Structure of flavin adducts with acetylenic substrates. Chemistry of monoamine oxidase and lactate oxidase inhibition.

The photoreaction of flavoquinones (lumiflavin, riboflavin, FMN etc. and their 3-alkylated derivatives) with propargylamine-type acetylenic substrates, R4 -Calpha identical to Cbeta -CgammaHR3 -NR2R1, yields a mixture of two adducts,which result from covalent Calpha fixation of the Cgamma-deprotonated substrate to either position C(4a) or N(5) in the flavin nucleus. The N(5) adduct is a dihydroflavin-5-trimethine-cyanine with very intense (xi greater than 20000 M-1 cm-1) absorption maxima in the region 380-450 nm depending on the R1,R2. This absorption allows recognition of minute amounts of this species of flavocyanine even in complex mixtures. Flavocyanines can be reconverted to starting flavin by base. It spectral properties are identical with those obtained for the pargyline-flavin inhibitor complex from bovine kidney or pig liver monoamine oxidase.