiazole C2 is double-bonded to the external carbon bearing OH and \(\ce{CH2OH}\):
Cc1ncc(CN2C(=C(O)CO)SC(CCOP(=O)([O-])OP(=O)([O-])[O-])=C2C)c(N)n1

17: Ketopentose 5-phosphate–TPP covalent adduct, immediately before ketopentose release:
Cc1ncc(C[N+]2=C(C(O)(CO)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-])SC(CCOP(=O)([O-])OP(=O)([O-])[O-])=C2C)c(N)n1

  • 9.5 — 10 points.

21: Neutral lysine ε-amine, \(\ce{RNH2}\):
[*:1]N

22: Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate–lysine ketimine, with an uncharged imine nitrogen:
[*:1]N=C(CO)C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

23: N-Protonated sedoheptulose 7-phosphate–lysine ketimine, an iminium intermediate:
[*:1][NH+]=C(CO)C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

24: Lysine-bound three-carbon enamine, \(\ce{RNH-C(CH2OH)=CH(OH)}\):
[*:1]NC(CO)=CO

25: N-Protonated fructose 6-phosphate–lysine ketimine, an iminium intermediate:
[*:1][NH+]=C(CO)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

  • 9.6 — 10 points.
    A valid four-step sequence is \[ \begin{aligned} &\ce{K3 + A3 ->[TA] K6}\\ &\ce{K6 + A3 ->[TK] A4 + K5}\\ &\ce{K3 + A4 ->[TA] K7}\\ &\ce{K7 + A3 ->[TK] A5 + K5}. \end{aligned} \] TA acts as an aldolase in the first and third steps. The net transformation is \[ \boxed{\ce{2 K3 + 3 A3 -> A5 + 2 K5}.} \]

Solution

9.1

Compound 2 is 3,4-dimethylthiazolium, C[N+]1=CSC=C1C. Its most readily exchanged hydrogen is attached to C2, the carbon between sulfur and the positively charged nitrogen.

Removing this proton gives 3, a resonance-stabilized thiazolium ylide/N-heterocyclic carbene. The SMILES in the answers uses the ylide representation: N carries \(+1\), C2 carries \(-1\), and the molecule is neutral overall.

Reaction of this carbon centre with heavy water, \(\ce{D2O}\), [2H]O[2H], installs D at C2. Neither methyl group nor the other ring C–H position changes. The balanced net isotope exchange is \[ \ce{C5H8NS+ + D2O <=> C5H7DNS+ + HDO}, \] where \(\ce{HDO}\) is hydrogen deuterium oxide, [2H]O.

Thus the required drawing is the original thiazolium ring with its C2 hydrogen replaced by D.

9.2

The additional structures needed to follow the cycle are:

Compound Name SMILES
5 Benzaldehyde O=Cc1ccccc1
7 Breslow enaminol intermediate CN1C(=C(O)c2ccccc2)SC=C1C
9 Benzoin, 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenylethan-1-one O=C(c1ccccc1)C(O)c1ccccc1

Let \(C_{\mathrm T}\) denote C2 of the thiazole ring, and let Ph denote phenyl.

Formation of 6. The nucleophilic carbon of 3 attacks the carbonyl carbon of benzaldehyde. The carbonyl π electrons move to oxygen, which is then protonated. Therefore, draw a single bond from \(C_{\mathrm T}\) to a \(\ce{CH(OH)Ph}\) group. The thiazolium nitrogen remains positively charged.

Formation of 7. Intermediate 6 loses the proton on its benzylic carbon, not the hydroxyl proton. The resulting electron redistribution creates an exocyclic double bond between that carbon and \(C_{\mathrm T}\), while the ring \(\ce{N=C_{T}}\) bond becomes single. The nitrogen becomes neutral. This is the Breslow intermediate, an acyl-anion equivalent.

Formation of 8. The external enaminol carbon of 7 attacks the carbonyl carbon of a second benzaldehyde molecule. Protonation of the newly formed alkoxide gives 8. Its side-chain connectivity is \[ C_{\mathrm T}\!-\!\ce{C(OH)(Ph)-CH(OH)Ph}. \] The carbon directly attached to the catalyst has no hydrogen: it is bonded to OH, Ph, the second aldehyde-derived carbon, and \(C_{\mathrm T}\). The ring nitrogen is again positively charged.

Release of 9. Deprotonation of the hydroxyl directly adjacent to the catalyst allows that oxygen to form a carbonyl. Cleavage of the bond to \(C_{\mathrm T}\) releases benzoin and regenerates 3.

The balanced overall reaction is \[ \boxed{\ce{2 C6H5CHO ->[3] C6H5COCH(OH)C6H5}.} \] Although called a benzoin condensation, this net reaction does not eliminate water.

9.3

The given sugar identities and their open-chain structures are:

Compound Name SMILES
10 Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]
11 Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate O=CC(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]
12 Ribose 5-phosphate O=CC(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

Number the carbons of 10 from its unphosphorylated \(\ce{CH2OH}\) end. TK removes its C1–C2 two-carbon unit by breaking the C2–C3 bond. The remaining original C3–C7 fragment becomes the five-carbon aldose 12.

The transferred two-carbon unit then combines with the three-carbon aldose 11. Its carbonyl carbon becomes C2 of the new ketose, giving \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(=O)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}, \] which is 13, a ketopentose 5-phosphate.

The balanced molecular equation, using the phosphate ionization shown in the question, is \[ \ce{C7H13O10P^{2-} + C3H5O6P^{2-} <=>[TK] C5H9O8P^{2-} + C5H9O8P^{2-}}. \] The two products have the same molecular formula but different carbonyl positions: 12 is an aldose and 13 a ketose.

9.4

Cofactor 1 is thiamine diphosphate, represented in the protonation state drawn in the question by:

Cc1ncc(C[N+]2=CSC(CCOP(=O)([O-])OP(=O)([O-])[O-])=C2C)c(N)n1

Its C2-deprotonated form 14, the thiamine diphosphate ylide, is:

Cc1ncc(C[N+]2=[C-]SC(CCOP(=O)([O-])OP(=O)([O-])[O-])=C2C)c(N)n1

The chemistry parallels the benzoin cycle.

Intermediate 15. The nucleophilic thiazole C2 of 14 attacks sugar C2, the ketone carbon of 10. Protonation of oxygen gives a tetrahedral alcohol.

For the drawing, retain all thiamine substituents and attach its thiazolium C2 to the second carbon of this chain: \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(OH)(T)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}, \] where \(T\) marks the single bond to the thiazolium ring. The ring nitrogen carries \(+1\).

Intermediate 16. Break the bond between sugar C2 and C3. The hydroxyl on original C3 becomes the aldehyde oxygen of 12, with loss of its proton. The C1–C2 fragment remains attached to TPP.

Electron redistribution gives an exocyclic double bond from thiazole C2 to the retained carbon bearing OH and \(\ce{CH2OH}\). The thiazole C2–N bond is now single and N is neutral. This is the two-carbon enaminol 16.

Intermediate 17. The external enaminol carbon attacks the aldehyde carbon of 11. Protonation of the new alkoxide produces the five-carbon adduct: \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(OH)(T)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}. \] The thiazolium nitrogen again carries \(+1\).

Finally, deprotonation of the hydroxyl at sugar C2 and formation of its carbonyl cleave the bond to the catalyst, releasing 13 and regenerating 14.

The positive nitrogen charges in 15 and 17 refer to the thiazolium ring; their complete structures also contain negatively charged phosphate groups.

9.5

The enzyme-bound lysine ammonium group 20 is represented by [*:1][NH3+]. Deprotonation gives the neutral ε-amine 21, \(\ce{RNH2}\).

The sugars released in this cycle are:

Compound Name SMILES
18 Erythrose 4-phosphate O=CC(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]
19 Fructose 6-phosphate OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)C(O)COP(=O)([O-])[O-]

Formation of 22. The lysine amine attacks the ketone carbon, C2, of 10. Loss of water, O, gives a Schiff base. Thus, replace the C2 carbonyl oxygen of 10 by \(\ce{N-R}\): \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(=N-R)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}. \] The imine nitrogen of 22 has no hydrogen and no formal charge.

Formation of 23. Protonation occurs at the imine nitrogen: \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(=[NH+]-R)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}. \] The resulting iminium group facilitates the following C–C cleavage.

Formation of 24. Cleavage occurs between original sugar C3 and C4. The hydroxyl on C4 becomes an aldehyde, releasing the C4–C7 fragment as erythrose 4-phosphate 18.

The retained C1–C3 fragment becomes the enamine \[ \boxed{\ce{HOCH2-C(NH-R)=CH(OH)}}. \] The C2=C3 double bond is formed as the iminium π electrons move onto nitrogen. The nitrogen is therefore neutral and retains its hydrogen.

Formation of 25. The terminal enamine carbon, original C3, attacks the aldehyde carbon of 11. The new alkoxide is protonated, and the iminium bond is restored. The resulting six-carbon structure is \[ \ce{HOCH2-C(=[NH+]-R)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH(OH)-CH2OP}. \]

Thus 23 and 25 both contain an iminium group, alcohol groups, and a phosphate ester, as required. They differ in carbon-chain length.

Hydrolysis of 25 consumes water and restores the ketone, releasing fructose 6-phosphate 19, neutral lysine amine 21, and a proton, \(\ce{H+}\), [H+].

Water released during Schiff-base formation is consumed during hydrolysis. The balanced overall transformation is \[ \boxed{\ce{C7H13O10P^{2-} + C3H5O6P^{2-} <=>[TA] C4H7O7P^{2-} + C6H11O9P^{2-}}.} \]

9.6

Choose two K3 molecules and three A3 molecules as the five starting trioses. For this part, phosphorylation is suppressed as instructed. Representative sugar identities are:

Label Representative sugar SMILES without stereochemistry or phosphate
A3 Glyceraldehyde O=CC(O)CO
K3 Dihydroxyacetone OCC(=O)CO
A4 Erythrose O=CC(O)C(O)CO
A5 Ribose O=CC(O)C(O)C(O)CO
K5 Xylulose OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)CO
K6 Fructose OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)C(O)CO
K7 Sedoheptulose OCC(=O)C(O)C(O)C(O)C(O)CO

The sequence works as follows:

Step Reaction Explanation
1 \(\ce{K3 + A3 ->[TA] K6}\) TA’s aldolase activity joins two trioses, producing one six-carbon ketose.
2 \(\ce{K6 + A3 ->[TK] A4 + K5}\) TK transfers two carbons from K6 to A3. Retain the K5 as a final product.
3 \(\ce{K3 + A4 ->[TA] K7}\) TA’s aldolase activity joins the remaining K3 to A4, producing one seven-carbon ketose.
4 \(\ce{K7 + A3 ->[TK] A5 + K5}\) TK transfers two carbons from K7 to the remaining A3, giving two further pentoses.

For the answer-sheet diagram, connect these four steps in order through K6, A4, and K7. Draw a K5 output branch at step 2, and terminate step 4 with A5 and K5. Label the successive reactions TA, TK, TA, TK.

Cancelling the intermediates gives \[ \ce{2 K3 + 3 A3 -> A5 + 2 K5}. \] With phosphorylation suppressed, the molecular balance is \[ \ce{5 C3H6O3 -> 3 C5H10O5}. \] Hence \[ 5\times3=3\times5=15 \] carbon atoms are conserved. Every sugar contains between three and seven carbons, and every displayed reaction is enzymatic. The two aldolase steps are additions; they do not involve net elimination of water.

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.