Isothiocyanate l-argininato copper(II) complexes - Solution structure, DNA interaction, anticancer and antimicrobial activity.

l-argininato copper(II) complexes have been intensively investigated in a variety of diseases due to their therapeutic potential. Here we report the results of comprehensive structural studies (ESI-MS, NIR-VIS-UV, EPR) on the complexes arising in aqueous solutions of two ternary copper(II) complexes with molecular formulas from crystal structures, [Cu(l-Arg)2(NCS)](NCS)·H2O (1) and [Cu(l-Arg)(NCS)2] (2) (l-Arg = l-arginine). Reference systems, the ternary Cu(II)/l-Arg/NCS- as well as binary Cu(II)/NCS- and Cu(II)/l-Arg, were studied in parallel in aqueous solutions by pH-potentiometric titration, EPR and VIS spectroscopy to characterize stability, structures and speciation of the formed species over the broad pH range. Comparative analysis of the obtained results showed that at a pH close to 7.0 mononuclear [Cu(l-Arg)2(NCS)]+ is the only species in water solution of 1, while equilibrium between [Cu(l-Arg)(SCN)]+ and binary [Cu(l-Arg)2]2+ was detected in water solution of 2. According to DNA binding studies, the [Cu(l-Arg)2(NCS)]+, [Cu(l-Arg)(SCN)]+ and [Cu(l-Arg)2]2+ species could be considered as strong minor groove binding agents causing, in the presence of H2O2, the involvement of ROS in plasmid damage. The human carcinoma cells (A549 cell line) were generally significantly more sensitive to cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect of compounds 1 and 2 than human normal cells. The studied compounds shown antimicrobial activity against bacteria belonging to Enterobacteriaceae family.

Stability and Solution Structure of Binary and Ternary Cu(II) Complexes with l-Glutamic Acid and Diamines as Well as Adducts in Metal-Free Systems in Aqueous Solution.

Binary and ternary complexes of copper(II) with l-glutamic acid (Glu) and diamines 1,3-diaminopropane and 1,4-diaminobutane, putrescine (tn, Put), as well as adducts formed in the metal-free systems, have been investigated in aqueous solutions. The types of complexes formed and their overall stability constants were established on the basis of computer analysis of potentiometric results. The reaction centers and the modes of interaction were identified on the basis of spectroscopic studies (NMR, Vis and EPR). In the ligands studied the interaction centers are the oxygen atoms from carboxyl groups, nitrogen atom from the amine group of glutamic acid and the nitrogen atoms from amine groups of the diamines. The centers of noncovalent interaction in the adducts that formed in the metal-free systems are also potential sites of metal ion coordination, which is important in biological systems. In the Glu-diamine systems, molecular complexes of the (Glu)Hx(diamine) type are formed. In the (Glu)H2(tn) adduct, in contrast to the corresponding complex with Put, an inversion effect was observed in which the first deprotonated amine group of tn became a negative reaction center and interacted with the protonated amine groups from Glu. Depending on the pH, the amine groups from the diamine can be either a positive or a negative center of interaction. In the Cu(Glu)2 species the first molecule of Glu takes part in metallation through all functional groups, whereas the second molecule makes a "glycine-like" coordination with the Cu(II) ions that is only through two functional groups. According to the results, introduction of Cu(II) ions into metal-free systems (Glu-diamine) changes the character of interactions between the bioligands in the complexes that form in Cu(II)-Glu-diamine systems and no ML…L' type complexes are formed. However, in the ternary systems only the heteroligand complexes Cu(Glu)(diamine) and Cu(Glu)(diamine)(OH) are observed.

Coordination Reactions and Noncovalent Interactions of Polyamines with Nucleotides in Binary Systems and with Nucleotides and Copper(II) Ion in Ternary Systems.

Interactions of nucleotides (AMP, CMP) and 1,2-diaminopropane (tn-1) or 2-methyl-1,2-diaminopropane (tn-2) in metal-free systems as well as in the systems including copper(II) ions were studied. The composition and overall stability constants of the complexes formed were determined by the potentiometric method, whereas the interaction centres and coordination sites were identified by spectroscopic methods. It was found that phosphate groups of nucleotides and the protonated amine groups of polyamines are the centres of interaction. The differences in the interactions with the polyamines which act as models of biogenic amines are impacted by the presence of lateral chains (methylene groups) in tn-1 and tn-2. In the ternary systems with Cu(II) ions, the heteroligand complexes are mainly of the ML⋯L' type, in which the protonated polyamine is engaged in noncovalent interactions with the anchoring Cu(II)-nucleotide complex. The complexes formed in the Cu/NMP)/tn-1 system are more stable than those formed in the system with tn-2. The mode of coordination in the complex is realised mainly through the phosphate groups of the nucleotide with involvement of the endocyclic nitrogen atoms in a manner which depends upon the steric conditions and in particular on the number of the methylene groups in the polyamine molecule.

Noncovalent interactions and coordination reactions in the systems consisting of copper(II) ions, aspartic acid and diamines.

Interactions of aspartic acid between 1,3-diaminopropane (tn) and 1,4-diaminobutane (Put) in metal-free systems as well as in the systems including copper(II) ions were studied. The composition and overall stability constants of the complexes formed were determined by the potentiometric method. The interaction centres and coordination sites were identified by spectroscopic methods. Each of the ligands has both negative and positive interaction centres. In aspartic acid such centres are carboxyl groups and amine group, while in the polyamine molecules - protonated amine groups. The centres are also the potential sites of the coordination of metal ions. Analysis of the logK(e) values of the adducts in the systems with polyamines has shown that the stability of the adducts in the metal-free systems depends on a significant degree on the steric factor that is the length of the polyamine. In some species the inversion effect, hitherto not reported in literature, was found. In the ternary systems including Cu(II) ions, only protonated species are formed, including molecular complexes with intermolecular interactions and metallation through the oxygen atoms of carboxyl groups and amine groups of the amino acid. In the adducts the protonated diamine is in the outer coordination sphere and is involved in noncovalent interactions with the anchoring CuH(Asp) or Cu(Asp) complexes.

Complexes of Cu(II) ions and noncovalent interactions in systems with L-aspartic acid and cytidine-5'-monophosphate.

Interactions between aspartic acid (Asp) and cytidine-5-monophosphate (CMP) in metal-free systems as well as the coordination of Cu(II) ions with the above ligands were studied. The composition and overall stability constants of the species formed in those systems were determined by the potentiometric method, and the interaction centres in the ligands were identified by the spectral methods UV-Vis, EPR, NMR, and IR. In metal-free systems, the formation of adducts, in which each ligand has both positive and negative reaction centres, was established. The main reaction centres in Asp are the oxygen atoms of carboxyl groups and the nitrogen atom of the amine group, while the main reaction centre in CMP at low pH is the N(3) atom. With increasing pH, the efficiency of the phosphate group of the nucleotide in the interactions significantly increases, and the efficiency of carboxyl groups in Asp decreases. The noncovalent reaction centres in the ligands are simultaneously the potential sites of metal-ion coordination. The mode of coordination in the complexes formed in the ternary systems was established. The sites of coordination depend clearly on the solution pH. In the molecular complexes MLcdots, three dots, centeredL, metallation involves the oxygen atoms of the carboxyl groups of the amino acid, while the protonated nucleotide is in the outer coordination sphere and interacts noncovalently with the anchoring CuH(x)(Asp) species. The influence of the metal ions on the weak interactions between the biomolecules was established.