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Dear Colleagues,<br><br>
The G.R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory and the Department of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science would like to invite you to
the next seminar in our series on Modern Optics and
Spectroscopy.<br><br>
Date &
Time:<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>March
16, 2004; 12 noon - 1 PM<br><br>
Location:<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>Grier
Room (34-401)<br><br>
Speaker<b>:<x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>Thomas
Brunold,</b> University of Wisconsin<br><br>
Title:<x-tab> </x-tab><i><x-tab> </x-tab>Spectroscopic
and Computational Insights into the Biosynthesis and Reactivity of
Adenosylcobalamin<br><br>
</i>Refreshments will be served following the talk.<br><br>
*********************************<br>
<b>Thomas Brunold</b>, University of Wisconsin<br>
<i>Spectroscopic and Computational Insights into the Biosynthesis and
Reactivity of Adenosylcobalamin<br><br>
</i>Abstract:<br>
The B12 cofactor adenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B12; the biologically active
form of vitamin B12) has long fascinated chemists with its unparalleled
structural complexity and unusual reactivity in biological systems,
involving homolytic cleavage of the organometallic Co-C bond to produce
Co2+-cobalamin and an adenosyl radical. We utilize a combined
spectroscopic/computational methodology to explore two fundamentally
different, though complementary, aspects of B12 research; namely, the
mechanism of biological Co-C bond formation in the adenosylcobalamin
biosynthesis and the factors by which B12-dependent enzymes accelerate
the rate of homolytic Co-C bond cleavage by ~12 orders of magnitude
without significantly enhancing undesired Co-C bond
heterolysis.<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Vinnie Russo * vrusso@mit.edu * Office Manager<br>
MIT; G.R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory<br>
77 Mass. Ave., 6-014 * Cambridge, MA 02139<br>
(v) 617-253-9774 * (f) 617-253-4513</html>