Amino acids thioethers

In aqueous solutions at pH 7, there is little evidence of complex formation between [MesSnflV)] and Gly. Potentiometric determination of the formation constants for L-Cys, DL-Ala, and L-His with the same cation indicates that L-Cys binds more strongly than other two amino acids (pKi ca. 10,6, or 5, respectively). Equilibrium and spectroscopic studies on L-Cys and its derivatives (S-methyl-cystein (S-Me-Cys), N-Ac-Cys) and the [Et2Sn(IV)] system showed that these ligands coordinate the metal ion via carboxylic O and the thiolic 5 donor atoms in acidic media. In the case of S-Me-Cys, the formation of a protonated complex MLH was also detected, due to the stabilizing effect of additional thioether coordination. ... 

Thiols, thioethers and sulfoxides [37-39] e.g. sulfur-containing amino acids... 

In addition to the backbone donor system the amino acid residues can contain a variety of donor centers (679E). The most important of these are the imidazole N atoms of His, the S atom of Cys, and to some extent the, 3-carboxylate O atom of Asp. Other side chain donors like the O atoms of Ser and phenolic O atoms of Tyr or amino N atoms of Lys are of minor importance for coordination of Ni11 ions. Also, thioether S-donors of Met play only a minor role in the interactions with Ni11 ions.1730... 

The iodoacetyl group of both isomers reacts with sulfhydryls under slightly alkaline conditions to yield stable thioether linkages (Figure 9.7). They do not react with unreduced disulfides in cystine residues or with oxidized glutathione (Gorman et al., 1987). The thioether bonds will be hydrolyzed under conditions necessary for complete protein hydrolysis prior to amino acid analysis. 

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