Combination of a dinuclear Zn2+ complex and a medium effect exerts a 10(12)-fold rate enhancement of cleavage of an RNA and DNA model system.

The catalytic ability of a dinuclear Zn2+ complex of 1,3-bis-N1-(1,5,9-triazacyclododecyl)propane (3) in promoting the cleavage of an RNA model, 2-hydroxypropyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNPP, 1), and a DNA model, methyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (MNPP, 4), was studied in methanol solution in the presence of added CH3O- at 25 degrees C. The di-Zn2+ complex (Zn2 :3), in the presence of 1 equiv of added methoxide, exhibits a second-order rate constant of (2.75 +/- 0.10) x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) for the reaction with 1 at s(s)pH 9.5, this being 10(8)-fold larger than the k2 value for the CH3O- promoted reaction (kOCH3 = (2.56 +/- 0.16) x 10(-3) M(-1) s(-1)). The complex is also active toward the DNA model 4, exhibiting Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a KM and kmax of 0.37 +/- 0.07 mM and (4.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(-2) s(-1), respectively. Relative to the background reactions at s(s)pH 9.5, Zn2 :3 accelerates cleavage of each phosphate diester by a remarkable factor of 1012-fold. A kinetic scheme common to both substrates is discussed. The study shows that a simple model system comprising a dinuclear Zn2+ complex and a medium effect of the alcohol solvent achieves a catalytic reactivity that approaches enzymatic rates and is well beyond anything seen to date in water for the cleavage of these phosphate diesters.

Mechanistic studies of La3+- and Zn2+-catalyzed methanolysis of aryl phosphate and phosphorothioate triesters. Development of artificial phosphotriesterase systems.

The methanolyses of a series of O,O-diethyl O-aryl phosphates (2,5) and O,O-diethyl S-aryl phosphorothioates (6) promoted by methoxide and two metal ion systems, (La3+)2(-OCH3)2 and 4:Zn2+:-OCH3 (4 = 1,5,9-triazacyclododecane) has been studied in methanol at 25 degrees C. Brønsted plots of the logk2 values vs. pKa for the phenol leaving groups give beta(lg) values of -0.70, -1.43 and -1.12 for the methanolysis of the phosphates and -0.63, -0.87 and -0.74 for the methanolysis of the phosphorothioates promoted by the methoxide, La3+ and Zn2+ systems respectively. The kinetic data for the metal-catalyzed reactions are analyzed in terms of a common mechanism where there is extensive cleavage of the P-XAr bond in the rate-limiting transition state. The relevance of these findings to the mechanism of action of the phosphotriesterase enzyme is discussed.

La3+-catalyzed methanolysis of O,O-diethyl S-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate and O,O-diethyl S-phenyl phosphorothioate. Millions-fold acceleration of the destruction of V-agent simulants.

The La3+-catalyzed methanolysis of two phosphorothioate derivatives, O,O-diethyl S-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate (4a) and O,O-diethyl S-phenyl phosphorothioate (4b) were studied as a function of [La3+] and pH in methanol solvent. In both cases the kinetics of catalyzed methanolysis maximize at pH 9.1 and a detailed analysis indicates that the dominant species responsible for catalysis are dimers formulated as La3+(2)(-OCH3)2 and La3+(2)(-OCH3)4. The catalysis is compared with that seen for the corresponding phosphate esters, namely paraoxon (3a) and O,O-diethyl phenyl phosphate (3b) for which La3+ catalysis is slightly better and markedly worse than for 4a and 4b respectively. Overall, at s(s)pH 9.1, a 2 mmol dm-3 solution of La(OTf)3 with equimolar NaOCH3 provides accelerations of 2.2x10(8)-fold, 9.7x10(6)-fold and 9.3x10(6)-fold for methanolysis of 3a, 4a and 4b, relative to the background reaction of methoxide reacting with the three substrates. In each case, the P-containing product of the reactions is exclusively diethyl methyl phosphate. Turnover experiments with 6-fold and 100-fold excesses of 4a and 4b respectively, methanolyzed in the presence of approximately 10 mmol dm-3 La3+ and equimolar NaOCH3, indicate that the reactions are essentially complete within 103 s and 70 min respectively. The latter turnover experiment with 4b corresponded to 100 turnovers in 70 min and an overall reaction t1/2 of 8 min. A common mechanism of reaction is postulated for each of the substrates which involves Lewis acid coordination of one of the La3+ to the P=O unit, followed by nucleophilic attack by the second La3+-(-)OCH3.

La(3+)-Catalyzed methanolysis of hydroxypropyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate as a model for the RNA transesterification reaction.

The methanolysis of hydroxypropyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNPP, 1) promoted by La(OTf)(3) under buffered conditions was studied in methanol as a function of pH at 25 degrees C. (31)P NMR studies at -90 degrees C indicate that there are at least three La/1 complexes formed at pH approximately 5.3 of 1:1, 2:2, and 1:2 stoichiometry. Kinetic studies of the observed pseudo-first-order rate constants for the methanolysis of 1 as a function of [La(3+)] at 4.5 < pH < 10.5 indicate there are two general pH regimes. In the low pH regime between 4.5 and 7.6, the plots of k(obs) versus [La(3+)] exhibit saturation behavior with very strong 1:1 binding, with a plateau rate constant that depends on [OCH(3)(-)]. The catalytically productive species is shown to be a 2:2 complex of La(3+) and 1, where the phosphate is proposed to be doubly activated, thereby promoting the methoxide reaction by some 4.6 x 10(10)-fold. In the high pH regime from 7.9 to 10.5, 1:1, 2:2, and 2:1 La(3+)/1 complexes are formed with the La(3+) coordinated in the form of [La(3+)(OCH(3)(-))](1,2). Throughout this pH regime at high [La(3+)], a saturation complex, (La(3+)OCH(3)(-))(2)/1, is formed that spontaneously decomposes with a rate constant of (5-10) x 10(-)(3) s(-)(1), leading to an acceleration of 10(9)-fold at pH 8.0.