7-Decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates: vitamin B12-derivatives that lack the c-side chain

The synthesis of cobyrinic acid derivatives by reduction of dehydrocobyrinates is largely unexplored. It is, however, a rational path to B(12) analogues that lack specific substituents of the corrin moiety of natural B(12) derivatives. The partial syntheses of four epimeric 7-decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates is described, which is achieved by reduction of Δ7-dehydro-7-de[carboxymethyl]-cobyrinate with zinc or with the 'prebiotic' reducing agent formic acid. A direct and remarkably efficient route was found to 7-decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates, which are cobyrinic acid derivatives in which the c-side chain at ring B of vitamin B(12) is missing. The structures of the hexamethyl-7-decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates were characterized and the stereochemical and conformational properties at their newly saturated ring B were analyzed. The stereochemical outcome of the reduction was found to depend strongly on the reaction conditions. In 7-decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates, both peripheral carbon centres of ring B carry a hydrogen atom, and the characteristic quaternary carbon centre at C7 of the cobyrinic acid moiety of vitamin B(12) is lacking. The still highly substituted 7-decarboxymethyl-cobyrinates are readily dehydrogenated in the presence of dioxygen, furnishing 7-de[carboxymethyl]-Δ(7)-dehydro-cobyrinate as the common, unsaturated oxidation product. The noted stability of vitamin B(12) and of other Co(III)-cobyrinates in the presence of air is a consequence of their highly substituted corrin macrocycle, a finding of interest in the context of chemical rationalizations of the B(12) structure.     

Zinc Substitution of Cobalt in Vitamin B12: Zincobyric acid and Zincobalamin as Luminescent Structural B12‐Mimics

Replacing the central cobalt ion of vitamin B₁₂ by other metals has been a long‐held aspiration within the B₁₂‐field. Herein, we describe the synthesis from hydrogenobyric acid of zincobyric acid ( Znby ) and zincobalamin ( Znbl ), the Zn‐analogues of the natural cobalt‐corrins cobyric acid and vitamin B₁₂, respectively. The solution structures of Znby and Znbl were studied by NMR‐spectroscopy. Single crystals of Znby were produced, providing the first X‐ray crystallographic structure of a zinc corrin. The structures of Znby and of computationally generated Znbl were found to resemble the corresponding Co^II‐corrins, making such Zn‐corrins potentially useful for investigations of B₁₂‐dependent processes. The singlet excited state of Znby had a short life‐time, limited by rapid intersystem crossing to the triplet state. Znby allowed the unprecedented observation of a corrin triplet (E^T=190 kJ mol^?1) and was found to be an excellent photo‐sensitizer for ¹O₂ (Φ_Δ=0.70).     

Pulse Radiolysis and Ultra‐High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography/High‐Resolution Mass Spectrometry Studies on the Reactions of the Carbonate Radical with Vitamin B12 Derivatives

The reactions of the carbonate radical anion (CO₃ ^{. ?}) with vitamin B₁₂ derivatives were studied by pulse radiolysis. The carbonate radical anion directly oxidizes the metal center of cob(II)alamin quantitively to give hydroxycobalamin, with a bimolecular rate constant of 2.0×10⁹ M ^?1 s^?1. The reaction of CO₃ ^{. ?} with hydroxycobalamin proceeds in two steps. The second‐order rate constant for the first reaction is 4.3×10⁸ M ^?1 s^?1. The rate of the second reaction is independent of the hydroxycobalamin concentration and is approximately 3.0×10³ s^?1. Evidence for formation of corrinoid complexes differing from cobalamin by the abstraction of two or four hydrogen atoms from the corrin macrocycle and lactone ring formation has been obtained by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HRMS). A mechanism is proposed in which abstraction of a hydrogen atom by CO₃ ^{. ?} from a carbon atom not involved in the π conjugation system of the corrin occurs in the first step, resulting in formation of a Co^III C‐centered radical that undergoes rapid intramolecular electron transfer to form the corresponding Co^II carbocation complex for about 50 % of these complexes. Subsequent competing pathways lead to formation of corrinoid complexes with two fewer hydrogen atoms and lactone derivatives of B₁₂. Our results demonstrate the potential of UHPLC combined with HRMS in the separation and identification of tetrapyrrole macrocycles with minor modifications from their parent molecule.     

Tunable Visible and Near‐IR Photoactivation of Light‐Responsive Compounds by Using Fluorophores as Light‐Capturing Antennas

Although the corrin ring of vitamin B₁₂ is unable to efficiently absorb light beyond 550 nm, it is shown that commercially available fluorophores can be used as antennas to capture long‐wavelength light to promote scission of the Co? C bond at wavelengths up to 800 nm. The ability to control the molecular properties of bioactive species with long visible and near‐IR light has implications for drug delivery, nanotechnology, and the spatiotemporal control of cellular behavior.     

TiO2‐assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Vitamin B12 in Aqueous Solution:Influencing Factors,Kinetics, and Reaction Investigations

The photodegradation (λ=365 nm) of the biomolecule vitamin B₁₂, catalyzed by the photocatalyst TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs), has been investigated in aqueous suspension. The photodegradation process of vitamin B₁₂ has been monitored by means of electronic absorption (Abs), Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies, respectively. The results show that only under UV illumination in the presence of TiO₂ is there effective degradation, and the photocatalytic degradation of vitamin B₁₂ is strongly influenced by the amount of TiO₂ NPs, the pH, and the initial concentration of vitamin B₁₂. The photocatalytic reaction kinetics of vitamin B₁₂ conforms to a Langmuir‐Hinshelwood isotherm model. Changes involving the three structural units of the carbon‐metal bond C–Co, the organic corrin macrocycle combined with the benzimidazole nucleotide, and the inorganic CN in the vitamin B₁₂ molecule during the photocatalytic degradation are also discussed.     

Vitamin B12: Experiments Concerning the Origin of Its Molecular Structure

Following the chemical synthesis of vitamin B₁₂, a search was begun for a potentially biomimetic “dark” variant of the photochemical A/D-secocorrin → corrin cycloisomerization, the central ring-closure step in one of the two cobyric acid syntheses. Significantly, not just one but a whole family of such variants was discovered. According to what is currently known, one of these variants can indeed be regarded as a chemical model for the reaction path followed by Nature in the biosynthetic construction of the corrin ring. These chemical studies of vitamin B₁₂ biosynthesis had revealed that the A/D-ring junction, regarded as the main obstacle to a chemical vitamin B₁₂ synthesis at the outset, is in fact a structural element that is formed readily and in a variety of ways from structurally appropriate precursors. More recent investigations have shown that the same holds for other specific structural elements of the vitamin B₁₂ molecule, including the characteristic arrangement of double bonds in the corrin chromophore, the special dimension of the macrocyclic ring of the corrin ligand, the specific attachment of the nucleotide loop to the propionic acid side chain of ring D, and the characteristic constitutional arrangement of the side chains around the ligand periphery (which vitamin B₁₂ shares with all uroporphinoid cofactors). All these outwardly complex structural elements are found to “self-assemble” with surprising ease under structurally appropriate preconditions; the amount of “external instruction” required for their formation turns out to be surprisingly small in view of the complexity and specificity of these structural elements. We view these findings as steps on the way toward a chemical rationalization of the vitamin B₁₂ structure. The goal is to arrive experimentally at a perception of the biomolecule's intrinsic potential for structural self-assembly. This potential, together with the specific type of reactivity related to the biological function, is considered to be responsible for the biomolecule having been chosen by natural selection. The chemical rationalization of the structure of biomolecules is an objective of organic natural product chemistry. The field of natural product synthesis provides appropriate conceptual and methodological tools to approach this objective experimentally.     

Hydroxylation and Ring‐Opening Mechanism of an Unusual Flavoprotein Monooxygenase, 2‐Methyl‐3‐hydroxypyridine‐5‐carboxylic Acid Oxygenase: A Theoretical Study

Hybrid meta‐GGA density functional theory (the MPWB1K functional) was used to study the hydroxylation and ring‐opening mechanism of 2‐methyl‐3‐hydroxypyridine‐5‐carboxylic acid oxygenase (MHPCO). This enzyme catalyses the conversion of 2‐methyl‐3‐hydroxypyridine‐5‐carboxylic acid (MHPC) to α‐(N‐acetylaminomethylene)succinic acid (AAMS), which is the essential ring‐opening step in the bacterial degradation of vitamin B₆. MHPCO belongs to the flavin‐containing aromatic hydroxylases family. However, MHPCO is capable of catalysing a subsequent aromatic ring‐cleavage reaction to give acyclic products rather than hydroxylated aromatic ones. Our calculations show that the re‐aromatisation of the hydroxylated intermediate occurs spontaneously in aqueous solution; this implies that the ring‐opening process occurs inside the enzyme’s active site, in which limited water is available. The instability of the hydroxylated intermediate of MHPCO is the main reason why acyclic products are formed. Previously proposed mechanisms for the ring‐opening step were studied, and were shown to be less likely to occur (ΔΔG^≠298>35 kcal mol^?1). Two new pathways with reasonable barrier heights (ΔΔG^≠298<15 kcal mol^?1) are reported herein, which are in accordance with all experimental information present to date.     

双分子维生素B_(12)模型分子的合成及表征

维生素B_(12)经醇解得到的七甲基钴啉酯1作为起始原料，经酸性水解分别得 到b,c,d,e,f-单酸钴啉酯2b～2f, 2b～2f与3-咪唑基丙胺盐酸盐反应合成了相应的 酰胺钴啉酯衍生物3b～3f, 3b～3f在乙酸的作用下合成了双分子络合维生素B_(12) 模型化合物双-单腈六甲基-N-（3-咪唑基）丙酰胺钴啉酯高氯酸盐5b～5f，并对其 化学结构进行了表征。     

Antivitamins B12—A Structure‐ and Reactivity‐Based Concept

B₁₂‐antimetabolites are compounds that counteract the physiological effects of vitamin B₁₂ and related natural cobalamins. Presented here is a structure‐ and reactivity‐based concept of the specific ′antivitamins B₁₂′: it refers to analogues of vitamin B₁₂ that display high structural similarity to the vitamin and are ′locked chemically′ to prevent their metabolic conversion into the crucial organometallic B₁₂‐cofactors. Application of antivitamins B₁₂ to healthy laboratory animals is, thus, expected to induce symptoms of B₁₂‐deficiency. Antivitamins B₁₂ may, hence, be helpful in elucidating still largely puzzling pathophysiological phenomena associated with B₁₂‐deficiency, and also in recognizing physiological roles of B₁₂ that probably still remain to be discovered.     

Methyl 2,3‐dideoxy‐2‐S‐methylmercurio‐2‐thio‐β‐d‐manno‐oct‐2‐ulo­pyranosonate‐(2,6)

The hexo­pyran­osyl ring of the title compound, [Hg(CH₃)(C₉H₁₅O₇S)], adopts the ⁴C₁ chair conformation, and the anomeric configuration of the thio­methyl­mercury linkage is β. The compound exists as two symmetry‐independent conformers, A and B, within the unit cell, and each shows an almost linear S—Hg—C arrangement. Most of the bond distances and angles in A and B are similar, although a marked difference exists in the side‐chain conformation. Weak secondary intramolecular (between Hg and ring O) and intermolecular (between A and B conformers) interactions are documented.     

Tetrahedron report : Concerning the biosynthesis of vitamin B12

The use of ¹³C-Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance (FT-NMR) has led to the observation that while 8 molecules of [2-¹³C]-ALA are incorporated into vitamin B₁₂ in P. shermanii, [5-¹³C]-ALA labels only seven of the carbon atoms of cyanocobalamin; i.e. one of the amino methyl groups of ALA is “lost” in the process. It has also been confirmed that seven of the methyl groups of vitamin B₁₂ are derived from [¹³CH₃]-enriched methionine and further that the chirality of the gem-dimethyl grouping at C₁₂ labeled with [¹³CH₃]-methionine is R. A soluble enzyme mixture from the 37,000 g or 100,000 g supernatant of disrupted cells of P. shermanii converts both ¹⁴C-labeled ALA and ¹⁴C-uro'gen III to cobyrinic acid, the simplest corrinoid material on the pathway to vitamin B₁₂ and the coenzyme, in presence of NADPH, Co²⁺, Mg²⁺, S-adenosylmethionine and glutathione. Multiply-labeled uro'gens (¹³C, ¹⁴C and ³H) have been used to show that incorporation takes place without randomization. A sequence for corrin synthesis from uro'gen III, involving as the first step decarboxylation of the ring-C acetic acid side chain, is proposed.     

Triterpenoide. XIX. 3β‐Hydroxy‐11‐oxo‐18α‐olean‐12‐en‐28‐säure‐methyl­ester und 3,11‐Dioxo‐18α‐olean‐12‐en‐28‐säure‐methyl­ester

The X‐ray crystal structure analyses of 3β‐hydroxy‐11‐oxo‐18α‐olean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid methyl ester ethanol solvate, C₃₁H₄₈O₄·C₂H₆O, (I), and 3,11‐dioxo‐18α‐olean‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid methyl ester, C₃₁H₄₆O₄, (II), are described. These two compounds differ only in the structure of ring A. In (I), ring A has a chair conformation, while in (II), it has a twisted boat conformation. In both compounds, ring C has a slightly distorted sofa conformation, rings B, D and E are in chair conformations, and rings D and E are trans‐fused. The asymmetric unit of (I) contains one mol­ecule of ethanol linked by hydrogen bonds with two different mol­ecules of (I).     

Two new isatin derivatives: 1‐benzyl‐4,5,6‐trimethoxyindoline‐2,3‐dione and 1‐benzyl‐5‐fluoroindoline‐2,3‐dione

Isatin (1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione) derivatives represent synthetically useful substrates which can be used to prepare a broad range of heterocyclic compounds. In the title compounds, C₁₈H₁₇NO₅, (I), and C₁₅H₁₀FNO₂, (II), the isatin ring systems are planar and form a dihedral angle of 73.04 (7)° in (I) and 76.82 (11)° in (II) with the benzyl groups. The bicyclic scaffolds in both compounds are almost superimposable, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.061 Å. The crystal structures of both derivatives are stabilized by C—H...O interactions. These contacts generate an R¹₂(7) ring motif in (I) and a C(7) chain motif in (II).     

Solid-solid synthesis of a hydrophobic vitamin B12 having a benzo-18-crown-6 moiety at the C10 position of the corrin ring

A new hydrophobic vitamin B₁₂ having a benzo-18-crown-6 moiety at the C-10 position of the corrin ring was synthesized by solid-state condensation reaction. The proton NMR titration study in acetonitrile exhibits a potassium ion binding behavior of the hydrophobic vitamin B₁₂ at the benzo-18-crown-6 moiety.     

Fragmentation of vitamin B12 in aerosol matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization

Aerosol matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) with a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to study fragmentation of vitamin B₁₂. Six MALDI matrices were used: 2,5-di-hydroxy benzoic acid (gentisic acid), 4-nitroaniline, 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy cinnamic acid (sinapic acid), 3,4-di-hydroxy cinnamic acid (caffeic acid), trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy cinnamic acid (ferulic acid), and α-cyano-4-hydroxy cinnamic acid (4-HCCA). Mass spectra were obtained with a 355-nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser at irradiances between 0. 1 and 5 GW/cm² (between 3- and 150-mJ pulse energy). Loss of CN was a major product of prompt ion source fragmentation and the ratio of fragmented to intact analyte was found to be strongly dependent on matrix and weakly dependent on laser irradiance. Additionally, free cobalt ions and cobalt ions bound to small methanol clusters were observed in the mass spectra. The cobalt removal from the corrin ring of vitamin B₁₂ results from direct photon absorption by vitamin B₁₂, but is enhanced by the presence of matrix.     

Ultrasensitive Determination of Vitamin B12 Using Disposable Graphite Screen‐Printed Electrodes and Anodic Adsorptive Voltammetry

A facile, rapid and ultra‐sensitive method for the determination of vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin) at the sub‐nanomolar concentration range by using low‐cost, disposable graphite screen‐printed electrodes is described. The method is based on the cathodic preconcentration of square planar vitamin B_12s, as occurred due to the electro reduction of Co(III) center in vitamin B_12a to Co(I), at ?1.3 V versus Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl for 40 s. Then, an anodic square wave scan was applied and the height of the peak appeared at ca. ?0.73 V versus Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl, due to the oxidation of Co(I) to Co(II) in the adsorbed molecule, was related to the concentration of the vitamin B₁₂ in the sample. EDTA was found to serve as a key‐component of the electrolyte by eliminating the background signal caused by metal cations impurities contained in the electrolyte (0.1 M phosphate buffer in 0.1 M KCl, pH 3). It also blocks trace metals contained in real samples, thus eliminating their interference effect. The method was optimized to various working parameters and under the selected conditions the calibration curve was linear over the range 1×10^?10–8×10^?9 mol L^?1 vitamin B₁₂ (R²=0.994), while the limit of detection for a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 (7×10^?11 mol L^?1 vitamin B₁₂) is the lowest value of any reported in the literature for the electrochemical determination of vitamin B₁₂. The sensors were successfully applied to the determination of vitamin B₁₂ in pharmaceutical products.     

6β‐Hydroxy‐5β‐methyl‐20‐oxo‐19‐norpregn‐9(10)‐en‐3β‐yl acetate

In the title compound, C₂₃H₃₄O₄, which is an intermediate in the synthesis of pregnane derivatives with a modified skeleton that show potent abortion‐inducing activity, the conformation of ring B is close to half‐chair due to the presence of both the C=C double bond and the axial 5β‐methyl group. Rings A and C have conformations close to chair, while ring D has a twisted conformation around the bridgehead C—C bond. Molecules are hydrogen bonded via the hydroxyl and acetoxy groups into infinite chains. Quantum‐mechanical ab initio Roothan Hartree–Fock calculations show that crystal packing might be responsible for the low values of the angles between rings A and B, and between ring A and rings C and D, as well as for a different steric position of the methyl ketone side chain compared to the geometry of the free molecule.     

Co‐crystals of 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐α‐d‐glucopyranose and 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐β‐d‐glucopyranose

3‐Deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐d ‐glucopyranose crystallizes from acetone to give a unit cell containing two crystallographically independent molecules. One of these molecules (at site A) is structurally homogeneous and corresponds to 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐β‐d ‐glucopyranose, C₆H₁₁FO₅, (I). The second molecule (at site B) is structurally heterogeneous and corresponds to a mixture of (I) and 3‐deoxy‐3‐fluoro‐α‐d ‐glucopyranose, (II); treatment of the diffraction data using partial‐occupancy oxygen at the anomeric center gave a high‐quality packing model with an occupancy ratio of 0.84:0.16 for (II):(I) at site B. The mixture of α‐ and β‐anomers at site B appears to be accommodated in the lattice because hydrogen‐bonding partners are present to hydrogen bond to the anomeric OH group in either an axial or equatorial orientation. Cremer–Pople analysis of (I) and (II) shows the pyranosyl ring of (II) to be slightly more distorted than that of (I) [θ_(I) = 3.85 (15)° and θ_(II) = 6.35 (16)°], but the general direction of distortion is similar in both structures [ϕ_(I) = 67 (2)° (B_C1,C4) and ϕ_(II) = 26.0 (15)° (^C3TB_C1); B = boat conformation and TB = twist‐boat conformation]. The exocyclic hydroxymethyl (–CH₂OH) conformation is gg (gauche–gauche) (H5 anti to O6) in both (I) and (II). Structural comparisons of (I) and (II) to related unsubstituted, deoxy and fluorine‐substituted monosaccharides show that the gluco ring can assume a wide range of distorted chair structures in the crystalline state depending on ring substitution patterns.     

Synthesis and Irradiation of Vitamin‐B12‐Derived Complexes Incorporating Peripheral G⋅C Base Pairs

The vitamin‐B₁₂ derivative 11 , incorporating a peripheral N⁴‐acetylcytosine moiety, was alkylated under reductive conditions with 2‐(iodomethyl)‐2‐methylmonothiomalonate 8 bearing the complementary guanine moiety. The reaction yielded a mixture of vitamin‐B₁₂‐derived complexes with variations in the cytosine moiety: products 16 – 18 with a cytosine, a N⁴‐acetylated cytosine, and a N⁴‐acetylated reduced cytosine moiety were formed (see Scheme 5). The complexes were photolyzed in CHCl₃/MeCN to yield the dimethylmalonate derivative 22 (Scheme 6) but not the rearranged succinate, in contrast to the results obtained earlier with complexes incorporating the A⋅T base pair (see Scheme 1).     

Replacement of the Cobalt Center of Vitamin B12 by Nickel: Nibalamin and Nibyric Acid Prepared from Metal-Free B12 Ligands Hydrogenobalamin and Hydrogenobyric Acid

The (formal) replacement of Co in cobalamin ( Cbl ) by Ni^II generates nibalamin ( Nibl ), a new transition-metal analogue of vitamin B₁₂. Described here is Nibl , synthesized by incorporation of a Ni^II ion into the metal-free B₁₂ ligand hydrogenobalamin ( Hbl ), itself prepared from hydrogenobyric acid ( Hby ). The related Ni^II corrin nibyric acid ( Niby ) was similarly synthesized from Hby , the metal-free cobyric acid ligand. The solution structures of Hbl , and Niby and Nibl , were characterized by spectroscopic studies. Hbl features two inner protons bound at N2 and N4 of the corrin ligand, as discovered in Hby . X-ray analysis of Niby shows the structural adaptation of the corrin ligand to Ni^II ions and the coordination behavior of Ni^II. The diamagnetic Niby and Nibl , and corresponding isoelectronic Co^I corrins, were deduced to be isostructural. Nibl is a structural mimic of four-coordinate base-off Cbls , as verified by its ability to act as a strong inhibitor of bacterial adenosyltransferase.