Inframolecular acid–base studies of the tris and tetrakis myo-inositol phosphates including the 1,2,3-trisphosphate motif

Abstract

The intrinsic acid–base properties of the phosphate groups of three myo-inositol derivatives which display the 1,2,3-trisphosphate motif, i.e. (±)- myo-inositol 1,2,3-trisphosphate (Ins(1,2,3)P 3), (±)- myo-inositol 1,2,3,6-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,2,3,6)P 4), and (±)- myo-inositol 1,2,3,5-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,2,3,5)P 4) are reported. The studies were performed in 0.2 M KCl solution at 37 °C, near physiological ionic strength and temperature. In addition, in order to shed light on the transition metal complexation properties of Ins(1,2,3)P 3, the influence of the Zn 2+ cations on its 31P NMR titration curves was investigated. From the titration curves as well as from the determined protonation microconstants, it appears that for Ins(1,2,3)P 3, the two lateral P1 and P3 phosphates strongly contribute to stabilise a proton on the central P2 phosphate. However, in the fully deprotonated form of Ins(1,2,3)P 3, P1 and P3 repulse each other so that they establish hydrogen bonds with, respectively, their neighbouring OH6 and OH4 hydroxyls. The 1,2,3-trisphosphate motif of Ins(1,2,3,5)P 4 behaves very similarly to that of Ins(1,2,3)P 3 indicating a poor interaction with the distant P5 phosphate. By contrast, moving a phosphate group from position 5 to position 6 on the myo-inositol ring as in Ins(1,2,3,6)P 4, leads to major changes in the basicity and cooperativity of the phosphate groups. Finally, the presence of Zn 2+ cations has a marked influence on the 31P NMR titration curves of Ins(1,2,3)P 3, leading to the conclusion that two equatorial phosphates, assisted by a middle axial one, afford an optimal chelating moiety that is able to occupy all sites of the metal coordination polyhedron which could be the reason for its antioxidant properties.