Heme Fe?SO2− intermediates in sulfite reduction: Contrasts with Fe?OO2− species from oxygen–oxygen bond activating systems

Sulfite reductase (SiR) catalyzes a six electron and six proton reduction of sulfite to sulfide. Similarly to the cytochrome P450 (cytP450) family, the active site in SiR contains a (partially reduced) heme bound axially to a cysteinate ligand—though with an extra Fe₄S₄ cluster. Fe(III) SO²⁻, Fe(III) SOH⁻, and Fe(III) SO(H₂) intermediates have been proposed for the catalytic cycle of SiR, leading to a formally Fe(V)S species—akin to the widely accepted reaction mechanism in cytP450. Here, density functional theory (DFT) data is reported for of such FeSO(H₂) intermediates. The Fe(III) SO²⁻ models display relatively high energies for homolytic bond breaking compared to their isomeric oxygen‐bound Fe(III) OS²⁻ models, and thus offer a better alternative in terms of avoiding radical side products able to induce enzyme suicide. This could be due to the fact that the (iron‐bound) sulfur is more active from a redox standpoint compared to oxygen, thus permitting the departing oxygen to maintain a redox‐inert state. Di‐protonation of the oxygen is computed to lead to a compound I type Fe(IV)S coupled to a porphyrin radical anion—consistent with an intermediate previously observed by x‐ray crystallography.     

Reduction of Sulfur Dioxide to Sulfur Monoxide by Ferrous Porphyrin**

The reduction of SO₂ to fixed forms of sulfur can address the growing concerns regarding its detrimental effect on health and the environment as well as enable its valorization into valuable chemicals. The naturally occurring heme enzyme sulfite reductase (SiR) is known to reduce SO₂ to H₂S and is an integral part of the global sulfur cycle. However, its action has not yet been mimicked in artificial systems outside of the protein matrix even after several decades of structural elucidation of the enzyme. While the coordination of SO₂ to transition metals is documented, its reduction using molecular catalysts has remained elusive. Herein reduction of SO₂ by iron(II) tetraphenylporphyrin is demonstrated. A combination of spectroscopic data backed up by theoretical calculations indicate that Fe^IITPP reduces SO₂ by 2e⁻/2H⁺ to form an intermediate [Fe^III−SO]⁺ species, also proposed for SiR, which releases SO. The SO obtained from the chemical reduction of SO₂ could be evidenced in the form of a cheletropic adduct of butadiene resulting in an organic sulfoxide.     

Cross-talk Between (Hydrogen)Sulfite and Metalloproteins: Impact on Human Health

Sulfite is a potent toxic substance causing harm to multi-organ in human. Despite toxicity, it is widely used as preservative, anti-browning and anti-oxidant in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, which cause easy admission of sulfite in human. Sulfite is also produced endogenously during the catabolism of cysteine and methionine. In vivo, the serum sulfite level at physiological range is strictly maintained by a molybdenum dependent sulfite oxidase (SO), which catalyzes sulfite to sulfate oxidation via a two-electron oxidation pathway. The loss of SO activity causes high serum sulfite level that fosters several diseases, including asthma, neurological dysfunction, birth defects, and heart diseases. The cytotoxicity of (bi)sulfite is implicated as sulfite radicals, which are generated by mainly heme-peroxidases via a one-electron oxidation pathway. On the other hand, the toxic sulfite radicals are neutralized to sulfite by heme-globins. The enzymatic reduction of sulfite to sulfide is catalyzed by sulfite reductase, which contains an unusual metal cofactor, siroheme-[4Fe4S]-cluster. Overall, the interaction of sulfite with various metalloproteins in vivo is a close relation with human health. Therefore, this review describes the metabolic conversion of (bi)sulfite to sulfate, sulfite radical or sulfide via oxidation or reduction pathways by various metalloproteins (specially SOs, peroxidases, heme-globins, and sulfite reductases), and the potential applications of sulfite in biosensors/biofuel cells, anti-browning, and advance oxidation process.     

Alkylamine-ligated H93G myoglobin cavity mutant: a model system for endogenous lysine and terminal amine ligation in heme proteins such as nitrite reductase and cytochrome f

His93Gly sperm whale myoglobin (H93G Mb) has the proximal histidine ligand removed to create a cavity for exogenous ligand binding, providing a remarkably versatile template for the preparation of model heme complexes. The investigation of model heme adducts is an important way to probe the relationship between coordination structure and catalytic function in heme enzymes. In this study, we have successfully generated and spectroscopically characterized the H93G Mb cavity mutant ligated with less common alkylamine ligands (models for Lys or the amine group of N-terminal amino acids) in numerous heme iron states. All complexes have been characterized by electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy in comparison with data for parallel imidazole-ligated H93G heme iron moieties. This is the first systematic spectral study of models for alkylamine- or terminal amine-ligated heme centers in proteins. High-spin mono- and low-spin bis-amine-ligated ferrous and ferric H93G Mb adducts have been prepared together with mixed-ligand ferric heme complexes with alkylamine trans to nitrite or imidazole as heme coordination models for cytochrome c nitrite reductase or cytochrome f, respectively. Six-coordinate ferrous H93G Mb derivatives with CO, NO, and O(2) trans to the alkylamine have also been successfully formed, the latter for the first time. Finally, a novel high-valent ferryl species has been generated. The data in this study represent the first thorough investigation of the spectroscopic properties of alkylamine-ligated heme iron systems as models for naturally occurring heme proteins ligated by Lys or terminal amines.     

Rational Heme Protein Design: All Roads Lead to Rome

Heme proteins are among the most abundant and important metalloproteins, exerting diverse biological functions including oxygen transport, small molecule sensing, selective C? H bond activation, nitrite reduction, and electron transfer. Rational heme protein designs focus on the modification of the heme‐binding active site and the heme group, protein hybridization and domain swapping, and de novo design. These strategies not only provide us with unique advantages for illustrating the structure–property–reactivity–function (SPRF) relationship of heme proteins in nature but also endow us with the ability to create novel biocatalysts and biosensors.     

Oxo-Bridged Polyiron Centers in Biology and Chemistry

The functions of iron in biology are often associated with heme or iron-sulfur proteins. But dioxygen transport, reduction of ribo- to deoxyribonucleotides, acid phosphatase activity, oxidation of methane to methanol, and iron storage are amont the growing list of biological phenomena known or believed to be associated with a newly emerging class of proteins having oxo-bridged di- or polyiron aggregates at their metallic cores. The recognition of these iron–oxo proteins as a separate class has stimulated efforts on the part of inorganic chemists to prepare and characterize model compounds that replicate the physical properties and functions of the polymetallic protein cores. As a consequence, a variety of new oxo-bridged di-, tri-, tetra-, hexa-, octa-, and undecairon aggregates has been synthesized. These novel molecules promise not only to provide insight into the detailed characteristics of the metal centers in iron–oxo proteins, but also to serve as a focal point for preparing new materials, including oxidation catalysts and corrosion inhibitors, for the evolution of new theories to describe their physical properties, for developing new strategies for the treatment of iron-related disease, and for building links between the chemistry of the biosphere and the geosphere.     

Fluorometric determination of sulfite and nitrite in aqueous samples using a novel detection unit of a microfluidic device.

On-chip fluorescence determination of sulfite and nitrite with N-(9-acridinyl)maleimide (NAM) and 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN) has been developed using a novel fluorescence detection unit for microchip analysis. Usually, these fluorescence reagents are derivatized and detected separately in microchip analysis because different fluorescence wavelengths are emitted. The proposed fluorescence detection unit has optical fibers with no optical filter, and plural wavelengths of fluorescence were detected sensitively, even in the microchip. In this study, the simultaneous determination of sulfite and nitrite in environmental samples was performed with a polymer microchip analysis system. The calibration curves of sulfite and nitrite showed linear relations (R2 = 0.998 (sulfite) and R2 = 0.990 (nitrite)), and the relative standard deviations (RSD) for 4 runs were 2.1% (20 microM sulfite) and 1.3% (20 microM nitrite), respectively. The proposed method was applied to the recovery test of sulfite and nitrite in environmental samples.     

The Fe2(NO)2 Diamond Core: A Unique Structural Motif In Non‐Heme Iron–NO Chemistry

Non‐heme high‐spin (hs) {FeNO}⁸ complexes have been proposed as important intermediates towards N₂O formation in flavodiiron NO reductases (FNORs). Many hs‐{FeNO}⁸ complexes disproportionate by forming dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs), but the mechanism of this reaction is not understood. While investigating this process, we isolated a new type of non‐heme iron nitrosyl complex that is stabilized by an unexpected spin‐state change. Upon reduction of the hs‐{FeNO}⁷ complex, [Fe(TPA)(NO)(OTf)](OTf) ( 1 ), the N‐O stretching band vanishes, but no sign of DNIC or N₂O formation is observed. Instead, the dimer, [Fe₂(TPA)₂(NO)₂](OTf)₂ ( 2 ) could be isolated and structurally characterized. We propose that 2 is formed from dimerization of the hs‐{FeNO}⁸ intermediate, followed by a spin state change of the iron centers to low‐spin (ls), and speculate that 2 models intermediates in hs‐{FeNO}⁸ complexes that precede the disproportionation reaction.     

Syntheses of terminally functionalized polyisobutylene derivatives using diazonium salts

A new strategy for the synthesis of end‐functionalized polyisobutylene (PIB) oligomers is detailed. Commercially available vinyl‐terminated PIB oligomers were modified to form aniline‐terminated PIB via an aromatic electrophilic substitution reaction. The PIB‐bound aryl amines so formed were then converted into diazonium salts using isopentyl nitrite and an acid in methylene chloride. These salts served as versatile intermediates in synthetic reactions affording azo dye‐containing PIB derivatives and other terminally‐functionalized PIB derivatives not readily available by other reactions. The advantages and limitations of various name reactions including diazo couplings, Sandmeyer reactions, dediazoniations, and Heck reactions are discussed. The kinetics of polar substitution reactions at the termini of these nonpolar oligomers and the effects of solvent on these reactions were also examined. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of bound sulfide and sulfite and thiosulfate at their low levels in human serum by pre-column fluorescence derivatization with monobromobimane.

A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of sulfide, sulfite, and thiosulfate was established. Inorganic sulfur anions were converted into fluorescent derivatives with monobromobimane. The derivatives were separated on a coupled column chromatography with a reversed-phase octadecyl silica column connected with a weakly basic anion exchanger column by isocratic elution with acetic acid solution (pH 3)-acetonitrile (13:3, v/v) containing 25 mM NaClO4. The method was applied to the determination of bound sulfide and sulfite and thiosulfate in normal human serum. Thiosulfate could be determined directly by use of an ultrafiltered sample. For the determination of bound sulfide and sulfite, the pretreatment step with continuous flow gas dialysis was effective for the sample after releasing sulfide and sulfite by reduction with dithiothreitol. The limits of quantification by the present method were 0.05 microM for thiosulfate, 0.5 microM for bound sulfide, and 0.2 microM for bound sulfite.     

Effect of additives on the flow-analysis determination of weak-acid-dissociable and total cyanide

The effect of reductants, complexants, and nitrite eliminators on the flow-analysis determination of weak-acid-dissociable and total cyanide has been studied for: 1. cyanide recovery from copper, nickel, and iron complexes; 2. cyanide generation from the reagents in the presence of common interferents; and 3. cyanide consumption by the reagents in the presence of those interferents. In the absence of additives the UV-assisted recovery of (total) cyanide from the iron complexes (using a succinate buffer) was insufficient. Arsenite and hypophosphite had no measurable effect on the recovery, ascorbic acid resulted in total recovery but under these conditions nitrite and sulfite seemed to destroy cyanide. Phenanthroline promoted the recovery of cyanide from iron complexes but led to formation of cyanide from thiocyanate. Citrate resulted in good recovery but in the presence of nitrite cyanide was formed; the recovery with EDTA was also good. It proved necessary to destroy nitrite by use of sulfamic acid. If a combination of EDTA, citrate, and sulfamic acid is used rather high concentrations of thiocyanate, nitrite, thiosulfate, and sulfite can be tolerated in the samples. It is strongly advisable to test modifications of the cyanide determination comprehensively, because some surprising results have been obtained.     

PARAFAC Decomposition of Three‐Way Kinetic‐Spectrophotometric Spectral Matrices Based on Phosphomolymbdenum Blue Complex Chemistry for Nitrite Determination in Water and Meat Samples

Abstract

A three‐way analytical methodology experimentally based on kinetic‐spectrophotometric and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) chemometrics analysis was assessed for the quantification of nitrite in water and meat samples. This method is based on the reduction of phosphomolybdic acid to phosphomolymbdenum blue complex by sodium sulfide. The obtained phosphomolymbdenum blue complex is oxidized by the addition of nitrite and this causes a reduction in intensity of the blue color. Three‐way data matrices were generated by acquisition of ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis) spectra (600–900 nm) as a function of the time and of different relative concentration of the nitrite (0.10–2.10 µg mL^?1). The PARAFAC trilinear model, without restrictions, was used in the data analysis. A full decomposition of the data matrices was obtained (spectra, concentration, and time profile). It was shown that kinetic methods coupled to three‐way chemometrics analytical methods can be used for the development of robust sensors for the analysis of nitrite in water and meat samples. The accuracy of the method, evaluated through the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), was 0.0515 and 0.1181 for nitrite by PARAFAC and partise least squares (PLS) models respectively. The results with the PARAFAC model are better than those of the PLS model, according to results, it being possible to recover the spectra and kinetic profiles, as well as the initial concentration of nitrite with good accuracy.     

Sulfite-sensitive solvent/polymeric-membrane electrode based on bis(diethyldithiocarbamato)mercury(II)

A new solvent/polymeric-membrane electrode which exhibits significant potentiometric response toward sulfite ion in the 1 × 10_?6?1 × 10^?3 M range is described. The membrane is prepared by incorporation of neutral bis(diethyldithiocarbamato)mercury (II) in a thin film of plasticized poly (vinyl chloride). In sharp contrast to classical Hofmeister behavior, the resulting membrane displays little or no response to a wide range of anions (log K^pot_i,j ? ?4, i being sulfite) including sulfate, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, perchlorate, salicylate, and alkylsulfonates. Bromide and thiocyanate are moderate interferents, while significant response to iodide, thiosulfate, and sulfide is observed. These selectivity data, along with other response characteristics of the membrane, are used to postulate the mechanism by which the electrode responds to sulfite. Preliminary studies demonstrate that the electrode can be used in conjunction with an outer gas-permeable membrane for highly selective detection of total sulfite species in the form of sulfur dioxide.     

Evolved Aliphatic Halogenases Enable Regiocomplementary C−H Functionalization of a Pharmaceutically Relevant Compound

Non‐heme iron halogenases are synthetically valuable biocatalysts that are capable of halogenating unactivated sp³‐hybridized carbon centers with high stereo‐ and regioselectivity. The reported substrate scope of these enzymes, however, is limited primarily to the natural substrates and their analogues. We engineered the halogenase WelO5* for chlorination of a martinelline‐derived fragment. Using structure‐guided evolution, a halogenase variant with a more than 290‐fold higher total turnover number and a 400‐fold higher apparent k_cat compared to the wildtype enzyme was generated. Moreover, we identified key positions in the active site that allow direction of the halogen to different positions in the target substrate. This is the first example of enzyme engineering to expand the substrate scope of a non‐heme iron halogenase beyond the native indole‐alkaloid‐type substrates. The highly evolvable nature of WelO5* underscores the usefulness of this enzyme family for late‐stage halogenation.     

Pheumatoamperometric determination of cyanide,sulfide and their mixtures

A rapid pneumatoamperometric method for quantifying cyanide in the presence or absence of sulfide is described. The gaseous mixture of hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide is separated by inserting a short chromatographic column packed with silica gel between the reaction vessel used to generate the volatile acids and the porous gold electrode that the detects them. The detection limit is ca. 5 ng cyanide in 2 ml of solution regardless of sulfide content. The detection limit for sulfide is ca. 1.0 ng in 2 ml of solution when cyanide is present and ca. 0.7 ng in absence of cyanide. Both sulfite and nitrite interfere.     

Linkage isomerism in nitrite reduction by cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase

Nitrite reduction by cytochrome cd(1) nitrite reductase (cd(1)NIR) is currently accepted to involve coordination of the nitrite nitrogen atom to the ferrous d(1) heme. Here, density functional theory results are reported on the previously unexplored O-binding of nitrite to ferrous and ferric cd(1)NIR. Although the N-isomer (nitro) is energetically favored over the O-nitrite (nitrito), even one single strong hydrogen bond may provide the energy required to put the two isomers on level terms. When hydrogen bonding existent at the cd(1)NIR active site is accounted for in the computational model, the O-nitrite isomer is found to spontaneously protonate and thus yield a ferric-hydroxo species, liberating nitric oxide. An O-nitrite ferrous cd(1)NIR complex appears to be an energetically feasible intermediate for nitrite reduction. O-Coordination would offer an advantage since the end product of nitrite reduction would be a ferric-hydroxo/water complex, rather than the more kinetically inert iron-nitrosyl complex implied by the N-nitrite mechanism.     

Quantification of sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds in wastewaters by means of a combination of liquid chromatographic methods

Low-micromolar concentrations of sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfide, present in synthetic wastewater or anaerobic digester effluent, were quantified by means of derivatization with monobromobimane, followed by HPLC separation with fluorescence detection. The concentration of elemental sulfur was determined, after its extraction with chloroform from the derivatized sample. by HPLC with UV detection. Recoveries of sulfide (both matrices), and of thiosulfate and sulfite (synthetic wastewater) were between 98 and 103%. The in-run RSDs on separate derivatizations were 13 and 19% for sulfite (two tests), between 1.5 and 6.6% for thiosulfate (two tests) and between 4.1 and 7.7% for sulfide (three tests). Response factors for derivatives of sulfide and thiosulfate, but not sulfite, were steady over a 13-month period during which 730 samples were analysed. Dithionate and tetrathionate did not seem to be detectable with this method. The distinctness of the elemental sulfur and the derivatizing-agent peaks was improved considerably by detecting elution at 297 instead of 263 nm.     

Stabilization of sulfide and sulfite and ion-pair chromatography of mixtures of sulfide, sulfite, sulfate and thiosulfate

Ion chromatography of sulfide, sulfite, sulfate and thiosulfate in a mixture is often difficult because of instability of sulfide and sulfite, poor separation of sulfide from common anions such as bromide or nitrate and similar elution-times for sulfite and sulfate. An ion-pair chromatographic method for the determination of these sulfur anions has been established by stoichiometric conversion of sulfide and sulfite into stable thiocyanate and sulfate, respectively, prior to the chromatographic run. Sulfate, thiosulfate and thiocyanate were resolved on an octadecylsilica column with an acetonitrile-water mobile phase containing tetrapropylammonium salt (TPA) as an ion-paring reagent, and thiosulfate and thiocyanate in the effluent could be measured with a photometric detector (220 nm) and sulfate with a suppressed conductivity detector. When an acetonitrile-water (6:94, v/v) mobile phase (pH 5.0) containing 15 mM TPA and small amounts of acetic acid was used at a flow-rate of 0.6 ml min(-1), the three anions could be eluted within 32 min. Calibration plots of peak height versus concentration for sulfide (detected as thiocyanate) and thiosulfate gave straight lines up to 35 and 60 microM, respectively. The calibration plot for sulfide coincided with that obtained by using thiocyanate. A calibration plot for sulfite, measured as sulfate, was also linear up to 135 microM and was in accord with that of sulfate. Each calibration plot gave a correlation coefficient greater than 0.999. For six replicates obtained for a mixture of 30.0 microM sulfide, 50.0 microM sulfite, 50.0 microM sulfate and 20.0 microM thiosulfate, the proposed method gave a mean value of 30.1 microM with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.77 microM and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.6% for sulfide, 101 microM (SD = 3.5 microM, RSD = 3.5%) for the total of sulfite and sulfate and 20.1 microM (SD = 0.44 microM, RSD = 2.2%) for thiosulfate. Recoveries for sulfide, sulfite plus sulfate, and thiosulfate in hot-spring water samples using the proposed method were found to be quantitative.     

Long‐Term Live‐Cell STED Nanoscopy of Primary and Cultured Cells with the Plasma Membrane HIDE Probe DiI‐SiR

Super‐resolution imaging of live cells over extended time periods with high temporal resolution requires high‐density labeling and extraordinary fluorophore photostability. Herein, we achieve this goal by combining the attributes of the high‐density plasma membrane probe DiI‐TCO and the photostable STED dye SiR‐Tz. These components undergo rapid tetrazine ligation within the plasma membrane to generate the HIDE probe DiI‐SiR. Using DiI‐SiR, we visualized filopodia dynamics in HeLa cells over 25 min at 0.5 s temporal resolution, and visualized dynamic contact‐mediated repulsion events in primary mouse hippocampal neurons over 9 min at 2 s temporal resolution. HIDE probes such as DiI‐SiR are non‐toxic and do not require transfection, and their apparent photostability significantly improves the ability to monitor dynamic processes in live cells at super‐resolution over biologically relevant timescales.     

An analytical strategy for quantitative analysis of sulfite in the presence of nitrite uses carbon paste electrode amplified with acetylferrocene and NiO nanoparticle

The analysis of sulfite and nitrite as two important water pollutants is very important in water and wastewater samples. Therefore, an analytical strategy suggests for analysis of sulfite in the presence of nitrite as two harmful environmental pollutants. For the goal, an electrochemical platform based on carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with NiO nanoparticles (NiO-NPs) and acetylferrocene (AF) was suggested (CPE/NiO-NPs/AF). The CPE/NiO-NPs/AF showed a good electro-catalytic activity for analysis of sulfite in concentration range 0.005–500 μM with limit of detection 0.001 μM. The electro-catalytic interaction between sulfite and AF at a surface of CPE/NiO-NPs/AF can help to resolving overlapping single of sulfite and nitrite for simultaneous determination of them. The CPE/NiO-NPs/AF showed high performance ability for analysis of sulfite and nitrite in wastewater samples.