An investigation of the copper ion environments of azurin and spinach plastocyanin by 1H N.M.R. spectroscopy

The environments of the copper ion in azurin and spinach plastocyanin have been investigated by the use of ¹H n.m.r. spectroscopy. The results are consistent with two histidines, cysteine and methionine as ligands to the copper.     

Benzylidene acetal structural elucidation by N.M.R. Spectroscopy: Application of carbon-13. N.M.R.-Spectral parameters

The ₁₃C-n.m.r. spectra of 19 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane, -1,3-dioxane and -1,3-dioxopane derivatives were examined and it was found that both the ₁₃C-n.m.r. chemical shift for the acetal carbon atom and the one-bond coupling constant between the acetal carbon atom and the acetal proton had values that could be used to distinguish between acetals having different ring sizes. In addition, the presence of axial substituents at positions 4 or 6 in substituted 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxane rings and 4 or 7 in substituted 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxepane rings could be readily detected. The structures of a number of carbohydrate examples were determined by using these two parameters and also the chemical shift of the acetal proton from ₁H-n.m.r. spectra. The use of all three parameters made assignment of benzylidene acetal ring-size unambiguous.     

The synthesis and N.M.R. spectroscopy of derivatives of 6-amino-6-deoxy-D-galactose-6-15N

Derivatives of 6-amino-6-deoxy-D-galactose-6-¹⁵N have been synthesized by reaction of the 6-deoxy-6-iodo (1) or 6-O-p-tolylsulfonyl derivative of 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranose with potassium phthalimide-¹⁵N. The reaction of 1 also yielded an elimination product, 6-deoxy-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-β-L-arabino-hex-5-enopyranose. The structures of the 6-amino-6-deoxy-D-galactose derivatives and their precursors were characterized by proton- and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy, with confirmation of the ¹³C assignments by selective proton decoupling. Selective broadening of the C-1, C-4, C-5, and C-6 resonances of 6-amino-6-deoxy-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-galactopyranose by low concentrations of cupric ion was observed, and studied by computerized measurements of the ¹³C linewidths. The application of this broadening to ¹³C-spectral assignments of amino sugar derivatives is indicated.     

Structural investigation of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella serotype K-34 and its characterization by N.M.R. spectroscopy

The repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide from Klebsiella type K-34 has been established by methylation, partial hydrolysis, and Smith degradation to consist of a hexasaccharide repeating-unit built up of four l-rhamnose, one d-glucose, and one d-galacturonic acid residues. The anomeric configurations of the linkages was determined by proton and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy at each step of the degradation procedures. Further evidence for the configurations of the glycosidic linkages involved the use of proton T₁ relaxation-times and oxidation by chromium trioxide. The data allowed assignment of the following structure for the repeating unit:     

N.M.R. spectroscopy and calcium binding of sialic acids: N-glycolylneuraminic acid and periodate-oxidized N-acetylneuraminic acid

N.m.r. spectroscopy (¹H- and ¹³C-) of N-glycolylneuraminic acid, and of its interaction product with Ca²⁺ at pH 7, indicated that a 1:1 complex is formed, with a formation constant of 193 M^?1 [compared to 121 M^?1 for N-acetylneuraminic acid (1)]. From analysis of electric-field shifts, an approximate position of the Ca²⁺ ion in the complex is inferred, with the hydroxyl group of the N-glycolyl group providing the additional binding. Compound 1 was oxidized with sodium periodate, and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy was applied in an attempt to identify the aldehyde formed, and to demonstrate that the loss of the glycerol-1-yl side-chain (carbon atoms 8 and 9) decreases its Ca²⁺ ion-binding capacity.     

High resolution 13C-N.M.R. spectroscopy of legume-seed galactomannans

Five galactomannans obtained by aqueous extraction at different temperatures from the endosperm of the seed of Gleditsia triacanthos, and having different Gal:Man ratios, were submitted to a preliminary degradation, and the products analyzed by high resolution ¹³C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. In these spectra all carbon atoms yield several lines. C-6 (substituted Man) shows, for the first time, a clear splitting, which is explained by considering that this carbon atom is sensitive to whether or not its neighbors are branched; this provides a basis for determining the next-nearest-neighbor probabilities in the galactomannans (“triad frequencies”). Although diad frequencies are roughly consistent with a random arrangement, the values obtained for the triad frequencies indicate a more complex kind of arrangement of the lateral chains.     

Carbon-13 N.M.R. study of bleomycin-A2 protonation

The acid-base titration of bleomycin-A2 in D2O solution at 35 +/- 5 degrees has been monitored by 13C n.m.r. spectroscopy at 67.89 MHz. The following pKDa values were obtained: 3.68 +/- 0.05 (secondary amine), 5.29 +/- 0.03 (imidazole), and 8.23 +/- 0.19 (primary amine), where KDa is the dissociation constant in D2O solution. The equilibrium isotope effects (pKDa--pKa in H2O) are: 0.70 +/- 0.06 (secondary amine), 0.28 +/- 0.04 (imidazole), and 0.85 +/- 0.19 (primary amine). Titration of the imidazole group of Bleo-A2 occurs at Npi, i.e. only Ntau is protonated in basic solution. Significant protonation shifts are almost completely limited to carbons of the N-terminal tetrapeptide, suggesting that the C-terminal tripeptide extends into the solvent and interacts to a minimal extent with the rest of the molecule. Long range protonation shifts associated with titration of the imidazole and secondary amine groups indicate that protonation of one or both of these sites is probably accompanied by significant conformational changes. The observed protonation shifts generally fail to correlate with Zn(II) complexation shifts reported by Dabrowiak et al. (1973, Biochemistry 17., 4090) indicating that ligation sites cannot unambiguously be determined from these complexation shifts. The complexation shifts previously attributed to coordination of the imidazole and carbamoyl groups probably result from conformational changes.     

Carbon-13 pulse Fourier transform N. M. R. of lecithins

Natural abundance carbon-13 proton noise decoupled spectra (¹³C{¹H}) of lecithins in organic solvent and in the smectic liquid crystalline phase, have been obtained. The preliminary results indicate that this technique may be useful in obtaining information about the mobility and organisation of lipids in liquid crystals and membranes.     

The use of 13C N.M.R. spectroscopy to monitor changes in the composition of the medium during the growth of Mycobacterium BCG

A novel application of the use of ¹³C N.M.R. spectroscopy to monitor changes in the concentration of amino acids, glycerol and glucose during the growth of Mycobacterium BCG in simple medium is described. In amino acid media, sodium glutamate and asparagine provide the C and N sources; glutamine is not utilised. In glycerol medium 20–25% of the carbon source is used after 14 days growth; only 8.5% glucose is used during the same period. The advantages of this method are discussed.     

Conformations of angiotensin II and enkephalin related to N.M.R.

Statistical samples of conformations for Angiotensin II and Enkephalin, obtained from a Monte-Carlo method, are models proposed to simulate the behavior of these hormones under different physico-chemical conditions. Analysis of molecular conformations shows that, for the two peptides, extended conformations are more likely to be present in acidic solutions used for N.M.R. measurements and folded conformations due to interactions of charged terminal groups are favoured at neutral pH.     

Structural analysis of comb-like,amylose derivatives by 13C-N.M.R. spectroscopy

¹³C-N.m.r. spectra have been recorded for previously reported, comb-like derivatives of amylose produced by orthoester and Helferich condensation of D-glucose to amylose. As known from monomeric studies, the Helferich condensation conditions (the presence of mercury salts) favor α-D-glucosylation, and orthoester condensation conditions favor β-D-glycosylation. It was anticipated that, for these polymer condensations, the Helferich and orthoester condensations would also favor α- or β-D-glycosylation, respectively. The ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra of representative products of the Helferich and orthoester condensations confirmed the presence of 4,6-di-O-substituted α-D-glucopyranosyl residues, and also the degree of polymer linearity derived from independent, analytical data. However, these spectra indicate extensive, if not exclusive, β-D-glycosylation for both the helferich and the orthoester conditions. These results were obtained by using the product from an enzymically synthesized, strictly linear amylose in the Helferich condensation reaction.     

N.M.R. of 'oriented' monosubstituted amides--cis and trans N-methyl formamide.

The n.m.r. spectrum of N-methyl formamide oriented in a lyotropic liquid crystal solvent shows the presence of the cis as well as the trans forms. Analysis of the spectra due to both the species has been carried out. Possible non-planar distortions at the nitrogen atom for the trans species have been computed using the derived dipolar couplings and the available structural data.     

Distance geometry analysis of the N.M.R. evidence on the solution conformation of bleomycin

Conformational constraints derived from n.m.r. experiments, X-ray data and the known stereochemistry have been used to investigate by the distance geometry method the range of allowed solution conformations for Cu(II):P-3A (a biosynthetic precursor of bleomycin), Fe(II):bleomycin:carbon monoxide, and Zn(II):bleomycin. The experimental data have been found to be self-consistent and lead to the following observations. 1) Designation of the ligands and the dihedral angles available from vicinal coupling constants are not sufficient to define uniquely the geometry around the metal. 2) When only five bleomycin ligands are invoked (e.g. Cu(II):P-3A or Fe(II):bleomycin:carbon monoxide) there is considerable freedom in the allowed coordination scheme around the metal, but some regions of the molecule have well determined conformation. 3) Introduction of a sixth bleomycin ligand, as in Zn(II):bleomycin, considerably constrains the conformational freedom of the groups coordinated to the zinc. The utility of the distance geometry approach for analysis of data and design of experiments is discussed.