Showing papers by "Robert J. Deeth published in 2013"

Reduction of Quinones by NADH Catalyzed by Organoiridium Complexes

Abstract: One electron at a time: Half-sandwich organometallic cyclopentadienyl–IrIII complexes containing N,N-chelated ligands can catalyze the reduction of quinones (Q), such as vitamin K3, to semiquinones (Q.ˉ) by coenzyme NADH (see picture). DFT calculations suggest that the mechanism involves hydride transfer followed by two one-electron transfers and the unusual IrII oxidation state as a key transient intermediate.

Structure and biosynthesis of scabichelin, a novel tris-hydroxamate siderophore produced by the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies 87.22

Abstract: Scabichelin and turgichelin, novel tris-hydroxamate siderophores, were isolated from Streptomyces antibioticus NBRC 13838/Streptomyces scabies JCM 7914 and Streptomyces turgidiscabies JCM 10429, respectively. The planar structures of scabichelin and turgichelin were elucidated by mass spectrometry, and 1- and 2-D NMR spectroscopic analyses of their gallium(III) complexes. The relative and absolute stereochemistry of the metabolites was determined by the modified Marfey's method in conjunction with computational modelling and NOESY NMR analysis of Ga-scabichelin and Ga-turgichelin. Genome sequence analysis of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies 87.22 identified a gene cluster containing a gene encoding a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) that was predicted to direct the production of a pentapeptide with structural similarities to scabichelin and turgichelin. Comparative LC-MS/MS analyses of iron-deficient culture supernatants from wild type S. scabies 87.22 and a mutant in which the NRPS gene had been disrupted, and scabichelin purified from S. antibioticus, showed that scabichelin is the metabolic product of the cryptic gene cluster, strongly suggesting that it functions as a siderophore.

Thermochromic organometallic complexes: experimental and theoretical studies of 16- to 18-electron interconversions of adducts of arene Ru(II) carboranes with aromatic amine ligands

Abstract: A series of 18-electron complexes of general formula [Ru(p-cym)(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1,2-dithiolato)(L)] (p-cym = para-cymene; L = 4-dimethylaminopyridine (2), nicotinamide (3), 3-ethynylpyridine (4), N-methylimidazole (5), 4-cyanopyridine (6), and pyridine (7)) were synthesised by reactions between the 16-electron precursor [Ru(p-cym)(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1,2-dithiolato)] (1) and corresponding heterocyclic bases. X-ray crystal structures of complexes 2 and 5 were determined. In dichloromethane and chloroform solutions at ambient temperature, the 18-electron complexes 2–7 are in equilibrium with the 16-electron precursor 1. Each equilibrium is displaced towards the formation of the blue 16-electron or yellow 18-electron complex by increasing or decreasing the temperature of the solution, respectively, which results in controlled and reversible thermochromism. Binding constants (K) and Gibbs free energies (ΔG°) of the six equilibria have been determined by a combination of experiments (Job plots, UV-visible titrations, NMR studies) and also by computation (time-dependent density functional theory, TD-DFT). A linear free energy relationship for log K versus pKa for the pyridine and imidazole ligands was established. The predicted strong interactions of 1 with other aromatic amine ligands, such as amphetamine derivatives, were verified experimentally. This appears to be the first report of reversible 16/18-electron interconversions with associated thermochromic properties for a well-known family of complexes.

Synthetic, Crystallographic, and computational study of Copper(II) complexes of Ethylenediaminetetracarboxylate Ligands

Abstract: Copper(II) complexes of hexadentate ethylenediaminetetracarboxylic acid type ligands Heda3p and Heddadp (Heda3p = ethylenediamine-N-acetic-N,N',N'-tri-3-propionic acid; H eddadp = ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic-N,N'-di-3- propionic acid) have been prepared. An octahedral trans(O) geometry (two propionate ligands coordinated in axial positions) has been established crystallographically for the Ba[Cu(eda3p)]·8HO compound, while Ba[Cu(eddadp)]·8HO is proposed to adopt a trans(O ) geometry (two axial acetates) on the basis of density functional theory calculations and comparisons of IR and UV-vis spectral data. Experimental and computed structural data correlating similar copper(II) chelate complexes have been used to better understand the isomerism and departure from regular octahedral geometry within the series. The in-plane O-Cu-N chelate angles show the smallest deviation from the ideal octahedral value of 90°, and hence the lowest strain, for the eddadp complex with two equatorial s-propionate rings. A linear dependence between tetragonality and the number of five-membered rings has been established. A natural bonding orbital analysis of the series of complexes is also presented.

Computational study of the structure and electronic circular dichroism spectroscopy of blue copper proteins.

Abstract: The calculation of the electronic circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the oxidized form of the blue copper proteins plastocyanin and cucumber basic protein and the relationship between the observed spectral features and the structure of the active site of the protein is investigated. Excitation energies and transition strengths are computed using multireference configuration interaction, and it is shown that computed spectra based on coordinates from the crystal structure or a single structure optimized in quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) or ligand field molecular mechanics (LFMM) are qualitatively incorrect. In particular, the rotational strength of the ligand to metal charge transfer band is predicted to be too small or have the incorrect sign. By considering calculations on active site models with modified structures, it is shown that the intensity of this band is sensitive to the nonplanarity of the histidine and cysteine ligands coordinated to copper. Calculation of the ultraviolet absorption and CD spectra based upon averaging over many structures drawn from a LFMM molecular dynamics simulation are in good agreement with experiment, and superior to analogous calculations based upon structures from a classical molecular dynamics simulation. This provides evidence that the LFMM force field provides an accurate description of the molecular dynamics of these proteins.

Molecular modeling for Cu(II)-aminopolycarboxylate complexes: structures, conformational energies, and ligand binding affinities.

Abstract: A ligand field molecular mechanics (LFMM) force field (FF) has been developed for d9 copper(II) complexes of aminopolycarboxylate ligands. Training data were derived from density functional theory (DFT) geometry optimizations of 14 complexes comprising potentially hexadentate N2O4, tetrasubstituted ethylenediamine (ed), and propylenediamine cores with various combinations of acetate and propionate side arms. The FF was validated against 13 experimental structures from X-ray crystallography including hexadentate N2O4 donors where the nitrogens donors are forced to be cis and bis-tridentate ONO ligands which generate complexes with trans nitrogen donors. Stochastic conformational searches for [Cu{ed(acetate)n (propionate)4-n}]2−, n = 0–4, were carried out and the lowest conformers for each system reoptimized with DFT. In each case, both DFT and LFMM predict the same lowest-energy conformer and the structures and energies of the higher-energy conformers are also in satisfactory agreement. The relative interaction energies for n = 0, 2, and 4 computed by molecular mechanics correlate with the experimental log β binding affinities. Adding in the predicted log β values for n = 1 and 3 suggest for this set of complexes a monotonic decrease in log β as the number of propionate arms increases. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Structure and Biosynthesis of Scabichelin, a Novel Tris‐Hydroxamate Siderophore Produced by the Plant Pathogen Streptomyces scabies 87.22.

Abstract: Scabichelin and turgichelin, novel tris-hydroxamate siderophores, were isolated from Streptomyces antibioticus NBRC 13838/Streptomyces scabies JCM 7914 and Streptomyces turgidiscabies JCM 10429, respectively. The planar structures of scabichelin and turgichelin were elucidated by mass spectrometry, and 1- and 2-D NMR spectroscopic analyses of their gallium(III) complexes. The relative and absolute stereochemistry of the metabolites was determined by the modified Marfey's method in conjunction with computational modelling and NOESY NMR analysis of Ga-scabichelin and Ga-turgichelin. Genome sequence analysis of the plant pathogen Streptomyces scabies 87.22 identified a gene cluster containing a gene encoding a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) that was predicted to direct the production of a pentapeptide with structural similarities to scabichelin and turgichelin. Comparative LC-MS/MS analyses of iron-deficient culture supernatants from wild type S. scabies 87.22 and a mutant in which the NRPS gene had been disrupted, and scabichelin purified from S. antibioticus, showed that scabichelin is the metabolic product of the cryptic gene cluster, strongly suggesting that it functions as a siderophore.