Binding of acetylcholine and tetramethylammonium to a cyclophane receptor: anion's contribution to the cation-pi interaction

The interaction of the lipophilic cyclophane 1 with several acetylcholine (ACh) and tetramethylammonium (TMA) salts has been investigated in deuteriochloroform to ascertain the influence of the counterion on the cation-pi interaction. Reliable association constants have been measured for 17 salts of commonly used anions; corresponding binding free energies -DeltaG degrees ranged from over 8 kJ mol(-1) down to the limit of detection. The dramatic dependence of the binding energy on the anion showed that the latter takes part in the process with a passive and adverse contribution, which inhibits cation binding even to complete suppression in unfavorable cases. Thermodynamic parameters for the association of 1 with TMA picrate demonstrate that binding is enthalpic in origin, showing a substantial enthalpy gain (DeltaH degrees = -16.7 kJ mol(-1)) and an adverse entropic contribution (DeltaS degrees = -27.9 J mol(-1) K(-1)). A correlation has been found between the "goodness" of anions as binding partners and the solubility of their salts. Conversion of the anion into a more charge-dispersed species, for example, conversion of chloride into dialkyltrichlorostannate, improves cation binding substantially, indicating that charge dispersion is a main factor determining the influence of the anion on the cation-pi interaction. DFT computational studies show that the variation of the binding free energy of TMA with the counterion is closely accounted for by the electrostatic potential (EP) of the ion pair: guest binding appears to respond to the cation's charge density exposed to the receptor, which is determined by the anion's charge density through a polarization mechanism. A value of -DeltaG degrees = 38.6 kJ mol(-1) has been extrapolated for the free energy of binding of TMA to 1 in chloroform but in the absence of a counterion. The transmission of electrostatic effects from the ion pair to the cation-pi interaction demonstrates that host-guest association is governed by Coulombic attraction, as long as factors (steric, entropic, solvation, etc.) other than pure electrostatics are not prevalent.     

Binding of tetramethylammonium to polyether side-chained aromatic hosts. Evaluation of the binding contribution from ether oxygen donors

A set of macrocyclic and open-chain aromatic ligands endowed with polyether side chains has been prepared to assess the contribution of ether oxygen donors to the binding of tetramethylammonium (TMA), a cation believed incapable of interacting with oxygen donors. The open-chain hosts consisted of an aromatic binding site and side chains possessing a variable number of ether oxygen donors; the macrocyclic ligands were based on the structure of a previously investigated host, the dimeric cyclophane 1,4-xylylene-1,4-phenylene diacetate (DXPDA), implemented with polyether-type side chains in the backbone. Association to tetramethylammonium picrate (TMAP) was measured in CDCl(3) at T = 296 K by (1)H NMR titrations. Results confirm that the main contribution to the binding of TMA comes from the cation-pi interaction established with the aromatic binding sites, but they unequivocally show that polyether chains participate with cooperative contributions, although of markedly smaller entity. Water is also bound, but the two guests interact with aromatic rings and oxygen donors in an essentially noncompetitive way. An improved procedure for the preparation of cyclophanic tetraester derivatives has been developed that conveniently recycles the oligomeric ester byproducts formed in the one-pot cyclization reaction. An alternative entry to benzylic diketones has also been provided that makes use of a low-order cyanocuprate reagent to prepare in fair yields a class of compounds otherwise uneasily accessible.     

Computer modeling of binding of diverse weak toxins to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Weak toxins are the "three-fingered" snake venoms toxins grouped together by having an additional disulfide in the N-terminal loop I. In general, weak toxins have low toxicity, and biological targets have been identified for some of them only, recently by detecting the effects on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Here the methods of docking and molecular dynamics simulations are used for comparative modeling of the complexes between four weak toxins of known spatial structure (WTX, candoxin, bucandin, gamma-bungarotoxin) and nAChRs. WTX and candoxin are those toxins whose blocking of the neuronal alpha7- and muscle-type nAChR has been earlier shown in binding assays and electrophysiological experiments, while for the other two toxins no such activity has been reported. Only candoxin and WTX are found here to give stable solutions for the toxin-nAChR complexes. These toxins appear to approach the binding site similarly to short alpha-neurotoxins, but their final position resembles that of alpha-cobratoxin, a long alpha-neurotoxin, in the complex with the acetylcholine-binding protein. The final spatial structures of candoxin and WTX complexes with the alpha7 neuronal or muscle-type nAChR are very similar and do not provide immediate answer why candoxin has a much higher affinity than WTX, but both of them share a virtually irreversible mode of binding to one or both these nAChR subtypes. Possible explanation comes from docking and MD simulations which predict fast kinetics of candoxin association with nAChR, no gross changes in the toxin conformation (with smaller toxin flexibility on alpha7 nAChR), while slow WTX binding to nAChR is associated with slow irreversible rearrangement both of the tip of the toxin loop II and of the binding pocket residues locking finally the toxin molecule. Computer modeling showed that the additional disulfide in the loop I is not directly involved in receptor binding of WTX and candoxin, but it stabilizes the structure of loop I which plays an important role in toxin delivery to the binding site. In summary, computer modeling visualized possible modes of binding for those weak toxins which interact with the nAChR, provided no solutions for those weak toxins whose targets are not the nAChRs, and demonstrated that the additional disulfide in loop I cannot be a sound criteria for joining all weak toxins into one group; the conclusion about the diversity of weak toxins made from computer modeling is in accord with the earlier phylogenetic analysis.     

Pyrrolic tripodal receptors for carbohydrates. Role of functional groups and binding geometry on carbohydrate recognition

The contribution from several H-bonding groups and the impact of geometric requirements on the binding ability of benzene-based tripodal receptors toward carbohydrates have been investigated by measuring the affinity of a set of structures toward octyl β-D-glucopyranoside, selected as a representative monosaccharide. The results reported in the present study demonstrate that a judicious choice of correct geometry and appropriate functional groups is critical to achieve the complementary hydrogen bonding interactions required for an effective carbohydrate recognition.     

Synthesis and binding ability of bile acid-based receptors for recognition of flavin analogues

Novel cholaphanes 6a,b, based on lithocholic and deoxycholic acids, were synthesised through 3a,b by a sequence of reactions involving Cs-salt methodology of macrocyclisation. Cholaphanes 6a,b and acyclic steroidal receptors 3a,b bind flavin analogues via three hydrogen bonds in CHCl₃.     

A flexible cyclophane: design, synthesis, and structure of a multibridged tris-tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) macrocycle

The tris-tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) macrocycles 3 with a large end-cavity were effectively synthesized from the readily available tetrakis(cyanoethylthio)TTF by means of a selective deprotection/realkylation sequence followed by an intramolecular coupling reaction. Crystar structure analyses revealed that the neutral molecules include two (3a) or one chloroform molecule (3b) as solvent of crystallization inside the cavity, whereas the I3- salt of 3b, obtained by electrocrystallization, has a molecular structure which is different from that of the neutral molecule in that the cavity has completely collapsed.     

Effect of spacer geometry on oxoanion binding by bis- and tetrakis-thiourea hosts

Hosts with thiourea groups bind anions by formation of multiple hydrogen bonds. This contribution discusses how spacers linking two or four thiourea groups affect the host affinity and selectivity. While most of the bis-thioureas bind H₂PO₄⁻ preferentially, the extent of selectivity over chloride, acetate, and H₂AsO₄⁻ is determined by the size of the binding cavity. A tetrakis-thiourea is shown to exhibit a unique H₂AsO₄⁻ selectivity, and the discrimination of chloride is enhanced by specific solvation in dimethyl sulfoxide.     

Binding of agonists and antagonists to muscarinic receptors.

The binding of one irreversible and two reversible radioactive antagonists to muscarinic receptors in synaptosome preparations of rat cerebral cortex has been studied. The ligands all bind to the same receptor pool and directly and competitively yield self-consistent binding constants closely similar to those obtained by pharmacological methods on intact smooth muscle. The binding process for antagonists seems to be a simple mass action-determined process with a Hill slope of 1.0. The quantitative correlations strongly support the view that the receptor studied by ligand binding corresponds to the receptor studied by pharmacological methods. Inhibition of antagonist binding by most agonists shows a reduced Hill slope which also applies to direct binding studies of [3H] acetylcholine. Mechansims that might account for the behavior of agonists are discussed but do not conclusively point to any single mechanism.     

Binding of dodecyloxyethylpyridinium bromide to polymer: the effect of molecular geometry of surfactant

Dodecyloxyethylpyridinium bromide (C₁₂EPB) has been synthesized and compared with the normal N-alkylpyridinium bromides, C_nPB (n=12, 13, 14) to see how the insertion of an oxyethylene group influences the binding behavior to an oppositely charged linear polymer, sodium poly(2-acrylamide-2-methypropanesulfonate) (PAMPS). The geometry factor of surfactant in micellization and in polymer-surfactant interaction are focused on. The oxyethylene group gives a contribution by −1.3 kT to the free energy of micellization and by −1.4 kT to the free energy of binding. The micelle and the cluster of surfactant on polymer are considered to consist roughly of two regions, an outer region containing the ionic headgroup and the first three or four carbons of alkyl chain, and an interior region containing the remaining portions of hydrocarbon chains. The interpositioning of a linkage segment at -position extends the hydrophobic chain in the inner region and favors the surfactant self-association as well as the binding with the oppositely charged polymer.     

Carboxylate binding by 2-(guanidiniocarbonyl)pyrrole receptors in aqueous solvents: improving the binding properties of guanidinium cations through additional hydrogen bonds

A series of guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole receptors has been synthesized which bind carboxylates by ion pairing in combination with multiple hydrogen bonds. Their binding properties with various carboxylates have been investigated using NMR titration studies in 40% water/DMSO (v/v). The best receptor has association constants which are in the order of K approximately/= 10(3) mol(-1) and hence some 30 times larger than with the simple acetyl guanidinium cation. Through a systematic variation of the receptor structure, semiquantitative estimates for the energetic contributions of the individual binding interactions could be derived. These data show that the various hydrogen bonds are not equally important for the binding but differ significantly in their energetic contribution to the overall complexation process. Furthermore, the receptor can be made chiral and shows selectivity upon binding of enantiomeric amino acid carboxylates. Molecular modeling was used to obtain structural information for the various receptor carboxylate complexes and served as a basis to explain the observed differences in binding constants.     

Noncovalent interactions: defining cooperativity. Ligand binding aided by reduced dynamic behavior of receptors. Binding of bacterial cell wall analogues to ristocetin A

Changes in the relative populations of the monomer and asymmetric dimer forms of ristocetin A, upon binding of two molecules of ligand, suggest that ligand binding is negatively cooperative with respect to dimerization. However, strong hydrogen bonds formed in the binding sites of the ligands are reinforced in the dimer relative to the monomer, and the barrier to dissociation of the dimer is increased upon binding of the ligands. It is concluded that the interactions which are common in the binding of both ligands are made with positive cooperativity with respect to those involved in dimerization. The conclusions are relevant to the binding of ligands to proteins, where ligand binding energy can be derived from stabilization of the protein in its ligand-bound form.     

Polyaza-macrocycles of cyclophane type: Synthesis,structure of a chloroform inclusion complex and anion binding.

Polyazamacrocycles (1)–(7) have been obtained via efficient (amine + aldehyde) polycondensation processes. The tetraimine (1) forms a chloroform inclusion complex whose crystal structure has been determined; the protonated tetraamine (5) binds dicarboxylate substrates.     

固体渗硼提高多孔炭抗氧化性能的研究

空气中多孔炭在高温下极易被氧化,极大地限制了其在催化领域的应用。为了提高多孔炭在高温下的抗氧化能力,以KOH化学活化法制备的多孔炭为原料,通过固体渗硼对多孔炭进行热处理。结果表明,渗硼后多孔炭表面的活性点数量明显减少,抑制了氧化性气体与多孔炭的反应,从而提高了多孔炭的抗氧化能力。并且渗剂在多孔炭中的质量分数为10%、渗剂中B4C的质量分数为25%、热处理5h时,与多孔炭原料相比,渗硼后600℃多孔炭氧化失重率由70%左右降低到20%左右,比表面积降低10%～20%,多孔炭材料的微反活性仍可达到70.25。     

Enantiomeric cannabidiol derivatives: synthesis and binding to cannabinoid receptors

(-)-Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major, non psychotropic constituent of cannabis. It has been shown to cause numerous physiological effects of therapeutic importance. We have reported that CBD derivatives in both enantiomeric series are of pharmaceutical interest. Here we describe the syntheses of the major CBD metabolites, (-)-7-hydroxy-CBD and (-)-CBD-7-oic acid and their dimethylheptyl (DMH) homologs, as well as of the corresponding compounds in the enantiomeric (+)-CBD series. The starting materials were the respective CBD enantiomers and their DMH homologs. The binding of these compounds to the CB(1) and CB(2) cannabinoid receptors are compared. Surprisingly, contrary to the compounds in the (-) series, which do not bind to the receptors, most of the derivatives in the (+) series bind to the CB(1) receptor in the low nanomole range. Some of these compounds also bind weakly to the CB(2) receptor.     

Steroid binding by antibodies and artificial receptors: Exploration of theoretical methods to determine the origins of binding affinities and specificities

Binding mode calculations for complexes between an artificial paracyclophane receptor and digoxins, cholic acids as well as cortisone steroids show encapsulation of different ring combinations. Docking experiments were performed between the 26-10 antibody and digoxins. Coordination affinity arises from hydrophobic desolvation and van der Waals interactions rather than from hydrogen bonds. The specificity and affinity arises mainly from shape complementarity. Computed binding free energies and Kohonen neural network computations both point to physicochemical and structural similarities of natural antibodies and artificial receptors.     

Exploring the binding ability of polyammonium hosts for anionic substrates: selective size-dependent recognition of different phosphate anions by bis-macrocyclic receptors

Binding of mono-, di-, and triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine triphosphatase (ATP) with receptors L1-L3, composed of two [9]aneN(3) units separated by a 2,9-dimethylene-1,10-phenanthroline (L1), a 2,6-dimethylenepyridine (L2), or a 2,3-dimethylenequinoxaline (L3) spacer, has been studied by means of potentiometric titrations, (1)H and (31)P NMR measurements in aqueous solutions, and molecular modeling calculations. In the case of inorganic phosphates, the binding properties of the receptors appear to be determined by their geometrical features, in particular the distance between the two [9]aneN(3) units imposed by the spacer separating the two macrocyclic units. While L1 is able to selectively bind triphosphate over di- and monophosphate, L3 selectively coordinates the smaller monophosphate anion. Finally, L2 shows preferential binding of diphosphate. (1)H and (31)P NMR measurements show that the complexes are essentially stabilized by charge-charge and hydrogen-bonding interactions between the anion and the protonated amine groups of the macrocyclic subunits of the receptors. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the larger distance between the two macrocyclic units of L1 allows this receptor to form a larger number of hydrogen-bonding contacts with triphosphate, justifying its selectivity toward this anion. Conversely, in the case of L3, the two facing [9]aneN3 units give rise to a cleft of appropriate dimensions where the small monophosphate anion can be conveniently hosted. Considering nucleotide coordination, L1 is a better receptor for ATP and ADP than L2, thanks to the higher ability of phenanthroline to establish stabilizing π stacking and hydrophobic interactions with the adenine units of the guests.     

Progress towards artificial hydrolases: synthesis and binding properties of a water-soluble cyclophane host with a phenol cap

The synthesis of the functionalized macrobicyclic host1 on the way to the water-soluble artificial esterase 2 is presented. A phenolic nucleophile is properly oriented atop the binding cavity of1 which forms strong complexes with aromatic guests in aqueous solutions.     

New water-soluble polyanionic dendrimers and binding to acetylcholine in water by means of contact ion-pairing interactions

A new water-soluble polyanionic dendrimer containing 81 benzoate termini (diameter: 11+/-1 nm from DOSY NMR spectroscopy) has been synthesized; it interacts with acetylcholine cations in water-soluble assemblies in which each carboxylate terminus reversibly forms contact ion pairs and aggregates at the tether termini, as shown by 1H NMR spectroscopy.     

Binding ability and self-assembly behavior of linear polymeric supramolecules formed by modified beta-cyclodextrin

[structure: see text] The binding ability and self-assembly behavior of molecular interpenetration by newly synthesized mono[6-O-(4-formyl-phenyl)-beta-cyclodextrin has been investigated, revealing the formation mechanism of modified cyclodextrin from solution aggregation to solid linear polymeric supramolecules.     

The ability of capping phenylphosphinidene ligands to confer the trigonal prismatic geometry on hexaruthenium frameworks

Reaction of [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] with a three-fold molar amount of PPhH₂ in toluene under reflux affords a range of products including two hexaruthenium species, [Ru₆(μ₄-PPh)₂(μ₃-PPh)₂(CO)₁₂] and [Ru₆(μ₄-PPh)₃(μ₃-PPh)₂(CO)₁₂], established X-ray crystallographically to have distorted trigonal prismatic skeletal geometries.