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Enrico Monzani

Publications and source records attributed to Enrico Monzani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Enzymatic and spectroscopic studies on the activation or inhibition effects by substituted phenolic compounds in the oxidation of aryldiamines and catechols catalyzed by Rhus vernicifera laccase.

The effect of various phenolic compounds on the activity of Rhus vernicifera laccase (Lc) has been evaluated using two different substrates, N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine and p-tert-butylcatechol. The observed effect strongly depends on the phenol employed and involves either a moderate activation, by halophenols, or inhibition, by acidic phenols. The collective data are consistent with an open active site in Lc, which is capable of accommodating more than one substrate or phenol molecule. According to NMR relaxation experiments, a phenol molecule binds at an average distance from type 1 Cu of about 6A, while evidence from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments shows that binding of another phenol molecule induces a change, and probably occurs close to, the type 2/type 3 cluster. The effect of phenolic compounds on Lc reactivity is related to a modification of the substrate affinity for the enzyme. This affinity can either be increased, probably through pi-stacking or other types of interactions, or decreased, due to competition for the same site. In addition, the alteration induced in the trinuclear copper cluster has a marked effect on the enzyme reactivity. The inhibition observed with acidic phenols is probably due to the protonation of an enzyme intermediate produced at the trinuclear site, e.g. the peroxy intermediate, that causes the release of hydrogen peroxide and prevents the reaction of this intermediate with the substrate.

Catalysis↗
PubMed2006

Mechanistic insight into the activity of tyrosinase from variable-temperature studies in an aqueous/organic solvent.

The activity of mushroom tyrosinase towards a representative series of phenolic and diphenolic substrates structurally related to tyrosine has been investigated in a mixed solvent of 34.4% methanol-glycerol (7:1, v/v) and 65.6% (v/v) aqueous 50 mM Hepes buffer at pH 6.8 at various temperatures. The kinetic activation parameters controlling the enzymatic reactions and the thermodynamic parameters associated with the process of substrate binding to the enzyme active species have been deduced from the temperature variation of the kcat and KM parameters. The activation free energy is dominated by the enthalpic term, the value of which lies in the relatively narrow range of 61+/-9 kJ mol(-1) irrespective of substrate or reaction type (monophenolase or diphenolase). The activation entropies are small and generally negative and contribute no more than 10% to the activation free energy. The substrate binding parameters are characterized by large and negative enthalpy and entropy contributions, which are typically dictated by polar protein-substrate interactions. The substrate 4-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid exhibits a strikingly anomalous temperature dependence of the enzymatic oxidation rate, with deltaH(double dagger) approximately = 150 kJ mol(-1) and deltaS(double dagger) approximately = 280 J K(-1) mol(-1), due to the fact that it can competitively bind to the enzyme through the phenol group, like the other substrates, or the carboxylate group, like carboxylic acid inhibitors. A kinetic model that takes into account the dual substrate/inhibitor nature of this compound enables rationalization of this anomalous behavior.

Agaricales↗
PubMed2006

Easy oxidation and nitration of human myoglobin by nitrite and hydrogen peroxide.

The modification of human myoglobin (HMb) by reaction with nitrite and hydrogen peroxide has been investigated. This reaction is important because NO(2) (-) and H(2)O(2) are formed in vivo under conditions of oxidative and nitrative stress, where protein derivatization has been often observed. The abundance of HMb in tissues and in the heart makes it a potential source and target of reactive species generated in the body. The oxidant and nitrating species produced by HMb/H(2)O(2)/NO(2) (-) are nitrogen dioxide and peroxynitrite, which can react with exogenous substrates and endogenous protein residues. Tandem mass analysis of HMb modified by stoichiometric amounts of H(2)O(2) and NO(2) (-) indicated the presence of two endogenous derivatizations: oxidation of C110 to sulfinic acid (76 %) and nitration of Y103 to 3-nitrotyrosine (44 %). When higher concentrations of NO(2) (-) and H(2)O(2) were used, nitration of Y146 and of the heme were also observed. The two-dimensional gel-electrophoretic analysis of the modified HMbs showed spots more acidic than that of wild-type HMb, a result in agreement with the formation of sulfinic acid and nitrotyrosine residues. By contrast, the reaction showed no evidence for the formation of protein homodimers, as observed in the reaction of HMb with H(2)O(2) alone. Both HMb and the modified HMb are active in the H(2)O(2)/NO(2) (-)-dependent nitration of exogenous phenols. Their catalytic activity is quite similar and the endogenous modifications of HMb therefore have little effect on the reactivity of the protein intermediates.

Heme↗
PubMed2005

Hydroxylation of phenolic compounds by a peroxodicopper(II) complex: further insight into the mechanism of tyrosinase.

The dicopper(I) complex [Cu2(MeL66)]2+ (where MeL66 is the hexadentate ligand 3,5-bis-{bis-[2-(1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-ethyl]-amino}-meth ylbenzene) reacts reversibly with dioxygen at low temperature to form a mu-peroxo adduct. Kinetic studies of O2 binding carried out in acetone in the temperature range from -80 to -55 degrees C yielded the activation parameters DeltaH1(not equal) = 40.4 +/- 2.2 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS1)(not equal) = -41.4 +/- 10.8 J K(-1) mol(-1) and DeltaH(-1)(not equal) = 72.5 +/- 2.4 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS(-1)(not equal) = 46.7 +/- 11.1 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the forward and reverse reaction, respectively, and the binding parameters of O2 DeltaH degrees = -32.2 +/- 2.2 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS degrees = -88.1 +/- 10.7 J K(-1) mol(-1). The hydroxylation of a series of p-substituted phenolate salts by [Cu2(MeL66)O2]2+ studied in acetone at -55 degrees C indicates that the reaction occurs with an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism, with a Hammett constant rho = -1.84. The temperature dependence of the phenol hydroxylation was studied between -84 and -70 degrees C for a range of sodium p-cyanophenolate concentrations. The rate plots were hyperbolic and enabled to derive the activation parameters for the monophenolase reaction DeltaH(not equal)ox = 29.1 +/- 3.0 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS(not equal)ox = -115 +/- 15 J K(-1) mol(-1), and the binding parameters of the phenolate to the mu-peroxo species DeltaH degrees(b) = -8.1 +/- 1.2 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS degrees(b) = -8.9 +/- 6.2 J K(-1) mol(-1). Thus, the complete set of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the two separate steps of O2 binding and phenol hydroxylation have been obtained for [Cu2(MeL66)]2+.

Biomimetic Materials↗
PubMed2005

pH-dependent redox and CO binding properties of chelated protoheme-L-histidine and protoheme-glycyl-L-histidine complexes.

The pH dependence of redox properties, spectroscopic features and CO binding kinetics for the chelated protohemin-6(7)-L-histidine methyl ester (heme-H) and the chelated protohemin-6(7)-glycyl-L-histidine methyl ester (heme-GH) systems has been investigated between pH 2.0 and 12.0. The two heme systems appear to be modulated by four protonating groups, tentatively identified as coordinated H(2)O, one of heme's propionates, N(epsilon) of the coordinating imidazole, and the carboxylate of the histidine residue upon hydrolysis of the methyl ester group (in acid medium). The pK (a) values are different for the two hemes, thus reflecting structural differences. In particular, the different strain at the Fe-N(epsilon) bond, related to the different length of the coordinating arm, results in a dramatic alteration of the bond strength, which is much smaller in heme-H than in heme-GH. It leads to a variation in the variation of the pKa for the protonation of the N(epsilon) of the axial imidazole as well as in the proton-linked behavior of the other protonating groups, envisaging a cross-talk communication mechanism among different groups of the heme, which can be operative and relevant also in the presence of the protein matrix.

Carbon Monoxide↗
PubMed2005

Metal-enhanced H-bond donor tendencies of urea and thiourea toward anions: ditopic receptors for silver(I) salts.

The heteroditopic receptors 1 and 2 firmly include an Ag(I) ion into the NS2O2 crown and establish selective H-bond interactions with anions at the covalently linked urea/thiourea (U/T) subunit. Studies in MeCN solution showed that the metal center induces a 10(3)-10(6)-fold enhancement of the anion association constant, due to a coordinative interaction with the O/S atom of the U/T moiety. In the presence of F-, the Ag-O interaction promotes the release of a proton from one of the urea N-H fragments. Ag(I) coordination to the S atom of the thiourea derivative 2 promotes the formation of unusually stable H-bond complexes with Cl- and Br-.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Interpenetrated networks from a novel nanometer-sized pseudopeptidic ligand, bridging water, and transition metal ions with cds topology.

The combination of a new pseudopeptidic ligand, transition metal ions, and bridging water molecules results in the formation of [M(mu-TBG)(mu-H2O)(H2O)2].2H2O (M: Cu, Co and H2TBG: terephthaloylbisglycine); both compounds show rare two-fold interpenetrated three-dimensional cds-nets and reversible loss of coordinated and lattice water molecules.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Chiral receptors for phosphate ions.

The binding tendencies of the enantiomeric forms, R,R and S,S, of the neutral receptor 1 towards anions were investigated through UV-vis and 1H NMR titration experiments in DMSO. Both enantiomers form stable H-bond complexes with carboxylates and phosphates. In particular, receptor 1 strongly binds two H2PO4- ions according two stepwise equilibria, in which logK2 is higher than logK1. Such an unusual cooperativity effect is to be ascribed to the formation of strong H-bond interactions between the two H2PO4- anions, when bound to the two urea subunits of the receptor, as demonstrated by the crystal and molecular structures of the 1 : 2 complex salt: [Bu4N]2[R,R-1...(H2PO4)2]. The S,S enantiomer forms an H-bond complex with the biologically relevant D-2,3-diphosphoglycerate anion, whose association constant is twice that of the R,R complex. Such an effect is ascribed to the different structural features of the two diastereomeric complexes in solution, as shown by 31P NMR studies.

Anions↗
PubMed2005

Anion-induced urea deprotonation.

The urea-based receptor 1 (1-(7-nitrobenzo[1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)urea, L--H), interacts with X- ions in MeCN, according to two consecutive steps: 1) formation of a hydrogen-bond complex [L--H...X]-; 2) deprotonation of L--H to give L- and [HX2]-, as shown by spectrophotometric and 1H NMR titration experiments. Step 2) takes place with more basic anions (fluoride, carboxylates, dihydrogenphosphate), while less basic anions (Cl-, NO2-, NO3-) do not induce proton transfer. On crystallisation from a solution containing L--H and excess Bu4NF, the tetrabutylammonium salt of the deprotonated urea derivative (Bu4N[L]) was isolated and its crystal and molecular structure determined.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Urea vs. thiourea in anion recognition.

Neutral anion receptors (LH) form stable 1 : 1 H-bond [LH...X]- complexes with carboxylates, halides and phosphate (X-). Some of the [LH...X]- complexes, in presence of an excess of X-, release an HX fragment, with formation of [HX2]- and the deprotonated receptor L-. The tendency towards deprotonation increases with the acidity of the receptor and with the stability of the [HX2]- self-complex. Thus, the more acidic thiourea containing receptor deprotonates in the presence all the investigated anions except chloride, whereas the less acidic urea containing receptor undergoes deprotonation only in the presence of fluoride, due to the high stability of [HF2]-.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Nature of urea-fluoride interaction: incipient and definitive proton transfer.

1,3-bis(4-nitrophenyl)urea (1) interacts through hydrogen bonding with a variety of oxoanions in an MeCN solution to give bright yellow 1:1 complexes, whose stability decreases with the decreasing basicity of the anion (CH3COO- > C6H5COO- > H2PO4- > NO2- > HSO4- > NO3-). The [Bu4N][1.CH3COO] complex salt has been isolated as a crystalline solid and its molecular structure determined, showing the formation of a discrete adduct held together by two N-H...O hydrogen bonds of moderate strength. On the other hand, the F- ion first establishes a hydrogen-bonding interaction with 1 to give the most stable 1:1 complex, and then on addition of a second equivalent, induces urea deprotonation, due to the formation of HF2-. The orange-red deprotonated urea solution uptakes carbon dioxide from air to give the tetrabutylammonium salt of the hydrogencarbonate H-bond complex, [Bu4N][1.HCO3], whose crystal and molecular structures have been determined.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Modified microperoxidases exhibit different reactivity towards phenolic substrates.

The reactivity of several microperoxidase derivatives with different distal-site environments has been studied. The distal-site environments of these heme peptides include a positively charged one, an uncharged environment, two bulky and doubly or triply positively charged ones, and one containing aromatic apolar residues. The reactivity in the catalytic oxidation of two representative phenols, carrying opposite charges, by hydrogen peroxide has been investigated. This allows the determination of the binding constants and of the electron-transfer rate from the phenol to the catalyst in the substrate/microperoxidase complex. The electron-transfer rates scarcely depend on the redox and charge properties of the phenol, but depend strongly on the microperoxidase. Information on the disposition of the substrate in the adducts with the microperoxidases has been obtained through determination of the paramagnetic contribution to the 1H NMR relaxation rates of the protons of the bound substrates. The data show that the electron-transfer rate drops when the substrate binds too far away from the iron and that the phenols bind to microperoxidases at similar distances to those observed with peroxidases. While the reaction rate of microperoxidases with peroxide is significantly smaller than that of the enzymes, the efficiency in the one-electron oxidation of phenolic substrates is almost comparable. Interestingly, the oxyferryl form of the triply positively charged microperoxidases shows a reactivity larger than that exhibited by horseradish peroxidase.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Catalytic activity, stability, unfolding, and degradation pathways of engineered and reconstituted myoglobins.

The structural and functional consequences of engineering a positively charged Lys residue and replacing the natural heme with a heme-L-His derivative in the active site of sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) have been investigated. The main structural change caused by the distal T67K mutation appears to be mobilization of the propionate-7 group. Reconstitution of wild-type and T67K Mb with heme-L-His relaxes the protein fragment around the heme because it involves the loss of the interaction of one of the propionate groups which stabilize heme binding to the protein. This modification increases the accessibility of exogenous ligands or substrates to the active site. The catalytic activity of the reconstituted proteins in peroxidase-type reactions is thus significantly increased, particularly with T67K Mb. The T67K mutation slightly reduces the thermodynamic stability and the chemical stability of Mb during catalysis, but somewhat more marked effects are observed by cofactor reconstitution. Hydrogen peroxide, in fact, induces pseudo-peroxidase activity but also promotes oxidative damage of the protein. The mechanism of protein degradation involves two pathways, which depend on the evolution of radical species generated on protein residues by the Mb active species and on the reactivity of phenoxy radicals produced during turnover. Both protein oligomers and heme-protein cross-links have been detected upon inactivation.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Human alpha-1-microglobulin is covalently bound to kynurenine-derived chromophores.

Alpha-1-microglobulin carries a set of covalently linked chromophores that give it a peculiar yellow-brown color, fluorescence properties, and both charge and size heterogeneity. In this report it is shown that these features are due to the adducts with the tryptophan metabolite, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and its autoxidation products and that the modification is more pronounced in the protein isolated from urine of hemodialyzed patients. The light yellow amniotic fluid alpha-1-microglobulin acquires the optical properties and charge heterogeneity of the urinary counterpart following incubation with kynurenines. The colored amino acid adducts of urinary and amniotic fluid alpha-1-microglobulins were separated by chromatography after acid hydrolysis and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Human serum albumin samples, native and treated with 3-hydroxykynurenine in the presence of oxygen, were used as a control. The retention times and mass fragmentation products were compared, and a lysyl adduct with hydroxantommathin was identified in the urinary alpha-1-microglobulin and in the modified albumin samples. The more extensive modification of the urinary protein appears to be correlated with uremia, a condition in which the catabolism of tryptophan via the kynurenine pathway is increased, and the consequent rise in the concentration of its derivatives is accompanied by the oxidative processes due to the hemodialysis treatment. The oxidative derivatives of 3-hydroxykynurenine, which are known to act as protein cross-linking agents, are the likely cause of the propensity of urinary alpha-1-microglobulin to form dimers and oligomers. This process, as well as the redox properties of these metabolites, may contribute to the toxic effects of the kynurenine species.

Alpha-Globulins↗
PubMed2004

Mechanistic insight into the catechol oxidase activity by a biomimetic dinuclear copper complex.

The biomimetic catalytic oxidation of 3,5-di- tert-butylcatechol by the dicopper(II) complex of the ligand alpha,alpha'-bis(bis[1-(1'-methyl-2'-benzimidazolyl)methyl]amino)- m-xylene in the presence of dioxygen has been investigated as a function of temperature and pH in a mixed aqueous/organic solvent. The catalytic cycle occurs in two steps, the first step being faster than the second step. In the first step, one molecule of catechol is oxidized by the dicopper(II) complex, and the copper(II) centers are reduced. From the pH dependence, it is deduced that the active species of the process is the monohydroxo form of the dinuclear complex. In the second step, the second molecule of catechol is oxidized by the dicopper(I)-dioxygen complex formed upon oxygenation of the reduced complex. In both cases, catechol oxidation is an inner-sphere electron transfer process involving binding of the catechol to the active species. The binary catechol-dicopper(II) complex formed in the first step could be characterized at very low temperature (-90 degrees C), where substrate oxidation is blocked. On the contrary, the ternary complex of dicopper(I)-O(2)-catechol relevant to the second step does not accumulate in solution and could not be characterized, even at low temperature. The investigation of the biphasic kinetics of the catalytic reaction over a range of temperatures allowed the thermodynamic (Delta H degrees and Delta S degrees ) and activation parameters (Delta H( not equal) and Delta S( not equal)) connected with the key steps of the catecholase process to be obtained.

Biomimetic Materials↗
PubMed2004

Models for biological trinuclear copper clusters. Characterization and enantioselective catalytic oxidation of catechols by the copper(II) complexes of a chiral ligand derived from (S)-(-)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine.

The dinuclear and trinuclear Cu(II) complexes of an octadentate ligand derived from (S)-1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine have been prepared and characterized by UV/Vis, CD, EPR and NMR spectroscopy. The ligand contains two tridentate aminobis(benzimidazole) donor arms connected to a central bidentate diaminobinaphthyl linker, which hosts the chiral unit. In the dinuclear Cu complex the ligation occurs essentially within the tridentate arms of the ligand. The two Cu centers are EPR nonequivalent and noninteracting. The EPR data suggests that one of the Cu ions additionally interacts with one of the tertiary aminonaphthyl donors. In the trinuclear complex the two aminonaphthyl donors bind the third Cu ion. The EPR spectrum of this complex shows the signal for a mononuclear Cu(II) center bound to a tridentate arm, while the remaining two Cu(II) centers are coupled through hydroxo groups. The CD spectrum shows that in the free ligand a severe reduction of the dihedral angle between the naphthyl groups from the strain free range occurs. This conformation is stabilized by ring stacking interactions with the benzimidazole groups. On complex formation this interaction is removed because the benzimidazole groups are involved in metal binding. In the dinuclear Cu complex the conformation of the binaphthyl chromophore probably approaches the strain free range, while in the trinuclear Cu complex a marked flattening of the dihedral angle between the two naphthyl rings occurs. Both complexes are active catalysts in the oxidation of L-/D-Dopa derivatives to quinones. High enantioselectivity is observed in the oxidation of L-/D-Dopa methyl ester catalyzed by the dinuclear Cu complex, which exhibits strong preference for the d enantiomer. The enantioselectivity is largely lost for the trinuclear Cu complex.

Catalysis↗
PubMed2004

Metmyoglobin-catalyzed exogenous and endogenous tyrosine nitration by nitrite and hydrogen peroxide.

Metmyoglobin catalyzes the nitration of various phenolic compounds in the presence of nitrite and hydrogen peroxide. The reaction rate depends on the reactant concentrations and shows saturation behavior. Two competing paths are responsible for the reaction. In the first, myoglobin reacts according to a peroxidase-like cycle forming two active intermediates, which can induce one-electron oxidation of the substrates. The MbFe(IV)==O intermediate oxidizes nitrite to nitrogen dioxide, which, after reaction with the phenol or with a phenoxy radical, yields the nitrophenol. In the second mechanism, hydrogen peroxide reacts with iron-bound nitrite to produce an active nitrating species, which we assume to be a protein-bound peroxynitrite species, MbFe(III)--N(O)OO. The high nitrating power of the active species is shown by the fact that the catalytic rate constant is essentially independent of the redox properties of the phenol. The occurrence of one or other of these mechanisms depends on the nitrite concentration: at low [NO(2) (-)] the nitrating agent is nitrogen dioxide, whereas at high [NO(2) (-)] the peroxynitrite path is dominant. The myoglobin derivative that accumulates during turnover depends on the mechanism. When the path involving NO(2) (.) is dominant, the spectrum of the MbFe(IV)==O intermediate is observed. At high nitrite concentration, the Soret band appears at 416 nm, which we attribute to an iron-peroxynitrite species. The metMb/NO(2) (-)/H(2)O(2) system competitively nitrates the heme and the endogenous tyrosine at position 146 of the protein. Phenolic substrates protect Tyr146 from nitration by scavenging the active nitrating species. The exposed Tyr103 residue is not nitrated under the same conditions.

Catalysis↗