Iron(III) 2,3-dihydroxyterephthalamides revisited. Charge effects on highly stable ferric complexes

Siderophore-mediated iron transport in Bacillus subtilis and Corynebacterium glutamicum

Hexadentate bacillibactin is the siderophore of Bacillus subtilis and is structurally similar to the better known enterobactin of Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. Although both are triscatecholamide trilactones, the structural differences of these two siderophores result in opposite metal chiralities, different affinity for ferric ion, and dissimilar iron transport behaviors. Bacillibactin was first reported as isolated from Corynebacterium glutamicum and called corynebactin. However, failure of iron-starved C. glutamicum to transport 55Fe bacillibactin and lack of required bacillibactin biosynthetic genes suggest that bacillibactin is not the siderophore produced by this organism. Iron transport mediated by siderophores in B. subtilis occurs through a transport process that is specific for the iron chelating moiety, with parallel pathways for catecholates and hydroxamates. For bacillibactin, enterobactin, and their analogs, neither chirality nor presence of an amino acid spacer affects the uptake and transport process, but alteration of the net charge and size of the molecule impedes the recognition.

A bidentate terephthalamide ligand, TAMmeg, as an entry into terephthalamide-containing therapeutic iron chelating agents

A new bidentate 2,3-dihydroxyterephthalamide ligand, 2,3-dihydroxy-N,N'-bis(2-methoxyethyl)terephthalamide (TAMmeg), has been prepared. The ligand, its synthetic precursor 2,3-bis(benzyloxy)-N,N'-bis(2-methoxy-ethyl)-terephthalamide (BnTAMmeg), and its iron complex have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. BnTAMmeg crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with cell parameters a = 14.4976(14) A, b = 11.5569(11) A, c = 16.3905(16) A, beta = 113.621(1) degrees , and Z = 4. TAMmeg crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with cell parameters a = 13.8060(36) A, b = 8.0049(21) A, c = 19.4346(50) A, beta = 106.855(4) degrees , and Z = 4. Fe[TAMmeg] crystallizes in the triclinic space group P with cell parameters a = 12.9565(14) A, b = 13.4514(14) A, c = 20.2092(21) A, alpha = 102.093(2) degrees , beta = 95.433(2) degrees , gamma = 101.532(2) degrees , and Z = 2. The aqueous protonation and ferric ion coordination chemistry of TAMmeg were examined using potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods. Proton association constants and iron complex formation constants for the ligand are as follows: log beta(011) = 10.32, log beta(012) = 16.49, log beta(110) = 17.9, log beta(120) = 32.1, and log beta(130) = 43.0. The ferric complex of TAMmeg is surprisingly stable for a bidentate terephthalamide iron complex. The only more-stable bidentate terephthalamide iron complex that has been reported contains a ligand with positively charged pendant arms.

Terephthalamide-Containing Analogues of TREN-Me-3,2-HOPO

A series of terephthalamide-containing analogues based on TREN-Me-3,2-HOPO have been prepared. These analogues contain one, two, or three bidentate 2,3-dihydroxyterephthalamide (TAM) units in place of the 3,2-hydroxypyridinone (HOPO) units on the parent hexadentate ligand. One representative ligand in the series, TRENHOPOTAM2, and its gallium complex have been structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. TRENHOPOTAM2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with cell parameters a = 16.0340(17) A, b = 17.0609(18) A, c = 16.0695(17) A, beta = 113.837(2) degrees, and Z = 4. Ga[TRENHOPOTAM2] also crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, with cell parameters a = 16.3379(14) A, b = 15.2722(13) A, c = 19.4397(17) A, beta = 91.656(2) degrees, and Z = 4. The conformation of the TRENHOPOTAM2 ligand structure suggests that the ligand is predisposed for metal ion binding. The aqueous protonation and ferric ion coordination chemistry of all ligands in the series were examined using potentiometric and spectrophotometric methods, giving log formation constants of 34.6(2) (beta110) and 38.8(2) (beta111) for the ferric TRENHOPO2TAM complexes, 41.0(3) (beta110) and 45.4(3) (beta111) for the ferric TRENHOPOTAM2 complexes, and 45.2(2) (beta110) and 50.9(2) (beta111) for the ferric TRENTAM3 complexes. These thermodynamic data confirm that adding terephthalamide units to a hydroxypyridinone-containing ligand tends to increase the stability of the resulting iron complex. The ferric TRENTAM3 complex is one of the most stable iron complexes yet reported.