Course

Unit 1

Basics in Bio-Inorganic Chemistry

Essential elements in biological systems, transport of ions across biological membranes, active and passive transport, metal transport and metallochaperons, Na+ /K+ pump and active transport. Metal complexation with biological molecules. Electron transport in biology, electron transport chain (ETC), role of ETC in biological systems. Amino acids, peptides and proteins, primary and secondary structure of proteins, α-helix and β-sheets forms of proteins and their special features; tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins the type of molecular in teractions involved in them. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), generation and function of organic free radicals, action of ROS in biological systems, oxidative stress, antioxidants. Photosynthesis, PS-I and PS–II.

Unit 2

Oxygen Take – Up,Transport and Storage Proteins

Porphine, corrin, corrole, chlorin and bacteriochlorin. Myoglobin (Mb) and haemoglobin (Hb), their prosthetic groups and functions, mechanism for reversible binding of O2 in Mb and Hb. Cooperative effect in Hb and its consequence. Behaviour of bound O2 to Fe(II). Difference between O2 and CO binding to Hb and Mb, CNpoisoning. Structure and functions of haemerythrin (Hr) and haemocyanin (Hc), O2 binding nature in Hr and Hc, electron transfer processes in them. Cytochromes and their role in biology, cytochrome P-450, cytochrome C-oxidase and oxygen transfer from O2 to non-activated substrates, mono oxygenases, methane mono oxygenase (MMO). Fe-S and other non – haemeiron proteins, ferredoxins- their structure and special properties, transferrin, ferritin, siderophores, enterobactin, uptake, transport and storage of iron. Sickle-cell anaemia

Unit 3

Metallo – Enzymes   

Catalases – structure and properties reaction mechanism. Peroxidases – glutathione peroxidase, HRP, structure and properties and enzyme reaction mechanism. Cytochrome c peroxidase and lignin peroxidase. Copper enzymes – structure and function, azurin, plastocyanin. Type I, II and III copper proteins. Superoxide dismutase (SOD)-structure and enzymatic reaction mechanisms. Tyrosinase, reaction mechanism. Zn-containing enzymes, carbonic anhydrase and carboxy-peptidases – structure and enzymatic reactions. N2 fixation, nitrogenase enzyme, Fe-S clusters, Fe-protein structure, Mo-Fe protein structure, P-cluster and M-centre, their model compounds.

Unit 4

Other Functional Roles of Metal Ions

Zn in biological systems, Zn-finger proteins – structural features and properties, classifications and their roles in biological systems. Ca²⁺ binding proteins, calmodulins. Metalion based (Pt,V,Au) drugs, anticancer agents. Cis-platin and its properties. Chelation therapy, macrocyclic antibiotics. Role of Mn, Ni, Mo and Cr inbiological systems, metal toxicity and homeostasis, therapeutic complexes. Diseases caused by both excess and deficiency of metal ions, thalassaemia, Wilson disease. DNA inter calators, diagnostic agents, MRI imaging and contrast agents, the role of Gd³⁺and other metalions as contrast agents.

Unit 5

Biomimetic Compounds, Metals in Medicine

Porphyrins (H2P) and metalloporphyrins (MP), spectral, fluorescence and redox properties of H2P and MP. Biomimetic compounds. Fe(II), Co(II)and Cu(II) based model compounds model compounds of Mb and Hc –

.‘picket-fence’ porphyrin and its special features. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), principles and applications. Natural and synthetic ionophores, crown ethers, interaction and uptake of alkali metal and alkaline earth metal ions with crown ethers, cryptands and cryptates, calixarenes and their special properties, cyclo-dextrins and their special properties.

Text Books / References

Textbooks

1. E. Huheey, R. A. Keiter, R. L. Keiter, Inorganic Chemistry-Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4^th Edn., Prentice Hall, 1997.
2. A. Cotton, G. Wilkinson, C. A. Murillo, M. Bochmann, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 6^th Edn., Wiley-Interscience,1999.
3. Atkins, T. Overton, J. Rourke, M. Weller, F. Armstrong, Shriver and Atkins Inorganic Chemistry, 4^thEdn., Oxford University Press, 2006.

References

1. J. Lippard, J. M. Berg, Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry, University Science Books, 1994.
2. D. Atwood, Inorganic and Organometallic Reaction Mechanism, 2^nd Edn., Wiley- VCH, 1997.
3. E. Douglas, D. H. McDaniel, J. J. Alexander, Concepts and Models of Inorganic Chemistry, 3^rd Edn., Wiley – India,2007.
4. Kaim, B. Schwederski, Bioinorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Elements in the Chemistry of Life, John Wiley & Sons, 1994.
5. N. Hughes, The Inorganic Chemistry in Biological Processes, Wiley (1981)

• CO1: Explain the role of essential elements, metal transport, electron transport and protein structure in biological systems.
• CO2: Describe and evaluate oxygen uptake, transport and storage proteins and their mechanisms in oxygen binding and electron transfer.
• CO3: Explain the structure, function and catalytic action of metalloenzymes and relate them to biological redox processes.
• CO4: Describe the role of metal ions in biology and the consequences of metal ion imbalance.
• CO5: Describe biomimetic and metal based compounds and their applications in medicine, photodynamic therapy and molecular recognition