(Strept)avidin as host for biotinylated coordination complexes: stability, chiral discrimination, and cooperativity.

Incorporation of a biotinylated ruthenium tris(bipyridine) [Ru(bpy)(2)(Biot-bpy)](2+) (1) in either avidin or streptavidin-(strept)avidin-can be conveniently followed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. To determine the stepwise association constants, cooperativity, and chiral discrimination properties, diastereopure (Lambda and Delta)-1 species were synthesized and incorporated in tetrameric (strept)avidin to afford (Delta-[Ru(bpy)(2)(Biot-bpy)](2+))(x)() subsetavidin, (Lambda-[Ru(bpy)(2)(Biot-bpy)](2+))(x)() subsetavidin, (Delta-[Ru(bpy)(2)(Biot-bpy)](2+))(x)() subsetstreptavidin, and (Lambda-[Ru(bpy)(2)(Biot-bpy)](2+))(x)() subsetstreptavidin (x = 1-4) For these four systems, the overall stability constants are log beta(4) = 28.6, 30.