Inhibitory and Cooperative Effects Regulated by pH in Host-Guest Complexation between Cationic Pillar[5]arene and Reactive 2-Carboxyphthalanilic Acid.

The study of host-guest complexation between reactive 2-carboxyphthalanilic acid (CPA) and two cationic pillararenes has been carried out. Host-guest complexation with significant kinetic effects was observed only with the smaller cavity size pillararene (P5A). Kinetics in the pH range 1.50-6.40, ESI-MS, 1H NMR titration, and ROESY experiments were performed to characterize the complexes. High binding stoichiometry (H:G2) was observed for all CPA protonation states. The system is pH-dependent, and inversion of cooperativity (negative to positive) occurs by increasing the dianionic CPA2- concentration (allosteric behavior). Toward physiological pH, association constant K1:1 does not change (104 M-1), and K1:2 increased from 102 to 104 M-1, as well as the inhibitory effect increased up to 222-fold. NMR results elucidated the structure of the complex and allowed us to create a map of H-H interactions that describes well the diversity and number of interactions in the complex.

Transforming a Stable Amide into a Highly Reactive One: Capturing the Essence of Enzymatic Catalysis.

Aspartic proteinases, which include HIV-1 proteinase, function with two aspartate carboxy groups at the active site. This relationship has been modeled in a system possessing an otherwise unactivated amide positioned between two carboxy groups. The model amide is cleaved at an enzyme-like rate that renders the amide nonisolable at 35 °C and pH 4 owing to the joint presence of carboxy and carboxylate groups. A currently advanced theory attributing almost the entire catalytic power of enzymes to electrostatic reorganization is shown to be superfluous when suitable interatomic interactions are present. Our kinetic results are consistent with spatiotemporal concepts where embedding the amide group between two carboxylic moieties in proper geometries, at distances less than the diameter of water, leads to enzyme-like rate enhancements. Space and time are the essence of enzyme catalysis.

Major mechanistic differences between the reactions of hydroxylamine with phosphate di- and tri-esters.

Hydroxylamine reacts as an oxygen nucleophile, most likely via its ammonia oxide tautomer, towards both phosphate di- and triesters of 2-hydroxypyridine. But the reactions are very different. The product of the two-step reaction with the triester TPP is trapped by the NH2OH present in solution to generate diimide, identified from its expected disproportionation and trapping products. The reaction with H3N(+)-O(-) shows general base catalysis, which calculations show is involved in the breakdown of the phosphorane addition-intermediate of a two-step reaction. The reactivity of the diester anion DPP(-) is controlled by its more basic pyridyl N. Hydroxylamine reacts preferentially with the substrate zwitterion DPP(±) to displace first one then a second 2-pyridone, in concerted S(N)2(P) reactions, forming O-phosphorylated products which are readily hydrolysed to inorganic phosphate. The suggested mechanisms are tested and supported by extensive theoretical calculations.

Activating water: important effects of non-leaving groups on the hydrolysis of phosphate triesters.

The high rate of spontaneous hydrolysis of tris-2-pyridyl phosphate (TPP) is explained by the activating effects of the non-leaving ("spectator") groups on P-OAr cleavage, and not by intramolecular catalysis. Previous work on phosphate-transfer reactions has concentrated on the contributions to reactivity of the nucleophile and the leaving group, but our results make clear that the effects of the non-leaving groups on phosphorus can be equally significant. Rate measurements for three series of phosphate triesters showed that sensitivities to the non-leaving groups are substantial for spontaneous hydrolysis reactions, although significantly smaller for reactions with good nucleophiles. There are clear differences between triaryl and dialkyl aryl triesters in sensitivities to leaving and non-leaving groups with the more reactive triaryl systems showing lower values for both ß(LG) and ß(NLG). Intramolecular catalysis of the hydrolysis of TPP by the neighbouring pyridine nitrogens is insignificant, primarily because of their low basicity.

Phosphorylimidazole derivatives: potentially biosignaling molecules.

The phosphorylation of imidazole by two activated phosphate diesters and a triester gives phosphorylimidazole derivatives that are stable enough in aqueous solution to be observed and identified by ESI-MS/MS and NMR. Half-lives ranging from hours to days (in the case of the monoethyl ester) show that it is possible to design molecules with variable half-lives with potential to be used for biological intervention experiments as possible inhibitors of biosignaling processes or as haptens for the generation of antibodies.