Chalcogen bonding interactions between reducible sulfur and selenium compounds and models of zinc finger proteins

Reducible sulfur and selenium (r-S/Se) compounds, defined as sulfur and selenium compounds not in the lowest -2 oxidation state (e.g., -1 to +6), release Zn(2+) from zinc-sulfur proteins such as zinc fingers (ZFs) and metallothionein. A series of density functional theory calculations was performed on donor-acceptor complexes between r-S/Se compounds and models of the Cys2His2, Cys3His and Cys4 ZF sites. These S⋯S/Se chalcogen bonding interactions consist of the donation of electron density from a S lone pair on the ZF model to a S/Se-X antibonding molecular orbital of the r-S/Se compound. The strength of the interaction was shown to be dependent upon the Lewis basicity of the ZF model (Cys4>Cys3His>Cys2His2) and the Lewis acidity of the r-S/Se compound as measured by the energy of the S/Se-X antibonding orbital. Interactions with the softer r-Se compounds were stronger than the r-S compounds, consistent with the greater reactivity of the former with ZF proteins.