Structure and function of a flavin-dependent S-monooxygenase from garlic (Allium sativum)

Allicin is a component of the characteristic smell and flavor of garlic (Allium sativum). A flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) produced byA. sativum(AsFMO) was previously proposed to oxidizeS-allyl-l-cysteine (SAC) to alliin, an allicin precursor. Here, we present a kinetic and structural characterization of AsFMO that suggests a possible contradiction to this proposal. Results of steady-state kinetic analyses revealed that AsFMO exhibited negligible activity with SAC; however, the enzyme was highly active withl-cysteine,N-acetyl-l-cysteine, and allyl mercaptan. We found that allyl mercaptan with NADPH was the preferred substrate-cofactor combination. Rapid-reaction kinetic analyses showed that NADPH binds tightly (K(D)of similar to 2 mu m) to AsFMO and that the hydride transfer occurs with pro-Rstereospecificity. We detected the formation of a long-wavelength band when AsFMO was reduced by NADPH, probably representing the formation of a charge-transfer complex. In the absence of substrate, the reduced enzyme, in complex with NADP(+), reacted with oxygen and formed an intermediate with a spectrum characteristic of C4a-hydroperoxyflavin, which decays several orders of magnitude more slowly than thek(cat). The presence of substrate enhanced C4a-hydroperoxyflavin formation and, upon hydroxylation, oxidation occurred with a rate constant similar to thek(cat). The structure of AsFMO complexed with FAD at 2.08-angstrom resolution features two domains for binding of FAD and NADPH, representative of class B flavin monooxygenases. These biochemical and structural results are consistent with AsFMO being an S-monooxygenase involved in allicin biosynthesis through direct formation of sulfenic acid and not SAC oxidation.