Elucidation of Metal‐Ion Accumulation Induced by Hydrogen Bonds on Protein Surfaces by Using Porous Lysozyme Crystals Containing RhIII Ions as the Model Surfaces

Metal‐ion accumulation on protein surfaces is a crucial step in the initiation of small‐metal clusters and the formation of inorganic materials in nature. This event is expected to control the nucleation, growth, and position of the materials. There remain many unknowns, as to how proteins affect the initial process at the atomic level, although multistep assembly processes of the materials formation by both native and model systems have been clarified at the macroscopic level. Herein the cooperative effects of amino acids and hydrogen bonds promoting metal accumulation reactions are clarified by using porous hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) crystals containing Rh^III ions, as model protein surfaces for the reactions. The experimental results reveal noteworthy implications for initiation of metal accumulation, which involve highly cooperative dynamics of amino acids and hydrogen bonds: i) Disruption of hydrogen bonds can induce conformational changes of amino‐acid residues to capture Rh^III ions. ii) Water molecules pre‐organized by hydrogen bonds can stabilize Rh^III coordination as aqua ligands. iii) Water molecules participating in hydrogen bonds with amino‐acid residues can be replaced by Rh^III ions to form polynuclear structures with the residues. iv) Rh^III aqua complexes are retained on amino‐acid residues through stabilizing hydrogen bonds even at low pH (≈2). These metal–protein interactions including hydrogen bonds may promote native metal accumulation reactions and also may be useful in the preparation of new inorganic materials that incorporate proteins.     

Advances in the investigation of dioxouranium(VI) complexes of interest for natural fluids

The interactions of dioxouranium(VI) cation with different organic and inorganic ligands of environmental and biological interest were carefully examined with the aim to draw a chemical speciation picture of this ion in natural aquatic ecosystems and in biological fluids. Since UO₂²⁺ ion shows a significant tendency to hydrolyze, particular attention was paid in considering the hydrolysis species formation both in the presence and in absence of ligands. The results reported in the literature show that formation of the hydrolytic species assumes a great importance in the complexation models for all the UO₂²⁺-ligand systems considered. In particular, the following ligands have been taken into account: (i) hydroxyl, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, carbonate and phosphate, as inorganic ligands, and (ii) carboxylates (with particular reference to oxalate and citrate), amines, amino acids, poly(amino carboxylates) (complexones), nucleotides, phosphonates, mercapto compounds and sulfonates, as organic ligands. In order to elucidate the speciation of uranyl in the presence of dissolved natural organic matter, the interactions with humic and fulvic acids were also considered. The strength of interaction in all the systems considered was expressed in terms of stability constants of complex species and, if available, of the relative thermodynamic stability parameters. When possible, if data reported in the literature were sufficiently homogeneous, trends of stability were found for the different ligands of the same class and for ligands of different classes. Moreover, relationships were derived for poly-functional ligands, such as poly-carboxylate, poly-amine and poly(amino carboxylate) ones, useful to predict the stability constants as a function of the number of binding sites per molecule, considering also, as in the case of amino acids, the contribution of the single functional groups to the whole stability of uranyl species formed. In addition, using the stability data collected for the uranyl-ligand systems considered, the sequestering capacity of some classes of ligands towards uranyl was calculated in terms of pL_0.5, i.e., the ligand concentration useful to bind at least 50% of the cation. A comparison of pL_0.5 of the most important classes of ligands considered was made to point out the different effectiveness in the UO₂²⁺ sequestration by the different ligands which can be present in multi-component solutions as natural waters and biological fluids. Finally, some considerations are reported about the different experimental techniques employed to study the complex formation in solution.     

Catalytic Behavior of Mono-N-Protected Amino-Acid Ligands in Ligand-Accelerated C−H Activation by Palladium(II)

Mono-N-protected amino acids (MPAAs) are increasingly common ligands in Pd-catalyzed C−H functionalization reactions. Previous studies have shown how these ligands accelerate catalytic turnover by facilitating the C−H activation step. Here, it is shown that MPAA ligands exhibit a second property commonly associated with ligand-accelerated catalysis: the ability to support catalytic turnover at substoichiometric ligand-to-metal ratios. This catalytic role of the MPAA ligand is characterized in stoichiometric C−H activation and catalytic C−H functionalization reactions. Palladacycle formation with substrates bearing carboxylate and pyridine directing groups exhibit a 50–100-fold increase in rate when only 0.05 equivalents of MPAA are present relative to Pd^II. These and other mechanistic data indicate that facile exchange between MPAAs and anionic ligands coordinated to Pd^II enables a single MPAA to support C−H activation at multiple Pd^II centers.     

Mössbauer, vibrational spectroscopic and solution X-ray diffraction studies of the structure of iron(III) complexes formed with indole-3-alkanoic acids in acidic aqueous solutions

The chemical reactions between iron(III) and indole-3-acetic (IAA), -propionic (IPA), and -butyric (IBA) acids were studied in acidic aqueous solutions. The motivation of this work was that IAA is one of the most powerful natural plant-growth-regulating substances (phytohormones of the auxin series). Mössbauer spectra of the frozen aqueous solutions of iron(III) with indole-3-alkanoic acids as ligands (L), showed parallel reactions between Fe³⁺ and the ligands. Partly, it resulted in a complex formation which precipitated in aqueous solution and partly, in a redox process with iron(II) and the oxidised indole-3-alkanoic acids as products. The Mössbauer parameters of the Fe²⁺ species suggested a hexaaquo coordination environment. The chemical composition and coordination structure of the precipitated complexes were investigated using elemental analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The complexes were soluble in some organic solvents. So, Mössbauer, FTIR and solution X-ray diffraction measurements were carried out on the solution of complexes in acetone, hexadeutero acetone and methanol, respectively. The data obtained supported the existence of the μ-dihydroxo-bridging structure of the dimer: [L₂Fe<(OH)₂>FeL₂] (where L is indole-3-propionate, -acetate or -butyrate).     

Catalytic Behavior of Mono‐N‐Protected Amino‐Acid Ligands in Ligand‐Accelerated C−H Activation by Palladium(II)

Mono‐N‐protected amino acids (MPAAs) are increasingly common ligands in Pd‐catalyzed C?H functionalization reactions. Previous studies have shown how these ligands accelerate catalytic turnover by facilitating the C?H activation step. Here, it is shown that MPAA ligands exhibit a second property commonly associated with ligand‐accelerated catalysis: the ability to support catalytic turnover at substoichiometric ligand‐to‐metal ratios. This catalytic role of the MPAA ligand is characterized in stoichiometric C?H activation and catalytic C?H functionalization reactions. Palladacycle formation with substrates bearing carboxylate and pyridine directing groups exhibit a 50–100‐fold increase in rate when only 0.05 equivalents of MPAA are present relative to Pd^II. These and other mechanistic data indicate that facile exchange between MPAAs and anionic ligands coordinated to Pd^II enables a single MPAA to support C?H activation at multiple Pd^II centers.     

Chiral Amino Acids‐Derived Catalysts and Ligands

Transforming amino acids into novel catalysts and ligands is a remarkable subset of new catalyst development in order to imitate enzymatic efficiencies. Their ability to perform a variety of asymmetric catalytic reactions is complimented by their ready availability, rich transformations, stability and easy procedure. Herein, we focused on describing our endeavor of developing new catalysts and ligands from primary and secondary amino acids. It includes C₂‐symmetric N,N'‐dioxides, guanidine‐amides, bispidine‐based diamines, and other organic salts. The account covered a brief introduction about their discovery, representative applications and related mechanisms.     

Reactivity Tracers of the Hydrolysis of Fe(II)‐Bis(salicylidene) Complexes: Initial–Transition States Analysis and Enhanced Impact of Tensides on the Kinetic Trends

The kinetics of the acid hydrolysis reaction of Fe(II)‐bis(salicylidene) complexes were followed under pseudo–first‐order conditions ([H⁺] >> [complex]) at 298 K. The ligands of the studied azomethine complexes were derived from the condensation of salicylaldehyde with different five α‐amino acids. The hydrolysis reactions were studied in acidic medium at different ratios (v/v) of aqua–organic mixtures. The decrease in the dielectric constant values of the reaction mixture enhances the reactivity of the reaction. The transfer chemical potentials of the initial and transition states (IS–TS) from water into mixed solvents were determined from the solubility measurements combined with the kinetic data. Nonlinear plots of logk_obs versus 1/D (the reciprocal of the dielectric constant) suggest the influence of the solvation of IS–TS on the reaction reactivity. Furthermore, the acid hydrolysis reactions were screened in the presence of different concentrations of cationic and anionic tensides. The addition of surfactants to the reaction mixture accelerates the reaction reactivity. The obtained kinetic data were used to determine the values of δ_mΔG^# (the change in the activation barrier) for the studied complexes when transferred from “water to various ratios (v/v) of water–co‐organic binary mixtures” and from “water to water containing different [surfactant].” It was found that the reactivity of the acid hydrolysis reaction was controlled by the hydrophobicity of the studied chelates.     

Reactivity of Singlet Oxygen Toward Proteins: The Effect of Structure in Basic Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor and in Ribonuclease A

The reactions of singlet oxygen, ¹O₂, with large peptides have been described previously. It was found that even in these systems, which in their native form are generally not supposed to possess a stable structure in solution, the polypeptide does impede the access of ¹O₂ to the amino acids that react readily with ¹O₂. Here we describe the ¹0₂ reaction with two proteins of well-defined structure. The quenching of ¹O₂ by bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and by ribonuclease A (RNase A) was compared to that of a solution at the same concentration as those of its constituent amino acids that react readily with ¹O₂. The proteins were studied in their native form, when partly denatured by splitting their S-S bonds and when fully denatured. It was found that while in the native form the quenching rate constant was seven times lower in BPTI (2.2 vs 15.2 times 10⁷WM^-1 s^-1) and three times lower in RNase A (11.0 vs 32 times 10⁷M^-l s^-1) than in a mixture of its constituent amino acid residues, it increased upon denaturation reaching in the fully denatured state the value of the corresponding amino acid mixture. More striking is the effect of the protein structure when comparing the fraction of the encounters between ¹O₂ and protein, which cause damage to the protein, as reflected in the decrease of its biological activity. This decrease is assumed to be due to the chemical (oxidative) reactions of ¹O₂ in the protein. In the exceptionally stable BPTI the fraction of such encounters was 0.05 and in RNase A it was 0.2, whereas for the amino acid tryptophan in solution, 0.7 of the collisions with ¹O₂ led to a chemical reaction.     

Ullmann‐Ma Reaction: Development,Scope and Applications in Organic Synthesis†

Copper‐catalyzed cross‐couplings of aryl halides and nucleophiles, traditionally called Ullmann‐type coupling reactions, were initially reported by Ullmann et al. from 1901—1929. A seminal report in 1998 by Ma et al. from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed an accelerating effect caused by amino acids, which brought Ullmann‐type coupling reactions into a ligand‐accelerating era. From 1999 to the first 10 years of 2000s, the first‐generation ligands were developed by many researchers and promoted Ullmann‐type coupling reactions of aryl iodides and bromides under relatively mild conditions. Amino acid ligands, developed by Ma and coworkers, are one class of the most important first‐generation ligands. In the second 10 years of 2000s, Ma et al. led the discovery of second‐generation ligands for copper‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions. Two great breakthroughs have been realized by using second‐generation oxalic diamide and related amide ligands, with aryl chlorides as general coupling partner and with low catalyst loadings. Now copper‐catalyzed cross coupling reactions of aryl halides and nucleophiles with amino acids or oxalic diamides and related amides as ligands are recognized as Ullmann‐Ma reactions and have found extensive applications in organic synthesis.     

Biochemical and molecular basis of insulin resistance

Insulin-resistance is a major problem associated with diabetes and that is increasing rapidly worldwide. Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the beta-cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans in response to increased circulating levels of glucose and amino acids and it is essential for appropriate tissue development, growth, and maintenance of whole-body glucose homeostasis by regulating carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Insulin resistance is a defect in signal transduction. The signaling mechanisms involved in the various biologic responses to insulin remain somewhat elusive. This review focuses on the structure and activity of insulin receptor, inheritance of insulin resistance, insulin receptor and alleles, enzyme activity in insulin resistance, insulin receptor in phosphorylation and relating substrate. We have discussed insulin receptor substrate-family (IRS) related to insulin resistance, detail downstream signaling effects, GLUT4 vesicle translocation and related events, cytokine-mediated insulin resistance, and feedback control mechanisms. This review also focuses on insulin resistance in obesity-linked metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance related to plasma membrane disturbances and insulin resistance for exercise and cellular integrity. Finally, we can conclude that insulin resistance is really a complex phenomenon in which several genetic defects combine with environmental stresses.     

Determining the Diastereoselectivity of the Formation of Dipeptidonucleotides by NMR Spectroscopy

Proteins are composed of l -amino acids, but nucleic acids and most oligosaccharides contain d -sugars as building blocks. It is interesting to ask whether this is a coincidence or a consequence of the functional interplay of these biomolecules. One reaction that provides an opportunity to study this interplay is the formation of phosphoramidate-linked peptido RNA from amino acids and ribonucleotides in aqueous condensation buffer. Here we report how the diastereoselectivity of the first peptide coupling of the peptido RNA pathway can be determined in situ by NMR spectroscopy. When a racemic mixture of an amino acid ester was allowed to react with an 5′-aminoacidyl nucleotide, diastereomeric ratios of up to 72 : 28 of the resulting dipeptido nucleotides were found by integration of ³¹P- or ¹H-NMR peaks. The highest diastereomeric excess was found for the homochiral coupling product d -Ser-d -Trp, phosphoramidate-linked to adenosine 5′-monophosphate with its d -ribose ring. When control reactions with an N-acetyl amino acid and valine methyl ester were run in organic solvent, the diastereoselectivity was found to be lower, with diastereomeric ratios≤62 : 38. The results from the exploratory study thus indicate that the ribonucleotide residue not only facilitates the coupling of lipophilic amino acids in aqueous medium but also the formation of a homochiral dipeptide. The methodology described here may be used to search for other stereoselective reactions that shed light on the origin of homochirality.     

Kinetic-potentiometric study and analytical applications of micellar-catalysed reactions of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene with amino compounds

The effect of various surfactants on the reaction of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB) with amino compounds is examined by using the fluoride-selective electrode. Micellar catalysis was provided by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr), Aerosol OS, 22N and 501 and Triton X-405 even at levels below the critical micelle concentration. The micellar catalysis of CTABr in the reactions of 13 amino acids is described and correlation with the structure of the amino acids is discussed. Micellar (CTABr) catalysis of the reaction of FDNB with slowly reacting amines (cephalexin, 2-amino-2-thiazole, sulphamethizole, dopamine and 2-thiobarbituric and 5-nitrobarbituric acids) is described and a kinetic-potentiometric determination (initial slope or fixed time) is proposed for these compounds at concentrations of 10^?4?10^?2 M. The surfactants mentioned can also be determined on the basis of their catalytic effect on the slow reaction of phenylalanine with FDNB. The micellar-catalysed kinetic method is satisfactory for the determination of cephalexin, sulphamethizole and CTABr in pharmaceutical formulations. The fluoride- selective electrode is shown to be useful for studying the liberation of fluoride by organic reactions in micellar systems.     

Ion-Pair LC Analysis of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone in Neurotransmitter Amino Acid Incubations: Determination of Chemical Kinetics

Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers of the brain. Many neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system are related to abnormal neurotransmitter activity. Pyrroloquinoline quinine (PQQ) has previously been shown to be a promising candidate for preventing cognitive deficit in neurodegeneration. To investigate whether PQQ can modulate the levels of brain neurotransmitter amino acids, a rapid and reliable ion-pair liquid chromatographic method was established and validated for the analysis of PQQ in reaction mixtures containing specific neurotransmitter amino acids. The reaction mixtures were separated on an amethyst C18-P reverse-phase column with 35:65 (v/v) acetonitrile:20 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate, pH 5.5, containing 20 mM tetrabutyl ammonium bromide as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL min⁻¹. The validated method was applied successfully to study the chemical kinetics of PQQ reactions with five neurotransmitter amino acids. Order of reaction n, rate constant k, and activation energy E _a values for the reactions were calculated. This work provides important information for studying the possible protective mechanisms of PQQ in neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the simplicity of this method combined with its sensitivity and reliability make it a novel contribution in the field of neurotransmitter research.

     

Catalytic hydrogenation of glutamic acid

Technology to convert biomass into chemical building blocks provides an opportunity to displace fossil fuels and increase the economic viability of biorefineries. Coupling fermentation capability with aqueous-phase catalysis provides novel routes to monomers and chemicals, including those not accessible from petrochemical routes. Glutamic acid provides a platform to numerous compounds through thermochemical approaches including hydrogenation, cyclization, decarboxylation, and deamination. Hydrogenation of amino acids also provides access to chiral compounds with high enantiopurity. This article detals aqueous-phase hydrogenation reactions that we have developed that lead to valuable chemical intermediates from glutamic acid. In addition, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectral data are presented that provide a mechanistic picture of the reactions. The results show that hydrogenation of glutamic acid has unique characteristics from other amino acids and that paradigms in the literature do not hold up for this transformation.     

The reactions of ground state Cu+ and Fe+ with the 20 common amino acids

A systematic investigation of the gas-phase reactions of Cu⁺ and Fe⁺ with the 20 common amino acids is reported. Metal ions are formed by laser ablation of a metal target and are trapped in the analyzer cell of a Fourier transform mass spectrometer. By using quadrupolar excitation to axialize the metal ions, tens of thousands of thermalizing collisions occur prior to their reactions with laser-desorbed amino acid neutral molecules. Amino acids with nonpolar side chains are found to be more reactive toward Cu⁺ and Fe⁺ than amino acids with polar side chain. Many of the nonpolar amino acids are found to undergo dissociative metal attachment with a neutral loss of 46 u. A ¹³C-labeling experiment shows that the carboxyl group is lost during dissociative metal attachment to amino acids. Together these results suggest that these metal ions interact primarily with the carboxyl functional group in these molecules.     

Diverse Approaches for Enantioselective C−H Functionalization Reactions Using Group 9 CpxMIII Catalysts

Transition-metal-catalyzed C−H functionalization reactions with Cp*M^III catalysts (M=Co, Rh, Ir) have found a wide variety of applications in organic synthesis. Albeit the intrinsic difficulties in achieving catalytic stereocontrol using these catalysts due to their lack of additional coordination sites for external chiral ligands and the conformational flexibility of the Cp ligand, catalytic enantioselective C−H functionalization reactions using the Group 9 metal triad with Cp-type ligands have been intensively studied since 2012. In this minireview, the progress in these reactions according to the type of the chiral catalyst used are summarized and discussed. The development of chiral Cp^x ligands the metal complexes thereof, artificial metalloenzymes, chiral carboxylate-assisted enantioselective C−H activations, enantioselective alkylations assisted by chiral carboxylic acids or chiral sulfonates, and chiral transient directing groups are discussed.     

Complex Formation Reactions of (2,2′-dipyridylamine)copper(II) with Various Biologically Relevant Ligands. The Kinetics of Hydrolysis of Amino Acid Esters

Binary and ternary copper(II) complexes involving 2,2′-dipyridylamine (DPA) and various biologically relevant ligands containing different functional groups are investigated. The ligands used are dicarboxylic acids, amino acids, peptides and DNA unit constituents. The ternary complexes of amino acids, dicarboxylic acids or peptides are formed by simultaneous reactions. The results showed the formation of 1:1 complexes with amino acids and dicarboxylic acids. The effect of chelate ring size of the dicarboxylic acid complexes on their stability constants was examined. Peptides form both 1:1 complexes and the corresponding deprotonated amide species. The ternary complexes of copper(II) with DPA and DNA are formed in a stepwise process, whereby binding of copper(II) to DPA is followed by ligation of the DNA components. DNA constituents form both 1:1 and 1:2 complexes with Cu(DPA)²⁺. The concentration distribution of the complexes in solution was evaluated. [Cu(DPA)(CBDCA)], [Cu(DPA)(malonate)] and [Cu(DPA)(oxalate)] were isolated and characterized by elemental analysis, i.r. and magnetic measurements. Spectroscopic studies of [Cu(DPA)(malonate)] revealed that the complex exhibits square planner coordination with copper(II). The hydrolysis of glycine methyl ester (MeGly) is catalyzed by the Cu(DPA)²⁺ complex. The reaction has been studied by a pH-state technique over the pH range 5.8–6.8 at 25 °C and I=0.1 mol dm⁻¹. The kinetic data fits assuming that the hydrolysis proceeds in two steps. The first step, involving coordination of the amino acid ester by the amino and carboxylic group, is followed by the rate-determining attack by the OH⁻ ion. The second step involves equilibrium formation of the hydroxo-complex, Cu(DPA)(MeGly)(OH), followed by intramolecular attack.     

Effect of β3‐Amino Acids on the Performance of the Peptidic Catalyst H‐dPro‐Pro‐Glu‐NH2

The effect of β³‐amino acids on the conformation and catalytic performance of the peptidic catalyst H‐d Pro‐Pro‐Glu‐NH₂ was investigated. Analogues of the peptidic catalyst bearing instead of the α‐amino acids the respective β³‐amino acids were prepared and their reactivity and stereoselectivity was investigated in conjugate addition reactions of aldehydes to nitroolefins. Additional computational studies provided insights into the preferred conformations of the peptidic catalysts. The results show that conformational flexibility at the N‐terminus has a severe effect on the stereoselectivity but is tolerated at the C‐terminus.     

Direct Borylation of Primary CH Bonds in Functionalized Molecules by Palladium Catalysis

Organoborane compounds are among the most commonly employed intermediates in organic synthesis and serve as crucial precursors to alcohols, amines, and various functionalized molecules. A simple palladium‐based system catalyzes the conversion of primary C(sp³)? H bonds in functionalized complex organic molecules into alkyl boronate esters. Amino acids, amino alcohols, alkyl amines, and a series of bioactive molecules can be functionalized with the use of readily available and removable directing groups in the presence of commercially available additives, simple ligands, and oxygen (O₂) as the terminal oxidant. This approach represents an economic and environmentally friendly method that could find broad applications.     

Role of surface-exposed charged basic amino acids (Lys,Arg) and guanidination in insulin on the interaction and stability of insulin–insulin receptor complex

Naturally occurring proteins are emerging as novel therapeutics in the protein-based biopharmaceutical industry for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. However, proteins are not suitable for oral delivery due to short half-life, reduced physical and chemical stability and low permeability across the membrane. Chemical modification has been identified as a formulation strategy to enhance the stability and bioavailability of protein drugs. The present study aims to study the effect of charge-specific modification of basic amino acids (Lys, Arg) and guanidination on the interaction of insulin with its receptor using molecular modelling. Our investigation revealed that the guanidination of insulin (Lys-NHC = NHNH₂) enhanced and exerted stronger binding of the protein to its receptor through electrostatic interaction than native insulin (Lys-NH₃⁺). Point mutations of Lys and Arg (R22, K29; R22K, K29; R22, K29R; R22K, K29R) were attempted and the effects on the interaction and stability between insulin/modified insulins and insulin receptor were also analyzed in this study. The findings from the study are expected to provide a better understanding of the possible mechanism of action of the modified protein at a molecular level before advancing to real experiments.