Exploring the interaction of N/S compounds with a dicopper center: tyrosinase inhibition and model studies.

Tyrosinase (Ty) is a copper-containing enzyme widely present in plants, bacteria, and humans, where it is involved in biosynthesis of melanin-type pigments. Development of Ty inhibitors is an important approach to control the production and the accumulation of pigments in living systems. In this paper, we focused our interest in phenylthiourea (PTU) and phenylmethylene thiosemicarbazone (PTSC) recognized as inhibitors of tyrosinase by combining enzymatic studies and coordination chemistry methods. Both are efficient inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase and they can be considered mainly as competitive inhibitors. Computational studies verify that PTSC and PTU inhibitors interact with the metal center of the active site. The KIC value of 0.93 µM confirms that PTSC is a much more efficient inhibitor than PTU, for which a KIC value of 58 µM was determined. The estimation of the binding free energies inhibitors/Ty confirms the high inhibitor efficiency of PTSC. Binding studies of PTSC along with PTU to a dinuclear copper(II) complex ([Cu2(µ-BPMP)(µ-OH)](ClO4)2 (1); H-BPMP = 2,6-bis-[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenol) known to be a structural and functional model for the tyrosinase catecholase activity, have been performed. Interactions of the compounds with the dicopper model complex 1 were followed by spectrophotometry and electrospray ionization (ESI). The molecular structure of 1-PTSC and 1-PTU adducts were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showing for both an unusual bridging binding mode on the dicopper center. These results reflect their adaptable binding mode in relation to the geometry and chelate size of the dicopper center.

Unsymmetrical binding modes of the HOPNO inhibitor of tyrosinase: from model complexes to the enzyme.

The deciphering of the binding mode of tyrosinase (Ty) inhibitors is essential to understand how to regulate the tyrosinase activity. In this paper, by combining experimental and theoretical methods, we studied an unsymmetrical tyrosinase functional model and its interaction with 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide (HOPNO), a new and efficient competitive inhibitor for bacterial Ty. The tyrosinase model was a dinuclear copper complex bridged by a chelated ring with two different complexing arms (namely (bis(2-ethylpyridyl)amino)methyl and (bis(2-methylpyridyl)amino)methyl). The geometrical asymmetry of the complex induces an unsymmetrical binding of HOPNO. Comparisons have been made with the binding modes obtained on similar symmetrical complexes. Finally, by using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, we studied the binding mode in tyrosinase from a bacterial source. A new unsymmetrical binding mode was obtained, which was linked to the second coordination sphere of the enzyme.

Grafted dinuclear zinc complexes for selective recognition of phosphatidylserine: Application to the capture of extracellular membrane microvesicles.

Microvesicles (MVs) are key markers in human body fluids that reflect cellular activation related to diseases as thrombosis. These MVs display phosphatidylserine at the outer leaflet of their plasma membrane as specific recognition moieties. The work reported in this manuscript focuses on the development of an original method where MVs are captured by bimetallic zinc complexes. A set of ligands have been synthetized based on a phenol spacer bearing in para position an amine group appended to a short or a longer alkyl chain (for grafting on surface) and bis(dipicolylamine) arms in ortho position (for zinc coordination). The corresponding dibridged zinc phenoxido and hydroxido complexes have been prepared in acetronitrile in presence of triethylamine and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. The pH-driven interconversion studies for both complexes in H2O:DMSO (70:30) evidence that at physiologic pH the main species are mono-bridged by the phenoxido spacer. An X-Ray structure obtained from complex 2 (based on the ligand with the amine group on the short chain) in aqueous medium confirms the presence of a mono-bridged complex. Then, the complexes have been used for interaction studies with short-chain phospholipids. Both have established the selective recognition of the anionic phosphatidylserine model versus zwitterionic phospholipids (in solution by 31P NMR and after immobilization on solid support by surface plasmon resonance (SPR)). Moreover, both complexes have also demonstrated their ability to capture MVs isolated from human plasma. These complexes are thus promising candidates for MVs probing by a new approach based on coordination chemistry.

Oxinobactin and sulfoxinobactin, abiotic siderophore analogues to enterobactin involving 8-hydroxyquinoline subunits: thermodynamic and structural studies.

The synthesis of two new iron chelators built on the tris-l-serine trilactone scaffold of enterobactin and bearing a 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxinobactin) or 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonate (sulfoxinobactin) unit has been described. The X-ray structure of the ferric oxinobactin has been determined, exhibiting a slightly distorted octahedral environment for Fe(III) and a Δ configuration. The Fe(III) chelating properties have been examined by potentiometric and spectrophotometric titrations in methanol-water 80/20% w/w solvent for oxinobactin and in water for sulfoxinobactin. They reveal the extraordinarily complexing ability (pFe(III) values) of oxinobactin over the p[H] range 2-9, the pFe value at p[H] 7.4 being 32.8. This was supported by spectrophotometric competition showing that oxinobactin removes Fe(III) from ferric enterobactin at p[H] 7.4. In contrast, the Fe(III) affinity of sulfoxinobactin was largely lower as compared to oxinobactin but similar to that of the ligand O-TRENSOX having a TREN backbone. These results are discussed in relation to the predisposition by the trilactone scaffold of the chelating units. Some comparisons are also made with other quinoline-based ligands and hydroxypyridinonate ligand (hopobactin).

The versatile binding mode of transition-state analogue inhibitors of tyrosinase towards dicopper(II) model complexes: experimental and theoretical investigations.

We describe 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide (HSPNO) as a new and efficient competitive inhibitor of mushroom tyrosinase (K(IC) =3.7 µM). Binding studies of HSPNO and 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide (HOPNO) on dinuclear copper(II) complexes [Cu(2)(BPMP)(µ-OH)](ClO(4))(2) (1; HBPMP=2,6-bis[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenol) and [Cu(2)(BPEP)(µ-OH)](ClO(4))(2)) (2; HBPEP=2,6-bis{bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]aminomethyl}-4-methylphenol), known to be functional models for the tyrosinase diphenolase activity, have been performed. A combination of structural data, spectroscopic studies, and DFT calculations evidenced the adaptable binding mode (bridging versus chelating) of HOPNO in relation to the geometry and chelate size of the dicopper center. For comparison, binding studies of HSPNO and kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-pyrone) on dinuclear complexes were performed. A theoretical approach has been developed and validated on HOPNO adducts to compare the binding mode on the model complexes. It has been applied for HSPNO and kojic acid. Although results for HSPNO were in line with those obtained with HOPNO, thus reflecting their chemical similarity, we showed that the bridging mode was the most preferential binding mode for kojic acid on both complexes.

Oxinobactin, a siderophore analogue to enterobactin involving 8-hydroxyquinoline subunits: synthesis and iron binding ability.

Oxinobactin, a siderophore analogue to enterobactin but possessing 8-hydroxyquinoline instead of catechol complexing subunits, has been synthesized starting from L-serine and 8-hydroxyquinoline. Comparative iron binding studies showed that oxinobactin is as effective as enterobactin for the complexation of Fe(III) at physiological pH but with improved complexing ability at acidic pH.

Comparative studies on the iron chelators O-TRENSOX and TRENCAMS: selectivity of the complexation towards other biologically relevant metal ions and Al(3+).

Complexation constants have been determined by potentiometric titration and spectrophotometric measurements for several biologically relevant divalent metals (Ca(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+)) as well as Al(3+) with the sulfonated tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate) tripodal ligand O-TRENSOX. The values demonstrate great selectivity of O-TRENSOX for Fe(3+) according to the sequence Fe(3+) >>Cu(2+)>Zn(2+)>Ca(2+). This selectivity is compared to that shown by tris(hydroxamate) and tris(catecholate) ligands. (1)H NMR spectroscopy of the diamagnetic complexes have been carried out in (2)H(2)O solutions.

Probing kojic acid binding to tyrosinase enzyme: insights from a model complex and QM/MM calculations.

An unambiguous picture of the interaction between the inhibitor kojic acid and a model of the dicopper active site of tyrosinase is reported. The observed binding mode probed on bacterial enzyme is confirmed and further refined by QM/MM calculations.

Glycosiderophores: synthesis of tris-hydroxamate siderophores based on a galactose or glycero central scaffold, Fe(III) complexation studies.

A series of five new hexadentate tris-hydroxamate ligands based on a d-galactose or a glycerol scaffold have been synthesized. Protonation and ferric complex formation constants have been determined from solution studies by potentiometric and spectrophotometric titrations. All ligands form 1:1 Fe:L complexes. The calculated pFe values at pH 7.4 span over the range 19.2-23.0 depending on the scaffold and on the length of the spacers between hydroxamate and central scaffold and on the N-methyl substitution. This new kind of artificial siderophores based on a glycoscaffold is of interest as it opens up an easy way to modulate the pFe.

Vesicles to concentrate iron in low-iron media: an attempt to mimic marine siderophores.

Amphiphilic catechol-type iron chelators were studied with the aim of mimicking the properties of marine bacterial siderophores. The Fe(III) complexation constants and aqueous solution speciation of L(S10), a sulfonated catechol unit that has a C(10) lipophilic carbon chain connected by an amide linkage, were determined by spectrophotometric titration. The calculated value of pFe3+ is 18.1 at pH 7.4. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy showed that the tris(catecholate) ferric complex formed at physiological pH initially assembles into micelles, in which the catecholate-iron units stay on the exterior of the micelle. The average diameter of these micelles was estimated to be 4.2 nm. The micelles then slowly rearrange into clusters of different sizes, which leads to the formation of unilamellar and bilamellar vesicles. The reorganization processes are comparable to those observed by Butler et al. for the marinobactin siderophores produced by marine bacteria, but in contrast to the marinobactins, vesicles of the Fe3+-L(S10) complex form without an excess of iron relative to ligand concentration. The time-dependent micelle-to-vesicle transition is discussed herein.

Complexation of the triphosphate anion: tuning the structure of cyclen based macrotricycles with 1,3-dimethylbenzene and 2,6-dimethylpyridine linkers. A potentiometric and NMR study.

The host-guest interaction between orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and triphosphate anions and three cyclen-based macrotricyclic ligands was investigated by potentiometric measurements and NMR spectroscopy. The ligands differ from one another by the nature of their spacers, which are 1,3-dimethylbenzene (TMC), 2,6-dimethylpyridine (TPyC) or a combination of the two (TMPyC). In aqueous solution, each ligand gave protonated species that further formed ternary complexes after binding with anions; these complexes were analyzed as a result of hydrogen bond formation and coulombic attraction between the organic host and the inorganic guest. The equilibrium constants found for all the detected species are reported and the selectivity, illustrated with species distribution diagrams, is discussed. The results unambiguously showed that the ligand possessing a single supplementary anchoring site (the pyridinyl spacer) exhibited the greatest affinity for the phosphate species in a large p[H] range.

Iron-citrate complexes and free radicals generation: is citric acid an innocent additive in foods and drinks?

The generation of free radicals (Fenton chemistry) from various iron citrate complexes has been studied. Spin trapping methods have been used. The results can question concerning the innocence of added citric acid in foods and cold drinks. We concluded that in absence of pathological situation citric acid is probably not dangerous but it may become dangerous in situation of oxidative stress and/or iron overload.

Design of iron chelators: syntheses and iron (III) complexing abilities of tripodal tris-bidentate ligands.

The interest in synthetic siderophore mimics includes therapeutic applications (iron chelation therapy), the design of more effective agents to deliver Fe to plants and the development of new chemical tools in order to study iron metabolism and iron assimilation processes in living systems. The design of ligands needs a rational approach for the understanding of the metal ion complexing abilities. The octahedral arrangement of donor atoms is the most favourable geometry, allowing the maximum possible distance between their formal or partial negative charges. Hexadentate chelators, usually of the tris-bidentate type, can accommodate the metal coordination sphere and are well-suited to obtain high pFe values. The first part of this review is dedicated to selected synthetic routes, taking into account (i) the nature of the chelating subunits, connecting groups and spacers, (ii) the water-solubility and hydrophilic/lipophilic balance, (iii) the chirality and (iv) the possibility of grafting probes or vectors. In the second part, we discuss the role of the molecular design on complexing abilities (thermodynamics and kinetics). The bidentate 8-hydroxyquinoline moiety offers an alternative to the usual coordinating hydroxamic acids, catechols and/or alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids groups encountered in natural siderophores. The promizing results obtained with the tris-hydroxyquinoline-based ligand O-TRENSOX are summarized. O-TRENSOX exhibits a high and selective affinity for Fe(III) complexation. Its efficiency in delivering Fe to plants, iron mobilization, cell protection, and antiproliferative effects has been evidenced. Other chelators derived from O-TRENSOX (mixed catechol/8-hydroxyquinoline ligands, lipophilic ligands) are also described. Some results question the relevance of partition coefficients to foresee the activity of iron chelators. The development of probes (fluorescent, radioactive, spin labelled) based on the O-TRENSOX backbone is in progress in order to get insights in the complicated iron metabolism processes.

Host-guest interaction between cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands and phosphate anions. A potentiometric investigation.

The host-guest interaction between orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and triphosphate anions and three cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands possessing ortho- (TOC), meta- (TMC) and para-xylenyl (TPC) linkers was investigated by potentiometric measurements. The ternary species present in solution and their stability constants have been determined. The different behaviours are explained in terms of hydrogen bond formation and coulombic attraction between the organic host and the inorganic guest. The selectivity, illustrated with species distribution diagrams, is discussed. The results unambiguously showed the importance of the distance between the two cyclen cores and emphasized the increasing of the triphosphate species selectivity together with the cavity size of the ligand. A comparison of the present results with those obtained with their mono-bridged homologues is also discussed.

Cyclen based bis-macrocyclic ligands as phosphates receptors. A potentiometric and NMR study.

The host-guest interaction between orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and triphosphate anions and four cyclen based bis-macrocycles ligands possessing ortho-(BOC), meta-(BMC), para-xylenyl (BPC) or 2,6-pyridinyl (BPyC) linker was investigated by potentiometric measurements and NMR spectroscopy. Each ligand gave protonated species in aqueous solution that further formed ternary complexes after binding with anions; these complexes were analyzed as a result of hydrogen bond formation and Coulombic attraction between the organic host and the inorganic guest. The equilibrium constants for all the detected species are reported and the selectivity, illustrated with species distribution diagrams, is discussed. The results unambiguously showed the importance of the distance between the two cyclen cores and underlined, especially for the triphosphate species, the contribution of the nitrogen atom of the pyridinyl spacer as a supplementary anchoring point in acidic medium.

New trends in the chemistry of iron(III) citrate complexes: correlations between X-ray structures and solution species probed by electrospray mass spectrometry and kinetics of iron uptake from citrate by iron chelators.

Despite the crucial role of "iron(III) citrate systems" in the iron metabolism of living organisms (bacteria as well as plants or mammals), the coordination chemistry of ferric citrate remains poorly defined. Variations in the experimental conditions used for the preparation of so-called ferric citrates (iron salt, Fe:cit molar ratio, base, pH, temperature, solvent) lead to several different species, which are in equilibrium in solution. To date, six different anionic complexes have been structurally characterized in the solid state, by ourselves or others. In the work described herein, we have established the experimental conditions leading to each of them. Five were obtained from aqueous solution. With the exception of a nonanuclear species (of which fragments have been detected), all were identified in aqueous solution on the basis of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. In addition, the spectra revealed a new trinuclear species, which could not be crystallized. Kinetic studies of iron uptake from citrate species by iron chelators confirmed the results indicated by the ESI-MS studies. These studies also allowed the relative molar fraction of mononuclear versus polynuclear complexes to be determined, which depends on the Fe:cit molar ratio.

Hydrophilic and lipophilic iron chelators with the same complexing abilities.

A new series of iron chelators with the same coordination sphere as the water-soluble ligand O-trensox, but featuring a variable hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, have been obtained by grafting oxyethylene chains of variable length on a C-pivot tripodal scaffold. The X-ray structure of a ferric complex exhibiting tris(8-hydroxyquinolinate) coordination and solution thermodynamic properties (pK(a) of the ligands, stability constants of the ferric complexes) have been determined. The complexing ability (pFe(III) values) of the ligands are similar to that of O-trensox. Partition coefficients between water and octanol or chloroform have been measured and transport across a membrane has been mimicked ("shuttle process"). The results of biological assays (iron chelation with free ligands or iron nutrition with ferric complexes) could not be correlated with the partition coefficients. These results call into question the role of distribution coefficients (of the ligands and/or complexes) in the biological activities of iron chelators.