Organobridged dicobaloximes: Synthesis and NMR correlation

Synthesis and characterization of novel organocobaloximes as potential catecholase and antimicrobial activity agents

An asymmetric, potentially bidentate dioxime ligand (H₂L) was formed by condensation of 4-biphenylchloroglyoxime and napthyl-1-amine. Two equivalents of H₂L were reacted with CoCl₂  · 6H₂O under appropriate conditions with deprotonation of the dioxime ligand. A series of new organocobaloxime derivatives of the type [CoR(HL)₂Py], [CoRL₂PyB₂F₄], and [CoRL₂Py(Cu(phen))₂] (H₂L = 4-(napthyl-1-amino)biphenylglyoxime; phen = 1,10-phenathroline; R = izopropyl and benzyl; Py = pyridine) were synthesized. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Catecholase-like activity properties of all complexes were also studied. All complexes are catalysts for the oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol to 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone in methanol. Antimicrobial activity studies of H₂L and the six complexes were carried out on standard strains (human pathogenic) of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudominas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi) and the yeast Candida albicans. The compounds showed a significant inhibition of the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria tested. Among the tested microorganisms, S. aureus was the most sensitive strain, especially to H₂L and its complexes.

Both Met(109) and Met(112) are utilized for Cu(II) coordination by the amyloidogenic fragment of the human prion protein at physiological pH

The prion protein is a ubiquitous neuronal membrane protein. Misfolding of the prion protein has been implicated in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (prion diseases). It has been demonstrated that the human prion protein (PrP) is capable of coordinating at least five Cu(II) ions under physiological conditions; four copper binding sites can be found in the octarepeat domain between residues 61 and 91, while another copper binding site can be found in the unstructured "amyloidogenic" domain between residues 91 and 126 PrP(91-126). Herein we expand upon a previous study [J. Shearer, P. Soh, Inorg. Chem. 46 (2007) 710-719] where we demonstrated that the physiologically relevant high affinity Cu(II) coordination site within PrP(91-126) is found between residues 106 and 114. It was shown that Cu(II) is contained within a square planar (N/O)3S coordination environment with one His imidazole ligand (H(111)) and one Met thioether ligand (either M(109) or M(112)). The identity of the Met thioether ligand was not identified in that study. In this study we perform a detailed investigation of the Cu(II) coordination environment within the PrP fragment containing residues 106-114 (PrP(106-114)) involving optical, X-ray absorption, EPR, and fluorescence spectroscopies in conjunction with electronic structure calculations. By using derivatives of PrP(106-114) with systematic Met-->Ile "mutations" we show that the CuII coordination environment within PrP(106-114) is actually comprised of a mixture of two major species; one Cu(II)(N/O)3S center with the M(109) thioether coordinated to CuII and another CuII(N/O)3S center with the M(112) thioether coordinated to CuII. Furthermore, deletion of one or more Met residues from the primary sequence of PrP(106-114) both reduces the CuII affinity of the peptide by two to seven fold, and renders the resulting CuII metallopeptides redox inactive. The biological implications of these findings are discussed.