Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0847097 (acidity)
 15,165 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two remarkable crystal structures are reported of a cyclic receptor 1, containing two metalloporphyrin units. The overall crystal structure of 1 provides the first direct evidence that pi-stacking between two metalloporphyrins reduces the Lewis acidity of the metal ion and thereby dramatically reduces the affinity of zinc for external ligands; this effect was previously suggested indirectly by solution state binding studies. In addition, crystallising 1 from a different combination of solvents and the ability of 1 to distort its structure leads to the remarkable observation of a supramolecular dimer of inter-penetrating macrocycles, 4, held together by clusters of hydrogen-bonded methanol molecules.
 ...
PMID:Hydrogen-bonding clusters leading to formation of supramolecular dimers of metalloporphyrin receptors: modulation of Lewis acidity by pi-pi interactions 1092 15

1. Mammalian neuronal voltage-gated Ca2+ channels have been implicated as potential mediators of membrane permeability to Zn2+. We tested directly whether voltage-gated Ca2+ channels can flux Zn2+ in whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from cultured murine cortical neurones. 2. In the presence of extracellular Zn2+ and no Na+, K+, or other divalent cations, a small, non-inactivating, voltage-gated inward current was observed exhibiting a current-voltage relationship characteristic of high-voltage activated (HVA) Ca2+ channels. Inward current was detectable at Zn2+ levels as low as 50 microM, and both the amplitude and voltage sensitivity of the current depended upon Zn2+ concentration. This Zn2+ current was sensitive to blockade by Gd3+ and nimodipine and, to a lesser extent, by omega-conotoxin GVIA. 3. Zn2+ could permeate Ca2+ channels in the presence of Ca2+ and other physiological cations. Inward currents recorded with 2 mM Ca2+ were attenuated by Zn2+ (IC50 = 210 microM), and currents recorded with Zn2+ were unaffected by up to equimolar Ca2+ concentrations. Furthermore, the Zn2+-selective fluorescent dye Newport Green revealed a depolarisation-activated, nimodipine-sensitive Zn2+ influx into cortical neurones that were bathed in a physiological extracellular solution plus 300 microM ZnCl2. 4. Surprisingly, while lowering extracellular pH suppressed HVA Ca2+ currents, Zn2+ current amplitude was affected oppositely, varying inversely with pH with an apparent pK of 7.4. The acidity-induced enhancement of Zn2+ current was associated with a positive shift in reversal potential but no change in the kinetics or voltage sensitivity of channel activation. 5. These results provide evidence that L- and N-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels can mediate Zn2+ entry into cortical neurones and that this entry may be enhanced by extracellular acidity.
 ...
PMID:Zn2+ current is mediated by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and enhanced by extracellular acidity in mouse cortical neurones. 1101 4

In this work, Sicilian cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) were partially characterized from a chemical point of view, and the possibility of long-term storage of their juice was investigated. The acidity of the prickly pear juice turned out to be very low (0.02%) and the pH very high (6.4-6.5) if compared with values found in other common fruit juices. In the perspective of processing and storage conditions according to Italian law, the acidity has been corrected by adding the proper amount of tartaric and/or phosphoric acid. The sugar content (mainly glucose and fructose) is very high (11-12%), and also L-ascorbic acid is present in considerable amount (31-38 mg/100 g). Among the transition metals, a high content of manganese(II) (1.7-2.9 ppm) and good amounts of iron(III) (0.6-1.2 ppm) and zinc(II) (0.3-0.4 ppm) were found. In particular, such ions appear to be present mainly in the thick skin of the fruit or "trapped" inside the pulp. Pectin methylesterase (PME) seems to be present in very small amount and/or is not highly active. Furthermore, PME activity decreases considerably after the necessary adjustment of the pH and the thermal treatment requested for long-term storage. After approximately 2 months, none of the juices prepared was affected by noticeable sedimentation of the pulp. Finally, different samples of prickly pear juice were sensorially analyzed, employing descriptors such as color, aroma, viscosity, acidity, sweetness, and off-flavors. The results obtained can be considered very satisfactory, and the juice has been widely appreciated when compared with other products commonly available on the market such as pear and peach juices.
 ...
PMID:Chemical characterization of sicilian prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) and perspectives for the storage of its juice. 1108 96

A rapid and simple procedure was developed for the determination of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc in animal feeds using an identical flow injection spectrophotometric manifold but different chromogenic reagents and different detection wavelengths. Bis(cyclohexanone)oxalydihydrazone, formaldoxime, 1,10-phenanthroline, and xylenol orange were adopted as chromogenic reagents for Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn, respectively. Detection conditions such as manifold parameters, buffer pH, reagent concentration, temperature, and acidity of sample solution were optimized. Analytical characteristics of the method and interference of metal ions commonly present in feeds were studied. By changing the reagents and detection wavelengths, which can be done quickly, the proposed low cost flow injection system can determine Cu, Fe, Mn, or Zn in the range of 0.5-10 mg/L with a sampling throughput of 120/h.
 ...
PMID:Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc in animal feeds using a common manifold. 1112 29

X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been used to investigate binding of selenohomocysteine to cobalamin-independent (MetE) and cobalamin-dependent (MetH) methionine synthase enzymes of Escherichia coli. We have shown previously [Peariso et al. (1998) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120, 8410-8416] that the Zn sites in both enzymes show an increase in the number of sulfur ligands when homocysteine binds. The present data provide direct evidence that this change is due to coordination of the substrate to the Zn. Addition of L-selenohomocysteine to either MetE or the N-terminal fragment of MetH, MetH(2-649), causes changes in the zinc X-ray absorption near-edge structure that are remarkably similar to those observed following the addition of L-homocysteine. Zinc EXAFS spectra show that the addition of L-selenohomocysteine changes the coordination environment of the zinc in MetE from 2S + 2(N/O) to 2S + 1(N/O) + 1Se and in MetH(2-649) from 3S + 1(N/O) to 3S + 1Se. The Zn-S, Zn-Se, and Se-S bond distances determined from the zinc and selenium EXAFS data indicate that the zinc sites in substrate-bound MetE and MetH(2-649) both have an approximately tetrahedral geometry. The selenium edge energy for selenohomocysteine shifts to higher energy when binding to either methionine synthase enzyme, suggesting that there is a slight decrease in the effective charge of the selenium. Increases in the Zn-Cys bond distances upon selenohomocysteine binding together with identical magnitudes of the shifts to higher energy in the Se XANES spectra of MetE and MetH(2-649) suggest that the Lewis acidity of the Zn sites in these enzymes appears the same to the substrate and is electronically buffered by the Zn-Cys interaction.
 ...
PMID:Characterization of the zinc sites in cobalamin-independent and cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase using zinc and selenium X-ray absorption spectroscopy. 1117 Apr 20

Ions binding to solid organic matter was investigated in this study. A simple surface complexation model, the diffuse double-layer model, was used to describe Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), and Ni(II) binding to a lignocellulosic substrate extracted from wheat bran. The lignocellulosic substrate was represented by two acid sites: a low-pH ("carboxylic") site and a high-pH ("phenolic") site, the phenolic-type sites contributing significantly to the binding behavior, even at relatively low pH. By using the previously determined concentrations of sites and acidity constants, the surface complexation model was applied to Pb, Cd, Zn, and Ni binding as a function of pH in a 0.1 M NaNO(3) medium. The model fits were good over a wide range of pH (2<pH<10). The parameters deduced from these single-metal data were then used to predict metals binding under different conditions. The model accounted well for the change in solid concentration ([solid]=0.2-1 g/L), metal concentration ([M]=2x10(-5) to 1.4x10(-3) M), and ionic strength ([NaNO(3)]=0.01-0.1 M). It also allowed reasonably good prediction of the competition between up to five metals for the available sites. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
...
PMID:Metal Ions Binding to Natural Organic Matter Extracted from Wheat Bran: Application of the Surface Complexation Model. 1125 70

Zn(O3PCH2OH) (1) has been formed by reaction of zinc acetate with diethyl hydroxymethylphosphonate. The acidity of the zinc solution effects hydrolysis of the phosphonate to produce phosphonic acid in situ. 1 crystallizes in the trigonal spacegroup R3, with a = 15.9701(2) A, c = 7.783(2) A, and Z = 18. The compound has channels in the [001] direction, formed by phosphonate groups bridging the octahedral coordinated zinc atoms. The zinc atoms are coordinated by the three oxygens of the phosphonate group and the oxygen of the hydroxy group.
 ...
PMID:Synthesis and structural characterization of Zn(O3PCH2OH), a new microporous zinc phosphonate. 1126 53

The preparation is described of two modified derivatives of the tripodal tetraamine tren, 2-hydroxy-N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethylamine, NN(2)O222, and 2-amino-N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylamine, NNO(2)222, in which one and two primary amines, respectively, have been replaced with hydroxyl groups. The aqueous acid-base and metal ion (Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+) coordination properties of these two compounds were studied by potentiometric, spectrophotometric, and NMR titrations. Two and three acidity constants, respectively, were determined for NNO(2)222 and NN(2)O222 by potentiometry. NMR titrations proved that deprotonation of the two OH residues in NNO(2)222, and of the one in NN(2)O222, corresponded to pK(a) > 14. Acidity constants related to deprotonation of the terminal primary amine functions were similar in both NNO(2)222 and NN(2)O222 (and to those in the parent compound tren), whereas deprotonation of the tertiary ammonium N atom had a very different acidity constant in each of these three compounds. Charge repulsion, polar effects, and intramolecular hydrogen bond formation are responsible for the discrepancy. Chelated diamine metal complexes for each ligand studied depended only on the basicity of the corresponding two amines, suggesting that the hydroxyl group interacted with the metal ion very weakly in acidic or neutral solutions. The ML2+ species further deprotonated to form M(L - H)+ and M(L - 2H) complexes, in which the protons are released from the coordinated OH group. A pM vs pH correlation showed that replacing an NH2 group with a OH group in tren or NN(2)O222 makes the resulting metal complex less stable. Electronic spectra showed that the Cu(II) complexes of both NNO(2)222 and NN(2)O222 adopted a square pyramidal geometry rather than a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The X-ray crystal structure analysis of the zinc complex [Zn(OH)(mu-NNO(2)222 - H)Zn(NNO(2)222)]2+, as its [BF4]- salt, shows a dinuclear molecule containing two zinc ions, each coordinated in a distorted trigonal bipyramid. The coordination environment at one zinc atom is composed of the four donor groups of a mono-O-deprotonated ligand NNO(2)222 and a hydroxyl ion with the central nitrogen atom of the ligand and the hydroxyl ion in equatorial positions. The oxygen atom of the deprotonated alkoxo group bridges to the second zinc atom, which is coordinated by this atom and one undeprotonated ligand NNO(2)222.
 ...
PMID:Effects of sequential replacement of -NH2 by -OH in the tripodal tetraamine tren on its acidity and metal ion coordinating properties. 1126 60

A complexation study on the new Zn(II) complexes of asymmetric tripodal ligand 2-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amino]ethanol (L) has revealed that the alcoholic OH group of complex ZnL exhibits remarkable acidity with a very low pK(a) value of 7.7 at 25 degrees C. Both the monomeric complex [ZnH(-0.25)L(H(2)O)](ClO(4))(1.75) (I) and the dimeric alkoxide-coordinating complex [Zn(2)(H(-1)L)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (II) were synthesized, and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. The Zn(II)-bound alkoxide, as the reactive nucleophile toward the hydrolysis of esters, has shown a second-order rate constant of 0.13 +/- 0.01 M(-1) s(-1) in 10% (v/v) CH(3)CN at 25 degrees C in 4-nitrophenyl acetate (NA) hydrolysis, which is almost the same as the corresponding value for the very reactive alcohol-dependent [12]aneN(3)-Zn complex. Present work shows for the first time that Zn(II) complexes of the asymmetric tripodal polyamine bearing an ethoxyl pod can also serve as good models of Zn(II)-containing enzymes.
 ...
PMID:Carboxy ester hydrolysis promoted by a zinc(II) 2-[bis(2-aminomethyl)amino]ethanol complex: a new model for indirect activation on the serine nucleophile by zinc(II) in zinc enzymes. 1132 18

Glyoxalase I, a member of the metalloglutathione (GSH) transferase superfamily, plays a critical detoxification role in cells by catalyzing the conversion of cytotoxic methylglyoxal (as the diastereomeric GSH-thiohemiacetals) to S-D-lactoylglutathione via a 1,2-hydrogen transfer. The mechanism-of-action of this Zn2+-metalloenzyme has been the subject of considerable controversy over the past 50 years. Key issues relate to the role of the active-site metal ion in catalysis and how the enzyme is able to use directly both diastereomeric thiohemiacetals as substrates. The results of recent X-ray crystallographic measurements on the enzyme in complex with a transition state analogue and site-directed mutagenesis studies now strongly support a base-mediated, proton-transfer mechanism in which the bound diastereomeric substrates undergo catalytic interconversion before the 1S-diastereomer goes to product via a Zn2+-coordinated, cis-enediolate intermediate. Comparisons with chemical model systems suggest that Zn2+-coordination of thiohemiacetal substrate will dramatically increase the thermodynamic and kinetic acidity of the C1-H bond of substrate. In the human enzyme, the carboxyl group of Glu (172) is well positioned to catalyze a suprafacial proton transfer between the adjacent carbons of substrate. The Zn2+-coordinated carboxyl group of Glu(99) is a reasonable candidate to catalyze proton transfer between the Zn2+-coordinated oxygen atoms of the enediolate intermediate. Other Zn2+ metalloenzymes appear to use similar reaction mechanisms to facilitate proton transfers.
 ...
PMID:Brief history of glyoxalase I and what we have learned about metal ion-dependent, enzyme-catalyzed isomerizations. 1136 70


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>