Structures of metal sites of oxidized bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase at 2.8 A

Three distinct structural environments of a transmembrane domain in the inwardly rectifying potassium channel ROMK1 defined by perturbation

To probe the protein environment of an ion channel, we have perturbed the structure of a transmembrane domain by substituting side chains with those of two different sizes by using site-specific mutagenesis. We have used Trp and Ala as a high- and a low-impact perturbation probe, respectively, to replace each of 18 consecutive residues within the putative second transmembrane segment, M2, of an inwardly rectifying potassium channel, ROMK1. Our rationale is that a change in the channel function as a consequence of these mutations at a particular position will reflect the structural environment of the altered side chain. Each position can then be assigned to one of three classes of environments, as grated by different levels of perturbation: very tolerant (channel functions with both Trp and Ala substitutions), tolerant (function preserved with Ala but not with Trp substitution), and intolerant (either Ala or Trp substitution destroys function). We identify the very tolerant environment as being lipid-facing, tolerant as protein-interior-facing, and intolerant as pore-facing. We observe a strikingly ordered pattern of perturbation of all three environmental classes. This result indicates that M2 is a straight alpha-helix.

Electron spin-lattice relaxation of the [Cu(1.5) ... Cu(1.5)] dinuclear copper center in nitrous oxide reductase

Relaxation times have been obtained with time-domain EPR for the dinuclear mixed valence [CuA(1.5) ... CuA(1.5)[ S = 1/2 center in nitrous oxide reductase, N2OR, from Pseudomonas stutzeri, in the TN5 mutant defective in copper chromophore biosynthesis, in a synthetic mixed valence complex, and in type 1 and 2 copper complexes. Data confirmed that the intrinsic electron spin-lattice relaxation time, T1, for N2OR in the temperature range of 6-25 K is unusually short for copper centers. At best, a twofold increase of T1 from g perpendicular to g parallel was measured. Optimized fits of the saturation-recovery data were obtained using both double-exponential and stretched-exponential functions. The temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate of mutant N2OR is about T5.0 with the stretched-exponential model or T3.3 and T3.9 for the model using the sum of two exponentials. These T1s are intrinsic to the mixed valence [CuA(1.5) ... CuA(1.5)] center, and no interaction of the second copper center in wild-type N2OR with the [CuA(1.5) ... CuA(1.5)] center has been observed. The T1 of the mixed valence center of N2OR is not only shorter than for monomeric square planar Cu(II) complexes, but also shorter than for a synthetic mixed valence complex, Cu2(N[CH2CH2NHCH2CH2NHCH2CH2]3N). The short T1 is attributed to the vibrational modes of type 1 copper and/or the metal-metal interaction in [CuA(1.5) ... CuA(1.5)].

Purification and two-dimensional crystallization of bacterial cytochrome oxidases

A novel strategy which employes chromatography on an immobilized metal ion has been developed for the purification of bacterial cytochrome c and quinol oxidases. Many bacterial oxidase complexes appear to have a natural affinity to bind to the chelated copper ion. A combination of three different chromatographic principles (anion exchange, metal-affinity and gel filtration) makes an effective tool chest for the preparation of homogeneous and protein-chemically pure bacterial oxidases. These preparations have been used for two-dimensional crystallization. Until now, crystals have been obtained using the Paracococcus denitrificans and Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome aa3 and the Escherichia coli cytochrome bo. The crystals diffract to approximately 2.5 nm in negative stain and have potential for further structural studies.

Crystals and structures of cytochrome c oxidases--the end of an arduous road

Crystal structures of cytochrome c oxidases, one of which is the largest membrane-bound protein complex crystallized to date in a form suitable for X-ray diffraction, have recently been solved. The information from these accomplishments confirms many of the structural properties known from earlier spectroscopic and analytical studies, and provides a basis for understanding the complex mechanisms of electron transfer and proton pumping.

A taste of copper

New structures of copper containing proteins with cupredoxin-like folds confirm earlier predictions, and reveal electron-transfer routes in cytochrome oxidase, while a new fold for amine-oxidase reveals a new use for copper in forming self-derived quino-cofactor.