title: Synthesis, characterization and structures of methylmercury complexes with selenoamino acids.
abstract: Four new methylmercury-selenoamino acid complexes were synthesized, including methylmercury-L-selenoglutathionate, methylmercury-D,L-selenopenicillaminate, and two methylmercury-L-selenomethioninate complexes (one via a Hg-Se bonding and the other Hg-N bonding). All the complexes were characterized by NMR ((1)H, (13)C, (77)Se and (199)Hg), FT-IR and mass spectra. Their molecular structures were established by single crystal X-ray crystallography (for the Hg-N bonding methylmercury-L-selenomethioninate) and by quantum mechanical calculations using Gaussian-03 with the hybrid functional B3LYP/SDD. All four complexes were found to chemically and structurally resemble their sulfur analogues, with a slightly stronger binding affinity of Hg to Se than to S, suggesting chemical and structural mimicry might play a role in methylmercury-selenium antagonism in biological systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohammad A K
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Abu Md
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Asaduzzaman
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schreckenbach
authors.forename: Feiyue
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds