TRANSITION-METAL SACCHARIDE CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, ELECTROCHEMISTRY AND EPR STUDIES OF OXOVANADIUM(IV) COMPLEXES OF SACCHARIDES AND THEIR DERIVATIVES AND IN-VITRO INTERACTION OF SOME OF THESE WITH RIBONUCLEASE AND DEOXYRIBONUCLEASE

Low molecular weight, water-soluble saccharide complexes of oxovanadiu m(IV) have been synthesized and characterized by analytical, spectrosc opic and electrochemical techniques. All the complexes were found to b e mononuclear, possessing the VO2+ moiety, These are shown to be hydro lytically and oxidatively stable over a wide range of pH (1-12) and ha ve been extensively characterized by absorption and EPR spectroscopy a nd by electrochemistry, Several correlations have been drawn from the data generated. Some of these complexes have been demonstrated to poss ess in vitro RNase inhibition activity with no effect on DNase. This s uggests that these molecules closely mimic the substrate portion of th e RNase-catalysed RNA hydrolysis and can act as transition-state analo gues to RNase. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.