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Biomedical subjects

Zeev Gross

Publications and source records attributed to Zeev Gross.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Specific delivery of corroles to cells via noncovalent conjugates with viral proteins.

PURPOSE: Corroles are amphiphilic macrocycles that can bind and transport metal ions, and thus may be toxic to cells. We predicted that anionic corroles would poorly enter cells due to the negatively charged cell membrane, but could be ideal tumor-targeted drugs if appropriate carriers enabled delivery into tumor cells. In this work, we test the hypothesis that recombinant cell penetrating proteins of the adenovirus (Ad) capsid form noncovalent conjugates with corroles to facilitate target-specific delivery and cell death. METHODS: Corroles mixed with recombinant proteins were tested for conjugate assembly, cell penetration, stability, targeted binding, and cell killing in vitro. RESULTS: Sulfonated corroles entered cells only with carrier proteins, and formed stable complexes with recombinant Ad capsid proteins. ErbB receptor-targeted conjugates were cytotoxic to ErbB2-positive but not ErbB2-negative breast cancer cells, whereas molar equivalents of free corrole had no effect on these cells. CONCLUSIONS: Sulfonated corroles are cytotoxic to ErbB2-positive breast cancer cells when delivered by a targeted cell penetrating protein. The relatively low dose required to accomplish this compared to untargeted compounds suggests that corroles may lend themselves to targeted therapy. Importantly, the amphiphilicity of corroles enables a unique approach to bioconjugate formation whereby the carrier and drug form a stable complex by noncovalent assembly.

Cell Death↗
PubMed2006

Synthesis and full characterization of molybdenum and antimony corroles and utilization of the latter complexes as very efficient catalysts for highly selective aerobic oxygenation reactions.

Two molybdenum and three antimony corroles were isolated and characterized by NMR, EPR, and electrochemistry. The very negative reduction potentials of the (oxo)molybdenum(V) corroles are clearly related to their inactivity as oxygen transfer reagents and the unsuccessful attempts to isolate lower-valent molybdenum corroles. X-ray crystallography of the (oxo)molybdenum(V) corrole 1a and the trans-difluoroantimony(V) corrole 2c, the first of their kind, revealed that their molecular structures represent extreme cases of such complexes: a highly domed corrole with very large out-of-plane metal displacement for 1a (0.73 Angstroms) and a very flat corrole with the metal ion in its center for 2c. All three antimony corroles displayed high activity and selectivity as catalysts for the photoinduced oxidation of thioanisole by molecular oxygen, with superior results obtained in alcoholic solvents with 2c as catalyst. Allylic and tertiary benzylic CH bonds were also oxidized under those conditions, with absolute selectivity to the corresponding hydroperoxides.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Nitrogen atom transfer between manganese complexes of salen, porphyrin, and corrole and characterization of a (nitrido)manganese(VI) corrole.

The investigations of complete nitrogen atom transfer reactions from (nitrido)manganese(V) salen to manganese(III) complexes of porphyrins and corroles revealed that stabilization of the [Mn(N)]2+ moiety is in the order of corrole > porphyrin > salen. The first kinetic examination of this quite fundamental reaction exposed a large solvent effect on both the enthalpy and entropy activation energies. Oxidation of the (nitrido)manganese(V) corroles leads to the first (nitrido)manganese(VI) complexes that are coordinated by tetrapyrrolic ligands.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Albumin-conjugated corrole metal complexes: extremely simple yet very efficient biomimetic oxidation systems.

An extremely simple biomimetic oxidation system, consisting of mixing metal complexes of amphiphilic corroles with serum albumins, utilizes hydrogen peroxide for asymmetric sulfoxidation in up to 74% ee. The albumin-conjugated manganese corroles also display catalase-like activity, and mechanistic evidence points toward oxidant-coordinated manganese(III) as the prime reaction intermediate.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Halogeno-coordinated iron corroles.

The first full assignment of (1)H NMR chemical shifts for iron corroles and the first synthesis of a series of (halogeno)iron corroles reveal very large effects of the axial ligands on the corresponding spectra, which apparently reflect differences in the relative importance of metal-to-corrole and corrole-to-metal pi-donation. These findings pave the way for a thorough analysis of the electronic structures of such complexes.

Electrons↗
PubMed2004

Electron spin dynamics in photoexcited diamagnetic and paramagnetic corroles.

Three corroles, which differ by their cavity's core, namely, diamagnetic free-base tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole and its gallium(III) complex and the paramagnetic oxo-chromium(V) complex, were studied by steady-state and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The magnetic and orientational parameters of the corroles, oriented in a nematic liquid crystal, were determined and interpreted in terms of their structure, geometry, and excited states spin dynamics. It was shown that both diamagnetic corroles, photoexcited to their triplet states, exhibit similar EPR line shapes, which is characterized by a negative zero-field splitting parameter, D, whose origin is due to molecular "stretching". Photoexcited Cr(V)O-corrole exhibits polarized ground-state EPR spectrum in emission mode. This polarization stems from the sequence of photophysical and photochemical reactions, involving the formation of the trip-quartet/trip-doublet composite states and their selective quenching via a charge transfer state.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

High-resolution NMR spectroscopic trends and assignment rules of metal-free, metallated and substituted corroles.

Major advances over the last few years have facilitated the synthesis of a large variety of meso-only substituted corroles that display interesting catalytic, therapeutic and photophysical properties. This work is the first to study extensively the NMR spectral characteristics of both metallated and non-metallated triarylcorroles in various organic solvents and provide guidelines for easy and reliable assignments of 1D 1H spectra from trends of J coupling constants and chemical shifts. An excellent correlation is found between C=C bond lengths derived from 3J(H,H) values and experimental lengths determined by x-ray crystallography of the same molecules. The nuclear Overhauser effect provides a robust 1D 1H NMR tool for determining the selectivity of electrophilic substitutions. Variable-temperature NMR and isotopic labelling reveal a single preferred tautomerization state and unsymmetric ring orientations at -70 degrees C. The beta-pyrrole protons demonstrate long-range heteronuclear couplings with the coordination core (15N) and with the ortho-19F nuclei of the meso-carbon aryl rings. In sum, application of multinuclear magnetic resonance to corroles and their metal complexes, through the compilation of chemical shifts and J couplings and the recognition of trends therein, provides basic information essential to reliable spectral assignments. Additionally, the conclusions drawn about the structures of corroles and the electron densities at various positions of the corrole macrocycle resulting from the application of high-resolution NMR techniques are of importance to an in-depth understanding of the molecular interactions and processes of this relatively new and rapidly expanding class of compounds.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Easy preparation of cobalt corrole and hexaphyrin and isolation of new oligopyrroles in the solvent-free condensation of pyrrole with pentafluorobenzaldehyde.

[reaction: see text] Following the discovery that meso-substituted corroles are formed in solvent-free condensation of pyrrole with aldehydes, we demonstrate that a small variation in the methodology is suitable for facile synthesis of cobalt(III) corrole and hexaphyrin. These compounds, as well as three noncyclic products, were fully characterized by spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Aerobic oxidations catalyzed by chromium corroles.

Oxochromium(V) complexes of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole and brominated derivatives oxygenate substrates (triphenylphosphine and norbornene) with concomitant production of chromium(III). Regeneration of CrVO by reaction of dioxygen with CrIII completes an aerobic catalytic cycle, with very large solvent effects; in acetonitrile, rapid initial turnovers observed initially are shut down by formation of CrIVO, while in toluene, THF, and methanol, relatively slow reactions are further inhibited by product formation.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed2003

Mono- and binuclear ruthenium corroles: synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and structural characterization.

The aim of this research was to prepare mononuclear ruthenium corroles, because of the well-documented potency of analogous porphyrin complexes in catalysis. The syntheses of the mononuclear nitrosyl complexes [Ru(tpfc)(NO)] and [Ru(tdcc)(NO)] (tpfc=trianion of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole, tdcc=trianion of 5,10,15-tris(2,6-dichlorophenyl)corrole), and of the binuclear [[Ru(tpfc)](2)] were achieved by using [[Ru(cod)Cl(2)](x)] (cod=cyclooctadiene) as the metal source. The NMR spectra of all three complexes clearly demonstrate that they are diamagnetic; this is consistent with a triple bond between the metal ions in [[Ru(tpfc)](2)] and is expected for classical [MNO](6) complexes. These features were further substantiated by the stretching frequencies of the [MNO] moieties, electrochemical measurements on all complexes, and the X-ray crystal structures of [Ru(tpfc)(NO)] and [[Ru(tpfc)](2)]. A comparison of the spectroscopic and structural characteristics of these new complexes with analogous iron corroles, as well as with iron and ruthenium porphyrins, suggests that it will be hard to obtain mononuclear ruthenium corroles without pi-accepting ligands.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Iron(III) and iron(IV) corroles: synthesis, spectroscopy, structures, and no indications for corrole radicals.

A delicate control of reaction conditions allows the isolation of several distinctively different iron complexes of tris(pentafluorophenyl)- and tris(2,6-dichlorophenyl)corrole. As long as coordinating ligands are present, the iron(III) complexes are stable in solution. Otherwise they are aerobically oxidized to either mononuclear chloroiron(IV) or dinuclear (mu-oxo)iron(IV) complexes, in acidic and basic solutions, respectively (the latter holds only for tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole). When treated with NaNO(2), the mononuclear chloroiron(IV) corroles are efficiently converted into diamagnetic iron nitrosyl complexes. The low- and intermediate-spin iron(III), iron nitrosyl, and chloroiron(IV) corroles were fully characterized by a combination of spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. There was no indication for an open-shell corrole in any of the complexes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Selective substitution of corroles: nitration, hydroformylation, and chlorosulfonation.

This work demonstrates the feasibility and power of electrophilic substitution on the peripheral carbon atoms of triarylcorroles as a synthetic tool to new derivatives. The large difference in the reactivity of the various carbon atoms on the macrocycle was shown to be of electronic rather than steric origin. A careful choice of reagents and a delicate control of reaction conditions allowed the selective syntheses of novel derivatives, in all of which substitution took place selectively in only the directly joined pyrrole rings of the macrocycle. This was proven by a combination of X-ray crystallography of the various products and detailed analysis of their NMR spectra.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Structure and chemistry of N-substituted corroles and their rhodium(I) and zinc(II) metal-ion complexes.

In the present work we report on the detailed structural features of the chiral N21- and N22-substituted benzyl and picolyl derivatives of tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole [H3(tpfc)]. The main difference between the isomers is that substitution on N22 creates a much more crowded environment, reflected in higher deformation of the corrole ring from planarity and of the meso-aryls from perpendicular orientation. The effects of metal-ion chelation on corrole geometry are demonstrated by structural investigations of the zinc(II) and rhodium(I) complexes of the N21- and N22-alkylated corroles. The major finding is the intramolecular coordination of the pyridine moiety of the picolyl substituent in the case of [ZnII(N21-picolyl-tpfc)]. This pyridine is readily attracted to the zinc ion as an axial ligand, thus replacing the external pyridine molecule of the precursor [ZnII(N21-benzyl-tpfc)(py)]. The change is associated with a considerable flattening of the corrole ring in order to allow a more convenient coordination of the zinc ion to all four pyrrole nitrogen atoms (at Zn-N(pyr-role) distances of 1.956-1.987 A for the nonsubstituted sites, and 2.224-2.247 A for the substituted sites). These structural investigations also aid a good understanding of the spectroscopic characteristics of the derivatives.

Ligands↗
PubMed2002

Inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by a novel fibroblast growth factor receptor antagonist.

OBJECTIVE: One of the key events in post-angioplasty restenosis is the migration and proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells leading to neo-intima formation. This phase is mediated by several growth factors, mainly platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2/bFGF) and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF). In this study, we have focused on the role of FGF2, which requires heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) as cofactors for binding and activation of its cell surface tyrosine kinase receptor. The aim of this study was to identify and explore the effect of novel FGF antagonists on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. METHODS: We have recently identified a novel class of small, positively charged molecules sharing a porphyrin core as inhibitors of FGF2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity. Here we investigated the inhibitory effect of these compounds on VSMC proliferation and their effect on heparin-induced FGF receptor activity. RESULTS: We found that these molecules exert a marked inhibitory effect on FGF2-mediated smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, manifested by reduced cell growth and DNA synthesis, which occurred in a dose-dependent manner with an IC(50) of approximately 1 microM of inhibitor. We demonstrate that the molecule, 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (methyl-4-pyridyl)-21H, 23H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate salt (TMPP), inhibits binding of radiolabeled FGF2 to SMCs and to soluble FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) in a manner that interferes with both ligand and receptor interactions with heparin, thereby blocking growth factor mediated SMC proliferation. CONCLUSION: We have identified an FGF antagonist, which may serve in clinical practice as a preventive measure of restenosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Aluminum corrolin, a novel chlorophyll analogue.

A corrole-based chlorophyll analogue has been prepared, based on the notation that the major differences between the prosthetic groups of chlorophylls and hemes are the presence of a non-transition metal (Mg vs. Fe) and one reduced double bond in the porphyrin ligand. As corroles act as tri- rather than dianionic ligands, the analogy requires the insertion of aluminum into the macrocycle and the reduction of one of its double bonds, two reactions that have not been previously reported with any corrole. The aluminum complexes of both the corrole and the corrolin (the dihydrocorrole) display fluorescence quantum yield that are much larger than of chlorophyll and of all other previously reported synthetic analogues. The results suggest that the light metal atom ion is responsible for low intersystem crossing probability to the triplet excited state and the structural rigidity of the hexa-coordinated complexes for reducing the probability of internal conversion.

Aluminum↗