Comprehensive vibrational spectroscopic investigation of trans,trans,trans-[Pt(N3)2(OH)2(py)2], a Pt(IV) diazido anticancer prodrug candidate

We report a detailed study of a promising photoactivatable metal-based anticancer prodrug candidate, trans,trans,trans-[Pt(N3)2(OH)2(py)2] (C1; py = pyridine), using vibrational spectroscopic techniques. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), Raman, and synchrotron radiation far-IR (SR-FIR) spectroscopies were applied to obtain highly resolved ligand and Pt-ligand vibrations for C1 and its precursors (trans-[Pt(N3)2(py)2] (C2) and trans-[PtCl2(py)2] (C3)). Distinct IR- and Raman-active vibrational modes were assigned with the aid of density functional theory calculations, and trends in the frequency shifts as a function of changing Pt coordination environment were determined and detailed for the first time. The data provide the ligand and Pt-ligand (azide, hydroxide, pyridine) vibrational signatures for C1 in the mid- and far-IR region, which will provide a basis for the better understanding of the interaction of C1 with biomolecules

Electrodeposition of Magnetic Nickel Matrix Nanocomposites

We will discuss recent results from our labs on the electrocodeposition of magnetic nanoparticles in a nickel matrix. To enhance the particle content of the layers we applied a magnetic field during the electroplating process. The role of the orientation of the magnetic field on the particle content of the layers will be discussed

Membrane-mediated protein–protein interactions of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 with its associated electron transport proteins

Cytochrome P450scc (P450scc or CYP11A1) catalyses the first enzymatic step of steroid biosynthesis, the cleavage of the side chain of cholesterol to produce pregnenolone in the mitochondrion. The activity of P450scc is dependent upon electron delivery from NADPH-dependent adrenodoxin reductase (AdR), via adrenodoxin (Adx), to the P450scc. However, despite the structural and kinetic data that supports the mechanism by which Adx shuttles electrons one at a time between AdR and the P450scc, there are limited data available on the influence of the lipid membrane on these essential interactions. In this paper, the protein–membrane interactions between P450scc and its redox partners were examined on 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) membranes containing cholesterol (20 %), using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. P450scc showed strong binding to these membranes, whereas AdR and Adx both showed weaker association. If pre-mixed, all three proteins bound independently to the membrane layer in a distinctive two-stage process, as observed by frequency changes upon binding. Concomitant changes in the dissipation revealed specific protein–protein interaction occurs upon reaching a critical concentration of proteins in the membrane layer. These changes were specific for the binding of the three pre-mixed proteins and were not observed for a binary mixture of P450 and Adx, or sequential binding of the three proteins. A simple model was developed for the binding of all three proteins in a 1:1:1 mixture to the membrane and reproduces the experimental data describing the interaction of P450scc with the other proteins (AdR and Adx) after initial binding of the individual proteins. Thus, we conclude that the lipid membrane assists in the assembly of electron transport proteins and the activity of P450scc by providing a surface for the localised concentration of proteins, enabling them to act together as a metabolon.Clemens Kubeil, Joyee Chun In Yeung, Robert C. Tuckey, Raymond J. Rodgers and Lisandra L. Marti

Electrochemistry of cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17)

Abstract not availableLisandra L. Martin, Clemens Kubeil, Alexandr N. Simonov, Vladimir L. Kuznetsov, C. Jo Corbin, Richard J. Auchus, Alan J. Conley, Alan M. Bond, Raymond J. Rodger

Amyloid aggregation and membrane activity of the antimicrobial peptide uperin 3.5

Amyloid fibrils are highly ordered, b-sheet rich forms of aggregated peptides and proteins that are associated with a variety of pathological human disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Amyloid fibril-forming peptides may be functionally related to antimicrobial peptides, despite differing significantly in sequence and structure. Specifically, their interaction with lipid membranes has mechanistic similarities. The 17-amino acid peptide uperin 3.5 (U3.5) from an Australian amphibian is antimicrobial and amyloidogenic. Using a quartz crystal microbalance, we investigated the interaction of U3.5 with artificial membranes and found that (i) the membrane interaction of U3.5 is independent of the peptide’s aggregation state, (ii) the presence of cholesterol in the membrane dramatically alters peptide–membrane interaction leading to a transmembrane pore-like arrangement of U3.5, and (iii) electrostatic interaction is important for the membrane activity of U3.5 whereby removal of the positive charge at position 7 of U3.5 enhanced its fibrillar aggregation and ablated its membrane interaction, i.e. there is an inverse relationship between the antimicrobial and amyloidogenic properties of U3.5.Lisandra L. Martin, Clemens Kubeil, Stefania Piantavigna, Tarun Tikkoo, Nicholas P. Gray, Torsten John, Antonio N. Calabrese, Yanqin Liu, Yuning Hong, Mohammed A. Hossain, Nitin Patil, Bernd Abel, Ralf Hoffmann, John H. Bowie, John A. Carve