Intraprotein transmethylation via a CH₃-Co(iii) species in myoglobin reconstituted with a cobalt corrinoid complex

Myoglobin reconstituted with a cobalt tetradehydrocorrin derivative, rMb(Co(TDHC)), was investigated as a hybrid model to replicate the reaction catalyzed by methionine synthase. In the heme pocket, Co^I(TDHC) is found to react with methyl iodide to form the methylated cobalt complex, CH₃-Co^III(TDHC), although it is known that a similar nucleophilic reaction of a cobalt(i) tetradehydrocorrin complex does not proceed effectively in organic solvents. Furthermore, we observed a residue- and regio-selective transmethylation from the CH₃-Co^III(TDHC) species to the Nε2 atom of the His64 imidazole ring in myoglobin at 25 °C over a period of 48 h. These findings indicate that the protein matrix promotes the model reaction of methionine synthase via the methylated cobalt complex. A theoretical calculation provides support for a plausible reaction mechanism wherein the axial histidine ligation stabilizes the methylated cobalt complex and subsequent histidine-flipping induces the transmethylation via heterolytic cleavage of the Co-CH₃ bond in the hybrid model.