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Formation of Hg(II) Tetrathiolate Complexes with Cysteine at Neutral pH.

ABSTRACT: Mercury(II) ions precipitate from aqueous cysteine (H2Cys) solutions containing H2Cys/Hg(II) mole ratio ? 2.0 as Hg(S-HCys)2. In absence of additional cysteine, the precipitate dissolves at pH ~12 with the [Hg(S,N-Cys)2](2-) complex dominating. With excess cysteine (H2Cys/Hg(II) mole ratio ? 4.0), higher complexes form and the precipitate dissolves at lower pH values. Previously, we found that tetrathiolate [Hg(S-Cys)4](6-) complexes form at pH = 11.0; in this work we extend the investigation to pH values of physiological interest. We examined two series of Hg(II)-cysteine solutions in which CHg(II) varied between 8 - 9 mM and 80 - 100 mM, respectively, with H2Cys/Hg(II) mole ratios from 4 to ~20. The solutions were prepared in the pH range 7.1 - 8.8, at the pH at which the initial Hg(S-HCys)2 precipitate dissolved. The variations in the Hg(II) speciation were followed by (199)Hg NMR, X-ray absorption and Raman spectroscopic techniques. Our results show that in the dilute solutions (CHg(II) = 8 - 9 mM), mixtures of di-, tri- (major) and tetrathiolate complexes exist at moderate cysteine excess (CH2Cys ~ 0.16 M) at pH 7.1. In the more concentrated solutions (CHg(II) = 80 - 100 mM) with high cysteine excess (CH2Cys > 0.9 M), tetrathiolate [Hg(S-cysteinate)4] (m-6) (m = 0 - 4) complexes dominate in the pH range 7.3 - 7.8, with lower charge than for the [Hg(S-Cys)4](6-) complex due to protonation of some (m) of the amino groups of the coordinated cysteine ligands. The results of this investigation could provide a key to the mechanism of biosorption and accumulation of Hg(II) ions in biological / environmental systems.

SUBMITTER: Warner T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4824553 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Formation of Hg(II) Tetrathiolate Complexes with Cysteine at Neutral pH.

Warner Thomas T Jalilehvand Farideh F

Canadian journal of chemistry 20160104 4

Mercury(II) ions precipitate from aqueous cysteine (H2Cys) solutions containing H2Cys/Hg(II) mole ratio ≥ 2.0 as Hg(S-HCys)2. In absence of additional cysteine, the precipitate dissolves at pH ~12 with the [Hg(S,N-Cys)2]2- complex dominating. With excess cysteine (H2Cys/Hg(II) mole ratio ≥ 4.0), higher complexes form and the precipitate dissolves at lower pH values. Previously, we found that tetrathiolate [Hg(S</i ...[more]

PMID: 27064521

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Project description:The complex formation between cadmium(II) and the ligands cysteine (H(2)Cys) and penicillamine (H(2)Pen = 3,3'-dimethylcysteine) in aqueous solutions, having C(Cd(II)) approximately 0.1 mol dm(-3) and C(H(2)L) = 0.2-2 mol dm(-3), was studied at pH = 7.5 and 11.0 by means of (113)Cd NMR and Cd K- and L(3)-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. For all cadmium(II)-cysteine molar ratios, the mean Cd-S and Cd-(N/O) bond distances were found in the ranges 2.52-2.54 and 2.27-2.35 A, respectively. The corresponding cadmium(II)-penicillamine complexes showed slightly shorter Cd-S bonds, 2.50-2.53 A, but with the Cd-(N/O) bond distances in a similar wide range, 2.28-2.33 A. For the molar ratio C(H(2)L)/C(Cd(II)) = 2, the (113)Cd chemical shifts, in the range 509-527 ppm at both pH values, indicated complexes with distorted tetrahedral CdS(2)N(N/O) coordination geometry. With a large excess of cysteine (molar ratios C(H(2)Cys)/C(Cd(II)) >or= 10), complexes with CdS(4) coordination geometry dominate, consistent with the (113)Cd NMR chemical shifts, delta approximately 680 ppm at pH 7.5 and 636-658 ppm at pH 11.0, and their mean Cd-S distances were 2.53 +/- 0.02 A. At pH 7.5, the complexes are almost exclusively sulfur-coordinated as [Cd(S-cysteinate)(4)](n-), while at higher pH, the deprotonation of the amine groups promotes chelate formation. At pH 11.0, a minor amount of the [Cd(Cys)(3)](4-) complex with CdS(3)N coordination is formed. For the corresponding penicillamine solutions with molar ratios C(H(2)Pen)/C(Cd(II)) >or= 10, the (113)Cd NMR chemical shifts, delta approximately 600 ppm at pH 7.5 and 578 ppm at pH 11.0, together with the average bond distances, Cd-S 2.53 +/- 0.02 A and Cd-(N/O) 2.30-2.33 A, indicate that [Cd(penicillaminate)(3)](n-) complexes with chelating CdS(3)(N/O) coordination dominate already at pH 7.5 and become mixed with CdS(2)N(N/O) complexes at pH 11.0. The present study reveals differences between cysteine and penicillamine as ligands to the cadmium(II) ion that can explain why cysteine-rich metallothionines are capable of capturing cadmium(II) ions, while penicillamine, clinically useful for treating the toxic effects of mercury(II) and lead(II) exposure, is not efficient against cadmium(II) poisoning.

Dataset Information

Formation of Hg(II) Tetrathiolate Complexes with Cysteine at Neutral pH.

Publications

Formation of Hg(II) Tetrathiolate Complexes with Cysteine at Neutral pH.

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