Role of the coulombic interaction in ligand-induced biopolymer aggregation

The interaction mechanisms responsible for the binding between metal complexes and biopolymers in aqueous solution, as well as the consequent aggregation process of biopolymers themselves, involve many factors, from geometrical aspects and hydrophobic contributions, as examples, to the electrostatic potential. In this paper aqueous solutions of a polynucleotide, polyadenylic acid (PolyA), which mimics the helix arrangement of RNA or single-stranded DNA but has a simpler structure, are used as a model system. The role of the electrostatic interactions in the binding process between some platinum(II) complexes and PolyA and in the aggregation among PolyA molecules is investigated, by means of elastic and quasielastic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility. The results show that the presence of large, planar aromatic moiety in the dicationic platinum(II) complexes is essential for the binding with PolyA and suggest that the consequent lowering of the local electrostatic barrier between PolyA molecules can be involved in triggering the aggregation process.     

The interaction of poly- and oligosaccharides based on arabinogalactan with 5-aminosalicylic acid

The interaction of high-and low-molecular-weight arabinogalactans with 5-aminosalicylic acid was studied by spectral methods. It was found that the reaction of biopolymers with 5-aminosalicylic acid gave polymeric complex compounds of a 1 : 1 composition. The spectrophotometric data were used to calculate the stability constants of polysaccharide-pharmacon complexes. The influence of the structure of the reagents on their complex formation ability in aqueous solution is analyzed.     

Interaction of Nonionic Block Copolymeric (Poloxamer) Surfactants with Poly (Acrylic Acid), Studied by Photon Correlation Spectroscopy

The interaction between certain hydrophilic pluronic (poloxamer) surfactants and a poly (acrylic acid) has been investigated. Both the PPO and the PEO groups of the surfactants, and the -COOH groups and aliphatic side chains of the PAA molecule, were found to be crucial in this interaction to form complexes. At pH 2 and with a low poloxamer:PAA molar ratio, maximum interaction was observed, giving rise to large-sized complexes that were unstable but possessing bioadhesive properties. At the same pH but with higher poloxamer:PAA molar ratio, the complexes became smaller in size and more stable and were used to prepare stable w/o/w emulsions. A further increase in the poloxamer:PAA molar ratio or increase in the pH causes a further decrease in particle size with eventual nonformation of complexes. Interaction and stability studies of the complexes were done using photon correlation spectroscopy. The overall interaction appears to be a combination of hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. This has given rise to a unique ratio which we have called the [oxyphobic]/[oxyphilic] ratio or OOR. The interaction was found to depend on the molar ratio between poloxamer surfactants and PPA; the [O]_total/[-COOH] ratio; the size of the PPO hydrophobe, and the pH of the reaction mixture. pH measurement studies of these mixtures also gave similar results.     

Factors that regulate the conformation of m-benziporphodimethene complexes: agostic metal-arene interaction, hydrogen bonding, and η2,π coordination

Group 12 and silver(I) tetramethyl‐m‐benziporphodimethene (TMBPDM) complexes with phenyl, methylbenzoate, or nitrophenyl groups as meso substituents were synthesized and fully characterized. The dimeric silver(I) complex displays an unusual η²,π coordination from the β‐pyrrolic C?C bond to the silver ion. All of the complexes displayed a close contact between the metal ion and the inner C(22)? H(22) on the m‐phenylene ring. The downfield chemical shifts of H(22) and large coupling constants between Cd^II and H(22) strongly support the presence of an agostic interaction between the metal ion and inner C(22)–H(22). Crystal structures revealed that the syn form is the predominant conformation for TMBPDM complexes. This is distinctively different from the exclusive anti conformation observed in m‐benziporphyrin and tetraphenyl‐m‐benziporphodimethene (TPBPDM) complexes. Evidently, intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions between axial chloride and methyl groups stabilize syn conformations. Unlike the merely syn conformation observed in the solid‐state structures of TMBPDM complexes that contain an axial chloride, in solution these complexes display highly solvent‐ and temperature‐dependent syn/anti ratio changes. The observation of dynamic ¹H NMR spectroscopic scrambling between syn and anti conformations from the titration of chloride ion into the solution of the TMBPDM complex suggests that axial ligand exchange is a likely pathway for the conversion between syn and anti forms. Theoretical calculations revealed that intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding interactions between the axial chloride and CHCl₃ stabilizes the anti conformation, which explains the increased ratio for the anti form when dichloromethane or chloroform was used as the solvent.     

Selective adsorption of biopolymers on zeolites

Zeolites adsorb biopolymers on their surface and may be suitable as a new type of chromatographic carrier material for proteins, nucleic acids, and their conjugates. We report here various parameters that influence the adsorption of biopolymers on synthesized zeolites with regard to the Si/Al2 ratio and three-dimensional structure. There are three physicochemical principles that may underly the adsorption: 1) below the isoelectric point (pI), mainly Coulombic attraction similar to ion-exchange chromatography; 2) at pI, hydrophobic interactions (a kind of van der Waals attraction) plus the three-dimensional mesopore structure; and 3) above pI, the sum of the Coulombic repulsion and attraction forces, such as the hydrophobic interaction, and also substitution reaction of water on the Al molecule with a protein amino-base. At high Si/Al2 ratio in the presence of a small amount of Al and with mesopores between the zeolite particles, maximal adsorption was seen at pI and was suggested to be dependent on the number of hydrophobic interaction points on the mesopores, and their morphology. The application of zeolites to biochemistry and biotechnology is also discussed.     

Bonding between Cu(II) complexes with celluloses and related carbohydrates

The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of cupriethylenediamine dihydroxide and cupriammonium hydroxide when complexed with cellulose, hydrocellulose, maltose, and dextrose at ?160°C and at room temperature are reported. The spectra of the complexes formed indicate that the interaction is not physical but a chemical one, and the covalent character of the copper ligand has become comparatively weaker. The possibility of weak axial interaction for these complexes is shown to be unlikely, and it is proved that the nature of the interaction is a strong chemical bond between the copper and the 2,3-hydroxyl groups of the pyranoside ring of the ligand.     

Isolation of axial conformers of chloro- and bromocyclohexane in a pure state as inclusion complexes with 9,9'-bianthryl, and the discovery of a novel 1,3 diaxial Cl...H weak interaction

The axial conformers of chloro- and bromocyclohexane were isolated in a pure state as inclusion complexes with 9,9'-bianthryl, and a 1,3 diaxial Cl...H weak interaction was discovered by X-ray analysis of the axial conformer of chlorocyclohexane.     

Electrospray Mass Spectrometry of Biomacromolecular Complexes with Noncovalent Interactions—New Analytical Perspectives for Supramolecular Chemistry and Molecular Recognition Processes

The development of “soft” ionization methods in recent years has enabled substantial progress in the mass spectrometric characterization of macromolecules, in particular important biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids. In contrast to the still existing limitations for the determination of molecular weights by other ionization methods such as fast atom bombardment and plasma desorption, electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption have provided a breakthrough to macromolecules larger than 100 kDa. Whereas these methods have been successfully applied to determine the molecular weight and primary structure of biopolymers, the recently discovered direct characterization by ESI-MS of complexes containing noncovalent interactions (“noncovalent complexes”) opens new perspectives for supramolecular chemistry and analytical biochemistry. Unlike other ionization methods ESI-MS can be performed in homogeneous solution and under nearly physiological conditions of pH, concentration, and temperature. ESI mass spectra of biopolymers, particularly proteins, exhibit series of multiply charged macromolecular ions with charge states and distributions (“charge structures”) characteristic of structural states in solution, which enable a differentiation between native and denatured tertiary structures. In the first part of this article, fundamental principles, the present knowledge about ion formation mechanism(s) of ESI-MS, the relations between tertiary structures in solution and charge structures of macro-ions in the gas phase, and experimental preconditions for the identification of noncovalent complexes are described. The hitherto successful applications to the identification of enzyme–substrate and –inhibitor complexes, supramolecular protein–and protein–nucleotide complexes, double-stranded polynucleotides, as well as synthetic self-assembled complexes demonstrate broad potential for the direct analysis of specific noncovalent interactions. The present results suggest new applications for the characterization of supramolecular structures and molecular recognition processes that previously have not been amenable to mass spectrometry; for example, the sequence-specific oligomerization of polypeptides, antigen–antibody complexes, enzyme–and receptor–ligand interactions, and the evaluation of molecular specificity in combinatorial syntheses and self-assembled systems.     

Stability against aggregation of bovine casein micelles in the presence of acidic and alkaline gelatin

The effect of the presence of colloidal dispersed and molecular dispersed acidic (type A) and alkaline (type B) gelatins with similar molecular weight and size but different isoelectric points (7.9 and 4.9) on the stability against aggregation of bovine casein micelles was investigated by turbidimetric titration and laser techniques, over a wide range of biopolymers concentrations, gelatin/casein ratio in the initial mixture (0.03–20), pH (4.9–6.7) and ionic strength (10⁻³(milk salts)–1.0 NaCl), using glucono-δ-lactone (GL) as acidifier. Aggregates of acid gelatin A interact with the oppositely charged micellar casein at an ionic strength of around 10⁻³(milk salts) and pH 6.7 resulting in the formation of an electroneutral complex by ionic bonds between the carboxyl groups of casein and the amino groups of the gelatin molecules. The complexes obtained are polynuclear, the aggregation of which is not as sensitive to pH as that of free casein micelles. Aggregation of such complexes is the result of bridging flocculation. The “molar” ratio gelatin aggregates/casein micelles in the mixed aggregates is 4/1. The complexes are formed and stabilised via electrostatic interaction rather than through hydrogen bonds or hydrophobic interaction. In the presence of an excess of gelatin molecules in the initial mixture a charged gelatin–casein complex forms and some dissociation of casein micelles occurs and, as a consequence, soluble complexes are obtained. During the addition of alkaline gelatin B aggregates to the micellar casein solution and subsequent acidification of the mixture by GL, no effect of the presence of gelatin B on the stability of micellar casein was observed. Received: 28 March 2000 Accepted: 5 October 2000     

Exact solution for polarons on the anharmonic lattice and charge transfer in biopolymers

The possible mechanism of charge transfer via polarons to long distances in biopolymers was considered. A set of accurately integrable equations was obtained for a lattice with a potential of interaction of neighboring particles with cubic nonlinearity and at a certain ratio of the parameters of the problem. This system has many-soliton solutions, while the polaron is a one-soliton solution. Numerical modeling proved high stability of the obtained solutions. A new class of stable polarons with several peaks were detected for arbitrary values of the parameters. The behavior of polarons on a lattice with defects was studied by numerical methods. The applicability of the results to rationalization of recent experiments on the effective charge transfer in biopolymers was analyzed.     

Complexing properties of nucleic-acid constituents adenine and guanine complexes

Cobalt, nickel and copper complexes of adenine and guanine, as nucleic-acid constituents, were prepared. The adenine and guanine complexes are of tetrahedral and octahedral geometries, respectively. All are of high spin nature. The nickel complexes are of 2:1 metal:ligand ratio with Ni...Ni direct interaction in the guanine complex. The coordination bonds of adenine metal complexes are calculated and follow the order: Cu(II)-adenine < Ni(II)-adenine < Co(I)-adenine. The Cu(II)-adenine complex is the stronger following the softness of the copper, while that of guanine is less covalent. The copper complexes are with stronger axial field. The differential thermal analysis (DTA) and TGA of the complexes pointed to their stability. The mechanism of the thermal decomposition is detected. The thermodynamic parameters of the dissociation steps are evaluated. The complexes are of semi-conducting behaviour for their technical applications. Empirical equations are deduced between the electrical conducting and the energy of activation of the complexes.     

Pentacoordinate Ni(II) complexes: preparation, magnetic measurements, and ab initio calculations of the magnetic anisotropy terms

Two novel mononuclear five-coordinate nickel complexes with distorted square-pyramidal geometries are presented. They result from association of a tridentate "half-unit" ligand and 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine according to a stepwise process that highlights the advantage of coordination chemistry in isolating an unstable tridentate ligand by nickel chelation. Their zero-field splittings (ZFS) were studied by means of magnetic data and state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Good agreement between the experimental and theoretical axial D parameters confirms that large single-ion nickel anisotropies are accessible. The synthetic process can also yield dinuclear nickel complexes in which the nickel ions are hexacoordinate. This possibility is facilitated by the presence of phenoxo oxygen atoms in the tridentate ligand that can introduce a bridge between the two nickel ions. Two different double bridges are characterized, with the bridging oxygen atoms coming from each nickel ion or from the same nickel ion. This coordination change introduces a difference in the antiferromagnetic interaction parameter J. Although the magnetic data confirm the presence of single-ion anisotropies in these complexes, these terms cannot be determined in a straightforward way from experiment due to the mismatch between the principal axes of the local anisotropies and the presence of intersite anisotropies.     

Assignment of the ferriheme resonances of the low-spin complexes of nitrophorins 1 and 4 by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy: comparison to structural data obtained from X-ray crystallography

In this work we report the assignment of the majority of the ferriheme resonances of low-spin nitrophorins (NP) 1 and 4 and compare them to those of NP2, published previously. It is found that the structure of the ferriheme complexes of NP1 and NP4, in terms of the orientation of the ligand(s), can be determined with good accuracy by NMR techniques in the low-spin forms and that angle plots proposed previously (Shokhirev, N. V.; Walker, F. A. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 1998, 3, 581-594) describe the angle of the effective nodal plane of the axial ligands in solution. The effective nodal plane of low-spin NP1, NP4, and NP2 complexes is in all cases of imidazole and histamine complexes quite similar to the average of the His-59 or -57 and the exogenous ligand angles seen in the X-ray crystal structures. For the cyanide complexes of the nitrophorins, however, the effective nodal plane of the axial ligand does not coincide with the actual histidine-imidazole plane orientation. This appears to be a result of the contribution of an additional source of asymmetry, the orientation of one of the zero-ruffling lines of the heme. Probably this effect exists for the imidazole and histamine complexes as well, but because the effect of asymmetry that occurs from planar exogenous axial ligands is much larger than the effect of heme ruffling the effect of the zero-ruffling line can only be detected for the cyanide complexes, where the only ligand plane is that of the proximal histidine. The three-dimensional structures of the three NP-CN complexes, including that of NP2-CN reported herein, confirm the high degree of ruffling of these complexes. There is an equilibrium between the two heme orientations (A and B) that depends on the heme cavity shape and changes somewhat with exogenous axial ligand. The A:B ratio can be much more accurately measured by NMR spectroscopy than by X-ray crystallography.     

Stabilities and Structures of Cu(II) Complexes with Linear Pentadentate Ligands by EPR Spectroscopy

The pH-dependent equilibria between Cu(II) and the potentially pentadentate ligands 4,7,10-triazatridecane-1,13-diamine (1) and 1,9bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,5,8-triazanonane ( 2 ) have been studied in aq. solution at 298 K by EPR titration. Each ligand forms complexes CuLH_x (x=1,2,3) with strongly overlapping spectra. By using a recently developed algorithm, which does not need nay information with regard to the spectra of the species, stability constants and spectra were calculated from the EPR titration data. The anisotropic EPR spectra of the complexes were measured at 153 K and display axial or nearly axial symmetry (g∥ > g⊥) in each case. Based on the spectral parameters the assignment of the structures of the complexes was possible. With 1 and 2 the protonated complexes are equatorially coordinated, whereas in the fully deprotonated complexes an additional axial interaction occurs which is stronger with 2 than with 1 . The results of this study show that EPR spectroscopy is a useful method for investigating equilibrium systems of Cu²⁺ even in complicated cases where minor species occur and where the individual spectra are unknown and strongly overlapping.     

Quantum Chemical Study on the Structure and Energetics of Binary Ionic Porphyrin Complexes

We study the structural and energetic properties of binary ionic porphyrin molecular complexes [H₄TPPS₄]²⁻∙∙∙SnTP using quantum chemical techniques. As the axial ligands and the protonation of pyridine sites highly influence the structure and coordination of metal‐containing porphyrin, various structures of SnTP in the presence and absence of axial ligands and pyridine protons were considered. The constructed porphyrins were then made to interact face to face, and the formed complexes were optimized at the HF/STO‐3G level of theory. The stability and stack‐like interaction of the complexes were analyzed through interplanar spacing, planar angle, and edge‐to‐edge distance. The structural parameters emphasize the importance of axial ligands for the formation of stack‐like structures. The complex that contains axial ligands with pyridine protons, namely [H₄TPPS₄]²⁻∙∙∙[X'SnXTPH]⁴⁺, shows a perfectly stacked layer with a reasonable interplanar distance, which is confirmed from the calculated counterpoise interaction and deformation energies. The energetic parameters were found to correlate well with the obtained geometries. The molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps were obtained to infer the presence of nonbonded interaction between the binary ionic porphyrins.     

Separation of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid fragments by centrifugal precipitation chromatography

Centrifugal precipitation chromatography (CPC) was applied for the first time to the separation of fragments of chondroitin sulfate (ChS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). The separation was performed using a gradient elution system between ethanol and water since solubility of these biopolymers highly depends on the concentration of ethanol in aqueous solution. ChS and HA were each eluted into several peaks through a flow-through UV detector at 275 nm, despite they have almost no absorbance at this wavelength in an aqueous solution. The separation was also confirmed by redissolving the dried fraction in water and measuring the absorbance at 210 nm. These results suggest that the CPC system can detect small precipitates of these biopolymers by light scattering at 275 nm. The separated fragments of biopolymers are not easily characterized because no suitable analytical method is available for identification of these compounds. However, the overall results demonstrate that CPC may be a useful separation of biopolymers such as glycosaminoglycans which quantitatively produce precipitates in an organic solvent mixture.     

Preparation and characterization of nanoparticles formed by chitosan-caseinate interactions

Intermacromolecular complexation between chitosan and sodium caseinate in aqueous solutions was studied as a function of pH (3–6.5), using absorbance measurements (at 600 nm), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The chitosan–caseinate complexes formed were stable and soluble in the pH range 4.8–6.0. In this pH range, the biopolymers had opposite charges. At higher concentrations of chitosan (0.15 wt%), the soluble complexes associated to form larger particles. DLS data showed that, between pH 4.8 and 6.0, the particles formed by the complexation of chitosan and caseinate had sizes between 250 and 350 nm and these nanoparticles were visualized using negative staining TEM. Above pH 6.0, the nanoparticles associated to form larger particles, causing phase separation. Addition of NaCl increased the particle size. The pH dependence of the zeta potential of the mixture solutions was appreciably different from that of the pure protein and pure chitosan solutions.     

Comparative study of beryllium,magnesium and zinc phthalocyanine complexes with 4-picoline

Three new Be(II), Mg(II) and Zn(II) phthalocyaninato(2-) complexes with 4-picoline (4-Mepy) in the crystalline form have been obtained by recrystallization of the respective M(II)Pc in 4-picoline under water-free conditions. BePc and ZnPc in 4-picoline solution form 4 + 1 coordinated complexes, while the 4-Mepy molecules biaxially ligate MgPc. The planar phthalocyaninato(2-) macroring of BePc and ZnPc upon mono-axial ligation by the 4-Mepy molecule adopts the saucer-shape form. The interaction of the central M(II) with the ligated 4-Mepy molecule leads to a deviation of the metal from the centre cavity by ∼0.31 Å and ∼0.35 Å in the Be and Zn phthalocyaninato complexes, respectively. In MgPc, the Pc ring upon biaxial ligation retains a planar configuration. The axial M(II)–N(4-Mepy) bond is longer than the four equatorial M(II)–N_iso bonds in Mg and Zn phthalocyaninato complexes, while in the Be complex the opposite relation between the axial and equatorial Be–N bonds is observed. Thermogravimetric analysis for all these compounds exhibits only one slope down, due to the loss of 4-Mepy molecules from the complexes, which transform finally into the respective M(II)Pc complexes in the β-form.     

Complexation and competitive interpolyelectrolyte reactions involving a poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-oxyethyl-4-vinylpyridinium) cation

The interaction of a poly(N-oxyethyl-4-vinylpyridinium) cation with a polymethacrylate anion and DNA in aqueous and water-salt solutions has been studied by fluorescence quenching techniques with the use of pyrenyl-labeled polycarboxylic acid and the intercalating dye ethidium bromide. The presence of an OH group in each positively charged repeating unit of the polycation affects the stability of polyelectrolyte complexes against sodium chloride in a different manner. In the case of DNA, the destabilization of complexes is insignificant in the studied pH range (5.5–9.0). As regards the polymethacrylate anion, the complexes are stabilized and the transition from neutral to weakly acidic solutions causes an appreciable stabilization of the complex owing to formation of a system of hydrogen bonds between OH groups of a polycation and COOH groups of polycarboxylic acid. Despite a much higher stability of complexes based on a weakly ionized poly(methacrylic acid) against salt, in weakly acidic solutions, polycations predominantly bind to highly charged DNA, thus indicating the prevailing role of electrostatic interactions in complexation. The results of this study can be especially useful for designing pH responsive polyelectrolyte systems based on charged biopolymers (including polysaccharides) with controlled stability in water-salt solutions.     

Symmetry and bonding in metalloporphyrins. A modern implementation for the bonding analyses of five- and six-coordinate high-spin iron(III)-porphyrin complexes through density functional calculation and NMR spectroscopy

Bonding interactions between the iron and the porphyrin macrocycle of five- and six-coordinate high-spin iron(III)-porphyrin complexes are analyzed within the framework of approximate density functional theory with the use of the quantitative energy decomposition scheme in combination with removal of the vacant pi orbitals of the porphyrin from the valence space. Although the relative extent of the iron-porphyrin interactions can be evaluated qualitatively through the spin population and orbital contribution analyses, the bond strengths corresponding to different symmetry representations can be only approximated quantitatively by the orbital interaction energies. In contrast to previous suggestions, there are only limited Fe --> P pi back-bonding interactions in high-spin iron(III)-porphyrin complexes. It is the symmetry-allowed bonding interaction between d(z)2 and a(2u) orbitals that is responsible for the positive pi spin densities at the meso-carbons of five-coordinate iron(III)-porphyrin complexes. Both five- and six-coordinate complexes show significant P --> Fe pi donation, which is further enhanced by the movement of the metal toward the in-plane position for six-coordinate complexes. These bonding characteristics correlate very well with the NMR data reported experimentally. The extraordinary bonding interaction between d(z)2 and a(2u) orbitals in five-coordinate iron(III)-porphyrin complexes offers a novel symmetry-controlled mechanism for spin transfer between the axial ligand sigma system and the porphyrin pi system and may be critical to the electron transfer pathways mediated by hemoproteins.