Dynamic docking of cytochrome b5 with myoglobin and alpha-hemoglobin: heme-neutralization "squares" and the binding of electron-transfer-reactive configurations

Intracomplex electron transfer (ET) occurs most often in intrinsically transient, low affinity complexes. As a result, the means by which adequate specificity and reactivity are obtained to support effective ET is still poorly understood. We report here on two such ET complexes: cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) in reaction with its physiological partners, myoglobin (Mb) and hemoglobin (Hb). These complexes obey the Dynamic Docking (DD) paradigm: a large ensemble of weakly bound protein-protein configurations contribute to binding in the rapid-exchange limit, but only a few are ET-active. We report the ionic-strength dependence of the second-order rate constant, k2, for photoinitiated ET from within all four combinations of heme-neutralized Zn deuteroporphyrin-substituted Mb/alphaHb undergoing ET with cyt b5, the four "corners" of a "heme-neutralization square". These experiments provide insights into the relative importance of both global and local electrostatic contributions to the binding of reactive configurations, which are too few to be observed directly. To interpret the variations of k2 arising from heme neutralization, we have developed a procedure by which comparisons of the ET rate constants for a heme-neutralization square permit us to decompose the free energy of reactive binding into individual local electrostatic contributions associated with interactions between (i) the propionates of the two hemes and (ii) the heme of each protein with the polypeptide of its partner. Most notably, we find the contribution from the repulsion between propionates of partner hemes to the reactive binding free energy to be surprisingly small, DeltaG(Hb) approximately +1 kcal/mol at ambient temperature, 18 mM ionic strength, and we speculate about possible causes of this observation. To confirm the fundamental assumption of these studies, that the structure of a heme-neutralized protein is unaltered either by substitution of Zn or by heme neutralization, we have obtained the X-ray structure of ZnMb prepared with the porphyrin dimethyl ester and find it to be nearly isostructural with the native protein.     

The Reaction of 2-Ethoxy-3-Phenylbenzo[D]-1,3, 2-Oxazaphosphorin-6-One with α-Ketocarboxylic Acid Esters: Synthesis of Benzo[d]-1,3,2-Oxazaphosphepine Derivatives

Abstract

The reactions of 2-ethoxy-3-phenylbenzo[d]-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorin-6-one with R-carbonylcarboxylic acids ethyl esters (R = CF₃, Ph, and Me) lead to the formation of seven-membered heterocycles, 2-ethoxy-9-ethoxycarbonyl-2,8-dioxo-3-phenyl-9-R-benzo[d]-1,3,2-oxazaphosphepines.     

Stacking enhanced determination of steroids by CE

This study outlines a simple method for pH-mediated stacking of natural and synthetic steroids facilitated with carboxymethyl-beta-CD. Sample stacking (10 kV, 60 s) is accomplished with 23 mM carboxymethyl-beta-CD in 50 mM 3-[cyclohexylamino]-1-propanesulfonic acid buffered at pH 10. Following stacking, steroidal compounds are separated in less than 5 min with a running buffer of 13 mM hydroxypropyl-beta-CD, 30 mM SDS in 200 mM phosphate buffered at pH 2.5. Using a 60 s electrokinetic injection, the limits of detection of estradiol, ethynyl estradiol, estrone, hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone, and 11-ketotestosterone range from 2 to 14 nM. For all steroids, the within-day and day-to-day reproducibility in migration time is < or =1 and < or =2% RSD, respectively. The within-day and day-to-day reproducibility in peak area is < or =9 and < or =22% RSD, respectively. The method is applied to fish plasma and holds potential to profile multiple steroids in a single biological sample.     

Complex Formation of d‐Metal Ions at the Interface of TbIII‐Doped Silica Nanoparticles as a Basis of Substrate‐Responsive TbIII‐Centered Luminescence

The complex formation of d‐metal ions at the interface of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles modified by amino groups is introduced as a route to sensing d‐metal ions and some organic molecules. Diverse modes of surface modification (covalent and noncovalent) are used to fix amino groups onto the silica surface. The interfacial binding of d‐metal ions and complexes is the reason for the Tb^III‐centered luminescence quenching. The regularities and mechanisms of quenching are estimated for the series of d‐metal ions and their complexes with chelating ligands. The obtained results reveal the interfacial binding of Cu^II ions as the basis of their quantitative determination in the concentration range 0.1–2.5 μM by means of steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements. The variation of chelating ligands results in a significant effect on the quenching regularities due to diverse binding modes (inner or outer sphere) between amino groups at the interface of nanoparticles and Fe^III ions. The applicability of the steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence measurements to sense both Fe^III ions and catechols in aqueous solution by means of Tb^III‐doped silica nanoparticles is also introduced.     

Synthesis,Photochromic and Luminescent Properties of Ammonium Salts of Spiropyrans

New salts of photochromic indoline spiropyrans capable of reversibly responding to UV radiation were synthesized to develop light-controlled materials. Photoinduced reactions of the synthesized compounds were studied using absorption and luminescence spectroscopies, and the quantum yields of photoisomerization and other spectral and kinetic characteristics were measured. It was shown that the light sensitivity and photostability of the synthesized compounds are considerably influenced by the length of the spacer between the indole and ammonium nitrogen atoms.     

Crystal Structure of an i-Motif from the HRAS Oncogene Promoter

An i-motif is a non-canonical DNA structure implicated in gene regulation and linked to cancers. The C-rich strand of the HRAS oncogene, 5′-CGCCC GTGCCC TGCGCCC GCAACCC GA-3′ (herein referred to as iHRAS), forms an i-motif in vitro but its exact structure was unknown. HRAS is a member of the RAS proto-oncogene family. About 19 % of US cancer patients carry mutations in RAS genes. We solved the structure of iHRAS at 1.77 Å resolution. The structure reveals that iHRAS folds into a double hairpin. The two double hairpins associate in an antiparallel fashion, forming an i-motif dimer capped by two loops on each end and linked by a connecting region. Six C−C⁺ base pairs form each i-motif core, and the core regions are extended by a G−G base pair and a cytosine stacking. Extensive canonical and non-canonical base pairing and stacking stabilizes the connecting region and loops. The iHRAS structure is the first atomic resolution structure of an i-motif from a human oncogene. This structure sheds light on i-motifs folding and function in the cell.     

Synthesis and thermal stability of S‐trimethylsilyl esters of tetracoordinated phosphorus amidothioacids

S‐(Diethylamino)dimethylsilyl bis(diethylamido)dithiophosphate 3 was obtained by the reaction of tetraphosphorus decasulfide 1 with bis(diethylamino)dimethylsilane 2a . The reactions of Lawesson's reagent 5 with 2a and the alkyl homologues of Davy's reagent 8a,b with trimethyl(diethylamino)silane 6 were studied. On the basis of these reactions, methods of synthesizing S‐(diethylamino)dimethylsilyl or S‐(diethylamino)diphenylsilyl 4‐methoxyphenyl (diethylamido)dithiophosphonates 7a and 7b and S‐trimethylsilyl S‐alkyl(diethylamido)trithiophosphates 9a,b are described. The optimal reaction conditions and thermal stability of S‐trimethylsilyl S‐ethyl(diethylamido)trithiophosphate 9a were defined by differential thermal analyses. Compound 9a have been decomposed to form 2,4‐bis(diethylamido)‐1,3,2,4‐dithiadiphosphetane‐2,4‐disulfide 10 which structure was established by X‐ray single crystal diffraction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 17:670–675, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20231