Spectroscopic characterization of 2-isopropylmalic acid–aluminum(III) complex

Highly sensitive and selective detection of Al(III) ions in aqueous buffered solution with fluorescent peptide-based sensor

A fluorescent sensor based on a tripeptide (SerGluGlu) with a dansyl fluorophore detected selectively Al(III) among 16 metal ions in aqueous buffered solutions without any organic cosolvent. The peptide-based sensor showed a highly sensitive turn on response to aluminium ion with high binding affinity (1.84×10(4)M(-1)) in aqueous buffered solutions. The detection limit (230nM, 5.98ppb) of the peptide-based sensor was much lower than the maximum allowable level (7.41μM) of aluminium ions in drinking water demanded by EPA. The binding mode of the peptide sensor with aluminium ions was characterized using ESI mass spectrometry, NMR titration, and pH titration experiments.

Oxidative stress is a consequence, not a cause, of aluminum toxicity in the forage legume Lotus corniculatus

• Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major limiting factor of crop production on acid soils, but the implication of oxidative stress in this process is controversial. A multidisciplinary approach was used here to address this question in the forage legume Lotus corniculatus. • Plants were treated with low Al concentrations in hydroponic culture, and physiological and biochemical parameters, together with semiquantitative metabolic and proteomic profiles, were determined. • The exposure of plants to 10 μM Al inhibited root and leaf growth, but had no effect on the production of reactive oxygen species or lipid peroxides. By contrast, exposure to 20 μM Al elicited the production of superoxide radicals, peroxide and malondialdehyde. In response to Al, there was a progressive replacement of the superoxide dismutase isoforms in the cytosol, a loss of ascorbate and consistent changes in amino acids, sugars and associated enzymes. • We conclude that oxidative stress is not a causative factor of Al toxicity. The increased contents in roots of two powerful Al chelators, malic and 2-isopropylmalic acids, together with the induction of an Al-activated malate transporter gene, strongly suggest that both organic acids are implicated in Al detoxification. The effects of Al on key proteins involved in cytoskeleton dynamics, protein turnover, transport, methylation reactions, redox control and stress responses underscore a metabolic dysfunction, which affects multiple cellular compartments, particularly in plants exposed to 20 μM Al.

Glyphosate complexation to aluminium(III). An equilibrium and structural study in solution using potentiometry, multinuclear NMR, ATR-FTIR, ESI-MS and DFT calculations

The stoichiometries and stability constants of a series of Al(3+)-N-phosponomethyl glycine (PMG/H(3)L) complexes have been determined in acidic aqueous solution using a combination of precise potentiometric titration data, quantitative (27)Al and (31)P NMR spectra, ATR-FTIR spectrum and ESI-MS measurements (0.6M NaCl, 25 degrees C). Besides the mononuclear AlH(2)L(2+), Al(H(2)L)(HL), Al(HL)(2)(-) and Al(HL)L(2-), dimeric Al(2)(HL)L(+) and trinuclear Al(3)H(5)L(4)(2+) complexes have been postulated. (1)H and (31)P NMR data show that different isomers co-exist in solution and the isomerization reactions are slow on the (31)P NMR time scale. The geometries of monomeric and dimeric complexes likely double hydroxo bridged and double phosphonate bridged isomers have been optimized using DFT ab initio calculations starting from rational structural proposals. Energy calculations using the PCM solvation method also support the co-existence of isomers in solutions.

Characterization of the malate-aluminum(III) complex using 1H and 27Al NMR spectroscopy

Structural elucidation of a malate-aluminum(III) complex has been carried out using 1H and 27Al NMR spectroscopy. The 1H chemical shift perturbation clearly indicated the interaction between malate and Al(III) ion. The measurements of 27Al NMR and 1H-13C HSQC spectra demonstrated that the major form of a complex comprised two equivalent malate ions and two unequivalent Al(III) ions. With this constraint, an equilibrium geometry of the complex was proposed by a semi-empirical molecular orbital calculation.

Reduction of aluminum toxicity by 2-isopropylmalic acid in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretes 2-isopropylmalic acid (2-iPMA), an intermediate in leucine biosynthesis. Because 2-iPMA binds Al(III) in the culture medium, it is thought to reduce toxicity by Al(III). The effects of 2-iPMA and malic acid (MA) on Al toxicity were investigated in a medium with a low pH and low concentrations of phosphates and magnesium. The reduction in the growth of S. cerevisiae observed in the presence of 100 muM Al(III) ions was relieved more by the addition of 1.0 mM 2-iPMA than by 1.0 mM MA, indicating that 2-iPMA possesses superior Al(III)-ion detoxification ability. Investigations using the wild type and the deltaleu4 and deltaleu9 mutant strains indicated that secretion of a sufficient level of 2-iPMA was required to enhance the Al tolerance. It is thought that 2-iPMA secreted from the yeast cells chelates Al ions and prevents them from entering the cells, resulting in Al tolerance.