Oxidation of Pentagalloylglucose to the Ellagitannin, Tellimagrandin II, by a Phenol Oxidase from Tellima Grandiflora Leaves

A new enzyme has been isolated from leaves of the weed Tellima grandiflora (fringe cups, Saxifragaceae) that catalyzed the O(2)-dependent oxidation of 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucopyranose to tellimagrandin II, the first intermediate in the (4)C(1)-glucose derived series of ellagitannins. CD-spectra revealed that the 4,6-O-HHDP-residue of the in vitro product had the (S)-stereoconfiguration characteristic of tellimagrandin II from natural sources. The enzyme, for which a M(r) of ca. 60,000 was determined, was purified to apparent homogeneity. It had a pH-optimum at pH 5.0, an isoelectric point at pH 6.3 and was most stable at pH 4.2. Inhibition studies suggested that this new enzyme, for which the systematic name 'pentagalloylglucose: O(2) oxidoreductase' is proposed, belongs to the vast group of laccase-type phenol oxidases (EC 1.10.3.2).