A lanthanide complex, named CLaNP (caged lanthanide NMR probe) has been developed for the characterisation of proteins by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. The probe consists of a lanthanide chelated by a derivative of DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) with two thiol reactive functional groups. The CLaNP molecule is attached to a protein by two engineered, surface-exposed, Cys residues in a bidentate manner. This drastically limits the dynamics of the metal relative to the protein and enables measurements of pseudocontact shifts. NMR spectroscopy experiments on a diamagnetic control and the crystal structure of the probe-protein complex demonstrate that the protein structure is not affected by probe attachment. The probe is able to induce pseudocontact shifts to at least 40 A from the metal and causes residual dipolar couplings due to alignment at a high magnetic field. The molecule exists in several isomeric forms with different paramagnetic tensors; this provides a fast way to obtain long-range distance restraints.

Cyclam derivatives with methylphosphonic acid arms in position 1,8 and substituent R = H, Me, CH2Ph in positions 4 and 11 are synthesised by Mannich reaction of an appropriate cyclam derivative, formaldehyde and phosphonic acid/diethyl phosphite followed by removal of protecting benzyl groups from nitrogen atoms. Mono(methylphosphonic acid) derivative of cyclam can be obtained by a similar route. Crystal structures of four phosphonic acid derivatives show the same ring conformation and orientation pendants due to strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds between phosphonate oxygen atoms and protonated nitrogen atoms adjacent over ethylene chains. The hydrogen bonds are stable even in aqueous solution. Activation parameters for destabilisation of the conformation are estimated from temperature-dependent NMR measurement. The protonation constants determined confirm the expected high basicity of the compounds and its dependence on the nitrogen atom substituents. The enhanced basicity of the nitrogen atoms non-bonded to methylenephosphonic acid moiety, is explained by the presence of the strong hydrogen bonds.

The detection of sialic acid in living systems is of importance for the diagnosis of several types of malignancy. We have designed and synthesized two new lanthanide ion ligands (L1 and L2) that are capable of molecular recognition of sialic acid residues. The basic structure of these ligands consists of a DTPA-bisamide (DTPA, diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) whose amide moieties each bear both a boronic function for interaction with the diol groups in the side chain of sialic acid, and a functional group that is positively charged at physiologic pH values and is designed to interact with the carboxylate anion of sialic acid. The relaxometric properties of the Gd3+ complexes of these two ligands were evaluated. The relaxivity of the GdL1 complex has a significant second-sphere contribution at pH values above the pKa of its phenylboronic acid moiety. The interaction of the Gd3+ complexes of L1 and L2 with each of several saccharides was investigated by means of a competitive fluorescent assay. The results show that both complexes recognize sialic acid with good selectivity in the presence of other sugars. The adduct formed by GdL2 with sialic acid has the higher conditional formation constant (50.43+/-4.61 M(-1) at pH 7.4). The ability of such complexes to recognize sialic acid was confirmed by the results of a study on the interaction of corresponding radiolabeled complexes (153SmL1 and 153SmL2) with C6 glioma rat cells. 153SmL2 in particular is retained on the cell surface in significant amounts.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayltetramethylenetetrakis(phenylphosphinic acid) H 4 L 1 with yttrium and a number of lanthanides were synthesized and the crystal structures of Li[LaLThe complexes are isostructural with RSRS configurations at the phosphorus atoms. The ligand is co-ordinated by four nitrogen atoms in a plane and by four phosphinate oxygen atoms in a parallel plane. The planes form a twisted square prismatic co-ordination sphere. A molecule of water capping the O 4 plane completes the co-ordination sphere of both ions. Solution properties of the complexes were investigated by 1 H and 31 P NMR. In solution six possible isomers with different configurations on phosphorus atoms are in equilibrium. The most abundant shows the RRRS configuration. A dynamic behavior similar to lanthanide complexes of 1,4,7,10tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid is not observed. The NMR as well as luminescence measurements show that no water molecule is co-ordinated directly to the lanthanide ions in solution. The ions Li ϩ and Na ϩ form stable ion pairs with the complexes in methanol-d 4 solution as confirmed by the lanthanide induced shift of 7 Li and 23 Na resonances in the presence of paramagnetic lanthanide ions. The ion pairs are not stable in aqueous solution. The alkali metal ion is located close to fourfold magnetic axes of the complexes above the oxygen atoms and between the phenyl rings. Luminescence spectra of [LnL 1 ] Ϫ , Ln = Eu or Tb, indicate low symmetry of the species and coordination number 8.

No abstract