Cu3(mu-S)2]3+ clusters supported by N-donor ligands: progress toward a synthetic model of the catalytic site of nitrous oxide reductase

By treating Cu(I) complexes of neutral, bidentate N-donor ligands with S8, clusters with novel delocalized mixed-valence [Cu3(mu-S)2]3+ cores have been isolated. X-ray crystal structures and UV-vis and resonance Raman spectral features of these clusters reveal similarities to the tetracopper-sulfide "CuZ" site in nitrous oxide reductase. A delocalized S = 1 ground state for the mixed-valent CuIIICu2II cores is supported by the observation of high symmetry in the X-ray structures and 10-line hyperfine features arising from coupling to three equivalent Cu ions in EPR spectra obtained at room temperature (shown) and 10 K. The delocalization we observe contrasts with the localization reported previously for a [Cu3(mu-O)2]3+ analogue (Root, D. E.; Henson, M. J.; Machonkin, T.; Mukherjee, P.; Stack, T. D. P.; Solomon, E. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1998, 120, 4982), which we rationalized through DFT calculations.     

Orientation of iron bleomycin and porphyrin complexes on DNA fibers

Bleomycin (Blm) is an antitumor agent that requires iron and oxygen for strand cleavage of DNA. In this study, ferric bleomycin, Fe(III)Blm, or the nitric oxide adduct of ferrous bleomycin, ON-Fe(II)Blm, were bound to one-dimensionally oriented DNA fibers. Reductive nitrosylation of Fe(III) complexes took place in situ on B-form DNA fibers. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra were obtained as a function of the angle phi between the magnetic field B and the fiber axis Zf. For comparison, EPR spectra were acquired for ON-Fe(II)TMpyP and ON-Fe(II)TMpyP-Im on oriented DNA fibers, where TMpyP is 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridino)porphyrin and Im is imidazole. EPR spectra showed both low-spin Fe(III)Blm and ON-Fe(II)Blm bound to B-form DNA in two slightly different binding orientations in the ratio of 1:0.2. With A-form DNA, a fraction of bound Fe(III)Blm was high spin. Specifically, the angle beta between the fiber axis Zf and the g axis, gz, perpendicular to or nearly perpendicular to the equatorial plane of the iron complex was estimated as 20 degrees and 25 degrees for ON-Fe(II)Blm and 30 degrees and 25 degrees for Fe(III)Blm, respectively. The angle gamma that determines the orientation of gx and gy axes was estimated as 90 degrees for the two ON-Fe(II)Blm species and 10 degrees for the two Fe(III)Blm species, respectively. The NO was held rigidly in place as the temperature increased from 123 K to room temperature for ON-Fe(II)Blm but not for ON-Fe(II)TMpyP or ON-Fe(II)TMpyP-Im. It is hypothesized that the NO is structurally oriented by hydrogen bonding like the peroxide is held in HO2(-)-Co(III)Blm (Wu et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 1281-1294). The EPR parameters are consistent with a six-coordinate complex for ON-Fe(II)Blm, although the superhyperfine structure from the trans nitrogen was not detected. The increase in g value anisotropy upon binding ON-Fe(II)Blm to DNA fiber may be caused by an increase in the overlap of d pi and 2p pi* orbitals induced by an interaction of NO with DNA and/or by a perturbation of d orbitals due to the pyrimidine-guanine interaction. It is concluded that the EPR parameters of ON-Fe(II)Blm and Fe(III)Blm bound to oriented DNA support the hypothesis that FeBlm species bind to DNA with adduct structures similar to those formed by related CoBlm species and DNA.     

Pseudo field modulation in EPR spectroscopy

This paper develops methodology for computer simulation of the effect on an experimental EPR spectrum that would occur if an additional field modulation were applied followed by eventual phase sensitive detection at the modulation frequency or at one its harmonics. The algorithm, which is called pseudomodulation, transforms the digitized spectrum and also filters the noise. If a second harmonic spectrum is desired in order to make subtle changes in curvature more apparent, it is shown that it is always preferable to obtain an experimental second harmonic spectrum. The signals are identical, but because of the filtering properties of the pseudomodulation algorithm, the noise is lower. Pseudomodulation should be applied to simulated spectra prior to fitting a model to data in order more precisely to simulate the experimental signal. It is argued that such fits ought to involve not only first harmonics but also higher harmonics, since the various harmonics are sensitive in different ways to input parameters in the spin Hamiltonian. Application of pseudomodulation to the EPR spectrum of the blue copper-protein azurin is described.     

FREE RADICALS FROM THE PHOTODECOMPOSITION OF BLEOMYCIN

Abstract— Irradiation of bleomycin with light (λ > 320 nm) leads to a decrease in absorbance at 290 nm, which is suppressed by metal ions and by oxygen. Light-induced oxygen consumption is diminished by the enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, implying that toxic reduced species of oxygen (O₂ and H₂O₂) are formed during irradiation. Spin-trapping measurements with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide and 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane demonstrated that hydroxyl radical and methyl radical adducts also are generated in the system. In addition, direct ESR measurements have shown that methyl radicals are produced during irradiation of bleomycin solutions at low temperatures, together with radicals probably derived from the bithiazole moiety of the bleomycin. The latter are also produced from irradiation of the model compound bithia. Radical production is diminished by complexation of bleomycin with metal ions.     

The octarepeat domain of the prion protein binds Cu(II) with three distinct coordination modes at pH 7.4

The prion protein (PrP) binds Cu2+ in its N-terminal octarepeat domain. This unusual domain is comprised of four or more tandem repeats of the fundamental sequence PHGGGWGQ. Previous work from our laboratories demonstrates that at full copper occupancy, each HGGGW segment binds a single Cu2+. However, several recent studies suggest that low copper occupancy favors different coordination modes, possibly involving imidazoles from histidines in adjacent octapeptide segments. This is investigated here using a combination of X-band EPR, S-band EPR, and ESEEM, along with a library of modified peptides designed to favor different coordination interactions. At pH 7.4, three distinct coordination modes are identified. Each mode is fully characterized to reveal a series of copper-dependent octarepeat domain structures. Multiple His coordination is clearly identified at low copper stoichiometry. In addition, EPR detected copper-copper interactions at full occupancy suggest that the octarepeat domain partially collapses, perhaps stabilizing this specific binding mode and facilitating cooperative copper uptake. This work provides the first complete characterization of all dominant copper coordination modes at pH 7.4.     

Electronic structure description of the mu(4)-sulfide bridged tetranuclear Cu(Z) center in N(2)O reductase

Spectroscopy coupled with density functional calculations has been used to define the spin state, oxidation states, spin distribution, and ground state wave function of the mu4-sulfide bridged tetranuclear CuZ cluster of nitrous oxide reductase. Initial insight into the electronic contribution to N2O reduction is developed, which involves a sigma superexchange pathway through the bridging sulfide.     

Internal Spin Trapping of Thiyl Radical during the Complexation and Reduction of Cobalamin with Glutathione and Dithiothrietol

The activation of cobalamin requires the reduction of Cbl(III) to Cbl(II). The reduction by glutathione and dithiothreitol was followed using visible spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. In addition the oxidation of glutathione was monitored. Glutathione first reacts with oxidized Cbl(III). The binding of a second glutathione required for the reduction to Cbl(II) is presumably located in the dimethyl benzimidazole ribonucleotide ligand cavity. The reduction of Cbl(III) by dithiothreitol, which contains two thiols, is much faster even though no stable Cbl(III) complex is formed. The reduction, by both thiol reagents, results in the formation of thiyl radicals, some of which are released to form oxidized thiol products and some of which remain associated with the reduced cobalamin. In the reduced state the intrinsic lower affinity for the benzimidazole base, coupled with a trans effect from the initial GSH bound to the β-axial site and a possible lowering of the pH results in an equilibrium between base-on and base-off complexes. The dissociation of the base facilitates a closer approach of the thiyl radical to the Co(II) α-axial site resulting in a complex with ferromagnetic exchange coupling between the metal ion and the thiyl radical. This is a unique example of 'internal spin trapping' of a thiyl radical formed during reduction. The finding that the reduction involves a peripheral site and that thiyl radicals produced during the reduction remain associated with the reduced cobalamin provide important new insights into our understanding of the formation and function of cobalamin enzymes.     

Unusual redox and chemical properties of N4-substituted pyridoxal thiosemicarbazone copper(II) complexes: their preparation,properties and reactivities

Summary New copper(II) complexes with pyridoxal N⁴-methylthiosemicarbazone (H₂Methsa), N⁴-ethylthiosemicarbazone (H₂Etthsa) and N⁴-phenylthiosemicarbazone (H₂Phthsa) have been prepared and characterized by analytical, magnetic, spectral, e.s.r. and electrochemical methods. All the compounds exhibit normal magnetic moments at room temperature. The variable temperature magnetic moments, however, show the presence of very weak intramolecular antiferromagnetic interaction (–2J = ca. 30cm^-1) between the copper(II) centres in the complexes. The e.s.r. spectra at 77 K in DMSO indicate the presence of a mixture of monomers and dimers consistent with the dissociation of the complexes. Electrochemical studies in non-aqueous solvents show that the complexes undergo a quasi-reversible one electron facile reduction at markedly low negative potentials versus saturated calomel electrode (s.c.e.).     

Nature of the intermediate formed in the reduction of O(2) to H(2)O at the trinuclear copper cluster active site in native laccase

The multicopper oxidases contain at least four copper atoms and catalyze the four-electron reduction of O(2) to H(2)O at a trinuclear copper cluster. An intermediate, termed native intermediate, has been trapped by a rapid freeze-quench technique from Rhus vernicifera laccase when the fully reduced form reacts with dioxygen. This intermediate had been described as an oxygen-radical bound to the trinuclear copper cluster with one Cu site reduced. XAS, however, shows that all copper atoms are oxidized in this intermediate. A combination of EXAFS, multifrequency EPR, and VTVH MCD has been used to understand how this fully oxidized trinuclear Cu cluster relates to the fully oxidized resting form of the enzyme. It is determined that in the native intermediate all copper atoms of the cluster are bridged by the product of full O(2) reduction. In contrast, the resting form has one copper atom of the cluster (the T2 Cu) magnetically isolated from the others. The native intermediate decays to the resting oxidized form with a rate that is too slow to be in the catalytic cycle. Thus, the native intermediate appears to be the catalytically relevant fully oxidized form of the enzyme, and its role in catalysis is considered.     

Structurally distinct active sites in the copper(II)-substituted aminopeptidases from Aeromonas proteolytica and Escherichia coli

The aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica (AAP) was titrated with copper, which bound sequentially at two distinct sites. Both the mono- and disubstituted forms of AAP exhibited catalytic hyperactivity relative to the native dizinc enzyme. Monosubstituted AAP exhibited an axial Cu(II) EPR spectrum with slight pH dependence: at pH 6.0 g(parallel) = 2.249, g( perpendicular ) = 2.055, and A(parallel)((63/65)Cu) = 1.77 x 10(-)(2) cm(-)(1), whereas at pH 9.65 g(parallel) = 2.245, g( perpendicular ) = 2.056, and A(parallel)((63/65)Cu) = 1.77 x 10(-)(2) cm(-)(1). These data indicate oxygen and nitrogen ligation of Cu. AAP further substituted with copper exhibited a complex signal with features around g approximately 2 and 4. The features at g approximately 4 were relatively weak in the B(0) perpendicular B(1) (perpendicular) mode EPR spectrum but were intense in the B(0) parallel B(1) (parallel) mode spectrum. The g approximately 2 region of the perpendicular mode spectrum exhibited two components, one corresponding to mononuclear Cu(II) with g(parallel) = 2.218, g( perpendicular ) = 2.023, and A(parallel)((63/65)Cu) = 1.55 x 10(-)(2) cm(-)(1) and likely due to adventitious binding of Cu(II) to a site distant from the active site. Excellent simulations were obtained for the second component of the spectrum assuming that two Cu(II) ions experience dipolar coupling corresponding to an inter-copper distance of 5 A with the two Cu(II) g(z)() directions parallel to each other and at an angle of approximately 17 degrees to the inter-copper vector (H = betaB.g(CuA).S(CuA) + betaB.g(CuB).S(CuB) + [S.A.I](CuA) + [S.A.I](CuB) + [S(CuA).J.S(CuB)]; g(parallel(CuA,CuB)) = 2.218, g( perpendicular )((CuA,CuB)) = 2.060; A(parallel(CuA,CuB))((63/65)Cu) = 1.59 x 10(-)(2) cm(-)(1), J(isotropic) = 50 cm(-)(1), r(Cu)(-)(Cu) = 4.93 A, and chi = 17 degrees ). The exchange coupling between the two copper ions was found to be ferromagnetic as the signals exhibited Curie law temperature dependence. The Cu-Cu distance of approximately 5 A indicated by EPR was significantly higher than the inter-zinc distance of 3.5 A in the native enzyme, and the dicopper species therefore represents a novel dinuclear site capable of catalysis of hydrolysis. In contrast to AAP, the related methionyl aminopeptidase from Escherichia coli (EcMetAP) was found to bind only one Cu(II) ion despite possessing a dinuclear binding site motif. A further difference was the marked pH dependence of the signal in EcMetAP, suggestive of a change in ligation. The structural motifs of these two Cu(II)-substituted aminopeptidases provide important insight into the observed catalytic activity.