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J E Gready

Publications and source records attributed to J E Gready.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A method of preparation and purification of (4R)-deuterated-reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.

(4R)-Deuterated-reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, (4R)-[2H]NADPH, was prepared by reduction of NADP+ using an NADP(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.2) from Thermoanaerobium brockii and isopropanol-d8 as substrate at 43 degrees C, pH 9. More than 80% of the product was identified as reduced cofactor by reverse-phase (ODS) HPLC, and a 1H NMR study showed that all of the reduced cofactor was (4R)-deuterated. Less than 10% of the product was oxidized cofactor, the remainder being impurities from the breakdown of the dinucleotide compound. Subsequent purification carried out by semipreparative reverse-phase HPLC with 0.1 M NaCl at pH 8.5 gave a compound of more than 96% purity. Separated (4R)-[2H]NADPH fractions were freeze-dried and the white solid was stored at 5 degrees C with desiccant.

1-Propanol↗
PubMed1993

Novel mechanism-based substrates of dihydrofolate reductase and the thermodynamics of ligand binding: a comparison of theory and experiment for 8-methylpterin and 6,8-dimethylpterin.

Molecular dynamics simulation and free energy perturbation techniques have been used to study the relative binding free energies of the designed mechanism-based pterins, 8-methylpterin and 6,8-dimethylpterin, to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), with cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The calculated free energy differences suggest that DHFR.NADPH.6,8-dimethylpterin is thermodynamically more stable than DHFR.NADPH.8-methylpterin by 2.4 kcal/mol when the substrates are protonated and by 1.3 kcal/mol when neutral. The greater binding strength of 6,8-dimethylpterin may be attributed largely to hydration effects. In terms of an appropriate model for the pH-dependent kinetic mechanism, these differences can be interpreted consistently with experimental data obtained from previous kinetic studies, i.e., 6,8-dimethylpterin is a more efficient substrate of vertebrate DHFRs than 8-methylpterin. The kinetic data suggest a value of 6.6 +/- 0.2 for the pKa of the active site Glu-30 in DHFR.NADPH. We have also used experimental data to estimate absolute values for thermodynamic dissociation constants of the active (i.e., protonated) forms of the substrates: these are of the same order as for the binding of folate (0.1-10 microM). The relative binding free energy calculated from the empirically derived dissociation constants for the protonated forms of 8-methylpterin and 6,8-dimethylpterin is 1.4 kcal/mol, a value which compares reasonably well with the theoretical value of 2.4 kcal/mol.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1993

Computer-aided drug design: a free energy perturbation study on the binding of methyl-substituted pterins and N5-deazapterins to dihydrofolate reductase.

Molecular dynamics simulation and free energy perturbation techniques have been used to study the relative binding free energies of 8-methylpterins and 8-methyl-N5-deazapterins to dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Methyl-substitution at the 5, 6 and 7 positions in the N-heterocyclic ring gives rise to a variety of ring substituent patterns and biological activity: several of these methyl derivatives of the 8-methyl parent compounds (8-methylpterin and 8-methyl-N5-deazapterin) have been identified as substrates or inhibitors of vertebrate DHFR in previous work. The calculated free energy differences reveal that the methyl-substituted compounds are thermodynamically more stable than the primary compounds (8-methylpterin and 8-methyl-N5-deazapterin) when bound to the enzyme, due largely to hydrophobic hydration phenomena. Methyl substitution at the 5 and/or 7 positions in the 6-methyl-substituted compounds has only a small effect on the stability of ligand binding. Furthermore, repulsive interactions between the 6-methyl substituent and DHFR are minimal, suggesting that the 6-methyl position is optimal for binding. The results also show that similarly substituted 8-methylpterins and 8-methyl-N5-deazapterins have very similar affinities for binding to DHFR. The computer simulation predictions are in broad agreement with experimental data obtained from kinetic studies, i.e. 6,8-dimethylpterin is a more efficient substrate than 8-methylpterin and 6,8-dimethyl-N5-deazapterin is a better inhibitor than 8-methyl-N5-deazapterin.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Approaches to the preparation of 6- and 7-methyl-8-substituted pterins: Part 1. The effect of reaction conditions on isomer distribution and a novel approach to isomer separation.

A new approach to the preparation of 6- and 7-methyl-8-alkylpterins is reported. This procedure relies primarily on the separation of the isomers due to their different propensities to form adducts with hydrogensulfite. The primary synthesis of 6-methyl-8-propylpterin was achieved by the condensation of 2,5-diamino-6-(propylamino)pyrimidin-4(3H)- one with pyruvic aldehyde in the presence of NaHSO3 at pH 4. This results in a solid product which was found to be > 98% pure 6-isomer in the form of the HSO3- adduct. Further treatment by a simple procedure gave the final product as the pterin hydrochloride greater than 99.5% isomer pure. The 7-methyl isomer was obtained from the filtrate of the primary synthesis by a cation exchange chromatographic procedure, again exploiting the different propensities of the two isomers to form adduct. The effect of reaction conditions and the nature of the 8-substituent on the proportions of the isomeric products produced by the above condensation reaction was investigated by a series of small scale syntheses. It was found that the proportion of the two isomeric products was dependent on the size of the 8-substituent and, to a lesser extent, the pH of the reaction mixture. For large 8-substituents such as n-propyl, isopropyl and 2-hydroxyethyl, 6-methyl isomer was the predominant product under all conditions. The presence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] did not generate any significant regioselective effect toward further formation of 6-isomer but had either negligible effect on the product distribution or increased the amount of 7-isomer formed. For the small methyl 8-substituent, the major product in the absence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] was found to be 7-isomer at all pH values. However, in the presence of HSO3 [symbol: see text] the major product became the 6-isomer. A 1H-NMR study of the nature of pyruvic aldehyde in acidic water solution is reported which shows that pyruvic aldehyde exists primarily as the monohydrated geminal ketodiol with a lesser proportion of the bishydrated vicinal diol. No free aldehyde was observed by 1H-NMR. The implications of these findings and the product distribution experiments are discussed in relation to the mechanism of the reaction and the role of HSO3 [symbol: see text] within this mechanism.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗
PubMed1992

pH-dependence of the structure and degradation of 8-alkyl-substituted pterins.

Structures of 8-(2-hydroxyethyl)pterins (8-11) investigated using 1H- and 13C-NMR and UV/vis spectroscopies showed a complex dependence on pH, solvent and 6,7-substitution pattern. In acid, only one cation was observed for all the pterins. In neutral aqueous solution, only one neutral form, the normal quinonoid tautomer, was observed for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11, but two neutral tautomeric forms, quinonoid and 7-exo-methylene, were observed for 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 with 70% and 92%, respectively, of quinonoid. The neutral pterins in MeOH, however, showed a different distribution of structural forms: quinonoid and a five-membered intramolecular ether forms were observed for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11 as 60% and 25%, respectively, of quinonoid, while quinonoid and 7-exomethylene forms were observed for 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 as 10% and 50%, respectively, of quinonoid. In base, for 7-unsubstituted pterins 9 & 11 only the intramolecular ether forms were observed, while for the 7-CH3 substituted pterins 8 & 10 two anion forms, the 7-exo-methylene and intramolecular ether, were observed in the ratio 2:1. Investigation of the distinctive proton-resonance pattern of the ethanomoiety of the intramolecular ether anion of 9 using 600 MHz NMR and spectrum simulation, indicated all four protons have different chemical environments. One conformation of the cyclic-ether ring satisfying the experimental data has been deduced, and the conformational energetics of the ring studied further using AM1 semiempirical quantum chemical calculations. Structural distributions of 8-methylpterins 12-15 were also studied in base only. These showed the 7-unsubstituted pterins 13 & 15 existed solely as the hydrated anion forms, while the 7-CH3 substituted pterins 12 & 14 existed predominantly as the 7-exo-methylene anions. Spectroscopic investigations of the degradation processes of 8-(2-hydroxyethyl)pterins and 8-methylpterins in base indicated a complex pattern of oxidation, ring opening and elimination reactions as a function of time. Using authentic samples, the 7-oxo compounds 16 & 17 and ethanolamine were identified, and evidence for ring-opened forms was obtained by comparison with the relevant 2,5-diamino-6-alkyl-aminopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 1 & 2. Characteristically different degradation pathways for 7-CH3 and 7-unsubstituted compounds were established.

Ethers, Cyclic↗
PubMed1985

Theoretical studies on the activation of the pterin cofactor in the catalytic mechanism of dihydrofolate reductase.

Two mechanisms for facilitating hydride ion transfer from NADPH involving preprotonation of the pteridine rings of the dihydrofolate reductase substrates folate and dihydrofolate have been investigated by ab initio quantum mechanical methods. Protonation energies and effective solution pKas have been calculated for four protonated forms, three of which are nonpreferred in aqueous solution and therefore not directly accessible to experimental study. The pattern and degree of redistribution of the positive charge over the component rings of the N-heterobicyclic pi-system in these protonated forms have been analyzed in terms of changes in the electron populations of the ring atoms and total ring charges. The effects of such changes in promoting hydride ion transfer to C7 in folate and C6 in dihydrofolate have been evaluated by considering the extent of development of partial carbonium ion character at these carbon atoms and also the degree of electron deficiency in the pyrazine ring as a whole. The results illustrate that perturbations due, for instance, to protonation may be propagated by pi-electron coupling effects over medium-range distances of 4-6 A across the pteridine ring. The two mechanisms have been assessed in terms of the calculated absolute and relative pKas of the protonated species taking into account experimental information regarding possible stabilization of these forms in the enzyme active site and also the effectiveness of the various protonations in assisting the hydride ion transfer step. Judged against these criteria, the theoretical results favor the generally proposed mechanism involving preprotonation of N8 in folate and N5 in dihydrofolate. However, some support was also found for the alternative novel mechanism involving O4-protonation of both folate and dihydrofolate.

Calorimetry↗