Via dismutation

Via dismutation (method O) Mixed alkyl(perfluoroalkyl)bis-muthines are obtained from the dismutation reaction between trialkylbismuthines and perfluoroalkyl iodides (Rfl) [63AJC636]. Cyanodiphenyl-bismuthine is formed by the reaction of triphenylbismuthine and iodonitrile [15JCS(107)16], 

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Yamazaki, Mason and Piette [63-65] have investigated the mechanism of action of peroxidases using flow ESR apparatus. The peroxidase used (from Japanese turnips) catalyses the oxidation of a number of substrates such as indoleacetic acid, dihydroxyfumarate and triose reductone by hydrogen peroxide. They were able to demonstrate directly the presence of free radical intermediates, a number of which could be identified from their hyperfine structure, and to show a correlation between ESR signal intensity and the kinetics expected for the reaction. This was strong evidence for a mechanism concerning one-electron transfer steps. The steady state concentration of free radicals was proportional to the square root of the enzyme concentration and the main decay route of the radicals was via dismutation. 

The transient nitroxide radicals derived from one-electron oxidation of HXs may decompose via several routes as described in Scheme 2 including dis-mutation (reaction 9) and oxidation (reaction 10) forming acyl nitroso, which yields HNO via hydrolysis (reaction 14) or its reaction with nucleophiles (53), homolysis of the C-N bond forming HNO (reaction 11), internal disproportionation forming NO (reaction 12), and hydrolysis forming H2NO (reaction 13), which via dismutation generates N2 (54,55). 

Termination - process leading to disappearing of radicals and formation of less-volatile products via dismutation and recombination reactions (Equations 6.4). During termination, the crosslinking and cyclisation reactions often occur. 

In contrast, dissimilation of acetate may take place by reversal of the pathway used by organisms snch as Clostridium thermoaceticum for the synthesis of acetate from COj. In the degradation of acetate, the pathway involves a dismutation in which the methyl group is successively oxidized via methyl THF to COj while the carbonyl group is oxidized via bound carbon monoxide. Snch THF-mediated reactions are of great importance in the anaerobic degradation of pnrines, which is discussed in Chapter 10, Part 1. 

The enantiomeric reduction of 2-nitro-l-phenylprop-l-ene has been studied in a range of Gram-positive organisms including strains of Rhodococcus rhodochrous (Sakai et al. 1985). The enantiomeric purity of the product depended on the strain used, the length of cultivation, and the maintenance of a low pH that is consistent with the later results of Meah and Massey (2000). It has been shown that an NADPH-linked reduction of a,p-unsaturated nitro compounds may also be accomplished by old yellow enzyme via the flcf-nitro form (Meah and Massey 2000). This is formally analogous to the reduction and dismutation of cyclic enones by the same enzyme (Vaz et al. 1995), and the reductive fission of nitrate esters by an enzyme homologous to the old yellow enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Snape et al. 1997). 

SCHEME 1 Schematic illustration of the biological process of 02 dismutation into 02 and H202 catalyzed by Cu, Zn-SOD via a cyclic oxidation-reduction electron transfer mechanism. (Reprinted from [98], with permission from Elsevier.)... 

The thing to be noted here is that the ° values of the 02/ 02" and 02" H202 redox couples are -0.35 and 0.68 V vs Ag/AgCl at pH 7.4 and thus the SODs, for example, Cu, Zn-SOD (Cu (I/II)) with ° = 65mV can mediate both the oxidation of 02 to 02 and the reduction of 02" to H202. Such a bi-directional electromediation (electrocatalysis) by the SOD/SAM electrode is essentially based on the inherent specificity of the SOD enzyme which catalyzes the dismutation of 02 to 02 and H202 via a redox cycle of their metal complex moiety (Scheme 3). 

Figure 6.7 illustrates the voltammetric response of the third-generation SOD-based 02 biosensors with Cu, Zn-SOD confined onto cystein-modified Au electrode as an example. The presence of 02" in solution essentially increases both the cathodic and anodic peak currents of the SOD compared with its absence [150], Such a redox response was not observed at the bare Au or cysteine-modified Au electrodes in the presence of 02". The observed increase in the anodic and cathodic current response of the Cu, Zn-SOD/cysteine-modified Au electrode in the presence of 02 can be considered to result from the oxidation and reduction of 02, respectively, which are effectively mediated by the SOD confined on the electrode as shown in Scheme 3. Such a bi-directional electromediation (electrocatalysis) by the SOD/cysteine-modified Au electrode is essentially based on the inherent specificity of SOD for the dismutation of 02", i.e. SOD catalyzes both the reduction of 02 to H202 and the oxidation to 02 via a redox cycle of its Cu (II/I) complex moiety as well as the direct electron transfer of SOD realized at the cysteine-modified Au electrode. Thus, this coupling between the electrode and enzyme reactions of SOD could facilitate the development of the third-generation biosensor for 02". ...

Thus, superoxide itself is obviously too inert to be a direct initiator of lipid peroxidation. However, it may be converted into some reactive species in superoxide-dependent oxidative processes. It has been suggested that superoxide can initiate lipid peroxidation by reducing ferric into ferrous iron, which is able to catalyze the formation of free hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. The possibility of hydroxyl-initiated lipid peroxidation was considered in earlier studies. For example, Lai and Piette [8] identified hydroxyl radicals in NADPH-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation by EPR spectroscopy using the spin-trapping agents DMPO and phenyl-tcrt-butylnitrone. They proposed that hydroxyl radicals are generated by the Fenton reaction between ferrous ions and hydrogen peroxide formed by the dismutation of superoxide. Later on, the formation of hydroxyl radicals was shown in the oxidation of NADPH catalyzed by microsomal NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase [9,10]. 

Superoxide-dismuting activity of copper rutin complex was confirmed by comparison of the inhibitory effects of this complex and rutin on superoxide production by xanthine oxidase and microsomes (measured via cytochrome c reduction and by lucigenin-amplified CL, respectively) with their effects on microsomal lipid peroxidation [166]. An excellent correlation between the inhibitory effects of both compounds on superoxide production and the formation of TBAR products was found, but at the same time the effect of copper rutin complex was five to nine times higher due to its additional superoxide dismuting capacity. 

Mn(II) ions complexed by porphyrinato(2 ) ligands have shown catalytic superoxide anion dismutation. One SOD mimic, M40403, complexes Mn(II) via a macrocyclic ligand, 1,4,7,10,13-pentaazacyclopentadecane, containing added bis(cyclohexyl) and pyridyl functionalities. M40403 carries the systematic name [manganese(II) dichloro] 4R,9R, 14/s, 19/ )-3,10,13,20,26-pentaazatetracyclo[20.3. 1.0(4,9)0(14,19)]hexacosa-l(26),-22(23),24-triene ]. The molecule is shown in... 

Attempts to optimize the stability and SOD activity of C-substi-tuted (R = methyl and fused cycloalkyl) [Mn(II)[15]aneN5)Cl2] complexes 95 have shown that increasing the number of hydrocarbon substituents greatly increases the kinetic stability of the complex toward dissociation via protonation (Fig. 19). (443). There is also some enhancement of thermodynamic stability. The trans-fused endohexano Mn(II) complex 96 has a faster dismutation rate constant (9.09 X 107M-1 s1, pH 7.4) and a 10 times higher thermodynamic stability than the unsubstituted complex. 

In this malate dismutation pathway, carbohydrates are degraded to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) via the classical glycolytic pathway. This PEP is then carboxylated by PEP carboxykinase (PEPCK) to oxaloacetate, which is subsequently reduced to malate. This malate is transported into the mitochondria and is degraded in a split pathway. A portion of the malate is oxidized to acetate and another portion is reduced to succinate, which can then be further metabolized to propionate (Fig. 20.1). 

Parasitic stages, on the other hand, generally do not use oxygen as the final electron acceptor but use fermentative processes to obtain most of their ATP. For these stages, an uneconomical energy metabolism is not detrimental, as the host provides the nutrients. Most adult flatworms inside the final host produce end products of a fermentative carbohydrate breakdown, such as succinate, acetate, propionate and lactate. These end products are formed via malate dismutation, a fermentative pathway, which is present in all types of parasitic worms (flatworms as well as many nematodes), but which is also present in animals like freshwater snails, mussels, oysters and other marine organisms. Malate dismutation is linked to a specially... 

The generation of the superoxide anion radical is but the first of four steps in the complete reduction of oxygen to water. Successive steps include the sequential generation of hydrogen peroxide, formed through the dismutation of superoxide via superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl radical is one of the most powerful and most reactive oxidants that exist. It reacts immediately... 

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