Singlet oxygen: there is indeed something new under the sun

LED-activated methylene blue-loaded Pluronic-nanogold hybrids for in vitro photodynamic therapy

In this work we introduce a new class of multifunctional photodynamic agents based on the coupling of photosensitizer molecules with noble metal nanoparticles, which can be efficiently activated under low light intensity. The favourable modification of the photophysical properties of methylene blue (MB) in MB-loaded Pluronic-nanogold hybrids (Au-PF127-MB) increases the probability of singlet oxygen generation, which in turn allows the use of a light emitting diode (LED) irradiation source instead of commonly used, more invasive lasers. In this regard, Au-PF127-MB treated human lung carcinoma cells (HTB 177) were irradiated at different light doses, using a 660 nm LED source, the results indicating a dose dependent therapeutic effect, decreasing the cell viability down to 13%. Owing to their effectiveness, biocompatibility and integrated imaging and therapeutic functionalities, Au-PF127-MB could represent an important development in the field of biophotonic applications.

Effect of molecular characteristics on cellular uptake, subcellular localization, and phototoxicity of Zn(II) N-alkylpyridylporphyrins

Tetra-cationic Zn(II) meso-tetrakis(N-alkylpyridinium-2 (or -3 or -4)-yl)porphyrins (ZnPs) with progressively increased lipophilicity were synthesized to investigate how the tri-dimensional shape and lipophilicity of the photosensitizer (PS) affect cellular uptake, subcellular distribution, and photodynamic efficacy. The effect of the tri-dimensional shape of the molecule was studied by shifting the N-alkyl substituent attached to the pyridyl nitrogen from ortho to meta and para positions. Progressive increase of lipophilicity from shorter hydrophilic (methyl) to longer amphiphilic (hexyl) alkyl chains increased the phototoxicity of the ZnP PSs. PS efficacy was also increased for all derivatives when the alkyl substituents were shifted from ortho to meta, and from meta to para positions. Both cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of the PSs were affected by the lipophilicity and the position of the alkyl chains on the periphery of the porphyrin ring. Whereas the hydrophilic ZnPs demonstrated mostly lysosomal distribution, the amphiphilic hexyl derivatives were associated with mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma membrane. A comparison of hexyl isomers revealed that cellular uptake and partition into membranes followed the order para > meta > ortho. Varying the position and length of the alkyl substituents affects (i) the exposure of cationic charges for electrostatic interactions with anionic biomolecules and (ii) the lipophilicity of the molecule. The charge, lipophilicity, and the tri-dimensional shape of the PS are the major factors that determine cellular uptake, subcellular distribution, and as a consequence, the phototoxicity of the PSs.

DegS and RseP homologous proteases are involved in singlet oxygen dependent activation of RpoE in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Singlet oxygen ((1)O2) is the main agent of photooxidative stress and is generated by photosensitizers as (bacterio)chlorophylls. It leads to the damage of cellular macromolecules and therefore photosynthetic organisms have to mount an adaptive response to (1)O2 formation. A major player of the photooxidative stress response in Rhodobacter sphaeroides is the alternative sigma factor RpoE, which is inactivated under non-stress conditions by its cognate anti-sigma factor ChrR. By using random mutagenesis we identified RSP_1090 to be required for full activation of the RpoE response under (1)O2 stress, but not under organic peroxide stress. In this study we show that both RSP_1090 and RSP_1091 are required for full resistance towards (1)O2. Moreover, we revealed that the DegS and RseP homologs RSP_3242 and RSP_2710 contribute to (1)O2 resistance and promote ChrR proteolysis. The RpoE signaling pathway in R. sphaeroides is therefore highly similar to that of Escherichia coli, although very different anti-sigma factors control RpoE activity. Based on the acquired results, the current model for RpoE activation in response to (1)O2 exposure in R. sphaeroides was extended.

Photochemistry of singlet oxygen sensor green

To detect singlet oxygen ((1)O2), the commercially available fluorescent sensor named Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green (SOSG) has been the most widely used from material studies to medical applications, for example, photodynamic therapy. In light of the previous studies, SOSG is a dyad composed of fluorescein and anthracene moieties. In the present study, we carried out quantitative studies on photochemical dynamics of SOSG for the first time, such as the occurrence of intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET), (1)O2 generation, and two-photon ionization. It was revealed that these relaxation pathways strongly depend on the irradiation conditions. The visible-light excitation (ex. 532 nm) of SOSG induced intramolecular PET as a major deactivation process (kPET = 9.7 × 10(11) s(-1)), resulting in fluorescence quenching. In addition, intersystem crossing occurred as a minor deactivation process that gave rise to (1)O2 generation via the bimolecular triplet-triplet energy transfer (kq = 1.2 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)). Meanwhile, ultraviolet-light excitation (355 nm) of SOSG caused the two-photon ionization to give a SOSG cation (Φion = 0.003 at 24 mJ cm(-2)), leading to SOSG decomposition to the final products. Our results clearly demonstrate the problems of SOSG, such as photodecomposition and (1)O2 generation. In fact, these are not special for SOSG but common drawbacks for most of the fluorescein-based sensors.

Decontamination of chemical-warfare agent simulants by polymer surfaces doped with the singlet oxygen generator zinc octaphenoxyphthalocyanine

Using reactive singlet oxygen (1O2), the oxidation of chemical-warfare agent (CWA) simulants has been demonstrated. The zinc octaphenoxyphthalocyanine (ZnOPPc) complex was demonstrated to be an efficient photosensitizer for converting molecular oxygen (O2) to 1O2 using broad-spectrum light (450-800 nm) from a 250 W halogen lamp. This photosensitization produces 1O2 in solution as well as within polymer matrices. The oxidation of 1-naphthol to naphthoquinone was used to monitor the rate of 1O2 generation in the commercially available polymer film Hydrothane that incorporates ZnOPPc. Using electrospinning, nanofibers of ZnOPPc in Hydrothane and polycarbonate were formed and analyzed for their ability to oxidize demeton-S, a CWA simulant, on the surface of the polymers and were found to have similar reactivity as their corresponding films. The Hydrothane films were then used to oxidize CWA simulants malathion, 2-chloroethyl phenyl sulfide (CEPS), and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). Through this oxidation process, the CWA simulants are converted into less toxic compounds, thus decontaminating the surface using only O2 from the air and light.

Mechanistic understanding of surface plasmon assisted catalysis on a single particle: cyclic redox of 4-aminothiophenol

Surface plasmon assisted catalysis (SPAC) reactions of 4-aminothiophenol (4ATP) to and back from 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) have been investigated by single particle surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, using a self-designed gas flow cell to control the reductive/oxidative environment over the reactions. Conversion of 4ATP into DMAB is induced by energy transfer (plasmonic heating) from surface plasmon resonance to 4ATP, where O₂ (as an electron acceptor) is essential and H₂O (as a base) can accelerate the reaction. In contrast, hot electron (from surface plasmon decay) induction drives the reverse reaction of DMAB to 4ATP, where H₂O (or H₂) acts as the hydrogen source. More interestingly, the cyclic redox between 4ATP and DMAB by SPAC approach has been demonstrated. This SPAC methodology presents a unique platform for studying chemical reactions that are not possible under standard synthetic conditions.

Optimization of triplet excited state and singlet oxygen quantum yields of picolylamine-porphyrin conjugates through zinc insertion

We synthesized a new class of picolylamine-porphyrin conjugates 1-3 and have investigated the effect of heavy atom insertion on their intersystem crossing efficiency through spin-orbit perturbations. By incorporating zinc ions in the core as well as periphery positions of the porphyrin ring, we have successfully optimized their triplet excited state quantum yields and their efficiency to generate singlet oxygen. Uniquely, the picolylamine-porphyrin conjugate 3 having five zinc ions exhibited a triplet excited state quantum yield of ca. 0.97 and a sensitized singlet oxygen generation yield of ca. 0.92. In contrast, the free base porphyrin derivative 1 exhibited ca. 0.64 and 0.5 of the triplet excited state and singlet oxygen quantum yields, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the insertion of zinc metal ions in the picolylamine-porphyrin conjugates not only quantitatively enhances the triplet excited state and singlet oxygen yields but also imparts hydrophilicity, thereby their potential use as sensitizers in photodynamic therapy and green photooxygenation reactions.

When worlds collide: interactions at the interface between biological systems and synthetic cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes and oligomers

This Feature Article focuses on recent progress made in elucidating the intermolecular interactions between a novel class of synthetic phenylene ethynylene (PPE)-based conjugated polyelectrolyte polymers (CPEs) and oligomers (OPEs) and multiscale cellular targets that give rise to their remarkable broad spectrum biocidal activity. We first review the interactions and self-assembly behaviors of the CPEs and OPEs with a set of vital biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, that reveal the potential pathways by which synthetic biocidal agents could exert toxicity. An overview of the antimicrobial effects and mechanisms of the CPEs and OPEs on multiple clinically relevant pathogens is then presented, with an emphasis on the morphological damage induced by the biocidal compounds toward the pathogens. Finally, we discuss the cytotoxicity of these materials against mammalian cells and human tissues to explore the potential applications of the CPEs and OPEs as antiseptics. We also pose some unanswered questions about their antimicrobial mechanisms, which provide direction for a future study.

Oxygen-dependent photochemistry and photophysics of "miniSOG," a protein-encased flavin

Selected photochemical and photophysical parameters of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) have been examined under conditions in which FMN is (1) solvated in a buffered aqueous solution, and (2) encased in a protein likewise solvated in a buffered aqueous solution. The latter was achieved using the so-called "mini Singlet Oxygen Generator" (miniSOG), an FMN-containing flavoprotein engineered from Arabidopsis thaliana phototropin 2. Although FMN is a reasonably good singlet oxygen photosensitizer in bulk water (ϕΔ = 0.65 ± 0.04), enclosing FMN in this protein facilitates photoinitiated electron-transfer reactions (Type-I chemistry) at the expense of photosensitized singlet oxygen production (Type-II chemistry) and results in a comparatively poor yield of singlet oxygen (ϕΔ = 0.030 ± 0.002). This observation on the effect of the local environment surrounding FMN is supported by a host of spectroscopic and chemical trapping experiments. The results of this study not only elucidate the behavior of miniSOG but also provide useful information for the further development of well-characterized chromophores suitable for use as intracellular sensitizers in mechanistic studies of reactive oxygen species.

Singlet oxygen generation by the genetically encoded tag miniSOG

The genetically encodable fluorescent tag miniSOG is expected to revolutionize correlative light- and electron microscopy due to its ability to produce singlet oxygen upon light irradiation. The quantum yield of this process was reported as ΦΔ = 0.47 ± 0.05, as derived from miniSOG's ability to photooxidize the fluorescent probe anthracene dipropionic acid (ADPA). In this report, a significantly smaller value of ΦΔ = 0.03 ± 0.01 is obtained by two methods: direct measurement of its phosphorescence at 1275 nm and chemical trapping using uric acid as an alternative probe. We present insight into the photochemistry of miniSOG and ascertain the reasons for the discrepancy in ΦΔ values. We find that miniSOG oxidizes ADPA by both singlet oxygen-dependent and -independent processes. We also find that cumulative irradiation of miniSOG increases its ΦΔ value ~10-fold due to a photoinduced transformation of the protein. This may be the reason why miniSOG outperforms other fluorescent proteins reported to date as singlet oxygen generators.

Luminescence spectroscopy of singlet oxygen enables monitoring of oxygen consumption in biological systems consisting of fatty acids

The interaction of singlet oxygen ((1)O2) generated in a photosensitized process with well-known reference photosensitizers Perinaphthenone (PN) and TMPyP is investigated in a model system consisting of fatty acids and the respective exogenous photosensitizer (PS) in solution by direct detection of the luminescence photons of (1)O2 at 1270 nm. Such a model system is a first approach to mimic the complex environment of (1)O2 in a biological cell which consists mainly of water, proteins, sugars and lipids. Firstly, the important issue of oxygen consumption is evaluated which has to be considered during luminescence detection of (1)O2. It is known that the luminescence signal of (1)O2 is dependent on the oxygen concentration of the environment. Cellular components such as lipids represent oxygen consumers due to peroxidation of their unsaturated double bonds. Secondly, the experimental conditions for this model system regarding oxygen consumption are optimized to estimate the rates and rate constants of the coupled system. Thirdly, the triplet decay of the PS can provide more precise information about the actual oxygen concentration close to the PS and can be used, therefore, as a more precise method to determine the oxygen concentration in more complex systems such as a biological cell. The aim is to get a better understanding of photosensitized reactions of (1)O2 with cellular components to further improve methodologies, in particular at a cellular level using luminescence spectroscopy. In conclusion, luminescence detection might be a helpful tool to monitor precisely and promptly changes in oxygen concentration in a complex environment.

Production, detection, and signaling of singlet oxygen in photosynthetic organisms

SIGNIFICANCE

In photosynthetic organisms, excited chlorophylls (Chl) can stimulate the formation of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)), a highly toxic molecule that acts in addition to its damaging nature as an important signaling molecule. Thus, due to this dual role of (1)O(2), its production and detoxification have to be strictly controlled.

RECENT ADVANCES

Regulation of pigment synthesis is essential to control (1)O(2) production, and several components of the Chl synthesis and pigment insertion machineries to assemble and disassemble protein/pigment complexes have recently been identified. Once produced, (1)O(2) activates a signaling cascade from the chloroplast to the nucleus that can involve multiple mechanisms and stimulate a specific gene expression response. Further, (1)O(2) signaling was shown to interact with signal cascades of other reactive oxygen species, oxidized carotenoids, and lipid hydroperoxide-derived reactive electrophile species.

CRITICAL ISSUES

Despite recent progresses, hardly anything is known about how and where the (1)O(2) signal is sensed and transmitted to the cytoplasm. One reason for that is the limitation of available detection methods challenging the reliable quantification and localization of (1)O(2) in plant cells. In addition, the process of Chl insertion into the reaction centers and antenna complexes is still unclear.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Unraveling the mechanisms controlling (1)O(2) production and signaling would help clarifying the specific role of (1)O(2) in cellular stress responses. It would further enable to investigate the interaction and sensitivity to other abiotic and biotic stress signals and thus allow to better understand why some stressors activate an acclimation, while others provoke a programmed cell death response.

Self-assembled benzophenone bis-urea macrocycles facilitate selective oxidations by singlet oxygen

This manuscript investigates how incorporation of benzophenone, a well-known triplet sensitizer, within a bis-urea macrocycle, which self-assembles into a columnar host, influences its photophysical properties and affects the reactivity of bound guest molecules. We further report the generation of a remarkably stable organic radical. As expected, UV irradiation of the host suspended in oxygenated solvents efficiently generates singlet oxygen similar to the parent benzophenone. In addition, this host can bind guests such as 2-methyl-2-butene and cumene to form stable solid host-guest complexes. Subsequent UV irradiation of these complexes facilitated the selective oxidation of 2-methyl-2-butene into the allylic alcohol, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, at 90% selectivity as well as the selective reaction of cumene to the tertiary alcohol, α,α'-dimethyl benzyl alcohol, at 63% selectivity. However, these products usually arise through radical pathways and are not observed in the presence of benzophenone in solution. In contrast, typical reactions with benzophenone result in the formation of the reactive singlet oxygen that reacts with alkenes to form endoperoxides, diooxetanes, or hydroperoxides, which are not observed in our system. Our results suggest that the confinement, the formation of a stable radical species, and the singlet oxygen photoproduction are responsible for the selective oxidation processes. A greater understanding of the mechanism of this selective oxidation could lead to development of greener oxidants.

A comprehensive tutorial on in vitro characterization of new photosensitizers for photodynamic antitumor therapy and photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms

In vitro research performed on eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell cultures usually represents the initial step for characterization of a novel photosensitizer (PS) intended for application in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer or photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of microorganisms. Although many experimental steps of PS testing make use of the wide spectrum of methods readily employed in cell biology, special aspects of working with photoactive substances, such as the autofluorescence of the PS molecule or the requirement of light protection, need to be considered when performing in vitro experiments in PDT/PDI. This tutorial represents a comprehensive collection of operative instructions, by which, based on photochemical and photophysical properties of a PS, its uptake into cells, the intracellular localization and photodynamic action in both tumor cells and microorganisms novel photoactive molecules may be characterized for their suitability for PDT/PDI. Furthermore, it shall stimulate the efforts to expand the convincing benefits of photodynamic therapy and photodynamic inactivation within both established and new fields of applications and motivate scientists of all disciplines to get involved in photodynamic research.

The specific interaction of the photosensitizer methylene blue with acetylcholinesterase provides a model system for studying the molecular consequences of photodynamic therapy

The photosensitizer, methylene blue (MB), generates singlet oxygen ((1)O2) that irreversibly inhibits Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE). In the dark MB inhibits reversibly, binding being accompanied by a bathochromic shift that can be used to show its displacement by other reversible inhibitors binding to the catalytic 'anionic' subsite (CAS), the peripheral 'anionic' subsite (PAS), or bridging them. Data concerning both reversible and irreversible inhibition are here reviewed. MB protects TcAChE from thermal denaturation, and differential scanning calorimetry reveals a ~8 °C increase in the denaturation temperature. The crystal structure of the MB/TcAChE complex reveals a single MB stacked against W279 in the PAS, pointing down the gorge towards the CAS. The intrinsic fluorescence of the irreversibly inhibited enzyme displays new emission bands that can be ascribed to N'-formylkynurenine (NFK); this was indeed confirmed using anti-NFK antibodies. Mass spectroscopy revealed that two Trp residues, Trp84 in the CAS, and Trp279 in the PAS, were the only Trp residues, out of a total of 14, significantly modified by photo-oxidation, both being converted to NFK. In the presence of competitive inhibitors that displace MB from the gorge, their modification is completely prevented. Thus, photo-oxidative damage caused by MB involves targeted release of (1)O2 by the bound photosensitizer within the aqueous milieu of the active-site gorge.

Singlet oxygen luminescence detection with a fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single-photon detector

Direct monitoring of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) luminescence is a particularly challenging infrared photodetection problem. ¹O₂, an excited state of the oxygen molecule, is a crucial intermediate in many biological processes. We employ a low noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detector to record ¹O₂ luminescence at 1270 nm wavelength from a model photosensitizer (Rose Bengal) in solution. Narrow band spectral filtering and chemical quenching is used to verify the ¹O₂ signal, and lifetime evolution with the addition of protein is studied. Furthermore, we demonstrate the detection of ¹O₂ luminescence through a single optical fiber, a marked advance for dose monitoring in clinical treatments such as photodynamic therapy.

Involvement of type I and type II mechanisms on the photoinactivation of non-enveloped DNA and RNA bacteriophages

Microbial photodynamic inactivation (PDI), involving the use of a photosensitizer (PS), light and molecular oxygen, with the subsequent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), has been considered a promising and effective technology for viral inactivation. Although singlet oxygen is generally accepted as the main damaging species in PDI, ROS like free radicals may also be involved in the process, inducing damages to proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other molecular structures. In this study, the relative importance of each mechanism (type I and type II) on the photoinactivation of non-enveloped DNA (T4-like phage) and RNA (Qβ phage) viruses was evaluated. For this purpose, two cationic porphyrins (Tri-Py(+)-Me-PF and Tetra-Py(+)-Me) and four different ROS scavengers were used. The scavenging effect of sodium azide and L-histidine (singlet oxygen quenchers) and of D-mannitol and L-cysteine (free radical scavengers) was assessed by exposure of both phages (T4-like and Qβ) to each cationic porphyrin (5.0μM for T4-like phage and 0.5μM for Qβ phage) and white light (40Wm(-2)) in the presence of different concentrations of the scavengers (5, 10, 50 and 100mM). Sodium azide and L-histidine gave the best protection, reducing the phototoxic effect of Tri-Py(+)-Me-PF on T4-like phage respectively by 80% and 72% and in the presence of Tetra-Py(+)-Me by 90% and 78%. Free radical scavengers D-mannitol and L-cysteine did not significantly reduce the rate of T4-like phage photoinactivation (around 20% protection, for both PS). The sodium azide protection on Qβ phage photoinactivation, in the presence of Tri-Py(+)-Me-PF, was lower (39%) when compared with T4-like phage. D-mannitol did not exert on Qβ phage any protective effect after 90min of irradiation. The effect of the simultaneous presence of singlet oxygen and free radicals scavengers at 100mM confirmed that singlet oxygen (type II mechanism) is clearly the main ROS involved in T4-like and Qβ phages photoinactivation by these two cationic PS. As RNA-type phages are more easily photoinactivated when compared with DNA-type ones, the protection conferred by the scavengers during the PDI process is lower and this should be taken into account when the main mechanism involved in PDI of different viruses is to be studied.

Targeted oxidation of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase by singlet oxygen: identification of N-formylkynurenine tryptophan derivatives within the active-site gorge of its complex with the photosensitizer methylene blue

The principal role of AChE (acetylcholinesterase) is termination of impulse transmission at cholinergic synapses by rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The active site of AChE is near the bottom of a long and narrow gorge lined with aromatic residues. It contains a CAS (catalytic 'anionic' subsite) and a second PAS (peripheral 'anionic' site), the gorge mouth, both of which bind acetylcholine via π-cation interactions, primarily with two conserved tryptophan residues. It was shown previously that generation of (1)O(2) by illumination of MB (Methylene Blue) causes irreversible inactivation of TcAChE (Torpedo californica AChE), and suggested that photo-oxidation of tryptophan residues might be responsible. In the present study, structural modification of the TcAChE tryptophan residues induced by MB-sensitized oxidation was investigated using anti-N-formylkynurenine antibodies and MS. From these analyses, we determined that N-formylkynurenine derivatives were specifically produced from Trp(84) and Trp(279), present at the CAS and PAS respectively. Peptides containing these two oxidized tryptophan residues were not detected when the competitive inhibitors, edrophonium and propidium (which should displace MB from the gorge) were present during illumination, in agreement with their efficient protection against the MB-induced photo-inactivation. Thus the bound MB elicited selective action of (1)O(2) on the tryptophan residues facing on to the water-filled active-site gorge. The findings of the present study thus demonstrate the localized action and high specificity of MB-sensitized photo-oxidation of TcAChE, as well as the value of this enzyme as a model system for studying the mechanism of action and specificity of photosensitizing agents.

Role of surface exposed tryptophan as substrate generators for the antibody catalyzed water oxidation pathway

The reaction of singlet oxygen with water to form hydrogen peroxide was catalyzed by antibodies and has been termed as the antibody catalyzed water oxidation pathway (ACWOP) (Nieva and Wentworth, Trends Biochem. Sci. 2004, 29, 274-278; Nieva et al. Immunol. Lett. 2006, 103, 33-38). While conserved and buried tryptophans in the antibody are thought to play a major role in this pathway, our studies with a monoclonal antibody, mAb-1 and its mutant W53A, clearly demonstrate the role of surface-exposed tryptophans in production of hydrogen peroxide, via the photo-oxidation pathway. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen and superoxide were detected and site-specific tryptophan (Trp53) oxidation was observed under these conditions using RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry. The single mutant of the surface exposed Trp53 to Ala53 (W53A) results in a 50% reduction in hydrogen peroxide generated under these conditions, indicating that surface exposed tryptophans are highly efficient in transferring light energy to oxygen and contribute significantly to ROS generation. ACWOP potentially leads to the chemical instability of mAb-1 via the generation of ROS and is important to consider during clinical and pharmaceutical development of mAbs.

Structural and functional characterization of the interaction of the photosensitizing probe methylene blue with Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase

The photosensitizer, methylene blue (MB), generates singlet oxygen that irreversibly inhibits Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE). In the dark, it inhibits reversibly. Binding is accompanied by a bathochromic absorption shift, used to demonstrate displacement by other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors interacting with the catalytic "anionic" subsite (CAS), the peripheral "anionic" subsite (PAS), or bridging them. MB is a noncompetitive inhibitor of TcAChE, competing with reversible inhibitors directed at both "anionic" subsites, but a single site is involved in inhibition. MB also quenches TcAChE's intrinsic fluorescence. It binds to TcAChE covalently inhibited by a small organophosphate (OP), but not an OP containing a bulky pyrene. Differential scanning calorimetry shows an ~8° increase in the denaturation temperature of the MB/TcAChE complex relative to native TcAChE, and a less than twofold increase in cooperativity of the transition. The crystal structure reveals a single MB stacked against Trp279 in the PAS, oriented down the gorge toward the CAS; it is plausible that irreversible inhibition is associated with photooxidation of this residue and others within the active-site gorge. The kinetic and spectroscopic data showing that inhibitors binding at the CAS can impede binding of MB are reconciled by docking studies showing that the conformation adopted by Phe330, midway down the gorge, in the MB/TcAChE crystal structure, precludes simultaneous binding of a second MB at the CAS. Conversely, binding of ligands at the CAS dislodges MB from its preferred locus at the PAS. The data presented demonstrate that TcAChE is a valuable model for understanding the molecular basis of local photooxidative damage.

Separation and atropisomer isolation of ortho-halogenated tetraarylporphyrins by HPLC: Full characterization using 1D and 2D NMR

The separation and isolation of the four atropisomers of ortho-halogenated tetraarylporphyrins by semi-preparative HPLC is described. Full characterization and assignment of all 1 H and 13 C resonances of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-fluoro or 2-chlorophenyl)porphyrins and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-fluoro or chloro-5-N-ethylsulfamoylphenyl)porphyrins by 1D and 2D NMR techniques is reported. The outcome is an unequivocal evidence of the chlorosulfonation of meso-tetra(2-haloaryl)porphyrins on the 5′-position.