Imidazole group hydrogen bonding

Figure 3-30 Spectra of the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP), pyridoxamine phosphate (PMP) and apoenzyme forms of pig cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase at pH 8.3, 21 °C. Some excess apoenzyme is present in the sample of the PMP form. Spectra were recorded at 500 MH2. Chemical shift values are in parts per million relative to that of HzO taken as 4.80 ppm at 22°C. Peak A is from a proton on the ring nitrogen of PLP or PMP, peaks B and D are from imidazole NH groups of histidines 143 and 189 (see Fig. 14-6), and peaks C and D are from amide NH groups hydrogen bonded to carboxyl groups.

There is still a third possible mechanism for the fumarate hydratase reaction. The proton and hydroxyl groups may be added simultaneously in a concerted reaction. However, observed kinetic isotope effects are not consistent with this mechanism. In 1997 the structure of fumarase C of E. coli was reported. Each active site of the tetrameric enzyme is formed using side chains from three different subunits. The H188 imidazole is hydrogen bonded to an active site water molecule and is backed up by the E331 carboxy-late which forms a familiar catalytic pair. However, these results have not clarified the exact mode of substrate binding nor the details of the catalytic mechanism. Structural studies of fumarate hydratase from yeast and the pig are also in progress. 

The supramolecular self-assembly between PS-Zi-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and imidazole-terminated hydrogen-bonding mesogenic groups was also used to prepare non-azo LCBCs (Chao et al., 2004). Owing to the attached LC properties, the nanostructures in the LCBC films obtained can be oriented by using an alternating current (AC) electric field, in a direction parallel to the electrodes. 

Imidazoles and pyrazoles with free NH groups form hydrogen-bonded dimers and oligomers (66AHC(6)347). 

Annular nitrogen atoms can form hydrogen bonds, and if the azole contains an NH group, association occurs. Imidazole (84) shows a cryoscopic molecular weight in benzene 20 times that expected. Its boiling point is 256 °C, which is higher than that of 1-methyl-imidazole (198 °C). 

However, when the X-ray crystal structure of the MoFe protein was examined, it was clear that homocitrate could not directly hydrogen bond to the histidine, since the carboxylate group and imidazole are stacked parallel to each other in the crystal. Nevertheless, as noted in the previous section, studies on model complexes have suggested that homocitrate can become monodentate during nitrogenase turnover, with the molybdenum carboxylate bond breaking to open up a vacant site at molybdenum suitable for binding N2. 

P212121 Z — 8 Dx= 1.57 R = 0.085 for 1,743 intensities. The two independent molecules have similar conformations. The glycosyl dispositions are anti (90.1°, 91.2°), and the D-ribosyl groups are 3T4 (24.0°, 34.1° 15.6°, 35.5°). The exocyclic, C-4 -C-5 bond orientations are gauche+ (63.1°, 53.8°). The orientation of the methyl groups in both molecules is such that it is directed away from the imidazole moiety of the base, that is, the 0-6-C-7 bond is trans to the C-5-C-6 bond this arrangement constitutes an obstacle to formation of Watson-Crick hydrogen-bonds to the complementary base cytosine. In molecule A, 0-6 and C-7 are displaced from the purine plane by 79 and 87 pm, and, in molecule B, by 49 and 16 pm. The bases are stacked. 

Fig. 9.7 Crystal structure of the H2-antagonist metiamide with an intramolecular hydrogen bond (yellow dots) between the imidazole nitrogen and an NH group of the side chain.

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