Modeling the Active Site of Iron Superoxide Dismutase

费尔曼·查韦斯，奥克兰大学化学系，得到了无机化学、生物无机化学和金属有机化学计划的支持，他的研究项目是对铁依赖的超氧化物歧化酶的活性部位进行建模。金属结合部位通常含有三个氮给体和一个来自氨基酸侧链的氧给体，以及一个氢氧化物配体，以提供三角双锥几何构型。他将设计和合成模仿这个结合位点的有机配体，然后加入铁并研究得到的络合物的配位结构和反应活性。通过研究小分子模型，我们可以深入了解金属酶系统。超氧化物歧化酶在生物系统中普遍存在，通过将超氧化物迅速转化为氧气和过氧化氢来保护生命系统免受超氧化物的氧化损伤。这类酶可能涉及不同的金属：哺乳动物的酶需要铜和锌或锰，而含铁的超氧化物歧化酶存在于厌氧原核生物中。该奖项是根据少数群体研究规划资助计划颁发的，旨在加强新研究人员的提案撰写和规划能力，并促进与研究相关的初步研究和其他规划活动。

Ferman Chavez, Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program for his research program in modeling the active site of iron-dependent superoxide dismutase. The metal-binding site typically contains three nitrogen donors and one oxygen donor derived from the amino acid side chain along with a hydroxide ligand to afford a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. He will design and synthesize organic ligands that mimic this binding site, and then add iron and study the coordination structure and reactivity of the resultant complexes. By studying small molecule models, we can gain insight into metalloenzyme systems.Superoxide dismutase enzymes are ubiquitous in biological systems and protect living systems from the oxidative damage of superoxide by rapidly converting it into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Different metals can be involved in this class of enzymes: mammalian enzymes require copper and zinc or manganese while iron-containing superoxide dismutases are found in anaerobic prokaryotes. This award is made under the Minority Research Planning Grant Program and is intended to strengthen the proposal writing and planning capabilities of new investigators and to facilitate preliminary studies and other planning activities related to the research.