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PubMed1992

Optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy studies of ground state melanin-cationic porphyrins complexes.

Optical absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies were employed in the study of the interaction between synthetic L-dopa (dihydroxyphenylalanine) melanin and the cationic porphyrins tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin (TMPyP), tetrakis(4-N-benzylpyridyl)porphyrin (TBzPyP), zinc tetrakis(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphyrin (ZnTMPyP) and zinc tetrakis (4-N-benzylpyridyl)porphyrin (ZnTBzPyP). Optical absorption and fluorescence properties of the porphyrins were dependent on the symmetry of the central ring. No evidence was found for dimerization of the porphyrins in phosphate buffer, pH 7, in the concentration range between 4 x 10(-8) to 5 x 10(-5) M. Addition of L-dopa melanin red shifted the optical absorption spectra of porphyrins, concomitant to broadening and reduction in intensity of the bands. L-Dopa melanin also strongly quenched the fluorescence of the porphyrins. Time resolution of the fluorescence decay of porphyrins showed at least two lifetimes that were only slightly modified in the presence of melanin. The interaction between melanin and porphyrin resulted in the formation of non-fluorescent ground state complexes. It was found that there are two different classes of binding sites in melanin for complexation with cationic porphyrins and the values of dissociation constants are of the order of 10(-8) M. These values and the number of binding sites are dependent on the nature of the porphyrins. It was shown that the binding has electrostatic origin, but it is also affected by metal coordination and hydrophobic interaction.

Kinetics↗
PubMed2004

Binding mode of cationic monomer and dimer porphyrin with native and synthetic polynucleotides studied by polarized light spectroscopy.

Binding properties of the tricationic porphyrin monomer with a phenolic substituent at the periphery and the porphyrin dimer conjugated with hydrophilic triethylene glycol were investigated in this study using absorption and polarized spectroscopy, namely, circular dichroism (CD) and linear dichroism (LD). The spectral properties of the porphyrin monomer, when complexed with polynucleotides, were essentially the same as that of the well-known meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridiniumyl)porphyrin, indicating that the substitution at one peripheral pyridiniumyl ring did not affect the binding mode. When the porphyrin dimer formed a complex with poly[d(G-C)(2)], a negative CD band and a negative LD(r) spectrum were apparent in the Soret absorption region, with its LD(r) magnitude significantly smaller than that in the DNA absorption region. As the complex was stabilized over time, the intensity of the negative CD band and the negative LD(r) increased. These observations indicated that one of the porphyrin moieties of the dimer intercalated initially and than the other one also intercalated consecutively within a few hours. In the porphyrin dimer-poly[d(A-T)(2)] complex case, a bisignate CD was apparent and remained for at least 12 h, indicating that the porphyrins are stacked along the polynucleotide stem even at a very low [porphyrin]/[DNA base] ratio. A wavelength-dependent and time-dependent LD(r) of this complex suggests that the porphyrin molecular plane tilts strongly relative to the polynucleotide helix axis. The spectral properties of the porphyrin dimer-DNA complex are similar to those of the porphyrin dimer-poly[d(G-C)(2)] complex. However, some of the porphyrin moieties were located at the groove, which was evident by some positive characters in the CD and LD(r) spectra at the short wavelength in the Soret band.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

DNA interaction and photocleavage properties of porphyrins containing cationic substituents at the peripheral position.

A series of mono- and disubstituted cationic porphyrins (1-8) were synthesized and investigated for their ability to bind and cleave DNA in the presence of light. In these porphyrins, the cationic substituents were introduced at various peripheral positions, i.e., the non-meso positions of the porphyrin system. The modes of binding of these porphyrins to DNA were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and an unwinding assay. The intrinsic binding constants Kb of these porphyrins to calf thymus DNA was found to be in the range 10(4)-10(5) M-1. Two of the zinc(II) complexes of non-meso-substituted cationic porphyrins (5 and 8) were found to bind to DNA via intercalation, which is in contrast to the previously reported outside-binding mode for the Zn(II) complexes of meso-substituted cationic porphyrins. Except for monocationic porphyrin 1 and Ni(II) dicationic porphyrin 6, all the other porphyrins were found to be efficient photocleavers of DNA. The DNA photocleavage characteristics of this series of cationic porphyrins were found to depend on the structural characteristics of the poprhyrins such as (a) length of the side chain of the cationic substituents (2 vs 4), (b) the position of the side chain on the porphyrin ring (4 vs 7), and (c) the presence of the chelating metal in 3, 5, and 8 as compared to the nonmetallo porphyrins 2, 4, and 7, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Determination of renal porphyrin handling in rats suffering from different kinds of chronic renal failure (CRF): uranyl nitrate (UN) induced fibrosis or 5/6-nephrectomy (5/6NX).

The renal handling of porphyrins is reported to be a sensitive marker for chronic renal failure (CRF) for two reasons: heme is synthesised in proximal tubules and porphyrins are reabsorbed in the renal proximal tubule by apical peptide transporter PEPT 2. Two different models of CRF in female Wistar rats have been used for investigation of renal porphyrin handling: (1) single administration of uranyl nitrate (UN; 0.5 mg/100 g b.wt.) and (2) 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX). Renal clearance experiments were performed at weeks 2 and 10 after the onset of CRF. The concentrations of porphyrin intermediates (uroporphyrin I and III, coproporphyrin I and II, heptaporphyrin, and pentaporphyrin) were measured by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Both after UN and 5/6NX a significant reduction of body weight occurred. The kidney weight was enhanced 2 weeks after UN compared to controls (+31%). After 5/6NX, the weight of the remnant kidney was 44% (2nd week) and 140% (10th week) higher compared to one control kidney. Urine volumes and GFR were significantly reduced at week 2 and 10 after 5/6NX, but at week 10 after UN values were comparable to controls. Two weeks after UN and 5/6NX the concentrations of heptaporphyrin was moderately decreased in renal tissue whereas after 10 weeks the concentrations of most porphyrins were increased in the kidney. The plasma levels of free porphyrins were only slightly enhanced (week 2). The renal excretion of porphyrins was initially slightly reduced in both models, whereas it increases 10 weeks after UN, but it remained reduced 10 weeks after 5/6NX. UN induces tubulointerstitial fibrosis including atrophic glomeruli, whereas 5/6NX was characterized by distinct proteinuria, dilated tubules containing hyaline casts. A modulation of porphyrin metabolism in the kidney seems first of all to be responsible for UN effect on renal porphyrin handling. Summing up the 5/6NX results, both reduction in intact renal tissue mass and a modification of enzymes involved in heme biosynthesis by uraemic toxins are responsible for accumulation of porphyrins in renal tissue. After 5/6NX reduced excretion of porphyrins into urine and enhanced porphyrin concentrations in the kidney indicate more a damage of renal porphyrin biosynthesis than changes in their reabsorption.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The binding of porphyrin cytochrome c to yeast cytochrome c peroxidase. A fluorescence study of the number of sites and their sensitivity to salt.

Porphyrin c, the iron-free derivative of cytochrome c, is a reasonably good model for cytochrome c binding to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP). It binds with the same stoichiometry but only one-quarter as tightly as cytochrome c. CcP (resting, FeIII) and CcP X CN can both bind up to two molecules of porphyrin c. The binding of the first porphyrin c is tight (kd = 1 X 10(-9) M, pH 6, ionic strength mu = 0, 4 degrees C) and results in quenching of the porphyrin c fluorescence. The binding is sensitive to ionic strength. The binding of the second porphyrin c is looser (Kd unknown) and does not result in quenching of the porphyrin fluorescence. The binding of porphyrin c to the cyano form and the resting forms of CcP cannot be distinguished by our methods. ES is the first acceptor of electrons from c(II) and can bind at least two molecules of porphyrin c. The binding of the first porphyrin c is extremely tight, results in substantial quenching and is insensitive to ionic strength. The binding of porphyrin c to the loose site (Kd = 2 X 10(-9) M, pH 6, 4 degrees C, mu = 0) results, unlike the resting and cyano forms, in quenching of fluorescence of the second porphyrin c. The binding of the second porphyrin c to ES is sensitive to ionic strength. The calculated distances between porphyrin c and the hemes of CcP(FeIII) and ES are approximately 2.5 nm.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1999

"Axial-Bonding"-Type Hybrid Porphyrin Arrays: Synthesis, Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry, and Singlet State Properties.

A series of phosphorus(V), germanium(IV), and tin(IV) porphyrin-based, "axial-bonding"-type hybrid trimers have been readily constructed by employing a new "building-block" approach. The approach is modular in nature, and it involves simple "inorganic" reactions such as axial bond formation of main group element containing porphyrins and insertion of metal/"metalloid" ions into the porphyrin cavity. The architecture of these arrays is such that, while a phosphorus(V), germanium(IV), or tin(IV) complex of meso-5,10,15,20-(tetratolyl)porphyrin forms the basal scaffolding unit, the free-base, vanadyl, cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), or zinc(II) porphyrins occupy the two axial sites via an aryloxy bridge. Synthesis of an "all-phosphorus" array containing three phosphorus(V) subunits has also been accomplished. Each new porphyrin array investigated in this study has been fully characterized by various physical methods that include mass (FAB), UV-visible, infrared, fluorescence, electron spin resonance (ESR), and (1)H and (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR; 1D and 2D) spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetry. The UV-visible and ESR spectral parameters and also the redox potential data suggest that there exists no interaction between the pi-planes of the constituent monomeric porphyrins in these arrays. Detailed (1)H NMR investigations carried out with the trimers containing diamagnetic porphyrins reveal characteristic shielding/deshielding effects for the various protons on the axial porphyrin subunits. The ground state data, as probed by the spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques, collectively indicate that there exists a symmetric but nonparallel disposition of the two axial porphyrins with respect to plane of the central porphyrin. Singlet state activity of the photoactive trimers has been probed by the steady state fluorescence method with selective excitation into the bands corresponding to the two constituent monomeric species. Analysis of the fluorescence emission and excitation spectral data suggests the occurrence of electronic energy transfer as well as photoinduced electron transfer reactions in trimers endowed with free-base or zinc(II) porphyrin axial subunits. Efficiencies of the excited state processes of these trimeric arrays are shown to be dependent on the type of metal/metalloid ions present in the porphyrin crevice.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Porphyrin interactions with wild-type and mutant mouse ferrochelatase.

Ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1), the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, catalyzes Fe(2+) chelation into protoporphyrin IX. Resonance Raman and UV-vis absorption spectroscopies of wild-type and engineered variants of murine ferrochelatase were used to examine the proposed structural mechanism for iron insertion into porphyrin. The recombinant variants (i.e., H207N and E287Q) are enzymes in which the conserved amino acids histidine-207 and glutamate-287 of murine ferrochelatase were substituted with asparagine and glutamine, respectively. Both of these residues are at the active site of the enzyme as deduced from the Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase three-dimensional structure. On the basis of changes in the UV-vis absorption spectrum, addition of free-base or metalated porphyrins to wild-type ferrochelatase and H207N variant yields a 1:1 complex, most likely a monomeric protein-bound species at the active site. In contrast, the addition of porphyrin (either free base or metalated) to E287Q is substoichiometric, as this variant retains bound porphyrin in the active site during isolation and purification. The specificity of porphyrin binding is confirmed by the narrowing of the structure-sensitive lines and the vinyl vibrational mode in the resonance Raman spectra. Shifts in the resonance Raman lines of free-base and metalated porphyrins bound to the wild-type ferrochelatase indicate a nonplanar distortion of the porphyrin macrocycle. However, the magnitude of the distortion cannot be determined without first defining the specific type of deformation. Significantly, the extent of the nonplanar distortion varies in the case of H207N- and E287Q-bound porphyrins. In fact, resonance Raman spectral decompositions indicate a homogeneous ruffled deformation for the nickel protoporphyrin bound to the wild-type ferrochelatase, whereas both planar and ruffled conformations are present for the H207N-bound porphyrin. Perhaps more revealing is the unusual resonance Raman spectrum of the endogenous E287Q-bound porphyrin, which has the structure-sensitive lines greatly upshifted relative to those of the free-base protoporphyrin in solution. This could be interpreted as an equilibrium between protein conformers, one of which favors a highly distorted porphyrin macrocycle. Taken together, these findings suggest that distortion occurs in murine ferrochelatase for some porphyrins, even without metal binding, which is apparently required for the yeast ferrochelatase.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2001

Studies on porphyrin-quinhydrone complexes: molecular recognition of quinone and hydroquinone in solution.

Free-base and zinc(II) porphyrins bearing either one, two, or four hydroquinone entities at the meso positions are shown to bind quinones in solutions via a quinhydrone pairing mechanism. Electrochemical studies reveal that the quinhydrone complexes are stabilized by charge-transfer interactions between the donor (hydroquinone) and the acceptor (quinone). The redox potentials of the quinhydrone complexes are governed by the potentials of the quinones utilized to form quinhydrone. The (1)H NMR studies reveal that the quinhydrone complexes are stabilized by H-bonding in addition to the charge-transfer interactions. Singlet emission studies have shown that the fluorescence quenching of the porphyrin increases with an increase in the number of receptors, i.e., hydroquinone entities on the porphyrin macrocycle. Control experiments performed by using zinc porphyrin bearing a dimethoxyphenyl group, i.e., a receptor entity with no H-bonding ability, indicate that the H-bonding plays an important role in quinhydrone formation. Porphyrin-quinhydrone formed by using covalently linked porphyrin-quinone and hydroquinone present in solution shows fluorescence enhancement. The measured fluorescence quantum yields, phi(f), are found to depend on the metal ion in the porphyrin cavity and the oxidation potential of the employed hydroquinones. The present studies also reveal that the measured phi(f) values depend on how the quinhydrone is linked to the porphyrin macrocycle, i.e., either through quinone or hydroquinone. Generally, porphyrin-quinhydrone formed by hydroquinone-appended porphyrins shows decreased phi(f) values as compared to porphyrin-quinhydrone formed by quinone-appended porphyrins.

Benzoquinones↗
PubMed1997

Comparative Analysis of the Conformations of Symmetrically and Asymmetrically Deca- and Undecasubstituted Porphyrins Bearing Meso-Alkyl or -Aryl Groups.

Conformational analysis of highly substituted porphyrins has potential implications for modeling the behavior of macrocycles in tetrapyrrole-containing protein complexes and during catalytic reactions. In order to study the influence of different substituent patterns on the conformation of the porphyrin macrocycle, a series of metal free and nickel(II) decasubstituted porphyrins bearing aryl or ethyl groups at opposite meso positions and alkyl groups at the pyrrole positions have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Crystal structures of the free-base porphyrins with 5,15-diaryl substituents showed negligible out-of-plane distortion but a large amount of in-plane distortion along the 5,15-axis accompanied by large bond angle changes similar to those previously seen for related porphyrins with 5,15-dialkyl substituents. Nickel(II) complexes of the 5,15-diaryl-substituted porphyrins show planar or modestly nonplanar conformations, suggesting that these complexes are not intrinsically nonplanar, whereas a complex with 5,15-diethyl substituents has a very ruffled conformation similar to those observed for related complexes with other metals. The nickel(II) complexes are also elongated along the 5,15-axis in a qualitatively similar but less dramatic fashion than are the free-base porphyrins. Spectrosopic studies ((1)H NMR, optical, and resonance Raman spectroscopy) suggest that conformations similar to those determined by X-ray crystallography are present in solution for the 5,15-dialkyl- and 5,15-diaryl-substituted porphyrins. Several asymmetric nickel(II) and metal-free deca- and undecasubstituted porphyrins containing both aryl and alkyl meso-substituents were also investigated. Metal-free 5,15-disubstituted porphyrins with one aryl and one alkyl group showed considerably elongated porphyrin cores, whereas nickel(II) complexes of porphyrins with 5,10- or 5,10,15-substitution patterns showed very nonplanar structures consisting mainly of ruffle and saddle type distortions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Photophysical properties of long rodlike meso-meso-linked zinc(II) porphyrins investigated by time-resolved laser spectroscopic methods.

The molecular design of directly meso-meso-linked porphyrin arrays as a new model of light-harvesting antenna as well as a molecular photonic wire was envisaged to bring the porphyrin units closer for rapid energy transfer. For this purpose, zinc(II) 5,15-bis(3,5-bis(octyloxy)phenyl)porphyrin (Z1) and its directly meso-meso-linked porphyrin arrays up to Z128 (Zn, n represents the number of porphyrins) were synthesized. The absorption spectra of these porphyrin arrays change in a systematic manner with an increase in the number of porphyrins; the high-energy Soret bands remain at nearly the same wavelength (413-414 nm), while the low-energy exciton split Soret bands are gradually red-shifted, resulting in a progressive increase in the exciton splitting energy. The exciton splitting is nicely correlated with the values of cos[pi/(N + 1)] according to Kasha's exciton coupling theory, providing a value of 4250 cm(-1) for the exciton coupling energy in the S(2) state. The increasing red-shifts for the Q-bands are rather modest. The fluorescence excitation anisotropy spectra of the porphyrin arrays show that the photoexcitation of the high-energy Soret bands exhibits a large angle difference between absorption and emission dipoles in contrast with the photoexcitation of the low-energy exciton split Soret and Q-bands. This result indicates that the high-energy Soret bands are characteristic of the summation of the individual monomeric transitions with its overall dipole moment deviated from the array chain direction, while the low-energy Soret bands result from the exciton splitting between the monomeric transition dipoles in line with the array chain direction. From the fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetime measurements, the radiative coherent length was estimated to be 6-8 porphyrin units in the porphyrin arrays. Ultrafast fluorescence decay measurements show that the S(2) --> S(1) internal conversion process occurs in less than 1 ps in the porphyrin arrays due to the existence of exciton split band as a ladder-type deactivation channel, while this process is relatively slow in Z1 (approximately 1.6 ps). The rate of this process seems to follow the energy gap law, which is mainly determined by the energy gap between the two Soret bands of the porphyrin arrays.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

A tightly coupled linear array of perylene, bis(porphyrin), and phthalocyanine units that functions as a photoinduced energy-transfer cascade

We have prepared a linear array of chromophores consisting of a perylene input unit, a bis(free base porphyrin) transmission unit, and a free base phthalocyanine output unit for studies in artificial photosynthesis and molecular photonics. The synthesis involved four stages: (1) a rational synthesis of trans-AB2C-porphyrin building blocks each bearing one meso-unsubstituted position, (2) oxidative, meso,meso coupling of the zinc porphyrin monomers to afford a bis(zinc porphyrin) bearing one phthalonitrile group and one iodophenyl group, (3) preparation of a bis(porphyrin)-phthalocyanine array via a mixed cyclization involving the bis(free base porphyrin) and 4-tert-butylphthalonitrile, and (4) Pd-mediated coupling of an ethynylperylene to afford a perylene-bis(porphyrin)-phthalocyanine linear array. The perylene-bis(porphyrin)-phthalocyanine array absorbs strongly across the visible spectrum. Excitation at 490 nm, where the perylene absorbs preferentially, results in fluorescence almost exclusively from the phthalocyanine (phi(f) = 0.78). The excited phthalocyanine forms with time constants of 2 ps (90%) and 13 ps (10%). The observed time constants resemble those of corresponding phenylethyne-linked dyads, including a perylene-porphyrin (< or = 0.5 ps) and a porphyrin-phthalocyanine (1.1 ps (70%) and 8 ps (30%)). The perylene-bis(porphyrin)-phthalocyanine architecture exhibits efficient light-harvesting properties and rapid funneling of energy in a cascade from perylene to bis(porphyrin) to phthalocyanine.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Synthesis and photophysical properties of light-harvesting arrays comprised of a porphyrin bearing multiple perylene-monoimide accessory pigments.

We present the synthesis and characterization of new light-harvesting arrays containing two, four, or eight perylene-monoimide accessory pigments attached to a zinc porphyrin. Each perylene is substituted with one or three 4-tert-butylphenoxy substituents. A 4,3'- or 4,2'-diarylethyne linker joins the perylene N-imide position and the porphyrin meso-position, affording divergent or convergent architectures, respectively. The architectures are designed to provide high solubility in organic media and facile perylene-to-porphyrin energy transfer, while avoiding charge-transfer quenching of the excited porphyrin product. For the array containing four perylenes per porphyrin in both nonpolar (toluene) and polar (benzonitrile) media and for the array containing eight perylenes per porphyrin in toluene, the photoexcited perylene-monoimide dye (PMI) decays rapidly ( approximately 3.5 ps) and predominantly (>or=90%) by energy transfer to the zinc porphyrin to form the excited zinc porphyrin (Zn), which has excited-state characteristics (lifetime, fluorescence yield) comparable (within approximately 10%) to those of the isolated chromophore. For the array containing eight perylenes in benzonitrile, PMI decays approximately 80% by energy transfer (forming Zn) and approximately 20% by hole transfer (forming PMI- Zn+); Zn subsequently decays approximately 20% by electron transfer (also forming PMI- Zn+) and approximately 80% by the normal routes open to the porphyrin monomer (intersystem crossing, internal conversion, fluorescence). In addition to rapid and efficient perylene-to-porphyrin energy transfer, the broad blue-green to yellow absorption of the perylene dyes complements the blue absorption of the porphyrin, resulting in excellent light harvesting across a significant spectral region. Collectively, the work described herein identifies multiperylene-porphyrin arrays that exhibit suitable photochemical properties for use as motifs in larger light-harvesting systems.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1965

HAEM SYNTHASE AND COBALT PORPHYRIN SYNTHASE IN VARIOUS MICRO-ORGANISMS.

1. The preparation of a crude extract of Clostridium tetanomorphum containing cobalt porphyrin synthase but little haem-synthase activity is described. 2. The properties of cobalt porphyrin synthase in the clostridial extracts is compared with the properties of a haem synthase present in crude extracts of the yeast Torulopsis utilis. 3. Cobalt porphyrin synthase in extracts of C. tetanomorphum inserts Co(2+) ions into the following dicarboxylic porphyrins in descending order of rate of insertion: meso-, deutero- and proto-porphyrins. Esterification renders meso- and deutero-porphyrins inactive as substrates. Neither the tetracarboxylic (coproporphyrin III) nor the octacarboxylic (uroporphyrin III) compounds are converted into cobalt porphyrins by the extract, but the non-enzymic incorporation of Co(2+) ions into these two porphyrins is rapid. These extracts are unable to insert Mn(2+), Zn(2+), Mg(2+) or Cu(2+) ions into mesoporphyrin. 4. Crude extracts of T. utilis readily insert both Co(2+) and Fe(2+) ions into deutero-, meso, and proto-porphyrins. Unlike the extracts of C. tetanomorphum, these preparations catalyse the insertion of Co(2+) ions into deuteroporphyrin more rapidly than into mesoporphyrin. This parallels the formation of haems by the T. utilis extract. 5. Cobalt porphyrin synthase is present in the particulate fraction of the extracts of C. tetanomorphum but requires a heat-stable factor present in the soluble fraction. This soluble factor can be replaced by GSH. 6. Cobalt porphyrin synthase in the clostridial extract is inhibited by iodoacetamide and to a smaller extent by p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide. The haem synthases of T. utilis and Micrococcus denitrificans are also inhibited by various thiol reagents.

Biochemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2005

Reaction mechanism of porphyrin metallation studied by theoretical methods.

We have studied the reaction mechanism for the insertion of Mg2+ and Fe2+ into a porphyrin ring with density functional calculations with large basis set and including solvation, zero-point and thermal effects. We have followed the reaction from the outer-sphere complex, in which the metal is coordinated with six water molecules and the porphyrin is doubly protonated, until the metal ion is inserted into the deprotonated porphyrin ring with only one water ligand remaining. This reaction involves the stepwise displacement of five water molecules and the removal of two protons from the porphyrin ring. In addition, a step seems to be necessary in which a porphyrin pyrrolenine nitrogen atom changes its interaction from a hydrogen bond to a metal-bound solvent molecule to a direct coordination to the metal ion. If the protons are taken up by a neutral imidazole molecule, the deprotonation reactions are exothermic with minimal barriers. However, with a water molecule as an acceptor, they are endothermic. The ligand exchange reactions were approximately thermoneutral (+/-20 kJ mol(-1), with one exception) with barriers of up to 72 kJ mol(-1) for Mg and 51 kJ mol(-1) for Fe. For Mg, the highest barrier was found for the formation of the first bond to the porphyrin ring. For Fe, a higher barrier was found for the formation of the second bond to the porphyrin ring, but this barrier is probably lower in solution. No evidence was found for an initial pre-equilibrium between a planar and a distorted porphyrin ring. Instead, the porphyrin becomes more and more distorted as the number of metal-porphyrin bonds increase (by up to 191 kJ mol(-1)). This strain is released when the porphyrin becomes deprotonated and the metal moves into the ring plane. Implications of these findings for the chelatase enzymes are discussed.

Iron↗
PubMed2002

The importance of porphyrin distortions for the ferrochelatase reaction.

Ferrochelatase is the terminal enzyme in haem biosynthesis, i.e. the enzyme that inserts a ferrous ion into the porphyrin ring. Suggested reaction mechanisms for this enzyme involve a distortion of the porphyrin ring when it is bound to the enzyme. We have examined the energetics of such distortions using various theoretical calculations. With the density functional B3LYP method we calculate how much energy it costs to tilt one of the pyrrole rings out of the porphyrin plane for an isolated porphyrin molecule without or with a divalent metal ion in the centre of the ring. A tilt of 30 degrees costs 65-130 kJ/mol for most metal ions, but only approximately 48 kJ/mol for free-base (neutral) porphine. This indicates that once the metal is inserted, the porphyrin becomes stiffer and flatter, and therefore binds with lower affinity to a site designed to bind a distorted porphyrin. This would facilitate the release of the product from ferrochelatase. This proposal is strengthened by the fact that the only tested metal ion with a lower distortion energy than free-base porphyrin (Cd(2+)) is an inhibitor of ferrochelatase. Moreover, it costs even less energy to tilt a doubly deprotonated porphine(2-) molecule. This suggests that the protein may lower the acid constant of the pyrrole nitrogen atoms by deforming the porphyrin molecule. We have also estimated the structure of the protoporphyrin IX substrate bound to ferrochelatase using combined quantum chemical and molecular mechanics calculations. The result shows that the protein may distort the porphyrin by approximately 20 kJ/mol, leading to a distinctly non-planar structure. All four pyrrole rings are tilted out of the porphyrin mean plane (1-16 degrees ) but most towards the putative binding site of the metal ion. The predicted tilt is considerably smaller than that observed in the crystal structure of a porphyrin inhibitor.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1978

Carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of water-soluble porphyrins and metalloporphyrins.

Carbon-13 and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra have been recorded for porphyrins, zinc porphyrins, and iron(III) porphyrin complexes in aqueous media. Spectra of porphyrin-c and hemin-c confirm the structure with thioether linkages at positions alpha to the porphyrin ring. The pattern of NMR isotropic shifts has implications regarding electron transfer in cytochrome-c. Free-base porphyrin-c and meso-substituted porphyrins have been examined for pyrrole nitrogen-hydrogen tautomerism and possible aggregation in aqueous solution. Zinc porphyrin 13C NMR spectra were recorded in order to provide diamagnetic references for paramagnetic iron(III) derivatives. Low-spin iron(III) porphyrin-biscyano complexes in aqueous solution exhibit NMR isotropic shift patterns similar to those previously observed for related compounds in non-aqueous media. The first 13C NMR spectra are reported for mu-oxo-bridged iron(III) porphyrin dimers. A partially resolved spectrum of a high-spin iron(III) porphyrin has also been obtained. Patterns of 13C and proton isotropic shifts are compared, and unpaired spin delocalization mechanisms for 13C resonances are discussed in a qualitative manner.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed2001

Photodynamic and light independent action of 8 to 2 carboxylic free porphyrins on some haem-enzymes.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: skin lesions in cutaneous porphyrias appear to be determined by the structural properties of the porphyrins accumulated. To better understand the relationship between the structure and physicochemical properties of porphyrins and their specific effect on protein configuration, the action of a whole range of 8 to 2 carboxylic porphyrins has been studied. MATERIALS AMD METHODS: delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) and porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D) partially purified from bovine liver, were exposed to 10 microM uroporphyrin (Uro), phyriaporphyrin (Phyria), hexaporphyrin (Hexa), pentaporphyrin (Penta), coproporphyrin (Copro) or protoporphyrin (Proto), either in the dark or under UV light. All experiments were performed in the enzyme solutions after removing the porphyrins. RESULTS: under both illuminating conditions, all porphyrins inactivated the enzymes (20-70% under control values), indicating photodynamic action mediated by oxidative reactions and conformational changes due to direct binding of porphyrins to the protein. Total thiol content in ALA-D was not significantly changed by most porphyrins under UV light, while all porphyrins increase total sulfhydryl groups in PBG-D (23-52% over the control values) indicating changes in the redox status of SH residues. Free amino groups were reduced by all porphyrins in ALA-D (23-56% under controls), instead they were enhanced in PBG-D (23-51% over controls), suggesting protein fragmentation. The formation of molecular aggregates would be the consequence of cross-links between oxidation products, while fragmentation can be attributed to either rupture of disulphur bridges and/or enhancement of free amino groups on the protein enzyme. CONCLUSIONS: the effect of the porphyrins on enzyme activity, total SH groups and free amino groups content, was different for ALA-D and PBG-D, even under the same illuminating conditions. On the basis of these results, no correlation between enzyme alterations and the physico-chemical properties of porphyrins could be established.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The conserved active-site loop residues of ferrochelatase induce porphyrin conformational changes necessary for catalysis.

Binding of porphyrin to murine ferrochelatase, the terminal enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, is investigated by employing a set of variants harboring mutations in a putative porphyrin-binding loop. Using resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy, the structural properties of the ferrochelatase-bound porphyrins are examined, especially with respect to the porphyrin deformation occurring in the environment of the active site. This deformation is thought to be a key step in the enzymatic insertion of ferrous iron into the porphyrin ring to make heme. Our previous RR spectroscopic studies of binding of porphyrin to murine ferrochelatase led us to propose that the wild-type enzyme induces porphyrin distortion even in the absence of the metal ion substrate. Here, we broaden this view by presenting evidence that the degree of a specific nonplanar porphyrin deformation contributes to the catalytic efficiency of ferrochelatase and its variants. The results also suggest that the conserved Trp256 (murine ferrochelatase numbering) is partially responsible for the observed porphyrin deformation. Binding of porphyrin to the ferrochelatase variants causes a decrease in the intensity of RR out-of-plane vibrational mode gamma(15), a saddling-like mode that is strong in the wild-type enzyme. In particular, the variant with a catalytic efficiency 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the wild-type enzyme is estimated to produce less than 30% of the wild-type saddling deformation. These results suggest that specific conserved loop residues (especially Trp256) are directly involved in the saddling of the porphyrin substrate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗