Hydrophobic Vitamin B12. III. Incorporation of Hydrophobic Vitamin B12 Derivatives into Single-Compartment Vesicles and Their Alkylation in Various Molecular Aggregates

The incorporation of hydrophobic vitamin B12 derivatives into the single-compartment vesicles of N,N-didodecyl-Nα-[6-(tyimethylammonio)hexanoyl]-l-alaninamide bromide (N+C5Ala2C12) was found to be primarily concerned with the extent of insolubility of the cobalt complexes in the aqueous bulk phase, while such incorporation into the single-walled vesicles of N,N-ditetradecyl-Nα-[6-(trimethylammonio)hexanoyl]-l-histidinamide bromide (N+C5His2C14) was enhanced by the coordination interaction between the cobalt complex and the imidazolyl group of the lipid. In molecular aggregates formed with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, α-[4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl]-ω-hydroxypoly(oxyethylene), or N+C5Ala2C12, the alkylation rates of a hydrophobic vitamin B12 with 1-bromo-2-methylpropane and methyl 2-methyl-3-bromopropanoate were much enhanced relative to those in methanol. In the N+C5Ala2C12 vesicle, a two-step mechanism was observed for the alkylation with the latter reagent. The possible origin of such rate enhancement was discussed.