Nine photo-stable Pt(II) Schiff base complexes [Pt(O^N^N^O)] (Pt1–Pt9) containing tetradentate salicylaldimine chelating ligands have been synthesized and characterized as potential photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The effects of electron-withdrawing versus electron-donating substituents on their electronic spectral properties are investigated. Pt1–Pt9 show broad absorption bands between 400–600 nm, which makes them useful for green-light photodynamic therapy. The complexes showed intense phosphorescence with emission maxima at ca. 625 nm. This emission was used to track their cellular localization in cancer cells. Confocal cellular imaging showed that the complexes localized mostly in the cytoplasm. In the dark, the complexes were non-toxic to A549 human lung cancer cells, but exhibited high photo-toxicity upon low-dose green light (520 nm, 7.02 J/cm2) irradiation via photo-induced singlet oxygen generation. Thus, these photoactive Pt(II) complexes have the potential to overcome the problem of drug resistance and side effects of current clinical Pt(II) drugs, and to act as both theranostic as well as therapeutic agents.
Zinc is essential for many cellular processes, including DNA synthesis, transcription, and translation, but excess can be toxic. A zinc-induced gene, smtA , is required for normal zinc-tolerance in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942. Here we report that the protein SmtA contains a cleft lined with Cys-sulfur and His-imidazole ligands that binds four zinc ions in a Zn 4 Cys 9 His 2 cluster. The thiolate sulfurs of five Cys ligands provide bridges between the two ZnCys 4 and two ZnCys 3 His sites, giving two fused six-membered rings with distorted boat conformations. The inorganic core strongly resembles the Zn 4 Cys 11 cluster of mammalian metallothionein, despite different amino acid sequences, a different linear order of the ligands, and presence of histidine ligands. Also, SmtA contains elements of secondary structure not found in metallothioneins. One of the two Cys 4 -coordinated zinc ions in SmtA readily exchanges with exogenous metal ( 111 Cd), whereas the other is inert. The thiolate sulfur ligands bound to zinc in this site are buried within the protein. Regions of β-strand and α-helix surround the inert site to form a zinc finger resembling the zinc fingers in GATA and LIM-domain proteins. Eukaryotic zinc fingers interact specifically with other proteins or DNA and an analogous interaction can therefore be anticipated for prokaryotic zinc fingers. SmtA now provides structural proof for the existence of zinc fingers in prokaryotes, and sequences related to the zinc finger motif can be identified in several bacterial genomes.
Significance Platinum-based metallodrugs are the most widely used anticancer agents. Their reduced effectiveness after repeat dosing (resistance) constitutes a major clinical problem. We study a potent organo-osmium compound with improved activity over cisplatin and no cross-resistance in platinum-resistant cancers. This compound disrupts metabolism in A2780 human ovarian cancer cells, generating reactive oxygen species and damaging DNA. We identified mutations in complex I of the electron transport chain in A2780 cells and suggest that the osmium compound may exploit these mutations to exert a potent mechanism of action. Such activity increases selectivity toward cancer cells, given that normal-functioning cells can better adapt to drug-induced metabolic perturbations. Therefore, this report highlights a promising strategy to drive the future development of organometallic anticancer compounds.
The macrocyclic antiviral drug xylyl-bicyclam blocks entry of HIV into cells by targeting the CXCR4 coreceptor, a seven-helix transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor. Its affinity for CXCR4 is enhanced by binding to Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , or Zn 2+ . Metallocyclams have a rich configurational chemistry and proteins may bind selectively to specific metallocyclam configurations. Our studies of lysozyme reveal structural details of protein–metallocyclam interactions that are important for receptor recognition. Solution NMR studies show that Cu-cyclam interacts with specific tryptophan residues of lysozyme (Trp-62, Trp-63, and Trp-123). Two major binding sites for both Cu-cyclam and Cu 2 -xylyl-bicyclam were detected by x-ray crystallography. In the first site, Cu 2+ in one cyclam ring of Cu 2 -xylyl-bicyclam adopts a trans configuration and is coordinated to a carboxylate oxygen of Asp-101, whereas for Cu-cyclam two ring NH groups form H bonds to the carboxylate oxygens of Asp-101, stabilizing an unusual cis (folded) cyclam configuration. For both complexes in this site, a cyclam ring is sandwiched between the indole side chains of two tryptophan residues (Trp-62 and Trp-63). In the second site, a trans cyclam ring is stacked on Trp-123 and H bonded to the backbone carbonyl of Gly-117. We show that there is a pocket in a model of the human CXCR4 coreceptor in which trans and cis configurations of metallobicyclam can bind by direct metal coordination to carboxylate side chains, cyclam-NH···carboxylate H bonding, together with hydrophobic interactions with tryptophan residues. These studies provide a structural basis for the design of macrocycles that bind stereospecifically to G-coupled and other protein receptors.
Three cysteine-rich proteins of molecular weight 4000 to 7000, containing 4 to 7 gram atoms of cadmium, zinc, and copper per mole were isolated from Pseudomonas putida growing in 3 mM cadmium. The three proteins were induced during different phases of growth, and the smallest (molecular weight 3600; 3 gram atoms of cadmium) was released into the medium when the cells lysed. The results of amino acid analyses and of ultraviolet, circular dichroism, electron paramagnetic resonance, and cadmium-113 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggest a novel cadmium(II)-zinc(II)-copper(I) cluster structure for the major protein.
'%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0v30h60V0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='6' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='4' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='10' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='6' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0h10080v5040H0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='.6' d='m0 0 6 3m0-3L0 3' clip-path='url(%23b)' transform='scale(840)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23e4002b' stroke-width='.4' d='m0 0 6 3m0-3L0 3' clip-path='url(%23c)' transform='scale(840)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='840' d='M2520 0v2520M0 1260h5040'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23e4002b' stroke-width='504' d='M2520 0v2520M0 1260h5040'/%3e%3cg fill='%23fff'%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' x='2520' y='3780'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' x='7560' y='4200'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' x='6300' y='2205'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' x='7560' y='840'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' x='8680' y='1869'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23e' x='8064' y='2730'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)