The complexation of the oxovanadium(IV) ion with five dipeptides containing L-histidine or L-cysteine (GlyHis, HisHis, HisGly, CysGly, GlyCys) was studied. L-histidinamide (HisNH 2 ) was assumed as a model system for dipeptides with L-histidine in the N-terminal position. The study was performed in aqueous solution through the combined application of potentiometric and spectroscopic (electronic absorption and EPR) techniques. The results indicate that simple dipeptides lacking a strong anchoring group can form monoand bischelated complexes with the V IV O ion if a suitable "donor" is present in the chain. The ligands behave like amino acids in the acidic and neutral pH range, inhibit the precipitation of hydroxides and suppress the formation of hy-

Aqueous solution studies regarding the identification and characterization of complexes formed by the VIVO ion and 11 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone derivatives have been performed using EPR and UV/vis spectroscopic techniques. For the three ligands (HL) adequately soluble in water (1-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone, 1-methyl-2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone, and 1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone), potentiometric titrations were performed; the results are consistent with the formation of [V(IV)OL]+, [V(IV)OL2], [V(IV)OL2H(-1)]-, [(V(IV)O)2L2H(-2)], and [V(IV)L3]+ species. Bis chelated complexes are characterized by a cis-trans isomerism, the trans isomer being strongly favored with respect to the cis arrangement. Tris chelated non-oxo V(IV) species were prepared in CH3COOH; their spectroscopic features point to a d(z2) ground state and a geometry intermediate between an octahedron and a trigonal prism, related to the steric requirements of the substituent on the carbon atom in position 2 of the pyridinone ring. Four new solid derivatives, [V(IV)O(1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)2], [V(IV)O(1-(p-tolyl)-2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)2], [V(IV)O(1-(p-(n-butyl)phenyl)-2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)2], and [V(IV)O(1-(p-(n-hexyl)phenyl)-2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)2], were isolated and characterized; they exhibited a five-coordinate geometry close to square-pyramid. A criterion for establishing the degree of distortion toward the trigonal-bipyramid on the basis of the electronic absorption spectra is provided. Relationships between the pKa of the -OH group in position 3 of the ring and (i) log K of mono and bis chelated complexes, (ii) pK of the water molecule in cis-[V(IV)OL2(H2O)], (iii) log K of tris chelated species [V(IV)L3]+, and (iv) 51V hyperfine coupling constant (Az) have been established and discussed for a number of pyrone, pyridinone, and catechol ligands. The results are rationalized by assuming for pyridinones an electronic structure intermediate between that of pyrones and catechols. The relationships are valuable to the understanding of the behavior of VIVO species in aqueous solution.

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Modified nucleosides present in the wobble position of the tRNA anticodons regulate protein translation through tuning the reading of mRNA codons. Among 40 of such nucleosides, there are modified uridines containing either a sulfur atom at the C2 position and/or a substituent at the C5 position of the nucleobase ring. It is already evidenced that tRNAs with 2-thiouridines at the wobble position preferentially read NNA codons, while the reading mode of the NNG codons by R5U/R5S2U-containing anticodons is still elusive. For a series of 18 modified uridines and 2-thiouridines, we determined the pKa values and demonstrated that both modifying elements alter the electron density of the uracil ring and modulate the acidity of their N3H proton. In aqueous solutions at physiological pH the 2-thiouridines containing aminoalkyl C5-substituents are ionized in ca. 50%. The results, confirmed also by theoretical calculations, indicate that the preferential binding of the modified units bearing non-ionizable 5-substituents to guanosine in the NNG codons may obey the alternative C-G-like (Watson–Crick) mode, while binding of those bearing aminoalkyl C5-substituents (protonated under physiological conditions) and especially those with a sulfur atom at the C2 position, adopt a zwitterionic form and interact with guanosine via a ‘new wobble’ pattern.

The complexation of VO(IV) ion with citrate (L3-), D-, L- and DL-tartrate (L2-) at high ligand to metal molar ratios was studied in aqueous solution through the combined application of potentiometric, spectroscopic (UV-vis and EPR) and electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry) techniques. Unlike in equimolar solution, mononuclear and not dinuclear species are formed with the binding of carboxylate-COO- and alcoholate-O- donors yielding mono- and bis-chelated species with VOLH, VOL, VOLH(-1) and VOL2H(-2) composition; for tartrates also the "sugar-like" (O-, O-) coordination is involved in the vanadium binding at basic pH values giving rise to the formation of VOL2H(-3) and VOL2H(-4) complexes. Among the species formed, VOL2H(-2) is characterised by a strong distortion towards the trigonal bipyramid with the two V-O(alcoholate) bonds in the equatorial and the two V-O(carboxylate) bonds in the axial positions. The geometry and electronic absorption spectra of such complexes were simulated by DFT methods and it was found that in aqueous solution the distortion follows the steric hindrance of the substituents on the alpha-carbon atom and the hydrophobicity of the ligands. The results were compared with those displayed by simple alpha-hydroxycarboxylates (glycolate, 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, 2-ethyl-2-hydroxybutyrate and benzilate). The trigonal bipyramidal distortion was correlated with the values of: i) Deltalambda = lambda2-lambda3, where lambda2 and lambda3 are the central bands in the electronic absorption spectrum; ii) |A(x)-A(y)|, where A(x) and A(y) are the 51V hyperfine coupling constants along the x and y axes in the anisotropic EPR spectrum; iii) the half-wave potential E(1/2) of oxidation of VO(IV) to the corresponding VO2(V) species in the cyclic voltammogram. Finally, a discussion on the possible form of VO(IV)-citrate complexes in blood serum is presented, where it is found that the most relevant species under physiological conditions should be [VO(citrH(-1))]2-.

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The complexation of V(IV)O(2+) ion with 10 picolinate and quinolinate derivatives, provided with the donor set (N, COO(-)), was studied in aqueous solution and in the solid state through the combined application of potentiometric (pH-titrations), spectroscopic (EPR, UV/vis and IR spectroscopy), and computational (density functional theory (DFT) calculations) methods. Such derivatives, that form potent insulin-enhancing V(IV)O(2+) compounds, are picolinic (picH), 6-methylpicolinic (6-mepicH), 3-methylpicolinic (3-mepicH), 5-butylpicolinic or fusaric (fusarH), 6-methyl-2,3-pyridindicarboxylic (6-me-2,3-pdcH(2)), 2-pyridylacetic (2-pyacH), 2-quinolinecarboxylic or quinaldic (quinH), 4-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic or kynurenic (kynurH), 1-isoquinolinecarboxylic (1-iqcH) and 3-isoquinolinecarboxylic (3-iqcH) acid. On the basis of the potentiometric, spectroscopic, and DFT results, they were divided into the classes A, B, and C. The ligands belonging to class A (3-mepicH, 1-iqcH, 2-pyacH) form square pyramidal complexes in aqueous solution and in the solid state, and those belonging to class B (picH, fusarH, 3-iqcH) form cis-octahedral species, in which the two ligands adopt an (equatorial-equatorial) and an (equatorial-axial) arrangement and one water molecule occupies an equatorial site in cis position with respect to the V═O bond. Class C ligands (6-mepicH, 6-me-2,3-pdcH(2), quinH, kynurH) yield bis chelated species, that in water are in equilibrium between the square pyramidal and trans-octahedral form, where both the ligand molecules adopt an (equatorial-equatorial) arrangement and one water is in trans position with respect to the V═O group. The trans-octahedral compounds are characterized by an anomalous electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) response, with A(z) value being reduced by about 10% with respect to the prediction of the "additivity rule". DFT methods allow to calculate the structure, (51)V hyperfine coupling constant (A(z)), the stretching frequency of V═O bond (ν(V═O)), the relative stability in aqueous solution, and the electronic structure and molecular orbital composition of bis chelated complexes. The results were used to explain the biotransformation of these potent insulin-enhancing compounds in blood serum.

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