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The protozoan Plasmodium falciparum is the main aetiological agent of tropical malaria. Characteristic of the phylum is the presence of a plastid-like organelle which hosts several homologs of plant proteins, including a ferredoxin (PfFd) and its NADPH-dependent reductase (PfFNR). The PfFNR/PfFd redox system is essential for the parasite, while mammals share no homologous proteins, making the enzyme an attractive target for novel and much needed antimalarial drugs. Based on previous findings, three chemically reactive residues important for PfFNR activity were identified: namely, the active-site Cys99, responsible for hydride transfer; Cys284, whose oxidation leads to an inactive dimeric form of the protein; and His286, which is involved in NADPH binding. These amino acid residues were probed by several residue-specific reagents and the two cysteines were shown to be promising targets for covalent inhibition. The quantitative and qualitative description of the reactivity of few compounds, including a repurposed drug, set the bases for the development of more potent and specific antimalarial leads., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mercury contamination is one of the most serious environmental problems. It can cause serious effects on the human health, such as case damage in the brain, nervous system, immune system, and kidney failure. Therefore, development of an accurate, sensitive, and simple operational detection method for mercury is very necessary. Herein, we report a new strategy for mercury ion detection based on commonly used PCR technique. High selectivity and sensitivity were achieved by the formation of the thymine-Hg-thymine (T-Hg-T) unnatural base pair at the 3'-end of PCR primers. The detection results of PCR amplification in presence of mercury ion could be reported either by using agarose gel analysis or through real-time fluorometric dye tracing for different detection purposes. To our knowledge, this study represents the first application of PCR based technique to the detection of metal ions., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A C-nucleoside with 6-phenyl-1H-carbazole as the base moiety has been synthesized and incorporated in the middle of an oligonucleotide. Mercuration of this modified residue at positions 1 and 8 gave the first example of an oligonucleotide featuring a monofacial dinuclear organometallic nucleobase. The dimercurated oligonucleotide formed stable duplexes with unmodified oligonucleotides placing either cytosine, guanine, or thymine opposite to the organometallic nucleobase. A highly stabilizing (ΔT m =7.3 °C) Hg II -mediated base pair was formed with thymine. According to DFT calculations performed at the PBE0DH level of theory, this base pair is most likely dinuclear, with the two Hg II ions coordinated to O2 and O4 of the thymine base., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The wide reactivity of the thiol group enables the formation of a variety of reversible, covalent modifications on cysteine residues. S-nitrosylation, like many other post-translational modifications, is site selective, reversible, and necessary for a wide variety of fundamental cellular processes. The overall abundance of S-nitrosylated proteins and reactivity of the nitrosyl group necessitates an enrichment strategy for accurate detection with adequate depth. Herein, a method is presented for the enrichment and detection of endogenous protein S-nitrosylation from complex mixtures of cell or tissue lysate utilizing organomercury resin. Minimal adaptations to the method also support the detection of either S-glutathionylation or S-acylation using the same enrichment platform. When coupled with high accuracy mass spectrometry, these methods enable a site-specific level of analysis, facilitating the curation comparable datasets of three separate cysteine post-translational modifications. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Diverse forms of mercury (Hg) have various effects on animals and humans because of a variety of routes of administration. Inorganic mercury (iHg) binds to thiol groups of proteins and enzymes in one's body or is methylated by microorganisms. Organic form of Hg, contrary to the iHg, is more stable but may be demethylated to Hg 2+ in the tissue of intestinal flora. Selenium (Se) also occurs in a variety of chemical forms in one's body but both of these elements behave very differently from one another. Mercury binding to selenide or Se-containing ligands is a primary molecular mechanism that reduces toxicity of Hg. Complexes formed in such a way are irreversible, and thus, biologically inactive. Se deficiency in a human body may impair normal synthesis of selenoproteins and its expression because expression of mRNA may be potentially regulated by the Se status. This paper provides a comprehensive review concerning Hg-Se reciprocal action as a potential mechanism of protective action of Se against Hg toxicity as well as a potential detoxification mechanism. Although interactions between Hg-Se have been presented in numerous studies concerning animals and humans, we have focused mainly on animal models so as to understand molecular mechanisms responsible for antagonism better. The review also investigates what conclusions have been drawn by researchers with respect to the chemical species of Se and Hg (and their relationship) in biological systems as well as genetic variations and expression and/or activity of selenoproteins related to the thioredoxin (thioredoxin Trx/TrxR) system and glutathione metabolism. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(5):575-592., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

In this study, the adsorption of lignin-modified silica gel after association with six different organophenylmercuric compounds in chloroform was investigated. Adsorption reached approximately 90% of the maximum value within 15 min. The adsorption capacity, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and interaction simulation results indicated that the adsorption proportion resulted from the strong dipole-dipole interaction between the lignin and analyte molecules, and was considered to be size- and structure-dependent. However, the π-π complexation interaction arising from the acidic aromatic moiety of the analyte, which was significant in an apolar environment, was not the major force responsible for the resulting adsorption. Additives, such as acid or ether, which competed with the analyte for the binding site on the lignin molecule, were not beneficial to the interaction, and thus not beneficial to the adsorption processes.

In bacterial resistance to mercury, the organomercurial lyase (MerB) plays a key role in the detoxification pathway through its ability to cleave Hg-carbon bonds. Two cysteines (C96 and C159; Escherichia coli MerB numbering) and an aspartic acid (D99) have been identified as the key catalytic residues, and these three residues are conserved in all but four known MerB variants, where the aspartic acid is replaced with a serine. To understand the role of the active site serine, we characterized the structure and metal binding properties of an E. coli MerB mutant with a serine substituted for D99 (MerB D99S) as well as one of the native MerB variants containing a serine residue in the active site (Bacillus megaterium MerB2). Surprisingly, the MerB D99S protein copurified with a bound metal that was determined to be Cu(II) from UV-vis absorption, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electron paramagnetic resonance studies. X-ray structural studies revealed that the Cu(II) is bound to the active site cysteine residues of MerB D99S, but that it is displaced following the addition of either an organomercurial substrate or an ionic mercury product. In contrast, the B. megaterium MerB2 protein does not copurify with copper, but the structure of the B. megaterium MerB2-Hg complex is highly similar to the structure of the MerB D99S-Hg complexes. These results demonstrate that the active site aspartic acid is crucial for both the enzymatic activity and metal binding specificity of MerB proteins and suggest a possible functional relationship between MerB and its only known structural homologue, the copper-binding protein NosL.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the regiodivergent palladium-catalyzed dimerization of terminal alkynes is presented. Employment of N-heterocyclic carbene-based palladium catalyst in the presence of phosphine ligand allows for highly regio- and stereoselective head-to-head dimerization reaction. Alternatively, addition of carboxylate anion to the reaction mixture triggers selective head-to-tail coupling. Computational studies suggest that reaction proceeds via the hydropalladation pathway favoring head-to-head dimerization under neutral reaction conditions. The origin of the regioselectivity switch can be explained by the dual role of carboxylate anion. Thus, the removal of hydrogen atom by the carboxylate directs reaction from the hydropalladation to the carbopalladation pathway. Additionally, in the presence of the carboxylate anion intermediate, palladium complexes involved in the head-to-tail dimerization display higher stability compared to their analogues for the head-to-head reaction., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Mismatched T:T and U:U base pairs in DNA and RNA duplexes represent the preferred target for mercury(II) cations. In this work, the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of the metallo base pairs T-Hg-T and U-Hg-U were investigated using density functional theory. In order to evaluate the geometric and energetic effects on the stacking interaction, the systems (T-Hg-T)3 and (U-Hg-U)3 systems as well as the dinucleotide systems d(T-Hg-T)2 and d(U-Hg-U)2 were examined. Results show that the exchange-correlation functionals B3LYP-D3 and M06-L yield reasonable information on these systems that is in agreement with the available experimental data.

In this study, a method of pretreatment and speciation analysis of mercury by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction along with CE was developed. The method was based on the fact that mercury species including methylmercury (MeHg), ethylmercury (EtHg), phenylmercury (PhHg), and Hg(II) were complexed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol to form hydrophobic chelates and l-cysteine could displace 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol to form hydrophilic chelates with the four mercury species. Factors affecting complex formation and extraction efficiency, such as pH value, type, and volume of extractive solvent and disperser solvent, concentration of the chelating agent, ultrasonic time, and buffer solution were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors were 102, 118, 547, and 46, and the LODs were 1.79, 1.62, 0.23, and 1.50 μg/L for MeHg, EtHg, PhHg, and Hg(II), respectively. Method precisions (RSD, n = 5) were in the range of 0.29-0.54% for migration time, and 3.08-7.80% for peak area. Satisfactory recoveries ranging from 82.38 to 98.76% were obtained with seawater, lake, and tap water samples spiked at three concentration levels, respectively, with RSD (n = 5) of 1.98-7.18%. This method was demonstrated to be simple, convenient, rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally benign, and could be used as an ideal alternative to existing methods for analyzing trace residues of mercury species in water samples., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Ruthenium drugs are potent anti-cancer agents, but inducing drug selectivity and enhancing their modest activity remain challenging. Slow Ru ligand loss limits the formation of free sites and subsequent binding to DNA base pairs. Herein, we designed a ligand that rapidly dissociates upon irradiation at low pH. Activation at low pH can lead to cancer selectivity, since many cancer cells have higher metabolism (and thus lower pH) than non-cancerous cells. We have used the pH sensitive ligand, 6,6'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine (66'bpy(OH)2), to generate [Ru(bpy)2(66'(bpy(OH)2)](2+), which contains two acidic hydroxyl groups with pKa1=5.26 and pKa2=7.27. Irradiation when protonated leads to photo-dissociation of the 66'bpy(OH)2 ligand. An in-depth study of the structural and electronic properties of the complex was carried out using X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, UV/visible spectroscopy, and computational techniques. Notably, RuN bond lengths in the 66'bpy(OH)2 complex are longer (by ~0.3Å) than in polypyridyl complexes that lack 6 and 6' substitution. Thus, the longer bond length predisposes the complex for photo-dissociation and leads to the anti-cancer activity. When the complex is deprotonated, the 66'bpy(O(-))2 ligand molecular orbitals mix heavily with the ruthenium orbitals, making new mixed metal-ligand orbitals that lead to a higher bond order. We investigated the anti-cancer activities of [Ru(bpy)2(66'(bpy(OH)2)](2+), [Ru(bpy)2(44'(bpy(OH)2)](2+), and [Ru(bpy)3](2+) (44'(bpy(OH)2=4,4'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine) in HeLa cells, which have a relatively low pH. It is found that [Ru(bpy)2(66'(bpy(OH)2)](2+) is more cytotoxic than the other ruthenium complexes studied. Thus, we have identified a pH sensitive ruthenium scaffold that can be exploited for photo-induced anti-cancer activity., (© 2013.)

Rare stakes: Terminal uranium(IV) disulfido and diselenido compounds, Tp*2U(E2) (E=S, Se), were synthesized by the activation of elemental chalcogens. Structural, spectroscopic, computational and magnetic studies of these species establish their tetravalency and highly polarized U-E bonds., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Several classes of antimicrobial compounds are presently available; microorganism's resistance to these drugs constantly emerges. In order to prevent this serious medical problem, the elaboration of new types of antibacterial agents or the expansion of bioactivity of the naturally known biosensitive compounds is a very interesting research problem. The synthesis and characterization of metal complexes with organic bioactive ligands is one of the promising fields for the search. The biological activities of the metal complexes differ from those of either the ligand or the metal ion. The results obtained thus far have led to the conclusion that structural factors, which govern antimicrobial activities, are strongly dependent on the central metal ion. A review of papers dealing with the Ag(I) and Hg(II) complexes of N donor ligands is presented. These metal complexes of N-chelating ligands have attracted considerable attention because of their interesting physicochemical properties and pronounced biological activities. This review will mainly focus on the preparation procedures and antibacterial properties of free organic ligands and the corresponding complexes. Finally, a research about antimicrobial properties of new Hg(II) complexes with 5-methyl-5-(4-pyridyl)-2,4-imidazolidenedione (L) and various halogen ions, HgL2X2 (X = Cl¯ (49), Br¯ (50), and I¯ (51)), is reported. Noteworthy antimicrobial activities, evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration, for these complexes were observed.

Mononuclear and polynuclear complexes of the alloferon I with point mutation (H1K) Lys-Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-His(6)-Gly-Gln-His(9)-Gly-Val-His(12)-Gly (AlloK) and its acetylated derivative Ac-Lys-Gly-Val-Ser-Gly-His(6)-Gly-Gln-His(9)-Gly-Val-His(12)-Gly (Ac-AlloK) have been studied by potentiometric, UV-visible, CD, EPR spectroscopic and mass spectrometry (MS) methods. The high water solubility of the resulting metal complexes allowed us to obtain a complete complex speciation at different metal-to-ligand ratios ranging from 1:1 to 4:1 for AlloK while to 3:1 for Ac-AlloK. At physiological pH 7.4 and the metal-to-ligand 1:1molar ratio the AlloK peptide forms the CuL complex with the 4N {NH(2), N(-), 2N(Im)} binding mode. In the Cu(II)-AlloK 4:1 system in wide pH 6.5-10 range the Cu(4)H(-7)L complex dominates with the 3N {NH(2),2N(-)} 3×{N(Im),2N(-)} coordination mode. Imidazole nitrogen donor atoms are the primary and exclusive metal binding sites of Ac-AlloK. For Ac-AlloK and 1:1 metal-to-ligand molar ratio the CuHL complex with the 3N {3N(Im)} binding sites in pH 4.5-7.5 range is present in solution. The amine nitrogen donor and all of the histidine residues can be considered to be independent metal-binding sites in the species formed in the systems studied. As a consequence, tri- (for the Ac-AlloK) and tetra-nuclear (for the AlloK peptide) complexes for the metal-to-ligand 3:1 and 4:1molar ratios, respectively, are present in the solution., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Reaction of MeHgI with Ag(2)O in H(2)O followed by addition of equimolar TabHPF(6) in MeCN gave rise to a methylmercury zwitterionic thiolate complex [MeHg(Tab)]PF(6) (1) (TabH = 4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiol) in a high yield. Treatment of 1 with KI and KSCN afforded an anion exchange product [MeHg(Tab)]I·0.25H(2)O (2·0.25H(2)O) and [MeHg(Tab)]SCN (3), respectively, while that of 1 with equimolar Tab resulted in the formation of another MeHg/Tab compound [MeHg(Tab)(2)]PF(6) (4). The cation of 2 or 3 shows an approximately linear structure in which the central Hg(II) is coordinated by one C atom of one CH(3) group and one S atom of a Tab ligand. The Hg(ii) center of the cation of 4 is trigonally coordinated by one C atom of the CH(3) group and two S atoms of two Tab ligands. The analogous reaction of 1 with NH(4)SCN led to the cleavage of the Hg-C bond of 1 and the formation of a known four-coordinated Hg(II)/Tab complex [Hg(Tab)(2)(SCN)(2)] (5). When 4 was treated with 4,6-Me(2)pymSH or EtSH, another four-coordinated Hg(II)/Tab complex [Hg(Tab)(4)](3)(PF(6))(6) (6) was generated in a high yield. The Hg(II) center of each cation of 6 is tetrahedrally coordinated by four S atoms of four Tab ligands. The results suggested that cleavage of the Hg-C bond in the methylmercury complex 1 could be completed by increasing the coordination number of its Hg(II) center by S-donor ligands and protonating the methyl group by weak acids.

The relative affinity of the cationic triangular metallaprism, [(pCH(3)C(6)H(4)Pr(i))(6)Ru(6)(tpt)(2)(dhbq)(3)](6+) ([1](6+)), for various amino acids, ascorbic acid, and glutathione (GSH) has been studied at 37 °C in aqueous solutions at pD 7, using NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The metallaprism [1](6+), which is constituted of six (pCH(3)C(6)H(4)Pr(i))Ru corners bridged by three 1,4-benzoquinonato (dhbq) ligands and connected by two 2,4,6tri(pyridin4yl)1,3,5-triazine (tpt) triangular panels, disassembled in the presence of Arg, His, and Lys, while it remains intact with Met. Coordination to the imidazole nitrogen atom in His or to the basic NH/NH(2) groups in Arg and Lys displaces the dhbq and tpt ligands from the (p-cymene)Ru units, and subsequent coordination to the amino and carboxylato groups forms stable N,N,O metallacycles. The binding to amino acids proceeds rapidly, as determined by NMR spectroscopy. Interestingly, solutions of [1](6+) are able to catalyze oxidation of the thiol group of Cys and GSH to give the corresponding disulfides and of ascorbic acid to give the corresponding dehydroascorbic acid. Competition experiments with Arg, Cys, His, and Lys show the simultaneous formation of one single adduct, the (p-cymene)Ru-His complex, and oxidation of Cys to cystine. Furthermore, the (p-cymene)Ru-His complex formed upon the addition of His to [1][CF(3)SO(3)](6) is able to oxidize Cys to cystine much more efficiently than [1](6+). These results provide evidence against interaction with proteins as process in the release of encapsulated guest molecules. Oxidation of Cys and GSH to give the corresponding disulfides may explain the in vitro anticancer activity of [1](6+).

A new terphenyl based chemosensor 3 has been designed and synthesized. The binding behavior of 3 and its chemosensing ensemble 3-Hg toward various anions (F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), HSO(4)(-), H(2)PO(4)(-), CH(3)COO(-), NO(3)(-), N(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), SO(3)(2-), and Cr(2)O(7)(2-)) has been investigated by UV-Vis, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy. Compound 3 shows a sensitivity for both F(-) and CH(3)COO(-) ions among various anions tested, whereas the ensemble 3-Hg shows a better selectivity for CH(3)COO(-) ions. The ensemble is utilized for CH(3)COO(-) recognition in a blood plasma like system.

This study describes two novel synthetic procedures to prepare APM, a useful tool for the analysis and the purification of thiolated biomolecules. The methods developed are technically simple and robust and allowed the first full characterization of pure APM. Moreover, the efficacy of APM, as a biochemical tool, was demonstrated by analysis of tRNA thiolation by APM-PAGE., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work we report on the synthesis, crystal structure, and physicochemical characterization of the novel dinuclear [Fe(III)Cd(II)(L)(μ-OAc)(2)]ClO(4)·0.5H(2)O (1) complex containing the unsymmetrical ligand H(2)L=2-bis[{(2-pyridyl-methyl)-aminomethyl}-6-{(2-hydroxy-benzyl)-(2-pyridyl-methyl)}-aminomethyl]-4-methylphenol. Also, with this ligand, the tetranuclear [Fe(2)(III)Hg(2)(II)(L)(2)(OH)(2)](ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (2) and [Fe(III)Hg(II)(L)(μ-CO(3))Fe(III)Hg(II)(L)](ClO(4))(2)·H(2)O (3) complexes were synthesized and fully characterized. It is demonstrated that the precursor [Fe(III)(2)Hg(II)(2)(L)(2)(OH)(2)](ClO(4))(2)·2CH(3)OH (2) can be converted to (3) by the fixation of atmospheric CO(2) since the crystal structure of the tetranuclear organometallic complex [Fe(III)Hg(II)(L)(μ-CO(3))Fe(III)Hg(II)(L)](ClO(4))(2)·H(2)O (3) with an unprecedented {Fe(III)(μ-O(phenoxo))(2)(μ-CO(3))Fe(III)} core was obtained through X-ray crystallography. In the reaction 2→3 a nucleophilic attack of a Fe(III)-bound hydroxo group on the CO(2) molecule is proposed. In addition, it is also demonstrated that complex (3) can regenerate complex (2) in aqueous/MeOH/NaOH solution. Magnetochemical studies reveal that the Fe(III) centers in 3 are antiferromagnetically coupled (J=-7.2cm(-1)) and that the Fe(III)-OR-Fe(III) angle has no noticeable influence in the exchange coupling. Phosphatase-like activity studies in the hydrolysis of the model substrate bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) phosphate (2,4-bdnpp) by 1 and 2 show Michaelis-Menten behavior with 1 being ~2.5 times more active than 2. In combination with k(H)/k(D) isotope effects, the kinetic studies suggest a mechanism in which a terminal Fe(III)-bound hydroxide is the hydrolysis-initiating nucleophilic catalyst for 1 and 2. Based on the crystal structures of 1 and 3, it is assumed that the relatively long Fe(III···)Hg(II) distance could be responsible for the lower catalytic effectiveness of 2., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A coumarin-derived complex, Hg(2)L(2), was reported as a highly sensitive and selective probe for the detection of mercapto biomolecules in aqueous solution. The addition of Cys to a 99% aqueous solution of Hg(2)L(2) resulted in rapid and remarkable fluorescence OFF-ON (emission at 525 nm) due to the ligand-exchange reaction of Cys with L coordinated to Hg(2+). The increased fluorescence can be completely quenched by Hg(2+) and recovered again by the subsequent addition of Cys. Such a fluorescence OFF-ON circle can be repeated at least 10 times by the alterative addition of Cys and Hg(2+) to the solution of Hg(2)L(2), indicating that it can be used as a convertible and reversible probe for the detection of Cys. The interconversion of Hg(2)L(2) and L via the decomplexation/complexation by the modulation of Cys/Hg(2+) was definitely verified from their crystal structures. Other competitive amino acids without a thiol group cannot induce any fluorescence changes, implying that Hg(2)L(2) can selectively determine mercapto biomolecules. Using confocal fluorescence imaging, L/Hg(2)L(2) as a pair of reversible probes can be further applied to track and monitor the self-detoxification process of Hg(2+) ions in SYS5 cells.

The structure of catena-poly[[{bis[4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate-κS]mercury(II)}-μ-1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(1H-benzimidazole)-κ(2)N(3):N(3')] bis(hexafluoridophosphate) 0.25-hydrate], {[Hg(C(16)H(14)N(4))(C(9)H(13)NS)(2)](PF(6))(2)·0.25H(2)O}(n), contains a one-dimensional zigzag chain. The Hg(II) cation is coordinated by two S atoms of two 4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate (Tab) ligands and by two N atoms from two different 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(1H-benzimidazole) ligands, forming a distorted seesaw-shaped coordination geometry. The F atoms of the hexafluoridophosphate anion interact with the H atoms of the Tab ligand, generating a two-dimensional network. Furthermore, this layer is connected to neighbouring layers via H···π interactions, thereby forming a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded structure. In catena-poly[[{[4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate-κS]mercury(II)}bis[μ-4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate-κ(2)S:S]{[4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate-κS]mercury(II)}-μ-1,1'-(hexane-1,6-diyl)bis(1H-benzimidazole)-κ(2)N(3):N(3')] tetrakis(hexafluoridophosphate)], {[Hg(2)(C(20)H(22)N(4))(C(9)H(13)NS)(4)](PF(6))(4)}(n), each Hg(II) cation is coordinated by two S atoms of two Tab ligands and one N atom of the 1,1'-(hexane-1,6-diyl)bis(1H-benzimidazole) (hbbm) ligand, forming a distorted T-shaped coordination geometry, while longer secondary Hg···S bonds join two such units across a centre of inversion to give the tetravalent cation. Adjacent {[Hg(Tab)(2)](2)(μ-hbbm)}(4+) cations are linked through the centrosymmetric hbbm ligands to afford a one-dimensional chain extending along the b axis. Several F atoms interact with the H atoms of the Tab and hbbm ligands, while the S atom interacts with an aromatic H atom of a different Tab ligand, to afford a complex intra- and intermolecular hydrogen-bonding arrangement in a three-dimensional structure., (© 2011 International Union of Crystallography)

Complexation of three 3-hydroxychromone derivatives bearing a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic moiety in the position 2 of the chromone bicycle - benzimidazole, quinoline, and 2,5-diphenyloxazole, with mercury(II) ions is reported. Formation of chelate complexes with the metal cations coordinated with the cavity formed by 3-OH and 4-C═O groups was shown, as well as the possibility of side moiety heteroatom participation in binding of metal ions. High sensitivity to mercury of 2,5-diphenyloxazole-substituted 3-hydroxychromone was elucidated, allowing to detect Hg(2+) below the maximum permissible concentration for drinking water. This makes the above-mentioned compound a prospective basis for development of sensors for ultralow mercury concentration detection in water. Unusual fluorescence ignition of 2-(quinolin-2-yl)-3-hydroxychromone at low Hg(2+) concentrations, rarely observed for heavy metals ions complexation with organic fluorescent ligands, was discussed.

Homogeneously sized nanoparticles were successfully constructed based on amphiphilic porphyrin-cholesterol arrays, showing unique spectral and colourimetric response to organic mercury in water, even in the presence of Hg(2+)., (© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011)

A new chiral series of potential antitumor metal-based complexes 1-3(a and b) of L- and D-tryptophan have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized. Both enantiomers of 1-3 bind DNA noncovalently via phosphate interaction with slight preference of metal center for covalent coordination to nucleobases. The K(b) values of L-enantiomer, however, possess higher propensity for DNA binding in comparison with the D-enantiomeric analogs. The relative trend in K(b) values is as follows: 2(a) > 2(b) > 3(a) > 1(a) > 3(b) > 1(b). These observations together with the findings of circular dichoric and fluorescence studies reveal maximal potential of L-enantiomeric form of copper complex to bind DNA, thereby exerting its therapeutic effect. The complex 2a exhibits a remarkable DNA cleavage activity with pBR322DNA in the presence of different activators such as H(2) O(2) , ascorbic acid, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, and glutathione, suggesting the involvement of active oxygen species for the DNA scission. In vitro anticancer activity of complexes 1-3(a) were screened against 14 different human carcinoma cell lines of different histological origin, and the results reveal that 2a shows significant antitumor activity in comparison with both 1a and 3a and is particularly selective for MIAPACA2 (pancreatic cancer cell line)., (Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

This communication describes mercury(II)-mediated cyclization of N9-propargylguanine under hydrothermal conditions. The structural investigations reported here confirm cyclization and reveal simultaneous formation of a unique organomercury adduct of a tricyclic guanine derivative.

A chelator is a molecule which binds a metal or metalloid ion by two or more functional groups to form a stable ring complex known as a chelate. Despite the widespread clinical use of so-called chelation therapy to remove mercury, none of the drugs currently in use have been shown to chelate mercury. Mercury can adopt three common coordination environments: linear diagonal, trigonal planar, and tetrahedral. We have previously discussed some of the structural criteria for optimal binding of mercury in linear-diagonal coordination with thiolate donors (George et al. in Chem. Res. Toxicol. 17:999-1006, 2004). Here we employed density functional theory and X-ray absorption spectroscopy to evaluate the ideal chain length for simple alkane dithiolate chelators of Hg(2+). We have also extended our previous calculations of the optimum coordination geometries to the three-coordinate [Hg(SR)(3)](-) case. Finally, we propose a new chelator "tripod" molecule, benzene-1,3,5-triamidopropanethiolate, or "Trithiopod," which is expected to bind Hg(2+) in three-coordinate geometry with very high affinity.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most powerful diagnostic techniques used in clinics. The need for higher spatial resolution and better sensitivity led to the development of imagers working at high magnetic fields. The routine clinical use of 3 T MR systems raised the demand for MRI contrast agents working at this field or above. In the following we summarize the research in our research group on such high-field contrast agents.

Binding of anions of great environmental concern such as SO(4)(2-), PO(4)(3-), AsO(4)(3-), HgCl(4)(2-), and CrO(4)(2-) by the protonated forms of a tren-like (tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine) ligand (HL) functionalized with a pyrimidine residue was studied by means of potentiometric measurements and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) affording log K, ΔH°, and TΔS° values for the formation of the relevant complexes. The complexes show high to very high stability due to the particular topology and electronic properties of the ligand which is able to use two separated coordination environments to host the anions, the protonated tren site where electrostatic and hydrogen bond interactions are operating, and the pyrimidine ring which may act via anion-π interaction. A contribution of -8.9 ± 0.4 kJ/mol for pyrimidine-anion interaction in water was derived for SO(4)(2-) binding. The crystal structures of [H(3)L(HgCl(4))]·H(2)O (1), [H(3)L(HgBr(4))]·H(2)O (2), and that previously reported for [H(3)L(CdI(4))], clearly show these binding features in the solid state. A hybrid AC-HL material obtained by adsorption of HL on commercial activated carbon (AC) was used to study the removal of these anions from water. AC-HL shows enhanced adsorption capacity toward all the anions studied with respect to AC. This behavior is ascribed to the stronger interaction of anions with the HL function of AC-HL than with the Cπ-H(3)O(+) sites of the unfunctionalized AC.

Two organomercury haptens were synthesized via the classical oxymercuration reaction. An intramolecular oxymercuration reaction was the strategy employed to prepare a structurally simple, but chemically robust, organomercury hapten that was conjugated to chicken immunoglobulin G (IgG). The resulting immunogen afforded mouse anti-mercury antibodies that were evaluated in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies demonstrating high titers were obtained, and various immunoassay parameters were investigated. The sensitivity and selectivity of the resulting antibodies were evaluated by exploring different cross-coupling chemistries and solid-phase synthetic variations. A second hapten was prepared with the intermolecular oxymercuration reaction, and the resulting compound, once coupled to carrier protein, afforded a solid-phase conjugate that revealed the versatility of the mouse anti-mercury antibody. The anti-mercury antibody developed in this study was capable of detecting both mercury(II) salts and organomercury compounds., (2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The temperature-dependent structures of 1D and 2D HgCl(2) coordination polymers containing a N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-2-pyrazinecarboxamide flexible ligand with different motifs have been investigated. Results show that when the reaction was carried out at 60 degrees C, a 2D framework containing cubane-like units was generated, whereas in room temperature, L-bridged pentanuclear units, which are extended to a 1D band through a Hg-Cl-Hg-bridged compound, will be obtained.

The first catalytic asymmetric [3 + 2] cycloadditions of Schiff bases of alpha-aminophosphonates with olefins have been developed. Chiral silver amide complexes bearing (R)-DTBM-SEGPHOS worked well as catalysts for the first time, and proline phosphonic analogues were obtained in high yields with excellent exo- and enantioselectivities.

Structural properties, electronic structure and UV absorption spectra of mercury(ii) mediated metal-DNA complex, thymine-mercury(ii)-thymine base pair (T-Hg(II)-T), were theoretically and computationally investigated along with experimental data [Ono et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128(7), 2172-2173]. The results were obtained by density functional theory (DFT) calculations for ground state and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations for excited states associated with the polarized continuum model (PCM) in order to account for the bulk solvent effect. The LUMO of T-Hg(II)-T was stabilized due to the presence of Hg(II) since an unoccupied 6p orbital interacted with the 2p orbitals of thymine N3 atoms in the same way as in a pi-conjugated system. Thus, excitations in T-Hg(II)-T involve transitions qualitatively different from those of the thymine-thymine mismatch base pair (T-T). Since conventional DFT functionals lack correct description of dispersion forces, a method previously developed in our research group which combines DFT and a van der Waals correction functional was introduced to study multiple stacking nucleobase pairs. Based on the evaluated distance and the interaction energy between two stacking nucleobase pairs, the selective capturing of Hg(II) ion by T-T compared to other metal ions is explained. The calculated UV absorption spectra of multiple stacking nucleobase pairs reproduced the decrease of absorption around 260 nm and the red-shift of the main peak experimentally observed in the presence of Hg(II) ion. Detailed analysis of the electronic structure revealed that the metal-metal interaction between two Hg(II) in multiple stacking T-Hg(II)-T is the origin of the significant changes in UV absorption spectra.

The electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) at the surface of a multiwall carbon nanotube-paste electrode (MCNTPE) modified with incorporate chloromercuriferrocene (CMF) was investigated. The voltammetric studies using the MCNTPE/CMF electrode show two well-resolved anodic peaks for AA and UA with a potential difference of 430 mV, revealing the possibility of the simultaneous electrochemical detection of these compounds. The optimum analytical conditions were sought. Linear calibration plots were obtained over the range of 8.0 x 10(-6)-6.9 x 10(-4) M and 2.4 x 10(-6)-6.9 x 10(-4) M with detection limits (3sigma) of 2.6 x 10(-6) and 7.9 x 10(-7) M for AA and UA, respectively. The electrode with the best conditions is applied for selective determination of AA and UA in complex biological and clinical matrices.

Using 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy, anisotropy in the indirect 199Hg-31P spin-spin coupling tensor (DeltaJ) for powdered [HgPCy3(OAc)2]2 (1) has been measured as 4700 +/- 300 Hz. Zeroth-order regular approximation (ZORA) density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including scalar and spin-orbit relativistic effects, performed on 1 and a series of other related compounds show that DeltaJ(199Hg, (31)P) arises entirely from the ZORA Fermi-contact-spin-dipolar cross term. The calculations validate assumptions made in the spectral analysis of 1 and in previous determinations of DeltaJ in powder samples, namely that J is axially symmetric and shares its principal axis system with the direct dipolar coupling tensor (D). Agreement between experiment and theory for various 199Hg, 31P spin-spin coupling anisotropies is reasonable; however, experimental values of 1J(199Hg, 31P)(iso) are significantly underestimated by the calculations. The most important improvements in the agreement were obtained as a result of including more of the crystal lattice in the model used for the calculations, e.g., a change of 43% was noted for 1J(199Hg, 31P)(iso) in [HgPPh3(NO3)2]2 depending on whether the two or three nearest nitrate ions are included in the model. Finally, we have written a computer program to simulate the effects of non-axial symmetry in J and of non-coincidence of the J and D on powder NMR spectra. Simulations clearly show that both of these effects have a pronounced impact on the 31P NMR spectrum of 199Hg-31P spin pairs, suggesting that the effects should be observable experimentally if a suitable compound can be identified., (2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This review provides an update on mercury speciation by CE. It includes a brief discussion on physicochemical properties, toxicity and transformation pathways of mercury species (i.e. methyl-, ethyl-, phenyl- and inorganic mercury) and outlines recent trends in Hg speciation by CE. CE is presented as a complementary technique to chromatographic separation techniques, especially in cases when speed, high efficiency and low sample volumes are required. The development of suitable sample preconcentration/isolation (sample stacking, ion exchange, liquid-liquid-liquid extraction, dual-cloud point extraction) to achieve low LODs for analysis of trace concentrations of mercury species in real samples is emphasized. Hyphenation of CE to element specific detectors (i.e. electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic fluorescence spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) is discussed as well as a potential of CE in interaction studies that may provide useful information on interaction of various Hg species with selected bio-macromolecules.

Let it flow, let it flow: A procedure to generate the first solid-supported mercuric salt, silaphenylmercuric triflate, is described. Silaphenylmercuric triflate showed remarkable catalytic activity for an indole synthesis, furanoyne cyclization, arylyne cyclization, and tandem carbocyclizations. An efficient flow reaction system for indole synthesis and arylyne cyclization is also described (see figure).

Described are the X-ray crystallographic and spectral properties of Co-complexes that were isolated from two Pauson-Khand reactions of chiral cyclopropenes. These are the first examples of isolated Co-complexes derived from the putative alkene-insertion intermediates of Pauson-Khand reactions. The binuclear Co-complexes are coordinated to mu-bonded, five-carbon "flyover" carbene ligands. It is proposed that the complexes result from cyclopropane fragmentation subsequent to alkene insertion. The observation of these metal complexes provides a rationale for the origin of regioselectivity in Pauson-Khand reactions of cyclopropenes.

A nucleic acid detection scheme that employs DNA-mediated delivery of an organomercury activator to unmask a fluorophore is described. The approach relies on adjacent hybridization of two oligonucleotide conjugates containing organomercury and caged rhodamine functionalities. Postsynthetic conjugation of amino-modified DNAs enabled efficient preparation of these probes. Complementary DNA templates yielded fluorescence signals arising from metal-assisted rhodamine uncaging.

8,8'-(1,4,10,13-Tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diyl)bis(methylene)diquinolin-7-ol (TDBQ) was synthesized and proved to recognize Hg2+ via reducing Hg2+ to Hg+, forming a unique Hg(2)2+ - complex.

A new mercury-alanine complex has been isolated from reaction mixtures of mercurous nitrate dihydrate and alanine (L and D enantiomers). The solid-state structure contains mercury(I) and mercury(II) associated by alanine ligands in a polymeric array. The disproportionation of mercury(I) to mercury(II) and mercury(0) was facilitated by alanine and is evidenced by the appearance of mercury(0) in reactions of mercury(I) with the 20 common amino acids. This complex is the first mercury(I)-amino acid complex characterized in the solid state. The compounds have been comprehensively characterized using X-ray crystallography, solid-state and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopies, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Dynamic range and the presence of highly abundant proteins limit the number of proteins that may be identified within a complex mixture. Cysteine (Cys) has unique chemical reactivity that may be exploited for chemical tagging/capture with biotin/avidin reagents or affinity chromatography allowing specific isolation and subsequent identification of peptide sequences by mass spectrometry. Organomercurial agarose (Hg-beads) specifically captures Cys-containing peptides and proteins from cell lysates. Tryptic peptides from yeast lysates containing Cys were captured and eluted from Hg-beads after incubation with TCEP and trypsin. From two 1 h nano 1-D LC DDA/MS of the eluate >700 proteins were identified with an estimated false positive rate of approximately 1%. Few peptides were identified with high confidence without Cys within their sequence after capture, and extensive washing, indicating little nonspecific binding. The number of fragmentation spectra was increased using automated 2-D nano-LC/MS and allowed identification of 1496 proteins with an estimated false positive rate of 1.1%. Approximately 4% of the proteins identified were from peptides that did not contain Cys, and these were biased toward higher abundance proteins. Comparison of the 1496 proteins to those reported previously showed that >25% were from yeast proteins not previously observed. Most proteins were identified from a single peptide, and sequence coverage was sacrificed by focusing only on identifying Cys-containing peptides, but large numbers of proteins were rapidly identified by eliminating many of the peptides from the higher abundance proteins.

Descriptors have been determined for four inorganic mercury(II) species and for seventeen organic mercury(II) species, using experimental literature data. These descriptors can then be used in equations that we have already set out in order to estimate a large number of physicochemical properties. These include the water to octanol partition coefficient and the gas to water partition coefficient. For the organic mercury(II) species, including dimethylmercury and the methylmercury(II) halides, the latter has been estimated over the temperature range 273-373 K.

A new type of fluorescent sensor has been developed from a perylene based molecule, N,N'-dideoxythymidine-3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic diimide (TT-PTCDI); the strong, highly selective binding between the thymine ligand (T) and Hg2+ ion enables efficient sensing of mercury ions based on a fluorescence quenching mechanism, which is primarily caused by metal-coordination induced molecular aggregation.

In the title compound, [Hg(NO3)(C6H6N2O)2]NO3, the Hg(II) atom is five-coordinate. The distorted square-pyramidal mercury(II) coordination environment is achieved by two N,O-bidentate picolinamide ligands, with one O-monodentate nitrate ion in the apical position. A seven-coordinate extended coordination environment is completed by two additional weak Hg...O interactions, one from the coordinated nitrate ion and one from the other nitrate ion, to give seven-coordination. The molecules are linked into a two-dimensional network by N-H...O hydrogen bonds.

A novel and extremely highly sensitive method for the speciation of organomercury in sea food and environmental water samples was developed by hollow fiber liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction (LLLME) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection at 254 nm. By the use of toluene filled the pores of the hollow fiber wall as the organic phase and Na(2)S(2)O(3) aqueous solution in the lumen of hollow fiber as acceptor phase, the simultaneous preconcentration of methylmercury (MeHg), ethylmercury (EtHg), and phenylmercury (PhHg) could be realized, and the target mercury species in the post-extraction acceptor phase were directly injected into HPLC for their separation. The factors affecting on the liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction of three organomercury species, including organic solvent, the pH of donor phase, the concentration of complexing agent, extraction time and stirring rate were investigated and the optimal extraction conditions were established. With the consumption of 3.8 mL of sample solution, the enrichment factors were about 120, 215 and 350 for MeHg, EtHg, and PhHg, respectively. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.3-3.8 ng mL(-1) (as Hg) with precisions (RSDs (%), c=30 ng mL(-1) (as Hg), n=7) ranging from 6.4 to 8.9%. The developed technique was validated by analyzing a certified reference material (DORM-2, dogfish-muscle, NRCC) and an environmental water sample, and the analytical results were satisfactory.

The molecule of the title compound, [Hg(C(13)H(9)N(2)O(2)S)(2)], has approximate twofold rotation symmetry, with the Hg atom in an essentially linear two-coordinate HgS(2) environment supported by secondary pi interactions with the nitrophenyl rings of both ligands. The ligands are in the imine-thiolate rather than the amine-thione tautomeric form.

The extreme toxicity of organomercury compounds that are found in the environment has focused attention on the mechanisms of action of bacterial remediating enzymes. We describe facile room-temperature protolytic cleavage by a thiol of the Hg-C bond in mercury-alkyl compounds that emulate the structure and function of the organomercurial lyase MerB. Specifically, the tris(2-mercapto-1-t-butylimidazolyl)hydroborato ligand [Tm(Bu(t))], which features three sulfur donors, has been used to synthesize [Tm(Bu(t))]HgR alkyl compounds (R = methyl or ethyl) that react with phenylthiol (PhSH) to yield [Tm(Bu(t))]HgSPh and RH. Although [Tm(Bu(t))]HgR compounds exist as linear two-coordinate complexes in the solid state, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates that the complexes exist in rapid equilibrium with their higher-coordinate [kappa2-Tm(Bu(t))]HgR and [kappa3-Tm(Bu(t))]HgR isomers in solution. Facile access to a higher-coordinate species is proposed to account for the exceptional reactivity of [Tm(Bu(t))]HgR relative to that of other two-coordinate mercury-alkyl compounds.