Insights from Computational Dynamic Active Site Mapping into Substrate Recognition and Mutation-Induced Dysfunction in Human Tyrosinase

The ability of enzymes to recognize and process structurally diverse substrates is fundamental to metabolic flexibility and biological regulation. In melanin biosynthesis, human tyrosinase (Tyr) catalyzes the oxidation of several chemically distinct intermediates, including L-tyrosine, L-DOPA, DHICA, and DHI. Although its catalytic chemistry is well established, the structural basis of substrate selectivity and how it is altered by disease-associated mutations remains unclear. Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, we mapped the Tyr active site and identified 23 evolutionarily conserved residues that mediate multi-substrate recognition and binding. Across all substrates, binding induces coordinated conformational responses, particularly within an anchoring region (334-347) that provides electrostatic and hydrophobic steering, and a flexible gating loop (374-386) that modulates access and stabilizes bound intermediates. The OCA1B-associated P406L mutation, although distant from the catalytic core, disrupts long-range dynamic coupling and impairs loop flexibility, while 25 ClinVar-listed genetic variants at substrate-interacting residues weaken active-site organization, underscoring the sensitivity of Tyr's dynamic network to perturbation. Integrating these findings, we propose an ordered multi-substrate binding mechanism in which substrates are first guided by the anchoring region, then aligned by the universal triad, and finally refined through loop-mediated, substrate-specific contacts. Our work suggests a dynamic framework that could be useful for understanding human tyrosinase catalysis, genetic mutation impact, and future engineering strategies.