Equilibria in Complexes of N-Heterocycles. Part 50.1 The Formation and Properties in Solution of the 1:1 Adducts of Bis(2,2\u27-bipyridine)platinum(II) and Related Ions with Hydroxide

Equilibrium constants are given for addition (mol ratio 1:1) of hy-droxide to several palladium(II) and platimim(II) cations. [Pt(bpy)2]2+ (bpy: 2,2’-bipyridine) and hydroxide ion form the well-known 1:1 adduct rapidly in water; the rate is given at 25 °C by k = 1.6 × 102 mol-1 dm3 s-1. The equilibrium constants for adding hydroxide to [Pt(bpy)2]2+ and to [Pt(3,3’-[2H]2-bpy)2]2+ are the same, but differ considerably from those for [Pt([2H]8-bpy)2]2+ and for [Pt(6,6\u27-[2H]2-bpy)2]2+ with hydroxide. In this reaction, the infrared spectrum (1700-900 cm-1) of the cation initially [Pt(bpy)2]2+ in the aqueous solution shows distinct changes between pH = 7.0 and pH = 11.0, notably in the aromatic region, where the intensity of the band due to C=N at ca. 1600 cm-1 is much reduced. At pH = 7.0, the methyl groups in [Pt(5,5’-dmbpy)2]2+ (dmbpy: dimethyl-2,2\u27-bipyridine) or the 4,4\u27-isomer are equivalent in magnetic resonance but become inequivalent in the 1:1 adducts with hydroxide. In the presence of (−)-methylbenzylamine, both [Pt(terpy)Cl]Cl (terpy: 2,2\u27,2"-ter-pyridine) and [Pt(bpy)2]2+ manifest a strong Pfeiffer effect, but not the exciton coupling characteristic of cis-octahedral ions. These observations are interpreted in terms of addition of hydroxide to the bipyridine ligands

Ligand Discovery for the Alanine-Serine-Cysteine Transporter (ASCT2, SLC1A5) from Homology Modeling and Virtual Screening

The Alanine-Serine-Cysteine transporter ASCT2 (SLC1A5) is a membrane protein that transports neutral amino acids into cells in exchange for outward movement of intracellular amino acids. ASCT2 is highly expressed in peripheral tissues such as the lung and intestines where it contributes to the homeostasis of intracellular concentrations of neutral amino acids. ASCT2 also plays an important role in the development of a variety of cancers such as melanoma by transporting amino acid nutrients such as glutamine into the proliferating tumors. Therefore, ASCT2 is a key drug target with potentially great pharmacological importance. Here, we identify seven ASCT2 ligands by computational modeling and experimental testing. In particular, we construct homology models based on crystallographic structures of the aspartate transporter Glt(Ph) in two different conformations. Optimization of the models\u27 binding sites for protein-ligand complementarity reveals new putative pockets that can be targeted via structure-based drug design. Virtual screening of drugs, metabolites, fragments-like, and lead-like molecules from the ZINC database, followed by experimental testing of 14 top hits with functional measurements using electrophysiological methods reveals seven ligands, including five activators and two inhibitors. For example, aminooxetane-3-carboxylate is a more efficient activator than any other known ASCT2 natural or unnatural substrate. Furthermore, two of the hits inhibited ASCT2 mediated glutamine uptake and proliferation of a melanoma cancer cell line. Our results improve our understanding of how substrate specificity is determined in amino acid transporters, as well as provide novel scaffolds for developing chemical tools targeting ASCT2, an emerging therapeutic target for cancer and neurological disorders