Voltammetric Investigation of Zinc Release from Metallothioneins Modulated by the Glutathione Redox Couple and Separated with a Porous Membrane

Glutathione (GSH), in addition to serving as a redox buffer in cellular environment, has been suggested as a modulator in metal regulation and homeostasis by metallothioneins (MTs). The interactions of MTs with both GSH and its oxidized form GSSG have been shown to govern the direction of metal transfer. Common methods for the determination of zinc release from MTs modulated by GSH/GSSG either involve radioactive species or enzymes or are labor‐intensive. In this study, upon separation of Zn²⁺ from the reaction mixture of MTs and GSH with a centrifugal filter membrane, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for the Zn²⁺ quantification. The same approach is extended to the studies of metal transfer between Zn₇MT with a GSH/GSSG mixture and that between Zn₇MT with GSSG. The concomitant conversion between the free thiol and disulfide bonds was confirmed with UV‐vis spectrophotometry. The results demonstrate that GSSG, GSH, and the GSH/GSSG mixture all modulate zinc release from Zn₇MT. The percentage of zinc release increases in the order of GSH, GSSG, and the GSH/GSSG mixture. The new approach is demonstrated to be well suited for investigation of redox regulation of MT and its reaction with zinc‐containing enzymes.     

Estimation of the Gibbs energy of transfer of zinc(II) in mixtures of water and acetone by means of different reference redox systems

In aqueous and water-rich acetone solutions the Gibbs energy of transfer of zinc, ΔG_t⁰(Zn²⁺), obtained from polarographic and potentiometric measurements, was found to depend on the reference redox system used: either cobalticinium ion-cobaltocene (cic⁺/coc) or bisdiphenylchromium (I/O) (BPC). This dependence of the Gibbs energy of transfer of Zn²⁺ on the reference redox system adopted is compared with the relevant data from the literature. An interpretation for this phenomenon is proposed in which it is assumed that Zn²⁺ is preferentially hydrated. This interpretation is further supported by ¹H-n.m.r. chemical shift measurements and the fact that water is transported into the cathode compartment during electrolysis in a modified Hittorf experiment.     

Tuning the Redox Properties of a Nonheme Iron(III)–Peroxo Complex Binding Redox‐Inactive Zinc Ions by Water Molecules

Redox‐inactive metal ions play important roles in tuning chemical properties of metal–oxygen intermediates. Herein we report the effect of water molecules on the redox properties of a nonheme iron(III)–peroxo complex binding redox‐inactive metal ions. The coordination of two water molecules to a Zn²⁺ ion in (TMC)Fe^III‐(O₂)‐Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂ ( 1 ‐Zn²⁺) decreases the Lewis acidity of the Zn²⁺ ion, resulting in the decrease of the one‐electron oxidation and reduction potentials of 1 ‐Zn²⁺. This further changes the reactivities of 1 ‐Zn²⁺ in oxidation and reduction reactions; no reaction occurred upon addition of an oxidant (e.g., cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)) to 1 ‐Zn²⁺, whereas 1 ‐Zn²⁺ coordinating two water molecules, (TMC)Fe^III‐(O₂)‐Zn(CF₃SO₃)₂‐(OH₂)₂ [ 1 ‐Zn²⁺‐(OH₂)₂], releases the O₂ unit in the oxidation reaction. In the reduction reactions, 1 ‐Zn²⁺ was converted to its corresponding iron(IV)–oxo species upon addition of a reductant (e.g., a ferrocene derivative), whereas such a reaction occurred at a much slower rate in the case of 1 ‐Zn²⁺‐(OH₂)₂. The present results provide the first biomimetic example showing that water molecules at the active sites of metalloenzymes may participate in tuning the redox properties of metal–oxygen intermediates.     

Zinc–Organic Battery with a Wide Operation‐Temperature Window from −70 to 150 °C

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have been considered as promising candidates for grid‐scale energy storage. However, their cycle stability is generally limited by the structure collapse of cathode materials and dendrite formation coupled with undesired hydrogen evolution on the Zn anode. Herein we propose a zinc–organic battery with a phenanthrenequinone macrocyclic trimer (PQ‐MCT) cathode, a zinc‐foil anode, and a non‐aqueous electrolyte of a N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution containing Zn²⁺. The non‐aqueous nature of the system and the formation of a Zn²⁺–DMF complex can efficiently eliminate undesired hydrogen evolution and dendrite growth on the Zn anode, respectively. Furthermore, the organic cathode can store Zn²⁺ ions through a reversible coordination reaction with fast kinetics. Therefore, this battery can be cycled 20 000 times with negligible capacity fading. Surprisingly, this battery can even be operated in a wide temperature range from ?70 to 150 °C.     

Effect of bridging anions on the structure and stability of phenoxide bridged zinc dipicolylamine coordination complexes

A series of four related phenol derivatives, with 2,2′-dipicolylamine substituents at the ortho positions, were prepared and their Zn²⁺ coordination complexes studied by spectroscopic methods. X-ray crystal diffraction analysis of a dinuclear zinc complex with two bridging acetate anions showed a ternary structure with highly charged interior and lipophilic exterior, which helps explain why this class of water-soluble complexes can effectively diffuse through cell membranes. The stability of the dinuclear zinc complexes in aqueous solution was found to be strongly anion dependent; that is, bridging oxyanions, such as acetate and pyrophosphate, lock the two Zn²⁺ cations to the surrounding ligand and greatly enhance ligand/zinc affinity. Overall, the results provide new insight into the structural and mechanistic factors that control the recognition and chemosensing performance of phenoxide bridged dipicolylamine molecular probes.     

Graphene quantum dots with Zn2+ and Ni2+ conjugates can cleave supercoiled DNA

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), inheriting the superb property of graphene oxide, possess smaller lateral size and high biocompatibility, thus having potential in biomedical applications. We previously discovered that GQDs, combining with Cu²⁺ ions, could cleave DNA primarily through an oxidative pathway; yet, oxidative DNA cleavage is not practically preferred in biology. In this work, we explore the DNA cleavage ability of GQDs with Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺. Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ alone are incapable of cleaving supercoiled DNA, but when combining with the GQDs, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ exhibit DNA cleavage activity. However, the activity of these two systems is much lower than that of GQDs/Cu²⁺, and GQDs/Ni²⁺ is less active than GQDs/Zn²⁺. The functional mechanism of GQDs/Ni²⁺ and GQDs/Zn²⁺ is different from that of GQDs/Cu²⁺. The GQDs play a key role in the two systems; the redox inactive Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions assist to generate the oxidative species that eventually lead to the DNA cleavage. The current results together with our previous result indicate that GQDs together with metal ions can cleave supercoiled DNA, and their cleavage activities depend on the properties of metal ions: for redox active metal ions, metal ions play key roles, for redox inactive metal ions, GQDs are dominant.     

Zinc–Organic Battery with a Wide Operation-Temperature Window from −70 to 150 °C

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have been considered as promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage. However, their cycle stability is generally limited by the structure collapse of cathode materials and dendrite formation coupled with undesired hydrogen evolution on the Zn anode. Herein we propose a zinc–organic battery with a phenanthrenequinone macrocyclic trimer (PQ-MCT) cathode, a zinc-foil anode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte of a N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution containing Zn²⁺. The non-aqueous nature of the system and the formation of a Zn²⁺–DMF complex can efficiently eliminate undesired hydrogen evolution and dendrite growth on the Zn anode, respectively. Furthermore, the organic cathode can store Zn²⁺ ions through a reversible coordination reaction with fast kinetics. Therefore, this battery can be cycled 20 000 times with negligible capacity fading. Surprisingly, this battery can even be operated in a wide temperature range from −70 to 150 °C.     

5-氟尿嘧啶卟啉锰/锌配合物的合成、光电性质及抗癌活性

合成了新型5-氟尿嘧啶修饰的自由卟啉5-(2-(5-氟尿嘧啶-3-基)乙氧基苯基)-10,15,20-三苯基卟啉(L)及其锰配合物(MnL)和锌配合物(ZnL)。通过紫外-可见光谱、红外光谱、核磁共振氢谱及高分辨质谱等手段进行了结构表征。研究了它们的荧光性质和电化学性质;应用标准磺酰罗丹明B法(SRB法)测试了目标化合物对人肺癌细胞株A549、人肝癌细胞株Bel-7402和人结肠癌细胞株HCT-8生长的抑制活性。结果表明:相同实验条件下,不同金属离子对配合物的荧光强度存在较大影响:锌配合物具有荧光猝灭的性质,而锰配合物未能观察到明显的荧光发射光谱;与自由卟啉和锌配合物相比,锰配合物除卟啉环发生氧化还原反应外,Mn~(2+)自身也发生了氧化还原反应;抗癌活性测试显示锰配合物较其他2种化合物有较好的抗癌活性。     

A FRET-based fluorescent Zn2+ sensor: 3D ratiometric imaging,flow cytometric tracking and cisplatin-induced Zn2+ fluctuation monitoring

Monitoring labile Zn²⁺ homeostasis is of great importance for the study of physiological functions of Zn²⁺ in biological systems. Here we report a novel ratiometric fluorescent Zn²⁺ sensor, CPBT, which was constructed based on chelation-induced alteration of FRET efficiency. CPBT was readily cell membrane permeable and showed a slight preferential localization in the endoplasmic reticulum. With this sensor, 3D ratiometric Zn²⁺ imaging was first realized in the head of zebra fish larvae via Z-stack mode. CPBT could track labile Zn²⁺ in a large number of cells through ratiometric flow cytometric assay. More interestingly, both ratiometric fluorescence imaging and flow cytometric assay demonstrated that the labile Zn²⁺ level in MCF-7 cells (cisplatin-sensitive) decreased while that in SKOV3 cells (cisplatin-insensitive) increased after cisplatin treatment, indicating that Zn²⁺ may play an important role in cisplatin induced signaling pathways in these cancer cells.

A Zn²⁺ sensor exhibiting 3D ratiometric imaging and flow cytometric ability was constructed based on the FRET mechanism, and cisplatin-induced endogenous labile Zn²⁺ fluctuations were monitored in real time.     

Highly Stable Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Storage Using a Layered Calcium Vanadium Oxide Bronze Cathode

Cost‐effective aqueous rechargeable batteries are attractive alternatives to non‐aqueous cells for stationary grid energy storage. Among different aqueous cells, zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), based on Zn²⁺ intercalation chemistry, stand out as they can employ high‐capacity Zn metal as the anode material. Herein, we report a layered calcium vanadium oxide bronze as the cathode material for aqueous Zn batteries. For the storage of the Zn²⁺ ions in the aqueous electrolyte, we demonstrate that the calcium‐based bronze structure can deliver a high capacity of 340 mA h g^?1 at 0.2 C, good rate capability, and very long cycling life (96 % retention after 3000 cycles at 80 C). Further, we investigate the Zn²⁺ storage mechanism, and the corresponding electrochemical kinetics in this bronze cathode. Finally, we show that our Zn cell delivers an energy density of 267 W h kg^?1 at a power density of 53.4 W kg^?1.     

DNA Binding and Cleavage Activity of Zinc(II) Complex of N,N′‐Bis(2‐guanidinoethyl)‐2,6‐pyridinedicarboxamide

The interaction of zinc(II) complex of N,N′‐bis(guanidinoethyl)‐2,6‐pyridinedicarboxamide (Gua) with DNA was studied by CD spectroscopy and agarose gel electrophoresis analysis. The results indicate that the DNA binding affinity of Zn²⁺‐Gua is stronger than that of Gua and the Zn²⁺‐Gua can promote the cleavage of phosphodiester bond of supercoiled DNA under a physiological condition, which is ～10⁶ times higher than DNA natural degradation. The hydrolysis pathway was proposed as the possible mechanism for DNA cleavage promoted by the Zn²⁺‐ Gua. The acceleration is due to cooperative catalysis of the zinc cation center and the functional groups (bisguanidinium groups).     

Conformationally regulated fluorescent sensors. Study of the selectivity in Zn versus Cd sensing

The Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ complexing properties of four ligands containing a 4,4′-substituted biphenyl moiety are described. Ligands 1 and 3, containing only one 1-aza-18-crown-6 cavity, lead to selective complexation of Cd²⁺ versus Zn²⁺. Ligand 4, with two crown cavities linked to a tetramethylbenzidine unit, is able to form 1:1 complexes with Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺, showing a higher complexing constant with Zn²⁺ than with Cd²⁺, probably due to enthalpic factors. Several complementary experiments suggest that the 1:1 complexes formed by ligand 4 involve both crown cavities acting together to give rise to clamp structures. The formation of this type of zinc complex gives rise to red shifted emission bands and distinct quenching of the fluorescence. A similar situation is observed with cadmium but the change is then less pronounced. When mixtures of both salts are used, ligand 4 selectively responds to zinc. Finally, ligand 2, which also has two crown cavities but contains nitro rather than amino groups in the biphenyl moiety, shows no propensity to form clamp complexes and, for this reason, it complexes cadmium much more strongly than zinc and binds the former selectively when mixtures of both salts are used in complexing experiments.     

The synthesis of luminescent lanthanide-based chemosensors for the detection of zinc ions

Herein, we report the synthesis of two lanthanide-based chemosensors, Tb-5 and Eu-6, designed to sense free zinc ions (Zn²⁺) in aqueous solutions. The Tb-5 complex features a bis(2-pyridinylmethyl)amine moiety as a zinc(II)-responsive lanthanide-sensitising ‘antenna’, while Eu-6 incorporates a quinoline-based moiety for this purpose. Luminescence enhancements of 210% and 340% are observed upon addition of Zn²⁺ ions to Tb-5 and Eu-6, respectively. Both sensors are selective for Zn²⁺ ions over several other cations of environmental significance.     

Binding of the Zn2+ ion to ferric uptake regulation protein from E. coli and the competition with Fe2+ binding: a molecular modeling study of the effect on DNA binding and conformational changes of Fur

The three dimensional structure of Ferric uptake regulation protein dimer from E. coli, determined by molecular modeling, was docked on a DNA fragment (iron box) and Zn²⁺ ions were added in two steps. The first step involved the binding of one Zn²⁺ ion to what is known as the zinc site which consists of the residues Cys 92, Cys 95, Asp 137, Asp141, Arg139, Glu 140, His 145 and His 143 with an average metal-Nitrogen distance of 2.5 Å and metal-oxygen distance of 3.1–3.2 Å. The second Zn²⁺ ion is bound to the iron activating site formed from the residues Ile 50, His 71, Asn 72, Gly 97, Asp 105 and Ala 109. The binding of the second Zn²⁺ ion strengthened the binding of the first ion as indicated by the shortening of the zinc-residue distances. Fe²⁺, when added to the complex consisting of 2Zn²⁺/Fur dimer/DNA, replaced the Zn²⁺ ion in the zinc site and when a second Fe²⁺ was added, it replaced the second zinc ion in the iron activating site. The binding of both zinc and iron ions induced a similar change in Fur conformations, but shifted residues closer to DNA in a different manner. This is discussed along with a possible role for the Zn²⁺ ion in the Fur dimer binding of DNA in its repressor activity. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Involvement of histidines 11, 15 and 19 in the binding of zinc to the fusogenic H5WYG peptide

The histidine‐rich GLFHAIAHFIHGGWHGLIHGWYG peptide (H5WYG) coordinates a Zn²⁺ ion and forms a stable peptide–metal complex promoting membrane fusion at physiologic pH. In our previous article titled ‘Histidine‐rich peptide: evidence for a single zinc‐binding site on H5WYG peptide that promotes membrane fusion at neutral pH’ in Journal of Mass Spectrometry (2009, 44, 81–89), tandem mass spectrometry experiments have provided evidence for the binding of a single Zn²⁺ ion to H5WYG and suggested that this binding is shared between H¹¹, H¹⁹ and probably H¹⁵ residues. To clarify the involvement of these histidine residues in the binding to the Zn²⁺ ion and especially to remove the doubt about the implication of the H¹⁵ residue, here we have used three H5WYG mutants termed H5WYGH11A, H5WYGH15A and H5WYGH19A, whose H¹¹, H¹⁵ and H¹⁹ residues were replaced with an alanine residue. The novelty introduced by these new tandem mass spectrometry experiments performed with the mutants is the demonstration that H¹⁵ is involved in the binding of the single Zn²⁺ ion and that it may even favour the setting of another Zn²⁺ ion. Thus, the three histidines H¹¹, H¹⁵ and H¹⁹ could lead to a specific structuring of H5WYG that can promote membrane fusion upon the binding of zinc. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subcellular localised small molecule fluorescent probes to image mobile Zn2+

Zn²⁺, as the second most abundant d-block metal in the human body, plays an important role in a wide range of biological processes, and the dysfunction of its homeostasis is related to many diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer''s disease and prostate and breast cancers. Small molecule fluorescent probes, as effective tools for real-time imaging, have been widely used to study Zn²⁺ related processes. However, the failure to control their localisation in cells has limited their utility somewhat, as they are generally incapable of studying individual processes in a specific cellular location. This perspective presents an overview of the recent developments in specific organelle localised small molecule fluorescent Zn²⁺ probes and their application in biological milieu, which could help to extend our understanding of the mechanisms that cells use to respond to dysfunction of zinc homeostasis and its roles in disease initiation and development.

A number of recently developed subcellular localised small molecule fluorescent probes to image mobile Zn²⁺ are reviewed in this perspective.     

锌离子存在下槲皮素、杨梅素与牛血清蛋白的结合

采用荧光、紫外及红外等光谱方法研究了在水溶液中锌离子对槲皮素、杨梅素与牛血清蛋白(BSA)相互作用的影响。槲皮素和杨梅素均能使BSA的荧光发生淬灭,表明两种药物与BSA发生了结合。锌离子的加入则能进一步导致BSA的荧光淬灭,同时,使BSA的特征发射光谱产生了显著的蓝移,其中锌离子对杨梅素的影响甚于槲皮素,表明锌离子的存在能够显著影响两种药物与BSA的相互作用,其影响的程度与药物分子结构中B环的羟基数相关。定量计算表明,加入锌离子后2种药物与BSA间的结合常数显著降低、结合位点数减小。红外和紫外吸收光谱结果显示,锌离子与槲皮素、杨梅素发生了配位反应,形成了新的配合物。可以推断,在锌离子存在下,槲皮素和杨梅素与BSA的结合在很大程度上分别是两种药物的锌配合物与其相互作用,槲皮素、杨梅素等黄酮类药物B环羟基数的增加能够使药物与BSA的结合能力增强,而锌离子的存在反而使其结合能力减弱。     

Terpy(Pt–salphen)2 Switchable Luminescent Molecular Tweezers

The design and synthesis of switchable molecular tweezers based on a luminescent terpy(Pt‐salphen)₂ ( 1 ; terpy=terpyridine) complex is reported. Upon metal coordination, the tweezers can switch from an open “W”‐shaped conformation to a closed “U”‐shaped form that is adapted for selective recognition of cations. Closing of the tweezers by metal coordination (M=Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Fe²⁺, Hg²⁺) was monitored by ¹H NMR and/or UV/Vis titrations. During the titration, exclusive formation of the 1:1 complex [M( 1 )] was observed, without appearance of an intermediate 1:2 complex [M( 1 )₂]. The crystallographic structure of the 1:1 complex was obtained with Pb²⁺ and showed a distorted helical structure. Selective intercalation of Hg²⁺ cations by the closed “U” form was observed. The tweezers were reopened by selective metal decoordination of the terpyridine ligand by using tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine (tren) as a competitive ligand without modification of the Pt–salphen complex. Detailed photophysical studies were performed on the open and closed tweezers. Structured emission was observed in the open form from the Pt–salphen moieties, with a high quantum yield and a long lifetime. The emission is slightly modified upon closing with 1 equivalent of Zn²⁺ or Hg²⁺, whereas a dramatic quenching was obtained upon intercalation of additional Hg²⁺.     

One‐Step Versus Multistep Equilibrium of Carbazole‐Bridged Dinuclear Zinc(II) Complex Formation: Metal‐Assisted π‐Association and ‐Dissociation Processes

This work demonstrates a selection criteria that determines whether molecular assembly occurs through a one‐step or stepwise manner in ligand‐bridged dinuclear zinc(II) (Zn²⁺) complex formation, which is associated with the π stacking of building blocks. The building blocks of carbazole ligands ( L¹ and L⁴ ) that contain two imidazole moieties at the 3,6‐positions form 4:2 complexes (i.e., [ L ]₄?(Zn²⁺)₂) at a molar ratio of 0.50 ([Zn²⁺]/[ L ]₀=0.50), thereby providing π stacking between the carbazole ligands. At the molar ratio of 0.67 ([Zn²⁺]/[ L ]₀=0.67), the 4:2 complexes change to 3:2 complexes (i.e., [ L ]₃?(Zn²⁺)₂) with no π‐stacked carbazole unit. In contrast, when the imidazole groups in L¹ are replaced with benzoimidazole groups ( L³ ), L³ also yields the 4:2 complex [( L³ )₄?(Zn²⁺)₂] at a molar ratio of 0.50. However, there is no structural transition from ( L³ )₄?(Zn²⁺)₂ to other complex species above a molar ratio of 0.50. Similarly, when two imidazole groups are introduced into the carbazole ring at 2,7‐positions ( L⁵ ), L⁵ also gives the 4:2 complex [( L⁵ )₄?(Zn²⁺)₂] that shows no structural transition to other complex species at a higher molar ratio.     

A quinoline-based selective ‘turn on’ chemosensor for zinc(II) via quad-core complex,and its application in live cell imaging

An efficient quinoline-based fluorescent chemosensor (QLNPY) was successfully developed for the detection of zinc ions (Zn²⁺). This novel chemosensor displayed higher sensitivity and selectivity toward Zn²⁺ over other competitive metal ions accompanying with obvious fluorescence enhancement. The QLNPY-Zn²⁺ complex can be further used as a new fluorescent “turn-off” sensor for pyrophosphate (PPi) and sulfur ion (S^2?) via a Zn²⁺ displacement approach. The limits of detection were calculated to be 3.8 × 10^?8 M for Zn²⁺, 3.7 × 10^?7 M for PPi and 4.9 × 10^?7 M for S^2?. The binding mechanism of QLNPY and Zn²⁺ was investigated through NMR, HR-MS analysis and further studied by crystallographic analysis. Additionally, further application of QLNPY for sequential bioimaging of Zn²⁺ and PPi was studied in HepG2 cells, suggesting that the quinoline-based chemosensor possesses great potential applications for the detection of intracellular Zn²⁺ and PPi in vivo.