A 67-year-old “crazy” theory about vitamin B1 has finally been proven

Decades-old hypothesis on vitamin B1's core mechanism is confirmed, opening a path to sustainable industrial chemistry. | Contesto: cronaca

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• A 67-year-old “crazy” theory about vitamin B1 has finally been proven

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In a landmark achievement, an international team of researchers has successfully stabilized a fleeting, highly reactive molecule in water, providing definitive proof for a 67-year-old theory concerning the fundamental role of vitamin B1 in all living organisms. The work, published this week, validates a long-contested hypothesis about the vitamin's catalytic mechanism, a puzzle that has persisted since it was first proposed in the 1950s. This direct experimental confirmation not only closes a chapter in basic biochemistry but also establishes a new platform for designing radically more efficient and environmentally benign chemical processes. The core of the mystery revolved around thiamine, or vitamin B1, and its active form, thiamine diphosphate (ThDP). For decades, scientists have understood that this coenzyme is essential for life, crucial in metabolizing sugars and amino acids. The prevailing theory, advanced in 1957, posited that ThDP facilitates reactions by briefly forming an ultra-reactive intermediate called hydroxyethylidene carbene. This carbene, however, was considered a "theoretical ghost"—impossibly unstable to exist in a cellular environment, especially in water, where it should react instantly and vanish. Proving its transient formation became a holy grail in bioorganic chemistry, with many experts doubting it could ever be directly observed. The research team, employing advanced synthetic chemistry and spectroscopic techniques, engineered a molecular model system that mimicked the enzyme's active site. By carefully controlling the chemical environment, they trapped and observed the elusive carbene intermediate in aqueous solution for the first time. "We created a molecular cage that protects the carbene just long enough to study it, mirroring what we believe the natural enzyme does," explained the lead author. This direct evidence confirms that the 1957 theory was correct: vitamin B1's extraordinary catalytic power indeed flows through this highly reactive, carbene-based pathway, a mechanism now proven to be viable in water-based biological systems. The implications of this discovery extend far beyond textbook biochemistry. The proven ability...

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Categoria: cronaca