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Gold‐Catalyzed C–S Aryl‐Group Transfer in Zinc Finger Proteins
Author(s) -
de Paiva Raphael E. F.,
Du Zhifeng,
Nakahata Douglas H.,
Lima Frederico A.,
Corbi Pedro P.,
Farrell Nicholas P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201803082
Subject(s) - chemistry , zinc , zinc finger , aryl , catalysis , biomolecule , cysteine , chelation , stereochemistry , transcription factor , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , enzyme , biochemistry , alkyl , gene
Reaction of the Au–C N chelate [Au(bnpy)Cl 2 ] with the full‐length zinc finger (ZnF; ZnCys 3 His) of HIV nucleocapsid protein NCp7 results in C–S aryl transfer from the Au III organometallic species to a cysteine of the ZnF. The reaction is general and occurs even for finger 3 of the transcription factor Sp1, containing a ZnCys 2 His 2 coordination sphere. This reaction is the first demonstration of group transfer from a coordination compound to biologically important zinc fingers, and is especially noteworthy for the ZnCys 2 His 2 transcription factors. The work expands the corpus of organometallic species which can efficiently modify biomolecules through C‐atom transfer. The electronic features of the gold compound leading to this unexpected reaction were explored by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy.