title: Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy of bacterial hydroxamate siderophores in aqueous solutions.
abstract: X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is widely used to explore the coordination environments and structures of metal complexes in aqueous solutions and disordered phases. Although soft-XAS studies on gaseous phases, solid phases and their interfaces have shown that XAS is a versatile tool in studying the functional group composition of organic molecules, the application of XAS to studying aqueous solutions is seriously limited because of experimental difficulties. In this report, using a modified synchrotron endstation geometry, we show how soft-XAS was used to study the changes in electronic states of reactive functional groups in a bacterial macromolecule, desferrioxamine B (desB, a hydroxamate siderophore) and its structural analogue (acetohydroxamic acid (aHa)). We collected C, N, and O near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of these molecules in aqueous solutions and complemented their spectral interpretation with calculated X-ray spectra of "hydrated" aHa. The experimental spectra of desB are similar to those for aHa at the C, N, and O K-edges. In addition, the electronic transitions of amide and hydroxamate functional groups in the macromolecule can be distinguished from the N spectra. Small energy differences in the pi*(C=O)NO and the transitions at the C- and N-edges of aHa and desB indicate that the substituent attached to N in desB ((CH2)n) determines the electron density in the (C=O)NO core. As the solution pH increased, the pi*(C=O)NO transition of the hydroxamate group of these two molecules exhibit energy shifts at the C-, N-, and O-edges, which are consistent with increased electron delocalization in the (C=O)NO core of aHa (and desB), predicted from the calculations. The spectra of the aHa(H2O)3- anion also provide evidence for partial N-deprotonation at pH values usually attributed to an O-acid. These results indicate that soft-XAS is well suited for studying the electronic states of different functional groups in aqueous organic macromolecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Frick Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA. dedwards@weslyancollege.edu
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Satish C B
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Myneni
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry*; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017262:Siderophores / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D017262:Siderophores; C006358:acetohydroxamic acid; D003676:Deferoxamine