At the redox-active center of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a selenenyl sulfide (Se-S) bond is formed between Cys497 and Sec498, which is activated into the thiolselenolate state ([SH,Se- ]) by reacting with a nearby dithiol motif ([SHCys59 ,SHCys64 ]) present in the other subunit. This process is achieved through two reversible steps: an attack of a cysteinyl thiol of Cys59 at the Se atom of the Se-S bond and a subsequent attack of a remaining thiol at the S atom of the generated mixed Se-S intermediate. However, it is not clear how the kinetically unfavorable second step progresses smoothly in the catalytic cycle. A model study that used synthetic selenenyl sulfides, which mimic the active site structure of human TrxR comprising Cys497, Sec498, and His472, suggested that His472 can play a key role by forming a hydrogen bond with the Se atom of the mixed Se-S intermediate to facilitate the second step. In addition, the selenenyl sulfides exhibited a defensive ability against H2 O2 -induced oxidative stress in cultured cells, which suggests the possibility for medicinal applications to control the redox balance in cells.
Keywords: antioxidants; chalcogens; enzyme models; medicinal chemistry; redox chemistry.
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