Page 120 - CatalogNEP-PS

Chem.421 Bioinorganic Chemistry 3+1

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Objectives of this course are:
 to provide deep insights into the chemistry of biological systems.
 to explain the role of metals in chemical reactions involved in these systems.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The student will be able to
 to understand the processes associated with heme and non-heme proteins, iron-sulphur
proteins, and their role in biological systems.
 to have an insight into the role of metals in the functioning of some enzymes and in
nitrogen fixation.

THEORY (45 Hours)
UNIT- I: (11 Hours)

Elementary Cell Biology: Introduction to biomolecules: proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids,
porphyrin and corrins. Role of metals in bio-systems: a general survey of the role of main group
elements and transition elements in biological systems ionophores, cation transport: Na/K ion
pump. Heme and non-heme proteins, Haemoglobin and myoglobin as oxygen carriers, Bohr
effect. Coordination chemistry of Fe(II) in haemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin. Relaxed and tense
(R & T) configurations of haemoglobin, electronic formulations and mode of bonding of dioxygen
in haemoglobin (modeling), Cytochromes and other natural oxygen carriers such as hemerythrins
and hemocyanins. (iv) Iron sulphur proteins and electron transfer agents in biological systems:
Systems, synthetic models of 4-fe ferredoxins. (v) Iron supply and transport in biological systems:
Ferritin, transferrin and siderophores.

UNIT-II: (12 Hours)
Bio-inorganic chemistry of cobalt, vitamin B12, cobalamins, cobamides and their model
compounds. Redox chemistry of B12, mechanisms of reactions catalysed B12 dependent enzymes
and model compounds of B12.Role of Metals in Medicine: Metal deficiency and disease, toxic
effects of metals, metals used for diagnosis and chemotherapy with particular reference to
anticancer drugs, selenium and tellurium drugs, cis-platin and analogues, alternatives to cis-platin,
adverse effects of anticancer drugs, toxicity due to non-essential metals.
UNIT-III (11Hours)

Metalloenzymes and photosynthesis Metalloenzymes: Carbonic anhydrase and carboxy peptidase,
amino peptidase, Alkaline phosphate. Superoxide dismutase; inhibition of metalloenzymes.
Photosynthesis: Chloropphyll in photosynthesis, current hpothesis for the photo oxidation of
chlorophyl, synthetic leaf, ‗Z‘ diagram for electron transport in PS-I and PS-II photosystem.
Model studies of WOC and Photosystems.
UNIT-IV (11 Hours)
Nitrogen fixation: Classification of nitrogen fixing bacteria. Nitrogenase enzymes: EXAFS
(Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy) for characterization of the cofactor of
nitrogenase and its synthetic analogues-double cubane cluster. Vanadium containing nitrogenases,
mechanism of nitrogen fixation by nitrogenases and role of ATP in nitrogen fixation. nitrite
reductase and nitrate reductase.

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