Nickel(II)‐Mediated Reversible Thiolate/Disulfide Conversion as a Mimic for a Key Step of the Catalytic Cycle of Methyl‐Coenzyme M Reductase

According to the well‐accepted mechanism, methyl‐coenzyme M reductase (MCR) involves Ni‐mediated thiolate‐to‐disulfide conversion that sustains its catalytic cycle of methane formation in the energy saving pathways of methanotrophic microbes. Model complexes that illustrate Ni‐ion mediated reversible thiolate/disulfide transformation are unknown. In this paper we report the synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic properties and redox interconversions of a set of Ni^II complexes comprising a tridentate N₂S donor thiol and its analogous N₄S₂ donor disulfide ligands. These complexes demonstrate reversible Ni^II‐thiolate/Ni^II‐disulfide (both bound and unbound disulfide‐S to Ni^II) transformations via thiyl and disulfide monoradical anions that resemble a primary step of MCR's catalytic cycle.     

Nickel(II)-Mediated Reversible Thiolate/Disulfide Conversion as a Mimic for a Key Step of the Catalytic Cycle of Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase

According to the well-accepted mechanism, methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) involves Ni-mediated thiolate-to-disulfide conversion that sustains its catalytic cycle of methane formation in the energy saving pathways of methanotrophic microbes. Model complexes that illustrate Ni-ion mediated reversible thiolate/disulfide transformation are unknown. In this paper we report the synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic properties and redox interconversions of a set of Ni^II complexes comprising a tridentate N₂S donor thiol and its analogous N₄S₂ donor disulfide ligands. These complexes demonstrate reversible Ni^II-thiolate/Ni^II-disulfide (both bound and unbound disulfide-S to Ni^II) transformations via thiyl and disulfide monoradical anions that resemble a primary step of MCR's catalytic cycle.     

Dual Temperature and Thiol‐Responsive POEOMA‐Multisegmented Polydisulfides: Synthesis and Thermoresponsive Properties

New thermoresponsive polydisulfides of POEOMA multiblocks linked with disulfide bonds having redox‐responsive properties are reported. These POEOMA‐multisegmented polydisulfides were synthesized by a new method employing a combined RAFT/aminolysis and reversible thiol‐disulfide redox reaction that centers on the synthesis of new disulfide‐labeled difunctional RAFT agent. RAFT polymerization proceeded in living fashion, yielding well‐defined POEOMA copolymers with middle disulfides and terminal RAFT species. They were then used as precursors for thiol‐disulfide polyexchange induced by aminolysis and reductive reaction followed by oxidation: these polydisulfides with different molecular weights and end groups ex hibited tunable thermoresponsive properties and thiol‐responsive degradation.     

Fluorescent coumarin thiols measure biological redox couples

In this report we present a new chemical probe, 3-HTC, that can reversibly and ratiometrically measure the thiol-disulfide equilibrium of biological systems. 3-HTC is composed of a coumarin that has a thiolate directly conjugated to its extended aromatic π system while formation of a disulfide attenuates this conjugation. The fluorescence and absorption properties of 3-HTC are therefore very sensitive to the redox state of its thiol. 3-HTC reacts reversibly with thiols and disulfides enabling its use to measure dynamic GSH/GSSH ratios in vitro as well as to monitor the reversible redox status of whole cell lysates.     

Switching the Switch: Ligand Induced Disulfide Formation in HDAC8

Human histone deacetylase 8 is a well-recognized target for T-cell lymphoma and particularly childhood neuroblastoma. PD-404,182 was shown to be a selective covalent inhibitor of HDAC8 that forms mixed disulfides with several cysteine residues and is also able to transform thiol groups to thiocyanates. Moreover, HDAC8 was shown to be regulated by a redox switch based on the reversible formation of a disulfide bond between cysteines Cys₁₀₂ and Cys₁₅₃. This study on the distinct effects of PD-404,182 on HDAC8 reveals that this compound induces the dose-dependent formation of intramolecular disulfide bridges. Therefore, the inhibition mechanism of HDAC8 by PD-404,182 involves both, covalent modification of thiols as well as ligand mediated disulfide formation. Moreover, this study provides a deep molecular insight into the regulation mechanism of HDAC8 involving several cysteines with graduated capability to form reversible disulfide bridges.     

Effect of the Metal on Disulfide/Thiolate Interconversion: Manganese versus Cobalt

It has recently been proposed that disulfide/thiolate interconversion supported by transition‐metal ions is involved in several relevant biological processes. In this context, the present contribution represents a unique investigation of the effect of the coordinated metal (M) on the Mⁿ⁺?disulfide/M⁽ⁿ⁺¹⁾⁺?thiolate switch properties. Like its isostructural Co^II‐based parent compound, Co^II ₂ SS (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.­ 2014 , 53, 5318), the new dinuclear disulfide‐bridged Mn^II complex Mn^II ₂ SS can undergo an M^II?disulfide/M^III?thiolate interconversion, which leads to the first disulfide/thiolate switch based on Mn. The coordination of iodide to the metal ion stabilizes the oxidized form, as the disulfide is reduced to the thiolate. The reverse process, which involves the reduction of M^III to M^II with the concomitant oxidation of the thiolates, requires the release of iodide. The Mn^II ₂ SS complex slowly reacts with Bu₄NI in CH₂Cl₂ to afford the mononuclear Mn^III?thiolate complex Mn^IIII . The process is much slower (ca. 16 h) and much less efficient (ca. 30 % yield) with respect to the instantaneous and quantitative conversion of Co^II ₂ SS into Co^IIII under similar conditions. This distinctive behavior can be rationalized by considering the different electrochemical properties of the involved Co and Mn complexes and the DFT‐calculated driving force of the disulfide/thiolate conversion. For both Mn and Co systems, M^II?disulfide/M^III?thiolate interconversion is reversible. However, when the iodide is removed with Ag⁺, the M^II ₂ SS complexes are regenerated, albeit much slower for Mn than for Co systems.     

Determination of the DeltapKa between the active site cysteines of thioredoxin and DsbA

Thioredoxin superfamily members share a considerable degree of structural similarity, with a conserved CX(i)X(j)C motif at the active site, where C stand for two cysteines that alternate between a reduced thiol and oxidized disulfide states, and X(i)and X(j) are two amino acids different in each family member. Despite these similarities, they display very different redox potentials and pKas for the active site dithiol, and fulfill different physiological roles. Thioredoxin, for example, promotes the reduction of disulfide bonds, while DsbA promotes their oxidation in prokaryotic cells. The factors that promote these differences are still not fully understood. However, it is generally accepted that the different stabilities of the redox active disulfide bond depends on the degree of stabilization, in the reduced state, of the thiolate of one of the active site cysteines (nucleophilic cysteine). In this work we have used QM/MM methods to compare and characterize the active site dithiols of both enzymes, and to shed some light on the structural features responsible for the large differences in pKa and redox potential between two homologous enzymes, thioredoxin and DsbA. We have also analyzed the main factors pointed out in the literature as responsible for their different properties. We obtained the value of 4.5 for pKa difference (DeltapKa) between the nucleophilic cysteines of both enzymes, which is in excellent agreement with most of the experimental values. Additionally, we found that the principal differentiating factor responsible for this observed DeltapKa are the alpha2-alpha helices, which greatly contribute to the mentioned value, by stabilizing the DsbA thiolate in a much greater extend than the thioredoxin thiolate. A double mutation of the conserved residues Asp26 and Lys57, in thioredoxin, and Glu24 Lys58, in DsbA, by alanines did not change the DeltapKa value; this supports the hypothesis that these residues are not involved in the differentiation of the properties of the active centre dithiol. However, we found out that these residues are important for the stabilization of the nucleophilic thiolate. The X(i) and X(j) residues also do not seem to promote the stabilization of the thiolates. In fact, the corresponding double alanine mutants are more stable than the wild-type enzymes. However, these residues are involved in the differentiation between thioredoxin and DsbA, stabilizing the DsbA thiolate by a larger extent than the thioredoxin thiolate.     

Theoretical study of the photochemistry of a reversible three-state bis-thiaxanthylidene molecular switch

The ground- and the lowest singlet excited-state potential energy surfaces of the bis-thiaxanthylidene (3) molecular switch are investigated using a density functional method specifically designed to treat molecular systems typified by strong non-dynamic electron correlation. The results of the theoretical calculations suggest that the unique ability of substituted bis-thiaxanthylidenes to switch between three states of luminescence-non-fluorescent state, blue fluorescent state, and red fluorescent state-can be explained by specific features on the excited state potential energy surface: the potential barrier around the Franck-Condon point of the anti-folded conformer and the existence of conical intersection in the vicinity of the syn-folded conformer. It is suggested that the twisted conformer, if made more stable via chemical modification, should fluoresce in the near-infrared region (λ≈740-760 nm), thus offering a possibility for a four-state switching of luminescence in a single-component molecular system.     

A Photo- and Thermo-Driven Azoarene-Based Circularly Polarized Luminescence Molecular Switch in a Liquid Crystal Host

The development of chiral optical active materials with switchable circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals remains a challenge. Here an azoarene-based circularly polarized luminescence molecular switch, (S, R, S)-switch 1 and (R, R, R)-switch 2 , are designed and prepared with an (R)-binaphthyl azo group as a chiral photosensitive moiety and two (S)- or (R)-binaphthyl fluorescent molecules with opposite or the same handedness as chiral fluorescent moieties. Both switches exhibit reversible trans/cis isomerization when irradiated by 365 nm UV light and 520 nm green light in solvent and liquid crystal (LC) media. In contrast with the control (R, R, R)-switch 2 , when switch 1 is doped into nematic LCs, polarization inversion and switching-off of the CPL signals are achieved in the resultant helical superstructure upon irradiation with 365 nm UV and 520 nm green light, respectively. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of the system is basically unchanged during this switching process. In particular, these variations of the CPL signals could be recovered after heating, realizing the true sense of CPL reversible switching. Taking advantage of the unique CPL switching, the proof-of-concept for “a dual-optical information encryption system” based on the above CPL active material is demonstrated.     

Observing Confined Local Oxygen-induced Reversible Thiol/Disulfide Cycle with a Protein Nanopore

Disulfide bonds play an important role in thiol-based redox regulation. However, owing to the lack of analytical tools, little is known about how local O₂ mediates the reversible thiol/disulfide cycle under protein confinement. In this study, a protein-nanopore inside a glove box is used to control local O₂ for single-molecule reaction, as well as a single-molecule sensor for real-time monitoring of the reversible thiol/disulfide cycle. The results demonstrate that the local O₂ molecules in protein nanopores could facilitate the redox cycle of disulfide formation and cleavage by promoting a higher fraction of effective reactant collisions owing to nanoconfinement. Further kinetic calculations indicate that the negatively charged residues near reactive sites facilitate proton-involved oxygen-induced disulfide cleavage under protein confinement. The unexpectedly strong oxidation ability of confined local O₂ may play an essential role in cellular redox signaling and enzyme reactions.     

Redox induced pH-switch of Tb(III) centered luminescence of Tb(III) complex with p-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene

The reversible redox switching of Tb(III) centered luminescence resulting from the protonation/deprotonation of the ligand has been realized. The redox couple quinone/hydroquinone serves as a proton pump, leading to the reversible protonation/deprotonation of the phenolate groups of p-sulfonatothiacalix[4]arene and following decomplexation/complexation with Tb(III) ion in aqueous solution.     

Electrically-driven chiroptical switches based on axially dissymmetric 1,1'-binaphthyl and electrochromic viologens: synthesis and optical properties

A novel redox type of chiral molecular switch based on axially dissymmetric 1,1'-binaphthyl and electrochromic 4,4'-bipyridinium exhibits drastic changes in absorption and circular dichroism spectra upon electrochemical redox reaction and is fully characterized for the electrically driven chiroptical switching properties.     

Small Janus dimer as electric field manipulated molecular clam switch and electric information storage unit

A small Janus molecular dimer, as external electric field (F_z) manipulated both a molecular clam switch and a novel electric information storage unit, is found by quantum chemical computations for the first time. The molecular clam switching is intriguing and reversible. A critical F_z value of 95 × 10⁻⁴ au causes a dramatically open change in conformation from Closed form to Open form. And a small reversed electric field of F_z = −10 × 10⁻⁴ au performs a close change from Open form to Closed form. In the switching process, owing to the existence of a great electric dipole moment (μ) contrast between 0 and 22.13 D, the molecular clam switch may serve as an electric information storage unit. Gratifyingly, the reading, writing, and erasing of binary information on the electric information storage unit are easy. And further calculations show that Janus graphene fragment dimer can also serve as a molecular clam switch. Thus, this work proposes a new molecular switch prototype in the invention of artificial molecular machines, and a novel electric information storage unit in the field of molecular electronics.     

Protonation of a Biologically Relevant CuII μ‐Thiolate Complex: Ligand Dissociation or Formation of a Protonated CuI Disulfide Species?

The proton‐induced electron‐transfer reaction of a Cu^II μ‐thiolate complex to a Cu^I‐containing species has been investigated, both experimentally and computationally. The Cu^II μ‐thiolate complex [Cu^II₂( L^MeS )₂]²⁺ is isolated with the new pyridyl‐containing ligand L^MeSSL^Me , which can form both Cu^II thiolate and Cu^I disulfide complexes, depending on the solvent. Both the Cu^II and the Cu^I complexes show reactivity upon addition of protons. The multivalent tetranuclear complex [Cu^I₂Cu^II₂( LS )₂(CH₃CN)₆]⁴⁺ crystallizes after addition of two equivalents of strong acid to a solution containing the μ‐thiolate complex [Cu^II₂( LS )₂]²⁺ and is further analyzed in solution. This study shows that, upon addition of protons to the Cu^II thiolate compound, the ligand dissociates from the copper centers, in contrast to an earlier report describing redox isomerization to a Cu^I disulfide species that is protonated at the pyridyl moieties. Computational studies of the protonated Cu^II μ‐thiolate and Cu^I disulfide species with LSSL show that already upon addition of two equivalents of protons, ligand dissociation forming [Cu^I(CH₃CN)₄]⁺ and protonated ligand is energetically favored over conversion to a protonated Cu^I disulfide complex.     

A sensitive and selective detection method for thiol compounds using novel fluorescence probe

In this work, a sensitive and selective detection method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was developed for analyzing thiol compounds by using a novel fluorescent probe. The new fluorescent probe contains a disulfide bond which selectively reacts with nucleophilic thiolate through the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. An obvious fluorescence recovery can be observed upon addition of the thiol compound in the fluorescent probe solution due to the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction and the destruction of FRET. This novel probe was successfully used to determine dithiothreitol (DTT), glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys). The limits of detection (LOD) were 2.0 μM for DTT, 0.6 μM for GSH, and 0.8 μM for Cys. This new detection method was further investigated in the analysis of compound amino acid injection.     

Reversible heterolysis of H2 mediated by an M-S(thiolate) bond (M = Ir, Rh): a mechanistic implication for [NiFe] hydrogenase

Facile H2 heterolysis was found to be mediated by coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Ir and Cp*Rh thiolate complexes. The reaction of iridium complex is reversible, and the formation of an intermediary Ir-H/thiol complex was detected. The reversible conversion between thiolate complex+H2 and hydride complex+thiol provides an intriguing functional model of [NiFe] hydrogenase.     

A High Contrast Tri‐state Fluorescent Switch: Properties and Applications

A high contrast tri‐state fluorescent switch (FSPTPE) with both emission color change and on/off switching is achieved in a single molecular system by fusing the aggregation‐induced emissive tetraphenylethene (TPE) with a molecular switch of spiropyran (SP). In contrast to most of the reported solid‐state fluorescent switches, FSPTPE only exists in the amorphous phase in the ring‐closed form owing to its highly asymmetric molecular geometry and weak intermolecular interactions, which leads to its grinding‐inert stable cyan emission in the solid state. Such an amorphous phase facilitates the fast response of FSPTPE to acidic gases and induces the structural transition from the ring‐closed form to ring‐open form, accompanied with the “Off” state of the fluorescence. The structural transition leads to a planar molecular conformation and high dipole moment, which further results in strong intermolecular interactions and good crystallinity, so when the acid is added together with a solvent, both the ring‐opening reaction and re‐crystallization can be triggered to result in an orange emissive state. The reversible control between any two of the three states (cyan/orange/dark) can be achieved with acid/base or mechanical force/solvent treatment. Because of the stable initial state and high color contrast (Δλ=120 nm for cyan/orange switch, dark state Φ_F<0.01 %), the fluorescent switch is very promising for applications such as displays, chemical or mechanical sensing, and anti‐counterfeiting.     

Proton-induced fluorescence switching in novel naphthalimide-dansylamide dyads

[reaction: see text] Three novel bichromophoric dyads containing dansylamide and 1,8-naphthalimide linked by oligomethylene spacers of varying length were prepared. The fluorescent moiety can be reversibly selected by protonation/deprotonation of the dansyl residue via control of singlet-singlet energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer, leading to a molecular optical switch with two spectrally distinguished "on" states.     

Electron exchange involving a sulfur-stabilized ruthenium radical cation

Half-sandwich Ru(II) amine, thiol, and thiolate complexes were prepared and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The thiol and amine complexes react slowly with acetonitrile to give free thiol or amine and the acetonitrile complex. With the thiol complex, the reaction is dissociative. The thiolate complex has been oxidized to its Ru(III) radical cation and the solution EPR spectrum of that radical cation recorded. Cobaltocene reduces the thiol complex to the thiolate complex. The 1H and 31P NMR signals of the thiolate complex in acetonitrile become very broad whenever the thiolate and thiol complexes are present simultaneously. The line broadening is primarily due to electron exchange between the thiolate complex and its radical cation; the latter is generated by an unfavorable redox equilibrium between the thiol and thiolate complexes. Pyramidal inversion of sulfur in the thiol complex is fast at room temperature but slow at lower temperatures; major and minor conformers of the thiol complex were observed by 31P NMR at -98 degrees C in CD2Cl2.     

Investigation of an acid-base and redox molecular switch: from bulk to the single-molecule level

In this work we investigate a new fluorescent molecular switch based on the interconversion between the fluorescent zwitterionic form (ZW1) and the non-fluorescent anionic state (MC2) of a spirocyclic Meisenheimer complex of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene. Density functional theory molecular orbital calculations reveal that photo-induced electron transfer from a guanidine group to the trinitrocyclohexadiene fluorophore of the complex quenches the emission from MC2. Protonation, as well as coordination of other Lewis acids to the guanidine group, suppress the quenching mechanism and allow the complex to fluoresce. In agreement with the calculations, reversible on-off fluorescence switching of the ZW1-MC2 bulk system occurs by protonation-deprotonation of the guanidine moiety upon acid-base addition. Interestingly, spectroelectrochemical ensemble measurements show that switching of the ZW1-MC2 pair can also be attained electrochemically, thus unraveling the versatile functioning of this system. The ultimate limit of monitoring the reversible on-off operation of individual switch molecules is reached by means of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, which demonstrates the potential of the ZW1-MC2 system to be used as a true single-molecule switch on the nanometer scale.