Sugar interaction with metal ions. The coordination behavior of neutral galactitol to Ca(II) and lanthanide ions

The crystal structures of CaCl(2).galactitol.4 H(2)O and 2EuCl(3).galactitol.14 H(2)O were determined to compare the coordination behavior of Ca and lanthanide ions. The crystal system of the Ca-galactitol complex, CaCl(2).C(6)H(14)O(6).4 H(2)O, is monoclinic, Cc space group. Each Ca ion is coordinated to eight oxygen atoms, four from two galactitol molecules and four from water molecules. Galactitol provides O-2, -3 to coordinate to one Ca(2+), and O-4, -5 with another Ca(2+), to form a chain structure. The crystal system of the Eu-galactitol complex, 2EuCl(3).C(6)H(14)O(6).14 H(2)O, is triclinic, P1; space group. Each Eu ion is coordinated to nine oxygen atoms, three from an alditol molecule and six from water molecules. Each galactitol provides O-1, -2, -3 to coordinate with one Eu(3+) and O-4, -5, -6 with another Eu(3+). The other water molecules are hydrogen-bonded in the structure. The similar IR spectra of Pr-, Nd-, Sm-, Eu-, Dy-, and Er-galactitol complexes show that those lanthanide ions have the same coordination mode to neutral galactitol. The Raman spectra also confirm the formation of metal ion-carbohydrate complexes.     

Cyclam cored luminescent dendrimers as ligands for Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions

We have investigated the photophysical properties of two dendrimers containing a cyclam core decorated with 4 naphthyl units (G0), 12 dimethoxybenzene and 16 naphthyl units (G2). These dendrimers show fluorescence bands that can be assigned to naphthyl localized excited states (λ_max = 337 nm), naphthyl-amine exciplexes (λ_max = 470 nm) and, for G2, naphthyl excimers (λ_max ca. 400 nm). Cyclam is a very good ligand for transition metal ions and we have investigated complex formation between these dendritic ligands and Ni(II), Co(II) and Cu(II), added as nitrate salts. This process can be monitored by the strong changes, both in shape and intensity, observed in the emission spectra of these dendrimers. Complexation with Cu(II) causes not only changes in the relative intensities of the fluorescence bands, but also the appearance of a new absorption band in the near UV spectral region. An analysis of the titration curves has allowed us to obtain clear evidence for the formation of not only 1:1 species, but also 1:2 metal to ligand species. G2 shows a clear preference, compared to G0, in forming complexes with a 1:2 metal-to-ligand stoichiometry, although it possesses very bulky dendrons appended to the cyclam central unit.     

Labeling of proteins and oligopeptides with luminescent lanthanide(III) chelates.

Synthesis of a building block that allows introduction of photoluminescent europium(III) and samarium(III) chelates to synthetic oligopeptides on solid phase using standard Fmoc chemistry is described. Upon completion of the oligopeptide synthesis, these conjugates were converted to the corresponding lanthanide(III) chelates by treatment with appropriate lanthanide(III) salt. Also synthesis of a new terpyridine-based europium(III) chelate designed for solution phase protein labeling is demonstrated.     

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching with transition metal ions as short-distance probes for protein conformation

A series of model dye-labeled histidine-containing peptides was used to investigate the nature of the quenching mechanism with Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺. The strong reduction in steady-state fluorescence was found to be unaccompanied by any noticeable changes in lifetime kinetics. This static nature of quenching is not consistent with the dynamic Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) phenomenon, which was assumed to dominate the quenching mechanism, and is likely caused by shorter range orbital coupling. Our results indicate that the FRET-like sixth power of distance dependence of quenching cannot be automatically assumed for transition metal ions and that time-resolved measurements should be used to distinguish various quenching mechanisms.     

Solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotides labeled with luminescent lanthanide(III) chelates

The synthesis of phosphoramidite building blocks that allow introduction of luminescent europium(III), terbium(III), dysprosium(III), and samarium(III) chelates to oligonucleotides on the solid phase is described. Several labeled oligonucleotides using these building blocks were prepared, and the photophysical properties of these bioconjugates were investigated.     

Comparative study of glutamine synthetase bound lanthanide(III) ions using NMR relaxation and lanthanide(III) luminescence techniques

Changes in the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of glutamine synthetase induced by lanthanide(III) ion binding demonstrate the existence of three types of sites for these ions. The sites are populated sequentially during titrations of the enzyme, and the first two have a stoichiometry of 1 per enzyme subunit. The number of water molecules coordinated to Eu(III) bound to the first site was determined by luminescence lifetime techniques to be 4.1 +/- 0.5. The hydration of Gd(III) bound to the same site was studied by magnetic field dependent water proton longitudinal relaxation rate measurements, and by water proton and deuteron relaxation measurements of one sample at single magnetic fields. The magnetic resonance techniques also yield a value of 4 for the hydration number.     

Enormous catalyses of lanthanide metal ions for unprecedentedly fast hydrolysis of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate.

3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is efficiently hydrolyzed by use of lanthanide metal(III) ions as catalysts. The acceleration by 10(-2) M of Ce(III) is remarkable (more than 10(11) fold) at pH 8.0, 30 degrees C, decreasing the half-life from a half million years to 35 seconds. The catalytic activity is in the following order: Ce > Pr > Nd, La > Y, Sm, Dy > others. The catalysis is ascribed to cooperation of three or four lanthanide metal ions.     

Near-infrared luminescent lanthanide (Er, Nd) complexes covalently bonded to a terpyridine-functionalized silica matrix.

New kinds of hybrid materials containing covalently bonded tris(dibenzoylmethanate)Ln complexes (Ln=Er, Nd) in a terpyridine-functionalized silica matrix have been prepared and their near-infrared luminescence properties reported.     

Ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridyl) ion as a luminescent probe for oxygen uptake

The present work describes an alternative technique for following the rate of oxygen uptake by chemical and enzymatic systems. This method is based on spectrofluorometric monitoring of the well-known quenching effect of molecular oxygen on the emission of the photoexcited [Ru(bpy)3]2+ ion, added to the reaction mixtures. The rate of oxygen consumption determined using the present method agrees with that obtained by conventional polarographic techniques in all of the following systems: ascorbate/Cu2+, glucose/glucose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.4), and propanal/horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7); in the last case, agreement was observed both in the presence and absence of serum albumin and of chloroplasts. Spectrofluorometric data for amphotericin autoxidation in dimethyl sulfoxide are in accord with the rate of decay of the ESR signal of a spin trap added to the reaction mixture. The advantages and limitations of the present spectrofluorometric technique relative to conventional polarographic monitoring of dissolved oxygen are discussed.     

Engineering [Ln(DPA)3] 3- binding sites in proteins: a widely applicable method for tagging proteins with lanthanide ions

Paramagnetic relaxation enhancements from unpaired electrons observed in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra present powerful long-range distance restraints. The most frequently used paramagnetic tags, however, are tethered to the protein via disulfide bonds, requiring proteins with single cysteine residues for covalent attachment. Here we present a straightforward strategy to tag proteins site-specifically with paramagnetic lanthanides without a tether and independent of cysteine residues. It relies on preferential binding of the complex between three dipicolinic acid molecules (DPA) and a lanthanide ion (Ln³⁺), [Ln(DPA)₃]³⁻, to a pair of positively charged amino acids whose charges are not compensated by negatively charged residues nearby. This situation rarely occurs in wild-type proteins, allowing the creation of specific binding sites simply by introduction of positively charged residues that are positioned far from glutamate or aspartate residues. The concept is demonstrated with the hnRNPLL RRM1 domain. In addition, we show that histidine- and arginine-tags present binding sites for [Ln(DPA)₃]³⁻.     

Monorhamnolipids and 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids (HAAs) production using Escherichia coli as a heterologous host

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces the biosurfactants rhamnolipids and 3-(3-hydroxyalkanoyloxy)alkanoic acids (HAAs). In this study, we report the production of one family of rhamnolipids, specifically the monorhamnolipids, and of HAAs in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain expressing P. aeruginosa rhlAB operon. We found that the availability in E. coli of dTDP-l-rhamnose, a substrate of RhlB, restricts the production of monorhamnolipids in E. coli. We present evidence showing that HAAs and the fatty acid dimer moiety of rhamnolipids are the product of RhlA enzymatic activity. Furthermore, we found that in the recombinant E. coli, these compounds have the same chain length of the fatty acid dimer moiety as those produced by P. aeruginosa. These data suggest that it is RhlAB specificity, and not the hydroxyfatty acid relative abundance in the bacterium, that determines the profile of the fatty acid moiety of rhamnolipids and HAAs. The rhamnolipids level produced in recombinant E. coli expressing rhlAB is lower than the P. aeruginosa level and much higher than those reported by others in E. coli, showing that this metabolic engineering strategy lead to an increased rhamnolipids production in this heterologous host.     

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane using a novel host (zeolite-Y)/guest (binuclear transition metal complexes) nanocomposite materials

Transition metal (M = Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II)) complexes with octahydro-Schiff base (H₄-N₄O₄) = 2,7,13,18-tetramethyl-3,6,14,17-tetraazatricyclo-[17.3.1.1]-tetracosa-1(23),2,6,8(24),9,11,13,17,19,21-decaene-9,11,20,22-tetraol; H₄([H]₈-N₄O₄) = 2,7,13,,18-tetramethyl-3,6,14,17-tetraazatricyclo-[17.13.1.1.]-tetracosa-1(23),8(24),9,11,19,21-hexane-9,11,20,22-tetraol) have been encapsulated in nanopores of zeolite-Y; [M([H]₈-N₄O₄)]@NaY; with Flexible Ligand Method (FLM) for the first time. The new Host-Guest Nanocomposite Materials (HGNM) was characterized by several techniques: chemical analysis, spectroscopic methods (DRS, FT-IR and UV/Vis), BET technique, conductometric and magnetic measurements. The catalytic activities for oxidation of cyclohexane with HGNM complexes are reported. Zeolite encapsulated octahydro-Schiff base copper(II) complex; [Cu([H]₈-N₄O₄)]@NaY; was found to be more active than the corresponding cobalt(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) complexes for cyclohexane oxidation. The catalytic properties of the complexes are influenced by their geometry and by the steric environment of the active sites. HGNM are stable enough to be reused and are suitable to be utilized as partial oxidation catalysts. The encapsulated catalysts systems; [M([H]₈-N₄O₄)]@NaY; were more active than the corresponding neat complexes; [M([H]₈-N₄O₄))].     

Magnesium hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate as a promising single source MOCVD precursor of magnesium borate phases

The magnesium(II) hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate, Mg[BH(pz)₃]₂, complex has been, for the first time, tested as a precursor for the metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of borate phase thin films. The thermal analyses of this source reveal high volatility and good thermal stability with a low residue left despite its relatively high melting point. In particular, the compound has been successfully applied to the MOCVD fabrication of Mg₂B₂O₅ films, and therefore it represents a suited and reliable single source precursor of borate phases. Mg[BH(pz)₃]₂ provides constant evaporation rates even for very long deposition times and, hence, highly homogeneous films of carefully controlled thickness.     

Co-ordination of transition metal ions by galactaric acid: a potentiometric and spectroscopic study

A solution study on the ability of galactaric acid [GalaH(2), HOOC(CH)(4)COOH] in the complexation of biological metal ions such as Co(II) and Ni(II) and toxic metal ions such as Cd(II), Pb(II) and Hg(II), is reported. The stability constants of the complex species are determined by means of potentiometric measurements. Galactaric acid behaves as chelate ligand through carboxylic oxygen and alpha-hydroxy group towards Co(II) and Ni(II), while in the Pb(II) and Cd(II) containing system it co-ordinates the metal ion with carboxylic oxygen and two alcoholic hydroxy groups. The prevailing species at acidic or neutral pH is [MGala] which is also isolated in the solid state and characterized by means of IR spectroscopy. On increasing pH, the [MGalaH(-1)](-) species is also formed where the co-ordinated OH group undergoes deprotonation in all metal ion complexes except those with Hg(II), where the co-ordination of hydroxide ion is suggested as the precipitation of the metal hydroxide occurs at pH 7.     

Synthesis and characterization of divalent metal complexes containing the heteroscorpionate ligand dihydrobis(3-carboxyethyl-5-methylpyrazolyl)borate

The dihydrobis(3-carboxyethyl-5-methylpyrazolyl)borate ligand, Bp^COOET,Me, reacts with divalent metals to yield complexes of general type [(Bp^COOET,Me)₂M], where M = Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II). All complexes have been fully characterized by elemental analyses and FT-IR in the solid state and by NMR (¹H and ¹¹³Cd NMR) spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in solution. A single crystal structural characterization is reported for [Cu(Bp^COOET,Me)₂] and [Zn(Bp^COOET,Me)₂]. In the two complexes, both metals are four-coordinated and they are only bound to the nitrogen atoms of the bis(pyrazolyl)borate ligand; however, while the environment of the copper atom is square planar, that of the zinc center shows a tetrahedral distorted conformation.     

Tetrathiomolybdate(VI) as an antidote in acute intoxication by copper(II) and other toxic metal ions

Tetrathiomolybdate(VI), MoS₄^2?, has been found to act as an effective antidote for acute copper(II) intoxication in mice. Both (NH₄)₂MoS₄ and Na₂MoS₄ were used for this purpose with approximately the same results. The sodium salt is less toxic (LD50 = 537 mg/kg, ip) than the ammonium salt (LD50 = 176mg/kg, ip). The sodium salt was found to be an effective antidote for acute intoxication for some divalent metal ions (Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺), but not for others (Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺. The sodium salt was also ineffective as an antidote in acute intoxication by arsenic(III), antimony(III) and bismuth(III), and methylmercuric chloride.