Solvents positions of residual protons

Table 7.48 Solvent Positions of Residual Protons in Incompletely Deuterated...

The most important multiply charged polyatomic positive ions are compounds with two or more basic groups which when protonated lead to doubly or poly-charged ions. Typical examples are diamines such as the double protonated a, to alkyldiamines, H3N(CH2)pNH2+, and the most important class, the polyprotonated peptides and proteins, which have multiple basic residues. Charge reduction for these systems occurs through proton transfer from one of the protonated basic sites to a solvent molecule. Such a reaction is shown below for the monohydrate of a doubly protonated diamine ... 

It has been concluded from a study of the optical and e.p.r. spectra of Co —Cu bovine superoxide dismutase, in which zinc has been replaced by cobalt, that the cobalt site reactivity should be described in terms of reaction of the Co-imidazolate-Cu system as a whole the crystal structure reported last year indicated that the metals were linked by a common histidine residue. There is an exchange interaction between the cobalt and copper however, this is abolished when the linking imidazole is protonated. Further evidence for the close proximity and interactive dependence of the zinc and copper binding sites was obtained from a study of the 4 Cu protein a two-fold enhancement of the activity of 2 Cu dismutase was observed upon occupation of the zinc sites by the Cu ". On the basis of C1 n.m.r. studies, Fee and Ward have suggested that one co-ordination position of Cu in superoxide dismutase is normally occupied by water they further suggest that superoxide can displace the solvent to form a cupric peroxide complex. 

Spectra of poly-L-alanine in this same perchloric acid solvent also show a single major band at 1.51 /i, thereby demonstrating that the incorporation of the amide residue into the polypeptide structure results in no pronounced changes in the position of the maximum due to the protonated species. Therefore, a band at 1.51 n was assigned to the protonated peptide species. 

---