The barrier for proton transport in aquaporins as a challenge for electrostatic models: The role of protein relaxation in mutational calculations

Exploring pathways and barriers for coupled ET/PT in cytochrome c oxidase: a general framework for examining energetics and mechanistic alternatives

Gaining a detailed understanding of the energetics of the proton pumping process in cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is one of the challenges of modern biophysics. Although there are several current mechanistic proposals, most of these ideas have not been subjected to consistent structure-function considerations. In particular most works have not related the activation barriers for different mechanistic proposals to the protein structure. The present work describes a general approach for exploring the energetics of different feasible models of the action of CcO, using the observed protein structure, established simulation methods and a modified Marcus' formulation. We start by reviewing our methods for evaluation of the energy diagrams for different proton translocation paths and then present a systematic analysis of various constraints that should be imposed on any energy diagram for the pumping process. After the general analysis we turn to the actual computational study, where we construct energy diagrams for forward and backward paths, using the estimated calculated reduction potentials and pK(a) values of all the relevant sites (including internal water molecules). We then explore the relationship between the calculated energy diagrams and key experimental constraints. This comparison allows us to identify some barriers that are not fully consistent with the overall requirement for an efficient pumping. In particular we identify back leakage channels, which are hard to block without stopping the forward channels. This helps to identify open problems that will require further experimental and theoretical studies. We also consider reasonable adjustments of the calculated barriers that may lead to a working pump. Although the present analysis does not establish a unique and workable model for the mechanism of CcO, it presents what is probably the most consistent current analysis of the barriers for different feasible pathways. Perhaps more importantly, the framework developed here should provide a general way for examining any proposal for the action of CcO as well as for the analysis of further experimental findings about the action of this fascinating system.

Proton Transfer and Associated Molecular Rearrangements in the Photocycle of Photoactive Yellow Protein: Role of Water Molecular Migration on the Proton Transfer Reaction

The mechanism of the proton transfer and the concomitant molecular structural and hydrogen bond rearrangements after the photoisomerization of the chromophore in the photocycle of photoactive yellow protein are theoretically investigated by using the QM/MM method and molecular dynamics calculations. The free energy surface along this proton-transfer process is determined. This work suggests the important role of the water molecular migration into the moiety of chromophore, which facilitates proton transfer by the hydrogen bond rearrangement and the hydration of the pB' state.

Protonation States of Ammonia/Ammonium in the Hydrophobic Pore of Ammonia Transporter Protein AmtB

The crystal structure of the ammonia transport (Amt) protein AmtB at 1.4 Angstrom resolution revealed four ammonia/ammonium (NH(3)/NH(4)(+)) binding sites along the approximately 20 Angstrom narrow pore. It is an open question whether the bound NH(3)/NH(4)(+) are neutral (NH(3)) or cationic (NH(4)(+)). On the basis of the AmtB crystal structure, we calculated the pK(a) of these four NH(3)/NH(4)(+) by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. Except for one NH(3)/NH(4)(+) binding site (Am1) at the entry point of the Amt pore, binding sites are occupied by NH(3) due to lack of energy contributions from solvation, eliminating an existence of charged form NH(4)(+) and, inevitably, its potential cation-pi interaction. The only two titratable residues in the pore, His168 and His318, are in the neutral charge state. The NH(4)(+) charge state at the Am1 site is stabilized by Ser219 functioning as an H-bond acceptor. However, when involving explicit crystal water nearby, the NH(3) charge state is stabilized by the reorientation of Ser219-OH group. This H-bond donor Ser219 significantly decreases the pK(a) of NH(3)/ NH(4)(+) at the Am1 site to approximately 1. The flip/flop H-bond of Ser219 may play a dual role first in binding and subsequently in deprotonating NH(4)(+), which is a prerequisite to conduct NH(3) through the Amt pore across the membrane.

Modeling electrostatic effects in proteins

Electrostatic energies provide what is perhaps the most effective tool for structure-function correlation of biological molecules. This review considers the current state of simulations of electrostatic energies in macromolecules as well as the early developments of this field. We focus on the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic models, considering the convergence problems of the microscopic models and the fact that the dielectric 'constants' in semimacroscopic models depend on the definition and the specific treatment. The advances and the challenges in the field are illustrated considering a wide range of functional properties including pK(a)'s, redox potentials, ion and proton channels, enzyme catalysis, ligand binding and protein stability. We conclude by pointing out that, despite the current problems and the significant misunderstandings in the field, there is an overall progress that should lead eventually to quantitative descriptions of electrostatic effects in proteins and thus to quantitative descriptions of the function of proteins.

Design principles of proton-pumping haem-copper oxidases

Transmembrane electrochemical proton gradients are used to store free energy in biological systems, and to drive the synthesis of biomolecules and transmembrane transport. These gradients are maintained by membrane-bound proton transporters that employ free energy provided by, for example, electron transfer or light. In recent years, the structures of several membrane proteins involved in proton translocation have been determined, and indicate that both protein-bound water molecules and protonatable amino acid residues play central roles in transmembrane proton conduction. From these structures, in combination with functional studies, have emerged general principles of proton transfer across membranes and control mechanisms for such reactions, in particular with regard to the electron-transfer-driven proton pump cytochrome c oxidase.