Why the Energy Landscape of Barnase Is Hierarchical.

We have used NMR and computational methods to characterize the dynamics of the ribonuclease barnase over a wide range of timescales in free and inhibitor-bound states. Using temperature- and denaturant-dependent measurements of chemical shift, we show that barnase undergoes frequent and highly populated hinge bending. Using relaxation dispersion, we characterize a slower and less populated motion with a rate of 750 ± 200 s-1, involving residues around the lip of the active site, which occurs in both free and bound states and therefore suggests conformational selection. Normal mode calculations characterize correlated hinge bending motions on a very rapid timescale. These three measurements are combined with previous measurements and molecular dynamics calculations on barnase to characterize its dynamic landscape on timescales from picoseconds to milliseconds and length scales from 0.1 to 2.5 nm. We show that barnase has two different large-scale fluctuations: one on a timescale of 10-9-10-6 s that has no free energy barrier and is a hinge bending that is determined by the architecture of the protein; and one on a timescale of milliseconds (i.e., 750 s-1) that has a significant free energy barrier and starts from a partially hinge-bent conformation. These two motions can be described as hierarchical, in that the more highly populated faster motion provides a platform for the slower (less probable) motion. The implications are discussed. The use of temperature and denaturant is suggested as a simple and general way to characterize motions on the intermediate ns-µs timescale.

Solid-state interconversions: unique 100 % reversible transformations between the ground and metastable states in single-crystals of a series of nickel(II) nitro complexes.

The solid-state, low-temperature linkage isomerism in a series of five square planar group 10 phosphino nitro complexes have been investigated by a combination of photocrystallographic experiments, Raman spectroscopy and computer modelling. The factors influencing the reversible solid-state interconversion between the nitro and nitrito structural isomers have also been investigated, providing insight into the dynamics of this process. The cis-[Ni(dcpe)(NO2)2] (1) and cis-[Ni(dppe)(NO2)2] (2) complexes show reversible 100 % interconversion between the η(1)-NO2 nitro isomer and the η(1)-ONO nitrito form when single-crystals are irradiated with 400 nm light at 100 K. Variable temperature photocrystallographic studies for these complexes established that the metastable nitrito isomer reverted to the ground-state nitro isomer at temperatures above 180 K. By comparison, the related trans complex [Ni(PCy3)2(NO2)2] (3) showed 82 % conversion under the same experimental conditions at 100 K. The level of conversion to the metastable nitrito isomers is further reduced when the nickel centre is replaced by palladium or platinum. Prolonged irradiation of the trans-[Pd(PCy3)2(NO2)2] (4) and trans-[Pt(PCy3)2(NO2)2] (5) with 400 nm light gives reversible conversions of 44 and 27 %, respectively, consistent with the slower kinetics associated with the heavier members of group 10. The mechanism of the interconversion has been investigated by theoretical calculations based on the model complex [Ni(dmpe)Cl(NO2)].

Photoactivated linkage isomerism in single crystals of nickel, palladium and platinum di-nitro complexes--a photocrystallographic investigation.

Low temperature, single crystal photocrystallographic studies have been carried out on four square planar Group 10 complexes [Ni(PEt(3))(2)(NO(2))(2)] 1, [Pd(PPh(3))(2)(NO(2))(2)] 2, [Pd(AsPh(3))(2)(NO(2))(2)] 3 and [Pt(PPh(3))(2)(NO(2))(2)] 4, in which the two nitro groups adopt the trans configuration. Irradiation with UV light, at 100 K, of single crystals of complexes 1-3 photoisomerise from the η(1)-NO(2) nitro form to the η(1)-ONO nitrito form occurred. Complex 1 underwent 25% conversion to the nitrito form before crystal decomposition occurred. 2 and 3 underwent 46% and 39% conversion, respectively, to the nitrito form when a photostationary state was reached. While under the same experimental conditions 4 showed no isomerisation. The photocrystallographic results can be correlated with the results of DFT calculations and with the observed trends in the solution UV/visible absorption spectroscopy obtained for these complexes. The results suggest that while steric factors in the isomerization processes are important there may also be a kinetic effect relating to the lability of the metal involved.

Photocrystallographic identification of metastable nitrito linkage isomers in a series of nickel(II) complexes.

Single crystal photocrystallographic experiments and solid state Raman spectroscopy have been used to determine the low temperature, metastable structures of the nickel(ii) nitrito complexes [Ni(aep)(2)(η(1)-ONO)(2)] 1#O (aep = 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperidine), [Ni(aem)(2)(η(1)-ONO)(2)] 2#O (aem = 1-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine), and [Ni(aepy)(2)(η(1)-ONO)(2)] 3#O (aepy = 1-(2-aminoethyl)pyrrolidine and where the #O denotes the oxygen-bound nitrito metastable molecule). These linkage isomers of the equivalent nitro complexes [Ni(aep)(2)(η(1)-NO(2))(2)] 1, [Ni(aem)(2)(η(1)-NO(2))(2)] 2 and [Ni(aepy)(2)(η(1)-NO(2))(2)] 3 are formed by LED irradiation at temperatures below 120 K. The behavior of the three complexes upon irradiation is generally similar, but some subtle differences have been observed. From the crystallographic studies all three complexes 1-3 exhibit the endo-nitrito linkage isomer upon irradiation, however, for 3# (a crystal structure that contains components of both 3 and 3#O) an exo-nitrito isomer is also observed. Under conditions of 90-100 K, with blue light, the conversion percentages to the nitrito isomers, 1#O, 2#O and 3#O were 16%, 22% and 30%, respectively. At temperatures below 110 K all three nitrito isomers were stable for over four hours but while 2#O and 3#O could be detected at temperatures down to 30 K, at temperatures below 60 K the metastable structure 1#O appeared to be quenched and only the nitro isomer 1 was identified in the crystal. The solid state Raman spectra for 1#, 2# and 3# confirmed the photocrystallographic results with the nitrito isomers being identified from the O-N-O deformation vibrations.

Bis(tert-butyl isocyanide-κC)[4-fluoro-N-({2-[N-(4-fluorophenyl)carboximidoyl]cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-ylidene}methyl)anilinido-κ2N,N']copper(I).

The solid-state structure of the title compound, [Cu(C(19)H(13)F(2)N(2))(C(5)H(9)N)(2)], shows that the Cu(I) centre adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry, being coordinated by two N atoms of the 6-aminofulvene-2-aldimine (AFA) chelating ligand and by the bridgehead C atoms of the two isocyanide ligands. The cyclopentadienyl and imine components of the AFA ligand are approximately coplanar, with an angle between the planes of 5.00 (3)°. The Cu atom lies 0.6460 (3) Å above the imine plane defined by the N and C atoms of the seven-membered metallocycle. There is also an uncommon C-H···Cu anagostic interaction, with an intramolecular Cu···H distance of 2.67 Å, which is less than the sum of the van der Waals radii.

2-{[4-(Phenyldiazenyl)phenyl]iminomethyl}phenol.

The mol-ecule of the title compound, C(19)H(15)N(3)O, is approximately planar and displays a trans configuration with respect to the C=N and N=N double bonds. An intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond generates an S(6) ring motif. The dihedral angles between the hydroxy-phenyl ring and the phenyl and benzene rings are 4.31 (8) and 6.60 (8)°, respectively. The dihedral angle between the phenyl and benzene rings linked by the azo group is 2.70 (8)°. The imino group is coplanar with the hydroxy-phenyl ring, as shown by the C-C-C-N torsion angle of -1.8 (2)°. The azo group is disordered over two position with refined site-occupancy factors of ca 0.87/0.13. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked together by inter-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions along the c axis and also are packed as one-dimensional extended chains down the b axis.