Search results for "Divalent"
showing 10 items of 102 documents
Interaction of Heparins and Dextran Sulfates with a Mesoscopic Protein Nanopore
2009
A mechanism of how polyanions influence the channel formed by Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin is described. We demonstrate that the probability of several types of polyanions to block the ion channel depends on the presence of divalent cations and the polyanion molecular weight and concentration. For heparins, a 10-fold increase in molecular weight decreases the half-maximal inhibitory concentration, IC(50), nearly 10(4)-fold. Dextran sulfates were less effective at blocking the channel. The polyanions are significantly more effective at reducing the conductance when added to the trans side of this channel. Lastly, the effectiveness of heparins on the channel conductance correlated wi…
Chelate Cooperativity and Spacer Length Effects on the Assembly Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Divalent Pseudorotaxanes
2011
Homo- and heterodivalent crown-ammonium pseudorotaxanes with different spacers connecting the two axle ammonium binding sites have been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. The homodivalent pseudorotaxanes are investigated with respect to the thermodynamics of divalent binding and to chelate cooperativity. The shortest spacer exhibits a chelate cooperativity much stronger than that of the longer spacers. On the basis of crystal structure, this can be explained by a noninnocent spacer, which contributes to the binding strength in addition to the two binding sites. Already very subtle changes in the spacer length, i.e., the introduction of an additional…
Copper Uptake Induces Self-Assembly of 18.5 kDa Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)
2010
Myelin basic protein (MBP) is predominantly found in the membranes of the myelin sheath of the central nervous system and is involved in important protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, divalent transition metal ions, especially Zn(2+) and Cu(2+), seem to directly affect the MBP-mediated formation and stabilization of the myelin sheath of the central nervous system. MBP belongs to the realm of intrinsically disordered proteins, and only fragmentary information is available regarding its partial structure(s) or supramolecular arrangements. Here, using standard continuous wave and modern pulse electron paramagnetic resonance methods, as well as dynam…
A Na+-coupled C4-dicarboxylate transporter (Asuc_0304) and aerobic growth of Actinobacillus succinogenes on C4-dicarboxylates
2014
Actinobacillus succinogenes, which is known to produce large amounts of succinate during fermentation of hexoses, was able to grow on C4-dicarboxylates such as fumarate under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Anaerobic growth on fumarate was stimulated by glycerol and the major product was succinate, indicating the involvement of fumarate respiration similar to succinate production from glucose. The aerobic growth on C4-dicarboxylates and the transport proteins involved were studied. Fumarate was oxidized to acetate. The genome of A. succinogenes encodes six proteins with similarity to secondary C4-dicarboxylate transporters, including transporters of the Dcu (C4-dicarboxylate uptake), Dcu…
The stability and functional properties of proteoliposomes mixed with dextran derivatives bearing hydrophobic anchor groups
1992
Liposomes composed of Escherichia coli phospholipid were coated with polysaccharides bearing hydrophobic palmitoyl anchors. The effect on the stability of liposomes without or with integral membrane proteins was investigated. A high concentration of hydrophobized dextrans protected the liposomes against detergent degradation, decreased the fluidity of the membranes, prevented fusion of the liposomes and enhanced their stability. Proteoliposomes containing beef heart cytochrome-c oxidase and the lactose transport carrier of E. coli were similarly affected by coating with the dextrans. Under these conditions both membrane proteins were still active. Long-term stability of the coated liposomes…
Divalent metal ion buffers with low pH-sensitivity
1973
Es werden Puffersysteme fur divalente Metallionen beschrieben, die im Bereich von etwa pH 6–10 gegenuber den herkommlichen Metallpuffern eine bemerkenswert niedrige pH-Abhangigkeit der Metallionenkonzentration und der Pufferkapazitat zeigen. Die Puffersysteme bestehen aus einem starken Komplexbildner (vorzugsweise einer Polyaminocarbonsaure) und zwei verschiedenen, divalenten Metallionen, die bezuglich der Bindung durch den Komplexbildner in Konkurrenz stehen. Dasjenige Metallion, dessen Konzentration gepuffert werden soll, wird als Primarion bezeichnet. Das zweite Ion, das Sekundarion genannt wird, soll vom Komplexbildner mindestens um den Faktor 10–100 schwacher gebunden werden. Die Gesam…
The molecular heterogeneity of hemocyanin: Structural and functional properties of the 4×6-meric protein of Upogebia pusilla (Crustacea)
2006
The structural properties of the hemocyanin isolated from the Mediterranean mud shrimp, Upogebia pusilla (Decapoda: Thalassinidea), were investigated. Our intent was to make use of the U. pusilla case to perform a structural comparison between crustacean and chelicerate 4×6-meric hemocyanins. The thalassinidean hemocyanin appears similar in size but different in structural organization compared to the chelicerate 4×6-mer. Ultracentrifuge analyses on the purified protein revealed a sedimentation coefficient of 39S, typical of 4×6 hemocyanins. Electron micrographs are in agreement with a model in which four 2×6-meric building blocks are arranged in a tetrahedron-like quaternary structure and …
Thermal aggregation of beta-lactoglobulin in presence of metal ions.
2007
In this work, we report a study of the effects of zinc and copper ions on the heat-induced aggregation of beta-lactoglobulin (BLG). Kinetics investigations on aggregates growth by light scattering measurements and on secondary structure changes by FTIR absorption measurements show the different role played by the two metals during the whole process. In particular, the presence of zinc in solution promotes the formation of aggregates of BLG at a lower temperature than copper. Then, at fixed temperature, formation of a large amount of aggregates, of large dimension, is observed for Zn-BLG in shorter time; on the contrary, the presence of copper in solution does not affect the aggregation proc…
Interference by toxic metal ions with zinc-dependent proteins involved in maintaining genomic stability.
2002
Metal ions are essential components of biological systems; nevertheless, even essential elements may have toxic or carcinogenic properties. Thus, besides As(III) and Cd(II), also Ni(II) and Co(II) have been shown previously to disturb different types of DNA repair systems at low, non-cytotoxic concentrations. Since some metals exert high affinities for SH groups, we investigated whether zinc finger structures in DNA-binding motifs of DNA repair proteins are potential targets for toxic metal ions. The bacterial formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg protein) involved in base excision repair was inhibited by Cd(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) with increasing efficiencies, whereas Co(II), As(III), Pb…
New sulfonamide complexes with essential metal ions [Cu (II), Co (II), Ni (II) and Zn (II)]. Effect of the geometry and the metal ion on DNA binding …
2019
Abstract Mixed divalent Cu, Co, Ni and Zn complexes containing the new sulfonamide ligand N–(2–(pyridin–2–yl)ethyl)quinoline–8–sulfonamide (HQSEP) were prepared and characterized by physico-chemical techniques. The tetracoordinate [Cu(QSEP)X] [X = Br (1), Cl (2)] compounds present a seesaw geometry (τ4 = 0.56 (1) and 0.50 (2)). The Cu(II) in the [Cu(QSEP)(NO3)(MeOH)] (3) complex is five coordinate with a slightly distorted SP geometry (τ = 0.11). The [M(QSEP)(benz)] [M = Cu(II) (4), Ni(II) (5), Co(II) (6) and Zn(II) (7); benz = benzoate] compounds are configurationally isotypic. The coordination geometries of the M(II) ions can be best described as distorted SP (τ = 0.29, 0.15, 0.34 and 0.1…