INOR 573 |
| In order to investigate the functions of labile zinc in biological samples, as well as to assist in the management of physiological disorders related to improper zinc homeostasis, we devised new cell membrane-impermeable zinc chelators. The synthetic strategy for preparing this constructs is efficient and flexible, allowing for additional structural modification to tune the zinc affinity, membrane permeability, and cellular localization. The structures of the zinc complexes were investigated by NMR titrations, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. The new compounds bind zinc tightly in solution. Live cell experiments demonstrate that the new chelators are membrane impermeable, by comparison to Ca-EDTA and TPEN, the classic examples of cell-impermeable and -permeable zinc chelators, respectively. The advantage of the new constructs over Ca-EDTA is that they bind zinc more rapidly and are expected to exhibit greater selectively. The application of these compounds to the study neuronal zinc in live hippocampus slices will also be presented. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. |
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Characterization and Applications of Coordination Compounds
7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 BCEC -- Exhibit Hall - B2, Poster
Division of Inorganic Chemistry |