Steven M. Berry

Reduction potential variations in azurin through secondary coordination sphere phenylalanine incorporations

Recent evidence has shown that the properties of metal binding sites can be tuned by more than the ligands in the primary coordination sphere. We investigated the incorporation of four phenylalanine residues into the secondary coordination sphere of the small soluble blue copper protein azurin. The locations for placement of these residues in azurin were based on the structure of the highly hydrophobic blue copper protein rusticyanin, which is known to have a significantly higher reduction potential than azurin. Using site-directed mutagenesis, these residues in close proximity to the copper binding site were mutated to large hydrophobic phenylalanine residues individually and in combination. We also added the Met121Leu mutation on top of the Phe mutations to construct a total of 13 variants. We found little change in the UV-visible absorption and EPR data for these proteins, however modest increases in reduction potential were observed with increases by as much as 30mV per Phe residue. Furthermore, we observed the increases in potential to be additive.

Role of the Coordinating Histidine in Altering the Mixed Valency of CuA: An Electron Nuclear Double Resonance-Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Investigation

The binuclear Cu(A) site engineered into Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin has provided a Cu(A)-azurin with a well-defined crystal structure and a CuSSCu core having two equatorial histidine ligands, His120 and His46. The mutations His120Asn and His120Gly were made at the equatorial His120 ligand to understand the histidine-related modulation to Cu(A), notably to the valence delocalization over the CuSSCu core. For these His120 mutants Q-band electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) (X, C, and S-band), all carried out under comparable cryogenic conditions, have provided markedly different electronic measures of the mutation-induced change. Q-band ENDOR of cysteine C(beta) protons, of weakly dipolar-coupled protons, and of the remaining His46 nitrogen ligand provided hyperfine couplings that were like those of other binuclear mixed-valence Cu(A) systems and were essentially unperturbed by the mutation at His120. The ENDOR findings imply that the Cu(A) core electronic structure remains unchanged by the His120 mutation. On the other hand, multifrequency EPR indicated that the H120N and H120G mutations had changed the EPR hyperfine signature from a 7-line to a 4-line pattern, consistent with trapped-valence, Type 1 mononuclear copper. The multifrequency EPR data imply that the electron spin had become localized on one copper by the His120 mutation. To reconcile the EPR and ENDOR findings for the His120 mutants requires that either: if valence localization to one copper has occurred, the spin density on the cysteine sulfurs and the remaining histidine (His46) must remain as it was for a delocalized binuclear Cu(A) center, or if valence delocalization persists, the hyperfine coupling for one copper must markedly diminish while the overall spin distribution on the CuSSCu core is preserved.

Structure and isomerization comparison of Zn(ii), Cd(ii) and Hg(ii) perchlorate complexes of 2,6-bis([(2-pyridyl-methyl)amino]methyl)pyridine

The divalent zinc triad perchlorate coordination chemistry of 2,6-bis([(2-pyridyl-methyl)amino]methyl)pyridine (L) was investigated by X-ray crystallography and solution state (1)H NMR. New complexes [HgL(ClO4)2] (1) and [CdL(ClO4)2] (2) were isolated as bicapped distorted square pyramidal racemates, contrasting with the approximate trigonal bipyramidal structure of [ZnL](ClO4)2 (3). Although rapid inter- and intramolecular exchange is common for simple complexes of zinc triad metal ions, conditions for slow intramolecular isomerization on both the δ and J(HH) time scales were established for 1, 2 and 3. Trends in geminal (1)H coupling suggested that an asymmetric structure was favored for all three metal ions at or below 40 °C. Contributions of a symmetric structure to solution equilibria were both temperature- and metal ion-dependent. Spectral trends were consistent with interconversion of a pair of enantiomeric square pyramidal ligand conformers through a symmetric trigonal bipyramidal ligand conformer by M-N bond cleavage and nitrogen inversion. Racemization was slower than the coupling constant time scale up to 40 °C for all complexes. Differential stabilization of specific small ligand conformations in solution has potential toxicological significance.

Structure and emission spectrum of the o-phenanthroline adduct of tris(6-methyl-2,4-heptanedionato)europium(III)

The title compound, conveniently abbreviated Eu(MHD) 3 .o-phen, has been prepared and characterized by means of its luminescence spectrum and by complete structure determination by X-ray diffraction. The β-diketone ligand is unsymmetrical with a methyl group at one end and an iso-butyl group at the other. Monoclinic crystals having m.p. 186-187°C were isolated from dichloromethane/isopropanol. The luminescence spectrum is typical for low-symmetry complexes of this type with a single sharp 5 D 0 → 7 F 0 transition at 579.9 nm accompanied by a weak shoulder. The 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 and 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 transitions are completely resolved with weak additional transitions that are most likely vibronic in origin. The X-ray structure shows a single eight-coordinate coordination geometry that approximates a square antiprism. The average Eu-O and Eu-N distances are 2.358 and 2.628 A and are typical. Our initial assumption that the unsymmetrical β-diketone would lead to multiple sites was not substantiated.

Structural and NMR Characterization of Sm(III), Eu(III), and Yb(III) Complexes of an Amide Based Polydentate Ligand Exhibiting Paramagnetic Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Abilities

Complexes of Sm(III), Eu(III), and Yb(III) with a new polydentate ether ligand with amide arms were synthesized. Solid state X-ray structures of the complexes reveal all three complexes crystallize in monoclinic unit cells. The mononuclear complexes have nine coordinate tricapped trigonal prismatic geometries with coordination of all four amide carbonyl oxygen and all three of the backbone ether oxygen atoms. The molecules possess a pseudo C(2) symmetry axis. The complexes were characterized by solution and solid state emission spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. Solution state behavior of the complexes was further explored using NMR. The (1)H NMR spectra show 16 peaks suggesting the complexes are slow in exchanging on the NMR time scale and that the C(2) symmetry axis is maintained. The NMR spectra were assigned using (1)H, (13)C, COSY, and HMQC experiments. The Eu(III) complex was tested for the recently explored Magnetic Resonance Imaging phenomenon called paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (PARACEST). At physiological pH and temperature two CEST peaks were observed that caused a decrease in the bulk water molecule signal intensity of 10 and 16%.

A synthetic model of Hg(II) sequestration

Tridentate ligand N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-(2-(ethylthiolato)amine (L) forms the novel complex [Hg(5)(L)(6)](ClO(4))(4).toluene () with a bicyclo[3.3.3] Hg(5)S(6) core and 4-, 5- and 6-coordinate metal centers; characterization of a solution of by ESI-MS revealed elaborate speciation involving [Hg(n)L(n+1)(ClO(4))(n-2)](+), [Hg(n)L(n)(ClO(4))(n-1)](+) and [Hg(n)L(n-1)(ClO(4))(n)](+) ion families.

9-O-Ethyl­berberrubinium iodide monohydrate

In the title compound (systematic name: 9-ethoxy-10-methoxy-5,6-dihydro-1,3-dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinolino[3,2-a]isoquinolin-7-ium iodide monohydrate), 2C21H20NO4 +·2I−·H2O, two independent molecules pack in the unit cell, where interactions between the molecules are stabilized by weak intermolecular π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distances in the range 3.571 (4) to 3.815 (4)Å]. Intermolecular C—H⋯O interactions are also observed. The iodide anions are disordered with occupancy ratios of 0.94 (1):0.06 (1) and 0.91 (1):0.09 (1). The cationic molecule is planar in structure with a small torsion resulting from the dihydropyridine ring.