Selenium protection against mercury toxocity: high binding affinity of methylmercury by selenium-containing ligands in comparison with sulfur-containing ligands

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Bioinorg. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3061(00)80288-4· OSTI ID:6202441

Sugiura, Y; Tamai, Y; Tanaka, H

In determining the protection of selenium against mercury toxicity, the binding affinity of methylmercury by various selenium-containing ligands was investigated by proton magnetic resonance (PMR) spectroscopy. The most striking feature was the small J199Hg-1H value of the selenocysteamine- and selenocysteine-methylmercury complexes, namely, the high affinity of the selenohydryl group to the mercury in comparison with those of the sulfhydryl and amino groups. The order of binding affinity of the coordination groups toward methylmercury is clearly SeH greater than SH greater than or equal to Se-Se greater than NH2 greater than S-S, SeCH/sub 3/, SCH3. A definite correlation was found to exist between the mercury-proton coupling constants and the chemical shifts of methyl groups of the methylmercury complexes.

• Research Organization: Kyoto Univ., Japan
• OSTI ID: 6202441
• Journal Information: Bioinorg. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: Bioinorg. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 9:2; ISSN BICHB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400301* -- Organic Chemistry-- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties-- (-1987)
AFFINITY
CHEMICAL SHIFT
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
LIGANDS
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
MERCURY
METALS
METHYLMERCURY
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
RESONANCE
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SULFUR
TOXICITY