Bioinorganic chemistryBioinorganic chemistry

IntroductionIntroduction

Bioinorganic chemistry as a highly interdisciplinary research field

Inorganic chemistry

biochemistry

(micro-) biology

physiology physics

pharmacology toxicology

Bioinorganic chemistry

Bioinorganic ChemistryBioinorganic Chemistry

- biological chemistry of the elementsbiological chemistry of the elements- inorganic chemistry of life- inorganic chemistry of life

Living organisms require:Living organisms require:

1.1. Temperature from 0°C to about 40 °CTemperature from 0°C to about 40 °C2. Pressure of the order of 1 atm = 101 kPa2. Pressure of the order of 1 atm = 101 kPa3. Salinity up to about 4%3. Salinity up to about 4%4. pH in the range 4 to 94. pH in the range 4 to 95. Redox potential -0.4 to + 0.8 V at pH = 75. Redox potential -0.4 to + 0.8 V at pH = 76. Water activity 0.7 to 1.0 mole fraction6. Water activity 0.7 to 1.0 mole fraction

Essential feature of life:Essential feature of life:

Continuous adaptation to changing environmental conditionsContinuous adaptation to changing environmental conditions

Interrelationship between the three interlocking features of a biological system

Living system

DNA/RNA

plan

(genetics)

Proteins MembranesSaccharides(machinery)

Electrones IonsEnergy

(bio-energetics)compartments

Biológiai rendszerek általános felépítése

Élő szervezetek

DNA/RNA

(genetikai)

ProteinekMembránok

Szénhidrátok(felépítés)

Elektronok IonokEnergia

(bio-energetikai)csoportok

Evolution of life essential elements

Earth solidified ~ 4 billion years ago

81 stabile elements

Elements of the living organism:

1. Elements in large scale: 11 elementsH, C, N, O, Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca

2. Elements in small scale: 7 elementsMn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, I, Mo

3. Elements of a few species: 7 elementsB, F, Si, V, Cr, Se, Sn

Life essential macro elements Life essential trace elements

H O C N P S Fe Cu Zn Mn MoCl K Na Ca Mg Co Cr Se Ni F V

Non-essential elements

Be

As Si B Li

Ag Sn Rb Cs Sr Ba Al

Y Ga In Tl Ge Pb Sb Bi Te Au

Br Sc Ti Zr Hf Nb Ta W Rc Cd Hg

bulk eliments

trace eliments

for some species

Periodic Table

Interaction of some elementsInteraction of some elements(Chowdhuri, Chandra)(Chowdhuri, Chandra)

Mn

Fe Cd Cu

Zn Pb Ca

Se Hg Cr

Effect

Lack of element(Death)

Deficiency(Disease)

Optimal supply Excess (Disease)

Toxic dose(Death)

Conc

Concentration and physiological effect

Element % of total number of atoms in human body

Number of grams in a 70-kg Man

H 63 6580

O 25.5 48550

C 9.5 12590

N 1.4 1815

Ca 0.31 1700

P 0.22 680

K 0.06 250

S 0.05 100

Cl 0.03 115

Na 0.03 70

Mg 0.01 42

Fe < 0.01 7

Mn, Co, Cu,

Zn, Mo, V,

Cr, Ni, F, < 0.01 1

Si, Se, As

~ 1.5 billion years ago

Formation of biologically important molecules

Biomonomers Biopolymers

~103 ~1010

e.g.: HCN Nitriles Aminonitriles Amino acids Polypeptides

Chemical evolution of life:

Miller-Urey Experiment (Spontaneous Generation)

Raw Ingredients

Monomers

Polymers

Cell Membrane

Reproduction

Living Cell

Raw ingredients assumed to havebeen present in atmosphere and hydrosphereof Early Earth:

watercarbon dioxidecarbon monoxideN-gasesS-gases methane ?

yields: amino acids, sugars, nucleicacid bases, lipids

Origin of Life

a) Life was formed in fluid mediumb) Adaptation to a reducing atmospherec) Adaptation to an oxidizing atmosphere

ad. a) Cell-like structures:- Hydrophobic interactions(formation of coacervate droplets, micelle)- Protenoid microsphere- Primitive gene

ad. b) CO2, N2, CH4, H2O, CO, H2S, HCN, NH3

ad. c) Product of photosynthesis

Ion concentrations in sea water and extracellular blood plasma

Ion Sea water (mM)

Blood plasma (mM)

Na+ 470 138

Mg2+ 50 1

Ca2+ 10 3

K+ 10 4

Cl- 55 100

HPO2-4 0.001 1

SO2-4 28 1

Fe2+/3+ 0.0001 0.02

Zn2+ 0.0001 0.02

Cu2+ 0.001 0.015

BiopolymersBiopolymers

The chemistry of living organisms is called biochemistryThe chemistry of living organisms is called biochemistry

Biochemical molecules tend to be very large and difficult to Biochemical molecules tend to be very large and difficult to synthesize synthesize

Living organisms are highly ordered. Therefore, living organism Living organisms are highly ordered. Therefore, living organism have very low entropy have very low entropy

Most biologically important molecules are polymers, called Most biologically important molecules are polymers, called biopolymers biopolymers

Biopolymers fall into three classes: Biopolymers fall into three classes:

proteinsproteins polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and polysaccharides (carbohydrates), and nucleic acids nucleic acids