Bioinorganic Flashcards
(108 cards)
How does cis-platin work?
In blood plasma has 2x Cl ligands as high [Cl-]
In cytosol low [Cl-] so replaced by OH2 to make charged complex which can coordinate
What are the characteristics of Na+ and K+ complexes?
Weak interactions
Hard ligands
Selectivity from size match and hydrophobicity
No redox chemistry
How are Na+ and K+ used in cells?
Controlling osmotic pressured
Transported in and out of cells - weak, reversible coordination chemistry
What are the characteristics of Mg2+ and Ca2+ complexes?
Hard ligands
Strong ionic interactions - charge dense ions
Selectivity from size match and hydrophobicity
Ca - fast ligand exchange kinetics
No redox chemistry
How is Mg and Ca used in biology?
Mg - ATP catalysis, structural role in enzymes
Ca - signalling (as fast ligand exchange with hard ligands), and structural (Ca phosphates/carbonates are insoluble)
Define compartmentalisation
Distribution of elements in and out of a cell, between organelles
Barriers formed by lipid bilayers - impermeable to ions
What is the concentration of Na+ and K+ in and outside a cell?
Inside - high [K+] and low [Na+]
Outside - low [K+] and high [Na+]
Define passive transport
Channel or ionophore facilitates diffusion of ion down its conc gradient
No energy required
How do K+ protein channels function?
K+ conducted down electrochem gradient
Selective against Na+
What is a ionophore?
Small molecule with polar interior and lipophilic exterior
Allows for reversible binding of ions for membrane transport
What is the use of an ionophore?
Antibiotic targeting the K+ membrane transport
Selectively transports K+ and disrupts ion gradients to destroy bacteria
What is active transport?
Ion pump transports ions against conc gradient using energy from ATP hydrolysis
How do ion pumps work?
Free energy of ATP hydrolysis used to interconvert between two conformations of ion pump
Why is Ca2+ suitable for signalling?
Large & flexible coordination geometry
Intermediate binding constants
Fast ligand exchange kinetics
What is Calmodulin?
Ca2+ sensor - protein
Changes conformer upon 4x Ca2+ binding
How is iron often stored in animals and why?
Essential but difficult to obtain and v toxic in XS
Haemoglobin and myoglobin as Fe-porphyrins
How is Fe(III) transported in mammals?
Transferrin proteins
What are the properties of transferins?
Hard donors
Multi-dentate, chelate effect
High binding constant - to obtain Fe(III) at low conc
How can bacteria get a source of Fe?
Cannot absorb directly - precipitates as Fe(OH)3
Multi-dentate O-donor ligands called siderophores used to scavenge
Describe how myoglobin works
Fe protein that coordinates O2 reversibly
Protein has several alpha-helices, haem is between them
Helix E stabilises coordinated O2
Helix F provides proximal histidine ligand
What is haem?
Fe(II) - porphyrin
How does O2 bind to myoglobin?
Works as O2 is a strong field pi-acceptor ligand
Fe(II) LS has no e- in antibonding orbitals so small radiuseff and moves into porphyrin plane
How can the binding of O2 in myoglobin be shown as an MO diagram?
Where is myoglobin found?
Found in tissue
Controls [O2] in the tissue