Biliverdin-copper complex at physiological pH

Dalton Trans. 2019 May 7;48(18):6061-6070. doi: 10.1039/c8dt04724c.

Abstract

Biliverdin (BV), a product of heme catabolism, is known to interact with transition metals, but the details of such interactions under physiological conditions are scarce. Herein, we examined coordinate/redox interactions of BV with Cu2+ in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, using spectrophotometry, HESI-MS, Raman spectroscopy, 1H NMR, EPR, fluorimetry, and electrochemical methods. BV formed a stable coordination complex with copper in 1 : 1 stoichiometry. The structure of BV was more planar and energetically stable in the complex. The complex showed strong paramagnetic effects that were attributed to an unpaired delocalized e-. The delocalized electron may come from BV or Cu2+, so the complex is formally composed either of BV radical cation and Cu1+ or of BV radical anion and Cu3+. The complex underwent oxidation only in the presence of both O2 and an excess of Cu2+, or a strong oxidizing agent, and it was resistant to reducing agents. The biological effects of the stable BV metallocomplex containing a delocalized unpaired electron should be further examined, and may provide an answer to the long-standing question of high energy investment in the catabolism of BV, which represents a relatively harmless molecule per se.

MeSH terms

  • Biliverdine / chemistry*
  • Coordination Complexes / chemical synthesis*
  • Copper / chemistry*
  • Electrochemical Techniques / methods
  • Electrons
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Ligands
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Ligands
  • Copper
  • Biliverdine