Search results for "bioinorganic chemistry"

Interaction of Novel Metal Complexes with DNA: Synthetic and Structural Aspects

2009

Metal ions bind to nucleic acids at various positions. This binding can be modulated by using metal complexes with appropriate ligands. Novel mono- and especially dinuclear metal complexes could be a powerful tool to detect rare, but still physiologically relevant, forms of DNA, e.g. the left-handed Z-DNA. In this review, our recent research activities in this area of bioinorganic chemistry are summarized. A special emphasis is laid on the synthetic challenges that arose upon the synthesis of the polyamine ligands. Further, some rather unusual approaches to elucidate the solution structure of copper bound to guanosine monophosphate with the help of pulsed EPR techniques like ENDOR and HYSC…

Sometimes less is more—the impact of the number of His residues on the stability of Zn(ii)–SmtB and BigR4 α-5 domain complexes

2021

The increasing number of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has become one of the major health problems of modern times, including infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. One of the possible mammalian immune system responses to mycobacterial infection is the increase of the zinc(II) concentration in phagosomes to a toxic level. The mycobacterial SmtB protein belongs to the family of ArsR/SmtB transcription regulators. In the presence of high concentrations of metals, SmtB dissociates from DNA and activates the expression of metal efflux proteins. In this work, we focus on the α5 zinc(II) binding domains of SmtB/BigR4 proteins (the latter being the SmtB homolog from non-pathogenic M. sm…

ChemInform Abstract: Silicateins - A Novel Paradigm in Bioinorganic Chemistry: Enzymatic Synthesis of Inorganic Polymeric Silica

2013

Nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) metallo-intercalators: structural details of the DNA-binding by a combined experimental and computational investi…

2014

We present a thorough characterization of the interaction of novel nickel(II) (1), copper(II) (2) and zinc(II) (3) Schiff base complexes with native calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA), in buffered aqueous solution at pH 7.5. UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism (CD) and viscometry titrations provided clear evidence of the intercalative mechanism of the three square-planar metal complexes, allowing us to determine the intrinsic DNA-binding constants (K(b)), equal to 1.3 × 10(7), 2.9 × 10(6), and 6.2 × 10(5) M(-1) for 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Preferential affinity, of one order of magnitude, toward AT compared to GC base pair sequences was detected by UV-vis absorption titrations of 1 with [poly(dG-d…

Zn(II)-alloferon complexes - Similar sequence, different coordination modes, no antibacterial activity.

2020

Often, in the search for a highly defined scientific phenomenon, a different one becomes apparent. This was also the case of this work, in the scope of which we planned to search for metal-enhanced, novel antibacterial/ antifungal compounds. Instead, we denied the existence of such and revealed the details of the bioinorganic chemistry of Zn(II)-alloferon complexes. Zinc(II) complexes of alloferon 1 and 2, ligands with a sequential difference of one amino acid only, show a substantially different coordination pattern at physiological pH. In the case of Zn(II)-alloferon 1 species, a histamine-like binding mode is observed (N-terminal amine and imidazole of His-1) and the coordination sphere …

Biomimetic Mn-catalases based on dimeric manganese complexes in mesoporous silica for potential antioxidant agent

2015

Two new structural and functional models of the Mn-catalase with formula [{Mn(III)(bpy)(H2O)}(μ-2-MeOC6H4CO2)2(μ-O){Mn(III)(bpy)(X)}]X, where X = NO3 (1) and ClO4 (2) and bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction. In both cases, a water molecule and an X ion occupy the monodentate positions. The magnetic properties of these compounds reveal a weak antiferromagnetic behavior (2J = -2.2 cm(-1) for 1 and -0.7 cm(-1) for 2, using the spin Hamiltonian H = -2J S1·S2) and negative zero-field splitting parameter DMn (-4.6 cm(-1) and -3.0 cm(-1) for 1 and 2, respectively). This fact, together with the nearly orthogonal orientation of the Jahn-Teller axes of the M…

Studio dell'interazione di DNA con complessi di metalli di transizione

2014

Organometallic Nickel(II) Complexes Containing Thiolate and Dithiocarbamate Ligands

2000

Exploring the biological, catalytic, and magnetic properties of transition metal coordination complexes incorporating pyrophosphate

2019

Abstract Polyphosphate anions are ubiquitous in nature, none more so than the diphosphate tetra-anion P2O74−, commonly referred to as pyrophosphate (PPi). The past decade has seen a rise in the number of pyrophosphate coordination complexes synthesized and characterized, and the areas of research interest expanded to include magnetic, medicinal, nutraceutical, catalytic and bioinorganic. The aim of the present review is to collect and organize the multidisciplinary information of the inorganic pyrophosphate system paying special attention to the following points: (i) the structural diversity of the PPi-containing metal complexes from discrete species to coordination polymers, which is due t…

Poly-Xaa Sequences in Proteins - Biological Role and Interactions with Metal Ions: Chemical and Medical Aspects

2016

Background: The understanding of the bioinorganic and coordination chemistry of metalloproteins containing unusual poly-Xaa sequences, in which a single amino acid is repeated consecutively, is crucial for describing their metal binding-structure-function relationship, and therefore also crucial for understanding their medicinal potential. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review on metal complexes with polyXaa sequences. Methods: We performed a thorough search of high quality peer reviewed literature on poly-Xaa type of sequences in proteins, focusing on their biological importance and on their interactions with metal ions. Results: 228 papers were included in the…