The effects of Al(III) speciation on the activity of trypsin.

The effects of the different forms of Al(III) on the catalytic activity of the serine protease trypsin were studied. Enzyme activity was measured by BAEE assay in the presence of AlCl(3), Al(III):lactic acid 1:3, Al(III):maltol 1:3 or Al(III):nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) 1:1 at a nominal Al(III) concentration of 0.01 M, and the ligand alone at pH 7.4 at 25 degrees C. Maltol and NTA caused approximately 30% inhibition, while that for the corresponding Al(III) complex was less than half of this. Al(III) in the form of the chloride or in three equivalents of lactic acid did not influence the activity of the enzyme, probably because most of the Al(III) was precipitated as Al(OH)(3). No direct interaction could be detected between the enzyme and the Al(III) complexes, either by ultrafiltration or by CD spectroscopy. These results strongly suggest that there is no direct involvement of Al(III) in the enzymatic reactions of trypsin.

Interaction of Al(III) with the peptides AspAsp and AspAspAsp.

The interactions of Al(III) with the dipeptide AspAsp and the tripeptide AspAspAsp in aqueous solutions were studied by pH-potentiometry and multinuclear 1H- and 13C- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Their numerous negatively charged COO(-) functions allow these ligands to bind Al(III) even in weakly acidic solutions. Various mononuclear 1:1 complexes are formed in different protonation states. 13C-NMR spectroscopy unambiguously proved participation of the COO(-) functions in a monodentate or chelating mode in Al(III) binding, however, the terminal-NH(2) group seems to be excluded from the coordination. Depending on the metal ion to ligand ratio precipitation occurs at pH approximately 5 to 6. This indicates that the COO(-) groups at the low level of preorganization in such small peptides are not sufficient to keep the Al(III) ion in solution and to prevent the precipitation of Al(OH)(3) at physiological pH. To achieve this, a more specific arrangement of the side-chain donors seems necessary.

Complex formation between Ca(II), Mg(II), Al(III) ions and salicylglycine.

For modelling the interactions of proteins/peptides with hard metal ions the complex formation of salicylglycine (SalGly) with Ca(II), Mg(ll) and AI(III) ions was studied in aqueous solution using pHpotentiometric and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. Al(lll) ion was found to form more stable complexes with SalGiy than Ca(ll) or Mg(ll) ions. While AI(III) ion forms various 1:1 complexes of different protonation states in the pH range 2-7, Ca(ll), Mg(ll) ions seem to interact with SalGly only in the basic pH range and form mixed hydroxo species MLH(-1) at pH approximately 8. According to the UV-vis spectroscopic measurements in the species MLH(-1) the carboxylate-O(-) atom and the phenolate-O(-) coordinate to the metal ions. SaIGiy is able to keep Al(lll) in solution through inner and outer sphere coordination to metastable amorphous AI(OH)(3) particles. Deprotonation of the peptide amide Nil does not occur in these systems.