Chemistry 446

INTRODUCTION TO BIOINORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Fall 2011                       

Art and Design Building 2003,  T/R 12:00-1:15 pm

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Instructor:             Dr. Keith M. Davies.     Office:  410 Occoquan (PW1)

                             kdavies@gmu.edu      703-993-1075 

Office Hours:       Tu/Th 10:30-11:30, 1:30-2:30 ST1 331; M/W/F 410 Occoquan (PW1) by appointment

 

Text:                    CHEM 446-Introduction to Bioinorganic Chemistry-Course Supplement (Copy Shop-University. Bookstore)

                             Recommended Reading: Biological Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity

                             by H. B. Gray, E. I. Stiefel, J. S. Valentine and I. Bertini,  University Science Books, 2007.

 

Prerequisites:      CHEM 463, CHEM 313. Students may take this course concurrently with CHEM 463.
 

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Course Outline and Objectives

Bioinorganic chemistry considers the roles of inorganic elements in biological processes. It applies fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry (particularly transition metal coordination chemistry and ligand field theory) to understanding the structure and function of metal ion sites in biomolecules. It also examines a variety of metal-related topics ranging from metal toxicity and the use of metal complexes as drugs to oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species and the bioregulatory functions of nitric oxide.  

 

Examinations and Grading  

 

Mid-Term Exam I

Sept. 22

22%

Mid-Term Exam II

Oct. 25

22%

Mid-Term Exam III

Nov. 29

22%

Final Exam (10:30-1:15)

Dec. 15

          34%

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Make-Up Exam Policy

There will be no  “make-up” exams given. An absence from one exam will be excused if adequate documentation  is provided. (e.g. a note from a physician). For an excused absence, the mid-term exam% for the course will be determined from the other mid-terms and final (i.e.  the point values of the other exams will be increased proportionately). The University requires that all students take a final exam.

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Course  Schedule

30 Sept

  

Introduction:  Occurrence, availability and roles of metallic elements.  Classification of metallobiomolecules

1

Fundamentals of inorganic coordination chemistry. Ligand structures, complex stability, chelate effects, HSAB classification, solvation and macrocyclic effects.

 6

Review of protein structure and metal binding. Metal-binding amino acid residues, macrocyclic porphyrin and corrin ring structures. Hapticity (η) and bridging (μ) modes.

 8

Ligand field effects. High spin and low spin states. Magnetic and spectral properties.

13

Thermodynamic stability and kinetic lability. Redox potentials, Latimer diagrams, substitution rates.

15

M.O.Theory  Diatomic oxygen species. Metal-ligand s and Π-interactions. Organometallic structures, Π-acid ligands, 18-electron rule

20

Metal transport and storage: Fe uptake and transport, transferrin.

22

 

27

Exam I

29

Iron storage, ferritin, Fe uptake and retrieval. Mossbauer spectroscopy. Siderophore iron transport. Cu and Zn transport and storage. Metallothioneins and metallochaperones.

Oct

4

Dioxide transport.  Hb and Mb structure and O2 binding. pH effects. Spin states and cooperativity.   Fe2+- 1O2 vs. Fe3+- O2- Inorganic model compounds, Hb variants.

6

O2 transport in hemocyanin and  hemerythrin. Dioxygen activation. Oxygen atom transfer by  cytochromes-P450, tyrosinase.

11

Columbus Day Holiday (No class).

13

Dioxygen  toxicity Toxicity of oxygen species,  detoxification enzymes. Termodynamics of disproportionation equilibria. Superoxide dismutases. Peroxidases and catalases.

18

Anticancer Therapeutic Agents. Cisplatin and 2nd generation Pt drugs.  Organometallic anticancer transition metal complexes.

20

 

25

Exam II

27

Metal deficiency and toxicity. Essential elements, Fe, Cu, Zn, chelation therapy. Toxicity of heavy metals, Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, Al.  

Nov

 1

Nitric oxide biochemistry. Physiological roles of NO. Nitric oxide synthase enzymes. NO donor compounds

3

Electron Transfer in Biology. Metal cofactors. Iron cytochromes and iron-sulfur clusters, cytochrone-c oxidase,

 8

Copper proteins.  epr spectroscopy.  Marcus electron transfer theoryProtein electron transfer

10

Nitrogenase  Structure of nitrogenase enzyme:   Mechanism of N2 reduction.

15

Hydrogenases structure and reactivity. 

17

Cobalamins. Structure of coenzyme B 12 coenzyme sites.

22

 Mechanism of B12-dependent isomerases and methyltransferases.

 

Thanksgiving Recess (Nov 23-26)

29

Dec  

 Exam III

1

Metal-dependant hydrolase enzymes Zinc enzymes, carbonic anhydrase, carboxypeptidase, alcohol dehydrogenase. Aconitase, urease.

 6

Membrane transport of metal ions. Gp I, II metals, Na, K, Mg, Ca as biological messengers: Ionophores, gramicidin, ion channels, aquaporins.

8

 Last day of class.  Review

 

 

15 Final Exam  10:30-1:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bioinorganic Chemistry Texts: On reserve in Johnson Center library:

H. B. Gray, E. I. Stiefel, J. S. Valentine and I. Bertini, Biological Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity (University Science Books, 2007)

Bertini, I.; Gray, H. B.; Lippard, S. J.; Valentine, J. S. Bioinorganic Chemistry (University Science Books; 1994)

Kaim, W. and Schwederski, B. Bioinorganic chemistry : inorganic elements in the chemistry of life : an introduction and guide (Wiley, 1994)

Cowan, J. A. Inorganic Biochemistry: An Introduction (Wiley-VCH: New York, 1997)

Lippard, S. J. and Berg, J. M. Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry (University Science Books; 1994).

Roat-Malone, R. M. Bioinorganic Chemistry: A Short Course (Wiley, 2002)