Iron(III) Complexes with Hybrid-Type Artificial Siderophores Containing Catecholate and Hydroxamate Sites

Two hybrid-type artificial siderophore ligands containing both catecholate and hydroxamate groups as iron-capturing sites, bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzamidepropyl)mono[2-propyl]aminomethane (H5LC2H1) and mono(2,3-dihydroxybenzamide-propyl)bis[2-propyl]aminomethane (H4LC1H2), were designed and synthesized. Iron(III) complexes, K2[FeIIILC2H1] and K[FeIIILC1H2], were prepared and characterized spectroscopically, potentiometrically, and electrochemically. The results were compared with those previously reported for iron complexes with non-hybridized siderophores containing either catecholate or hydroxamate groups, K3[FeIIILC3] and [FeIIILH3]. Both K2[FeIIILC2H1] and K[FeIIILC1H2] formed six-coordinate octahedral iron(III) complexes. Evaluation of the thermodynamic properties of the complexes in an aqueous solution indicated high log β values of 37.3 and 32.3 for K2[FeIIILC2H1] and K[FeIIILC1H2], respectively, which were intermediate between those of K3[FeIIILC3] (44.2) and [FeIIILH3] (31). Evaluation of the ultraviolet-visible and Fourier transform infrared spectra of the two hybrid siderophore-iron complexes under different pH or pD (potential of dueterium) conditions showed that the protonation of K2[FeIIILC2H1] and K[FeIIILC1H2] generated the corresponding protonated species, [FeIIIHnLC2H1](2-n)- and [FeIIIHnLC1H2](1-n)-, accompanied by a significant change in the coordination mode. The protonated hybrid-type siderophore-iron complexes showed high reduction potentials, which were well within the range of those of biological reductants. The results suggest that the hybrid-type siderophore easily releases an iron(III) ion at low pH. The biological activity of the four artificial siderophore-iron complexes against Microbacterium flavescens and Escherichia coli clearly depends on the structural differences between the complexes. This finding demonstrates that the changes in the coordination sites of the siderophores enable close control of the interactions between the siderophores and receptors in the cell membrane.

Advances in the Synthesis of Enterobactin, Artificial Analogues, and Enterobactin-Derived Antimicrobial Drug Conjugates and Imaging Tools for Infection Diagnosis

Iron is an essential growth factor for bacteria, but although highly abundant in nature, its bioavailability during infection in the human host or the environment is limited. Therefore, bacteria produce and secrete siderophores to ensure their supply of iron. The triscatecholate siderophore enterobactin and its glycosylated derivatives, the salmochelins, play a crucial role for iron acquisition in several bacteria. As these compounds can serve as carrier molecules for the design of antimicrobial siderophore drug conjugates as well as siderophore-derived tool compounds for the detection of infections with bacteria, their synthesis and the design of artificial analogues is of interest. In this review, we give an overview on the synthesis of enterobactin, biomimetic as well as totally artificial analogues, and related drug-conjugates covering up to 12/2021.

1 Introduction

2 Antibiotic Crisis and Sideromycins as Natural Templates for New Antimicrobial Drugs

3 Biosynthesis of Enterobactin, Salmochelins, and Microcins

4 Total Synthesis of Enterobactin and Salmochelins

5 Chemoenzymatic Semi-synthesis of Salmochelins and Microcin E492m Derivatives

6 Synthesis of Biomimetic Enterobactin Derivatives with Natural Tris-lactone Backbone

7 Synthesis of Artificial Enterobactin Derivatives without Tris-lactone Backbone

8 Conclusions

First-principles electronic structure study of rhizoferrin and its Fe(III) complexes

We have determined the structure and coordination chemistry of rhizoferrin (Rf), which is a particular type of siderophore, and its Fe(III) complexes using density functional theory calculations. Our results show that the Fe(III) ion binds in an octahedral coordination, with a low-spin (S = 1/2) charge-neutral chiral complex having the largest binding energy of the investigated complexes. We have also calculated nuclear magnetic resonance parameters, such as chemical shifts for (1)H and (13)C, and indirect nuclear spin-spin couplings for (1)H-(1)H and (13)C-(1)H in free Rf and in a low-spin neutral Rf metal complex, as well as nuclear quadrupole interaction parameters, such as asymmetry parameter and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants for (14)N. Our calculated values for the chemical shifts for free Rf are in excellent agreement with experimental data while the calculated NMR parameters for Fe(III) complexes are predictions for future experimental work.

Study of metal complexes of a tripodal hydroxypyridinone ligand by electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

The tripodal ligand N,N,N-tris[(1,hydroxy-2-pyridinon-6-yl)amide]propylamine was synthesized. It is composed of an anchor (nitrogen atom), a functional group (hydroxamate), and also a spacer of variable length defined by the number of methylene groups linking the anchor and the functional group. The characterization of this ligand in the presence of several divalent metal cations (Fe(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Cu(II)), performed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS), allowed elucidation of oxidation states and also of different fragmentation patterns. The importance of the spacer length was studied in the case of the iron binary complex by comparing this ligand with another with a shorter spacer. In this way the stabilizing conditions, in which hydrogen bonds are implicated, were clarified.

A new bis(3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone)-IDA derivative as a potential therapeutic chelating agent. Synthesis, metal-complexation and biological assays

A new bis(3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone) derivative of iminodiacetic acid, imino-bis(acetyl(1-(3'-aminopropyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyridinone)), IDAPr(3,4-HP)(2), has been prepared and studied in its interaction with a set of hard metal ions. This tetradentate ligand presents a much higher chelating efficiency for trivalent hard metal ions (Fe, Ga, Al) than the monodentate derivative Deferriprone, namely at the diluted conditions prevailing in physiological conditions and at low clinical doses. A similar behaviour was also observed for the complexation with Zn(II) but at a significantly lower extent. This compound presents a moderate hydrophilic character at physiological pH (logD=-1.72). In vivo assays showed much more rapid clearance of (67)Ga from most tissues of metal-loaded mice than the drug Deferriprone and the radioactivity excretion occurs mostly through the kidneys. Therefore, results from in vitro and in vivo studies indicated good perspectives for this compound to be a potential decorporating agent for hard metal ions in overload situations without depletion of essential metal ions such as zinc.

Fe(III) coordination properties of a new saccharide-based exocyclic trihydroxamate analogue of ferrichrome

The coordination chemistry of a saccharide-based ferrichrome analogue, 1-O-methyl-2,3,4-tris-O-[4-(N-hydroxy-N-methylcarbamoyl)-n-butyrate]-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (H(3)L), is reported, along with its pK(a) values, Fe(III) and Fe(II) chelation constants, and aqueous-solution speciation as determined by spectrophotometric and potentiometric titration techniques. The use of a saccharide platform to synthesize a hexadentate trihydroxamic acid chelator provides some advantages over other approaches to ferrichrome models, including significant water solubility and hydrogen-bonding capability of the backbone that can potentially provide favorable receptor recognition and biological activity. The pK(a) values for the hydroxamate moieties were found to be similar to those of other trihydroxamates. Proton-dependent Fe(III)-H(3)L and Fe(II)-H(3)L equilibrium constants were determined using a model involving the sequential protonation of the iron(III)- and iron(II)-ligand complexes. These results were used to calculate the formation constants, log beta(110) = 31.86 for Fe(III)L and 12.1 for Fe(II)L(-). The calculated pFe value of 27.1 indicates that H(3)L possesses an Fe(III) affinity comparable to or greater than those of ferrichrome and other ferrichrome analogues and is thermodynamically capable of removing Fe(III) from transferrin. E(1/2) for the Fe(III)L/Fe(II)L(-) couple was determined to be -436 mV from quasi-reversible cyclic voltammograms at pH = 9, and the pH-dependent E(1/2) profile was used to determine the Fe(II)L(-) protonation constants.

Fluorescent, Siderophore-Based Chelators. Design and Synthesis of a Trispyrenyl Trishydroxamate Ligand, an Intramolecular Excimer-Forming Sensing Molecule Which Responds to Iron(III) and Gallium(III) Metal Cations

Two pyrene-labeled hydroxylamines, 5-Bn and 5-Bz, O-protected with the benzyl and the benzoyl group, respectively, have been prepared for the generation of siderophore-based new chelators incorporating both the pyrene chromophore and the hydroxamic acid functionality. 5-Bz formed the starting point toward the synthesis of the tripod-shaped trishydroxamate, 1. That trichromophoric ligand displays remarkable fluorescence emission properties (dual emission: "monomer" and excimer type) which are markedly and selectively modified by binding Fe(NO(3))(3) and Ga(NO(3))(3). Ferric ions induce a quasi total quenching of the pyrene fluorescence, whereas the nonquenching Ga(III) cations are observed to affect the value of the excimer-to-monomer fluorescence intensity ratio. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) competition reactions yielded an estimated value of 3.8 for log K of the complex LFe in methanol/water (80/20 v/v), where K = ([LFe][H(+)](3))/([LH(3)][Fe(3+)]) and L is the ligand in its totally deprotonated form. Compound 1 is the prototype of a new class of photoresponsive molecular systems which could act as sensitive probes for metal cation detection and recognition.