Mechanisms of reactions of flavin mononucleotide triplet with aromatic amino acids

Chemical reactions between the photoexcited triplet state of flavin mononucleotide and the aromatic amino acids, N-acetyl tryptophan (TrpH), N-acetyl tyrosine (TyrOH), and N-acetyl histidine (HisH) in aqueous solution have been studied in the pH range 2-12. Across the whole pH range, the principal mechanism of reaction of both TrpH and TyrOH is shown to be electron transfer. For HisH, the mechanism and rate of the reaction depend on the protonation state of the reactants. In acidic conditions (pH < 4), reaction does not occur. At 4 < pH < 11, the reaction proceeds via hydrogen atom abstraction with a rate constant varying from 3.0 x 10(6) to 2.5 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). In extremely basic solution (pH > 12) the mechanism switches to electron transfer.     

Electron transfer from triplet thymine and thymidine to lipoic acid

Electron transfer from the triplet excited state of thymine or thymidine to the disulphide compound lipoic acid (RSSR) was studied using KrF laser flash photolysis (248 nm, 20 ns). The electron transfer reaction rate constants, measured at 310 nm, were determined to be 1.3×10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 6.9×10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ for thymine and thymidine respectively. The transient absorbance at 400 nm in the presence of the quencher is attributed to the anion radical of lipoic acid.     

Hydrogen-atom transfer reaction from triplet 2-naphthylammonium ion to ground-state aromatic ketones

Laser flash photolyses have been carried out on solutions of the 2-naphthylammonium ion (RNH⁺₃?) benzophenone (BP) [or acetophenone (AP)] system. It is found that the hydrogen-atom transfer reaction from ³RNH⁺₃ (produced by triplet sensitization of the ketones) to the ground BP (or AP) occurs effectively to give RNH⁺₃ and > COH.     

Electron transfer reactions from aromatic carbonyl triplets to paraquat dication

The rate constants for electron transfer reactions from several aromatic carbonyl triplets to paraquat dication leading to the formation of paraquat radical ion have been measured by nanosecond laser flash photolysis and are found to be in the range, 1 – 9 × 10⁹ M^?1 s^?1.     

Entropy changes drive the electron transfer reaction of triplet flavin mononucleotide from aromatic amino acids in cation-organized aqueous media. A laser-induced optoacoustic study

The thermodynamic parameters for the formation of the free radicals upon electron transfer quenching of the flavin triplet state (3FMN) by tryptophan and tyrosine, Delta(FR)H and Delta(FR)V, were obtained in aqueous solution by the application of laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy at various temperatures. The Delta(FR)H and Delta(FR)V values include the electron transfer and charge separation steps plus the protonation of the FMN anion radical and the deprotonation of the amino-acid cation radical. A linear correlation was found between the Delta(FR)H and Delta(FR)V values for each of the amino acids in phosphate buffers of [CH3(CH2)3]4N+, Li+, NH4+, K+ and Cs+. The compensation between Delta(FR)H and Delta(FR)V within the salt series, and the independent evaluation of the Gibbs energy for electron transfer Delta(ET)G(o) afforded the entropy change, Delta(FR)S, for the reaction, different for the two amino acids. The values of Delta(FR)H, Delta(FR)V and Delta(FR)S in each buffer are mainly determined by the changes in strength and probably number of hydrogen bonds between the reacting partners and water produced along all steps leading to the radicals FMNH* and A*. The Delta(FR)V values linearly correlate with the tabulated entropy of organization of the water structure for the five cations, DeltaS(o)(cat). The entropy change upon formation of the free radicals, Delta(FR)S, quantitatively correlated to the Delta(FR)V value, drives the separation of the ion pair after the electron transfer reaction in the case of highly organizing cations. The ratio X = T Delta(FR)S/Delta(FR)V = (55 +/- 9) kJ cm(-3) for Trp as 3FMN quencher is smaller than X = (83 +/- 9) kJ cm(-3) for Tyr as quencher. These values are discussed in conjunction with the Marcus reorganization energy, as calculated from the Gibbs activation energy of the electron transfer process, which is independent of the salt present but different for each of the two quenchers.     

Oxygen uptake after electron transfer from amines, amino acids and ascorbic acid to triplet flavins in air-saturated aqueous solution

The photolysis of lumichrome, riboflavin, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was studied in air-saturated aqueous solution at room temperature in the presence of appropriate electron donors: ascorbic acid, aromatic amino acids or amines, e.g. ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA). The overall reaction is conversion of oxygen via the hydroperoxyl/superoxide radical into hydrogen peroxide. The quantum yield of oxygen uptake increases with the donor concentration, e.g. up to 0.3 for riboflavin, FMN or FAD in the presence of EDTA or ascorbic acid (0.3-10mM). The formation of H(2)O(2) is initiated by quenching of the acceptor triplet state by the electron donor and subsequent reaction of the semiquinone radical with oxygen. Specific properties of flavins are discussed including the radicals involved and the pH and concentration dependences. The quantum yield of photodegradation is low under air, but substantial under argon, where the major product absorbing in the visible spectral range is the corresponding hydroquinone.     

Electron transfer reactions between the superoxide ion and quinones

The electron transfer reactions of the superoxide ion with benzoquinone, trimethylbenzoquinone, and menadione in dimethylformamide were studied. A procedure of the determination of the relative rate constants of these reactions was developed; the reaction of O? ₂ with butyl bromide was chosen as a standard one. The relative rate constants measured at 20,°, 35°, and 50°C were slightly dependent on the quinone structure. The relationship between the free energy ΔF*of the electron transfer reactions and the standard free energy ΔF^o was discussed. This relationship is proposed as ΔF* = αΔF^o + β, where the proportionality coefficient α is equal to 0.04–0.11 for exothermal reactions and to 0.90–0.96 for endothermal reactions.     

Rational design of MOFs constructed from modified aromatic amino acids

Three Phe and Tyr derivatives, 2-amino-3-(4-aminophenyl)-propionic acid (AAP), 3E-[5-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-2-methoxyphenyl]-acrylic acid (AMPA) and 3-(4-aminophenyl)-2-(carboxymethyl-amino)-propionic acid (ACP) have been chosen as the ligands to construct four kinds of novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (five structures). These structures are, [Cd(II){(R)-AAP}(Py)(H(2)O)](ClO(4)), (R)-1; [Cd(II){(S)-AAP}(H(2)O)(2)](ClO(4)), (S)-2; [Zn(2) (II){(R,S)-AMPA}(H(2)O)], (R,S)-3; [Zn(2) (II){(R)-ACP}(Py)(3)](ClO(4))(2), (R)-4; and the inversion twin of (R)-1. Rational design to adjust the "depth" and the "width" of ligands can mediate the size and the shape of the grids of these 2D layers. Additionally, among these compounds, three pure chiral coordination polymers are obtained, owing to the inducement of chirality by the modified amino acids. This property makes them potential NLO materials.     

Enthalpies of transfer of amino acids from water to aqueous solutions of formamide

Enthalpies of solution of glycine, l-alanine, l-serine in water and aqueous solutions of formamide were measured at 298.15 K. Transfer enthalpies of amino acids from water to aqueous solutions of formamide were derived and interpreted qualitatively with hydration co-sphere overlap model. The results show that the structure interaction between formamide and zwitterionic head-group and hydrophilic side chain of amino acids make a negative contribution to transfer enthalpy, while that with the hydrophobic side chain is positive. In the solvent composition range studied, transfer enthalpies decrease overall with the increasing concentration of formamide, with the relative order of l-serine < glycine < l-alanine.     

Enantiomeric separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids

Summary High-performance liquid chromatographic and gas chromatographic methods were developed for the separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids. Amino acids containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronorharmane-1-carboxylic acid and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-carboxy-2-carboline moieties were synthetized in racemic or chiral forms. The high-performance liquid chromatography was carried out either on a teicoplanin-containing chiral stationary phase or on an achiral C₁₈ column. In the latter case the diastereomers of the amino acids formed by precolumn derivatization with the chiral reagents 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate or 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide were separated. The gas chromatographic analyses were based on separation on a Chirasil-L-Val column. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997     

Partial transfer of enantioselective chiralities from α-methylated amino acids, known to be of meteoritic origin, into normal amino acids

There is overwhelming evidence that meteorites bring α-methylated amino acids to earth with some l(S) enantiomeric excess. How does that get transferred into normal biological molecules? In this brief account, we show that an α-methylated amino acid, d(R)-α-methylvaline, can react with pyruvate and phenylpyruvate salts in dry mixtures to form alanine and phenylalanine with l enantiomeric excesses, under sensible prebiotic conditions. Thus the meteoritic l(S) excesses of this compound would produce excess d-alanine and d-phenylalanine, which are found in some organisms.     

Mechanisms of photoinduced electron transfer reactions of lappaconitine with aromatic amino acids. Time-resolved CIDNP study

CIDNP techniques were applied to the investigation of the elementary mechanism of photoinduced interaction between anti-arrhythmic drug lappaconitine and amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan. It has been shown that the reactions involve the formation of lappaconitine radical anion. Lappaconitine radical anion is unstable and rapidly eliminates N-acetyl anthranilic acid via protonation and ether bond cleavage. The rate constant of ether bond cleavage was estimated to be equal to 4 x 10(5) s(-1). The role of single electron transfer is discussed in the light of the model of drug-receptor interactions.