Kinetic studies on the reaction of cob(II)alamin with hypochlorous acid: Evidence for one electron oxidation of the metal center and corrin ring destruction

Abstract Kinetic and mechanistic studies on the reaction of a major intracellular vitamin B 12 form, cob(II)alamin (Cbl(II)), with hypochlorous acid/hypochlorite (HOCl/OCl − ) have been carried out. Cbl(II) (Co(II)) is rapidly oxidized by HOCl to predominately aquacobalamin/hydroxycobalamin (Cbl(III), Co(III)) with a second-order rate constant of 2.4 × 10 7  M − 1  s − 1 (25.0 °C). The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1. UHPLC/HRMS analysis of the product mixture of the reaction of Cbl(II) with 0.9 mol equiv. HOCl provides support for HOCl being initially reduced to Cl and subsequent H atom abstraction from the corrin macrocycle occurring, resulting in small amounts of corrinoid species with two or four H atoms fewer than the parent cobalamin. Upon the addition of excess (H)OCl further slower reactions are observed. Finally, SDS-PAGE experiments show that HOCl-induced damage to bovine serum albumin does not occur in the presence of Cbl(II), providing support for Cbl(II) being an efficient HOCl trapping agent.