Bioinorganic Chemistry of Catechols: Siderophores, Adhesive Proteins and Biomimetic Analogs

有了这个奖项，化学部的生命过程计划的化学正在资助来自加州大学圣巴巴拉的Alison Butler教授研究细菌产生的称为儿茶酚-铁载体的化合物的性质。 这些化合物类似于使贻贝能够顽强地附着在海洋岩石上的分子。 这项研究探讨了最近发现的允许贻贝甚至附着在光滑潮湿表面的特性的原因。 该项目可能提供对生物现象的理解，并可能导致设计甚至可以在水下粘附的化合物。 儿茶酚-铁载体在细菌获得铁中的作用也进行了研究。 该研究项目为研究生和本科生提供广泛的多学科培训。 巴特勒教授和她的学生参与了外展工作坊，包括，营地（加州少数民族参与联盟），一个由NSF资助的项目，支持科学、技术、工程和数学领域的少数民族本科生，以及SCOPE（科学作为职业拓展项目实验），一个让研究生在当地高中谈论本科和研究生教育以及科学作为职业选择的价值的项目。研究了含儿茶酚和胺官能团的铁载体和类似物，其模拟贻贝足蛋白的强湿粘附特性。该提案的第一部分的总体目标是阐明邻苯二酚和胺官能团在取代矿物表面上形成的界面水合层中的协同作用，从而导致稳健的粘附。该方法是设计和研究新的仿生化合物的表面粘附性能，通过直接力测量与表面力装置。本研究的第二部分的目标是调查的生物合成，摄取和铁（III）释放机制的酰化四L-丝氨酸，和三-儿茶酚铁载体通过调查的关键脂肪酸辅酶A连接酶，外膜受体蛋白，和酯酶中确定的基因组的生产细菌。

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Professor Alison Butler from the University of California, Santa Barbara to investigate the properties of compounds called catechol-siderophores that are produced by bacteria. The compounds are similar to the molecules that make it possible for mussels to cling tenaciously to rocks in the ocean. This research examines the reasons for the recently discovered properties that allow mussels to cling even to slick, wet surfaces. This project may provide an understanding of the biological phenomenon and may lead to the design of compounds that can adhere even under water. The role of catechol-siderophores in iron acquisition by bacteria is also investigated. This research project provides broad multidisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students. Professor Butler and her students are involved in outreach workshops including, CAMP (California Alliance for Minority Participation), an NSF-funded program supporting minority undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and SCOPE (Science as a Career Outreach Project Experiment), a program for graduate students to talk in local high schools about undergraduate and graduate education and the value of the sciences as a career choice.The research is investigates siderophores and analogs containing both catechol and amine functional groups that mimic the strong wet adhesive properties of mussel foot proteins. The overall goals of the first part of this proposal are to elucidate the synergistic role of the catechol and the amine functionalities in displacing the interfacial hydration layer that develops on mineral surfaces leading to robust adhesion. The approach is to design and investigate the surface adhesive properties of new biomimetic compounds through direct force measurements with a surface forces apparatus. The goals of the second part of this research are to investigate the biosynthesis, uptake, and iron(III) release mechanisms of acylated tetra L-serine, and tris-catechol siderophores through investigation of key fatty acid coenzyme A ligases, outer membrane receptor proteins, and esterases identified in the genomes of the producing bacteria.