Design of a triple-helix-specific cleaving reagent

BACKGROUND: Double-helical DNA can be recognized sequence specifically by oligonucleotides that bind in the major groove, forming a local triple helix. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides are new tools in molecular and cellular biology and their development as gene-targeting drugs is under intensive study. Intramolecular triple-helical structures (H-DNA) are expected to play an important role in the control of gene expression. There are currently no good probes available for investigating triple-helical structures. We previously reported that a pentacyclic benzoquinoquinoxaline derivative (BQQ) can strongly stabilize triple helices. RESULTS: We have designed and synthesized the first triple-helix-specific DNA cleaving reagent by covalently attaching BQQ to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The intercalative binding of BQQ should position EDTA in the minor groove of the triple helix. In the presence of Fe(2+) and a reducing agent, the BQQ-EDTA conjugate can selectively cleave an 80 base pair (bp) DNA fragment at the site where an oligonucleotide binds to form a local triple helix. The selectivity of the BQQ-EDTA conjugate for a triplex structure was sufficiently high to induce oligonucleotide-directed DNA cleavage at a single site on a 2718 bp plasmid DNA. CONCLUSIONS: This new class of structure-directed DNA cleaving reagents could be useful for cleaving DNA at specific sequences in the presence of a site-specific, triple-helix-forming oligonucleotide and also for investigating triple-helical structures, such as H-DNA, which could play an important role in the control of gene expression in vivo.     

Diformylhydrazine as analytical reagent for spectrophotometric determination of iron(II) and iron(III)

The bidentate ligand diformylhydrazine (OHC-HN-NH-CHO), DFH, combines with iron(II) and iron(III) in alkaline media in the pH range 7.3-9.3 to form an intensely colored red-purple iron(III) complex with an absorption maximum at 470 nm. Beer's law is obeyed for iron concentrations from 0.25 to 13 microg mL(-1). The molar absorptivity was in the range 0.3258x10(4)-0.3351x10(4) L mol(-1) cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivity was found to be 0.0168 microg cm(-2). The method has been applied to the determination of iron in industrial waste, ground water, and pharmaceutical samples.     

Radiation synthesis of iron(II) and ruthenium(II) alkylnitroso complexes

The radiolysis of deoxygenated aqueous solutions of Ru(NH₃)₅NO³⁺ and Fe(CN)₅NO²⁻ in the presence of organic compounds (RH) generates alkylnitroso complexes of the form Ru(NH₃)₅N(O)R²⁺ and Fe(CN)₅N(O)R³⁻ where RH = tert-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl amine, N,N-dimethylacetamide, α-aminoisobutyric acid, pivalic acid, and α-hydroxyisobutyric acid. The products form from the rapid combination of the β-carbon radical derived from the reaction of the organic compound with OH radicals (OH + RH → R· + H₂O) and the one-electron reduced metal complex formed by interaction with e_aq⁻: Ru(NH₃)₅NO³⁺ + e_aq⁻ → Ru(NH₃)₅NO²⁺; Fe(CN)₅NO²⁻ + e_aq⁻ → Fe(CN)₅NO³⁻. The alkylnitroso complexes are moderately O₂-insensitive but display varying degrees of thermal stability. Stability permitting, these complexes have been characterized by ion-exchange chromatography and UV-vis-IR spectroscopy. The green ruthenium complexes exhibit λ_max 740 and 342 nm (ϵ 22 and 4.5 × 10³ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹, respectively) and ν_NO in the 1365–1405 cm⁻¹ region. The less stable red iron analogues absorb at 475 and ∼ 250 nm (ϵ 5.0 × 10³ and ∼ 9 × 10³ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹, respectively).     

Potassium hexacyanoruthenate(II) as an analytical reagent for iron

Fe(III) undergoes a reaction with colourless Ru(CN)(4-)(6) to produce an intensely violet-blue complex that absorbs at 550 nm and obeys Beer's law over the iron concentration range 0.04-2 mug/ml in acidic medium. Some common cations and anions are tolerable at low concentrations. The procedure is applicable for determination of total iron in potable water. Destruction of organic matter is required for contaminated surface waters or soil samples.     

Cacotheline as a specific reagent for the detection of iron(II)

Summary Cacotheline gives a blue colour with iron (II) in the p_H range 5.2 to 7.8 in the presence of a suitable complexing agent like sodium oxalate or sodium citrate. The blue colour is not stable in air. It has now been shown that if the test is carried out in a Thunberg tube with the exclusion of air, the colour is quite stable at p_H 7.4 (McIlvaine buffer). This reaction affords a sensitive test for iron (II). In a test tube reaction, the limit of identification has been found to be 11 g in about 5 ml of solution. On a spot plate, the limit of identification has been found to be 0.5 g and the dilution limit 1100,000. On special Whatman spot filter paper No. 542, the identification limit has been found to be 0.3 g and the dilution limit 1166,000. The test can also be applied to iron (III) after reduction with sodium oxalate under a Philips' Repro lamp. Reducing agents like sodium sulphite, sodium thiosulphate, sodium hypophosphite, thiourea and ascorbic acid which reduce cacotheline to a pink coloured compound, just like iron (II) (in the presence of oxalate, etc.) in an acid medium, do not give the blue colour with cacotheline in the basic p_H range; Sb^III, As^III, U^III, U^IV, Cu^I, Cr^II, Ce^III, Sn^II, V^III, Ge^II, and Ti^III also do not give the blue colour with cacotheline under the conditions where iron (II) answers the test. The colour reaction now developed appears to be quite specific for iron (II).In conclusion, two of us, V. Narayana Rao and Mrs G. Somidevamma desire to thank the Ministry of Education, Government of India for the award of Research Scholarships.See also Z. analyt. Chem. 152, 346 (1956).     

Oximidobenzotetronic acid — a sensitive spot test reagent for iron(II), cobalt(II) and copper(II)

Summary Oximidobenzotetronic acid is suggested as a sensitive spot test reagent for iron(II), cobalt(II) and copper(II) in the presence of commonly occuring cations.

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Zusammenfassung Oximidobenzotetronsäure (3-Ntroso-4-hydroxycumarin) wird als empfindliches Tüpfelreagens zum Nachweis von Fe(II), Co(II) und Cu(II) in Gegenwart anderer Kationen vorgeschlagen.

     

Di-2-Pyridylketoxime,a new reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of iron(II)

Di-2-pyridylketoxime is proposed for the spectrophotometric determination of iron(II). The complex is stable and exhibits an absorption maximum at 534 nm in an alkaline citrate medium. Beer's law is obeyed and the molar absorptivity is 1.5·10³. Large amounts of copper and nickel can be tolerated. The method is simple, convenient and reproducible.     

Design, synthesis, and traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry characterization of iron(II)- and ruthenium(II)-terpyridine metallomacrocycles

New metallomacrocycles composed of 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine (tpy) ligands and Ru(II) or Fe(II) transition metal ions were prepared by stepwise directed assembly and characterized by 2D diffusion NMR spectroscopy (DOSY), electrospray ionization traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI TWIM MS), and molecular modeling. The supramolecular polymers synthesized include a homonuclear all-Ru hexamer as well as heteronuclear hexamer and nonamer with alternating Ru/Ru/Fe metal centers. ESI MS yields several charge states from each supramacromolecule. If ESI is interfaced with TWIM MS, overlapping charge states and the isomeric components of an individual charge state are separated based on their unique drift times through the TWIM region. From experimentally measured drift times, collision cross-sections can be deduced. The collision cross-sections obtained for the synthesized supramacromolecules are in good agreement with those predicted by molecular modeling for macrocyclic structures. Similarly, the hydrodynamic radii of the synthesized complexes derived from 2D DOSY NMR experiments agree excellently with the radii calculated for macrocyclic architectures, confirming the ESI TWIM MS finding. ESI TWIM MS and 2D DOSY NMR spectroscopy provide an alternative approach for the structural analysis of supramolecules that are difficult or impossible to crystallize, such as the large macrocyclic assemblies investigated. ESI TWIM MS will be particularly valuable for the characterization of supramolecular assemblies not available in the quantity or purity required for NMR studies.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of cobalt(II), copper(II) and iron(II) using 2-thiophenaldehyde-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone as derivatizing reagent

The complexing reagent 2-thiophenaldehyde-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (TAPT) was examined for high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separations of cobalt(II), copper(II) and iron(II) or cobalt(II), nickel(II), iron(II), copper(II) and mercury(II) as metal chelates on a Microsorb C-18, 5-mum column (150x4.6 mm i.d.) (Rainin Instruments Woburn, MA, USA). The complexes were eluted isocratically with methanol:acetonitrile:water containing sodium acetate and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (TBA). UV detection was at 254 nm. The solvent extraction procedure was developed for simultaneous determination of the metals, with detection limits within 0.5-2.5 mug ml(-1) in the final solution. The method was applied for the determination of copper, cobalt and iron in pharmaceutical preparation.     

Direct synthesis of Stryker’s reagent from a Cu(II) salt

A convenient, one-pot procedure for the preparation of [(PPh₃)CuH]₆ from a Cu(II) precursor, Cu(OAc)₂ in the presence of organosilanes as the reducing agent is described. This method provides a simple route to Stryker’s reagent without the necessity of preparing and purifying reagents in additional steps.     

Man-designed bleomycins. synthesis of dioxygen activating molecules and a DNA cleaving molecule based on bleomycin-Fe(II)-02 complex

A synthetic model for the metal binding site of bleomycin with a 4-methoxypyridine nucleus and atert-butyl group is shown to be comparable to bleomycin in terms of dioxygen activation. This model ligand is coupled with a DNA affinity moiety, tetrapeptide S, to afford a mandesigned bleomycin which exhibits potent DNA cleaving activityin vitro.     

Direct electrochemical synthesis and characterization of copper(II), iron(II) and iron(III) complexes with 1- and 2-substituted pyridines

Summary The electrochemical oxidation of anodic metals (iron and copper) in MeCN solutions of 2-pyridinone (HOPy), 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinethione (HPT), 2-pyridinemethanethiol-1-oxide (HPMTO) or its dimer 2,2-dithiodimethyldipyridine-1,1-dioxide (PMTO)₂, gave the simple complexes Fe(OPy)₂ · H₂O, Cu(OPy)₂ · 3H₂O, Fe(PT)₂ · 3H₂O, Fe(PT)₃, Cu(PT)₂, Fe(PMTO)₂·3H₂O and Cu(PMTO)₂·H₂O, respectively. When 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) was added to the electrolytic phase, only two mixed complexes were obtained: Cu(OPy)₂phen·3H₂O and Fe(PT)₂phen·2H₂O. The possible molecular structures of the complexes were studied on the basis of their i.r. spectra and magnetic properties.     

Models for extradiol cleaving catechol dioxygenases: syntheses, structures, and reactivities of iron(II)-monoanionic catecholate complexes

Crystallographic and spectroscopic studies of extradiol cleaving catechol dioxygenases indicate that the enzyme-substrate complexes have both an iron(II) center and a monoanionic catecholate. Herein we report a series of iron(II)-monoanionic catecholate complexes, [(L)Fe(II)(catH)](X) (1a, L = 6-Me(3)-TPA (tris(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amine), catH = CatH (1,2-catecholate monoanion); 1b, L = 6-Me(3)-TPA, catH = DBCH (3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-catecholate monoanion); 1c, L = 6-Me(2)-bpmcn (N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane), catH = CatH; 1d, L = 6-Me(2)-bpmcn, catH = DBCH), that model such enzyme complexes. The crystal structure of [(6-Me(2)-bpmcn)Fe(II)(DBCH)](+) (1d) shows that the DBCH ligand binds to the iron asymmetrically as previously reported for 1b, with two distinct Fe-O bonds of 1.943(1) and 2.344(1) A. Complexes 1 react with O(2) or NO to afford blue-purple iron(III)-catecholate dianion complexes, [(L)Fe(III)(cat)](+) (2). Interestingly, crystallographically characterized 2d, isolated from either reaction, has the N-methyl groups in a syn configuration, in contrast to the anti configuration of the precursor complex, so epimerization of the bound ligand must occur in the course of isolating 2d. This notion is supported by the fact that the UV-vis and EPR properties of in situ generated 2d(anti) differ from those of isolated 2d(syn). While the conversion of 1 to 2 in the presence of O(2) occurs without an obvious intermediate, that in the presence of NO proceeds via a metastable S = (3)/(2) [(L)Fe(catH)(NO)](+) adduct 3, which can only be observed spectroscopically but not isolated. Intermediates 3a and 3b subsequently disproportionate to afford two distinct complexes, [(6-Me(3)-TPA)Fe(III)(cat)](+) (2a and 2b) and [(6-Me(3)-TPA)Fe(NO)(2)](+) (4) in comparable yield, while 3d converts to 2d in 90% yield. Complexes 2b and anti-2d react further with O(2) over a 24 h period and afford a high yield of cleavage products. Product analysis shows that the products mainly derive from intradiol cleavage but with a small extent of extradiol cleavage (89:3% for 2b and 78:12% for anti-2d). The small amounts of the extradiol cleavage products observed may be due to the dissociation of an alpha-methyl substituted pyridyl arm, generating a complex with a tridentate ligand. Surprisingly, syn-2d does not react with O(2) over the course of 4 days. These results suggest that there are a number of factors that influence the mode and rate of cleavage of catechols coordinated to iron centers.     

The synthesis and catalytic activity of poly(bis(imino)pyridyl) iron(II) metallodendrimer

The first and second generation carbosilane dendrimers with silicon hydride terminated were synthesized, and then reacted with bis(imino)pyridyl containing allyl [4-CH₂CHCH₂-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃NCMe(C₅H₃N)MeCN(2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃)], in the presence of H₂PtCl₆ as a hydrosilylation catalyst, to afford the first and second generation carbosilane supported ligands. Complexation reactions with FeCl₂ · 4H₂O give rise to iron-containing carbosilane dendrimers with FeCl₂ moieties bound on the periphery. The metallodendrimers were used as catalyst precursors, activated with modified methylaluminoxane, for the polymerization of ethylene. In the case of low Al/Fe molar ratio, the metallodendrimers display much higher catalytic activity towards ethylene polymerization and produce much higher molecule weight polyethylenes than the corresponding single-nuclear complex under the same conditions.     

Tris(5-methylpyrazolyl)methane: synthesis and properties of its iron(II) complex

The new ligand, tris(5-methylpyrazolyl)methane (1), has been prepared by the reaction of n-butyl lithium with tris(pyrazolyl)methane followed by trimethylation of the tetralithiated species with methyl iodide. The BF(4)(-), ClO(4)(-), and BPh(3)CN(-) salts of the Fe(II) complex of this ligand were also synthesized. The X-ray crystal structure of the BF(4)(-) complex (2) at 100 K had Fe-N bond lengths of 1.976 ?, indicative of a low spin Fe(II) complex, while at room temperature, the structure of this complex had a Fe-N bond distance close to 2.07 ?, indicative of an admixture of approximately 50% low-spin and 50% high-spin. The solid-state structure of the complex with a ClO(4)(-) counterion was determined at 5 different temperatures between 173 and 293 K, which allowed the thermodynamic parameters for the spin-crossover to be estimated. M?ssbauer spectra of the BF(4)(-) complex further support spin-state crossover in the solid state with a transition temperature near 300 K. UV-visible spectroscopy and (1)H NMR studies of 2 show that the transition temperature in solution is closer to 400 K. No spin-crossover was observed for [Fe(1)(2)](2+)·2BPh(3)CN(-). The results allow the separation of effects of groups in the 3-position from those in the 5-position on tpm ligands, and also point toward a small cooperative effect in the spin-crossover for the Fe(II) complex.