Cobalamin reduction by dithionite. Evidence for the formation of a six-coordinate cobalamin(ii) complex

Evidence for the formation of a unique, six-coordinate cobalamin(II) complex with the anion-radical SO(2)(-) during the reduction of aquacobalamin(III) by sodium dithionite, was obtained from spectrophotometric and EPR measurements. The pK(a) value of the weakly coordinated dimethylbenzimidazole group was found to be 4.8 ± 0.1 at 25 °C.