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Gupta NK, Okamoto N, Karuppannan SK, Pasula RR, Ziyu Z, Qi DC, Lim S, Nakamura M, Nijhuis CA. The Role of Structural Order in the Mechanism of Charge Transport across Tunnel Junctions with Various Iron-Storing Proteins. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2203338. [PMID: 36103613 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202203338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In biomolecular electronics, the role of structural order in charge transport (CT) is poorly understood. It has been reported that the metal oxide cores of protein cages (e.g., iron oxide and ferrihydrite nanoparticles (NPs) present in ferritin and E2-LFtn, which is E2 protein engineered with an iron-binding sequence) play an important role in the mechanism of CT. At the same time, the NP core also plays a major role in the structural integrity of the proteins. This paper describes the role of structural order in CT across tunnel junctions by comparing three iron-storing proteins. They are (1) DNA binding protein from starved cells (Dps, diameter (∅) = 9 nm); (2) engineered archaeal ferritin (AfFtn-AA, ∅ = 12 nm); and (3) engineered E2 of pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme complex (E2-LFtn, ∅ = 25 nm). Both holo-Dps and apo-Dps proteins undergo CT by coherent tunneling because their globular architecture and relative structural stability provide a coherent conduction pathway. In contrast, apo-AfFtn-AA forms a disordered structure across which charges have to tunnel incoherently, but holo-AfFtn-AA retains its globular structure and supports coherent tunneling. The large E2-LFtn always forms disordered structures across which charges incoherently tunnel regardless of the presence of the NP core. These findings highlight the importance of structural order in the mechanism of CT across biomolecular tunnel junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipun Kumar Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore, 6 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Naofumi Okamoto
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Senthil Kumar Karuppannan
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- National Quantum Fabless Foundry (NQFF), Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis Building, Singapore, 138634, Singapore
| | - Rupali Reddy Pasula
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
| | - Zhang Ziyu
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Dong-Chen Qi
- Centre for Materials Science, School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia
| | - Sierin Lim
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 70 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637457, Singapore
- Institute for Digital Molecular Analytics and Science, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Masakazu Nakamura
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0192, Japan
| | - Christian A Nijhuis
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, National University of Singapore, 6 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Molecules and Materials, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, and Center for Brain-Inspired Nano Systems (BRAINS), Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, Enschede, 7500 AE, The Netherlands
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2
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Ashkarran AA, Hosseini A, Loloee R, Perry G, Lee KB, Lund M, Ejtehadi MR, Mahmoudi M. Conformation- and phosphorylation-dependent electron tunnelling across self-assembled monolayers of tau peptides. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 606:2038-2050. [PMID: 34749450 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.09.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We report on charge transport across self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of short tau peptides by probing the electron tunneling rates and quantum mechanical simulation. We measured the electron tunneling rates across SAMs of carboxyl-terminated linker molecules (C6H12O2S) and short cis-tau (CT) and trans-tau (TT) peptides, supported on template-stripped gold (AuTS) bottom electrode, with Eutectic Gallium-Indium (EGaIn)(EGaIn) top electrode. Measurements of the current density across thousands of AuTS/linker/tau//Ga2O3/EGaIn single-molecule junctions show that the tunneling current across CT peptide is one order of magnitude lower than that of TT peptide. Quantum mechanical simulation demonstrated a wider energy bandgap of the CT peptide, as compared to the TT peptide, which causes a reduction in its electron tunneling current. Our findings also revealed the critical role of phosphorylation in altering the charge transport characteristics of short peptides; more specifically, we found that the presence of phosphate groups can reduce the energy band gap in tau peptides and alter their electrical properties. Our results suggest that conformational and phosphorylation of short peptides (e.g., tau) can significantly change their charge transport characteristics and energy levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Akbar Ashkarran
- Precision Health Program and Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Atiyeh Hosseini
- Division of Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Loloee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - George Perry
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ki-Bum Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Mikael Lund
- Division of Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | | | - Morteza Mahmoudi
- Precision Health Program and Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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3
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Guo C, Yu J, Horsley JR, Sheves M, Cahen D, Abell AD. Backbone-Constrained Peptides: Temperature and Secondary Structure Affect Solid-State Electron Transport. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:10951-10958. [PMID: 31777245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The primary sequence and secondary structure of a peptide are crucial to charge migration, not only in solution (electron transfer, ET), but also in the solid-state (electron transport, ETp). Hence, understanding the charge migration mechanisms is fundamental to the development of biomolecular devices and sensors. We report studies on four Aib-containing helical peptide analogues: two acyclic linear peptides with one and two electron-rich alkene-based side chains, respectively, and two peptides that are further rigidified into a macrocycle by a side bridge constraint, containing one or no alkene. ETp was investigated across Au/peptide/Au junctions, between 80 and 340 K in combination with the molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The results reveal that the helical structure of the peptide and electron-rich side chain both facilitate the ETp. As temperature increases, the loss of helical structure, change of monolayer tilt angle, and increase of thermally activated fluctuations affect the conductance of peptides. Specifically, room temperature conductance across the peptide monolayers correlates well with previously observed ET rate constants, where an interplay between backbone rigidity and electron-rich side chains was revealed. Our findings provide new means to manipulate electronic transport across solid-state peptide junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunlan Guo
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - Jingxian Yu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
| | - John R Horsley
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces , Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 76100 , Israel
| | - Andrew D Abell
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Institute of Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), Department of Chemistry , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , South Australia 5005 , Australia
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Papp E, Jelenfi DP, Veszeli MT, Vattay G. A Landauer Formula for Bioelectronic Applications. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9100599. [PMID: 31614584 PMCID: PMC6843270 DOI: 10.3390/biom9100599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent electronic transport experiments using metallic contacts attached to proteins identified some "stylized facts", which contradict conventional wisdom that increasing either the spatial distance between the electrodes or the temperature suppresses conductance exponentially. These include nearly temperature-independent conductance over the protein in the 30 to 300 K range, distance-independent conductance within a single protein in the 1 to 10 nm range and an anomalously large conductance in the 0.1 to 10 nS range. In this paper, we develop a generalization of the low temperature Landauer formula, which can account for the joint effects of tunneling and decoherence and can explain these new experimental findings. We use novel approximations, which greatly simplify the mathematical treatment and allow us to calculate the conductance in terms of a handful macroscopic parameters, instead of the myriads of microscopic parameters describing the details of an atomic level quantum chemical computation. The new approach makes it possible to get predictions for the outcomes of new experiments without relying solely on high performance computing and can distinguish important and unimportant details of the protein structures from the point of view of transport properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Papp
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary.
| | - Dávid P Jelenfi
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary.
| | - Máté T Veszeli
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary.
| | - Gábor Vattay
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary.
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Song X, Zhang F, Bu Y. Dynamic relaying properties of a β-turn peptide in long-range electron transfer. J Comput Chem 2019; 40:988-996. [PMID: 30451309 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.25541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The relay stations play a significant role in long-range charge hopping transfer in proteins. Although studies have clarified that many more protein structural motifs can function as relays in charge hopping transfers by acting as intermediate charge carriers, the relaying properties are still poorly understood. In this work, taking a β-turn oligopeptide as an example, we report a dynamic character of a relay with tunable relaying properties using the density functional theory calculations. Our main finding is that a β-turn peptide can serve as an effective electron relay in facilitating long-range electron migration and its relay properties is vibration-tunable. The vibration-induced structural transient distortions remarkably affect the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy, vertical electron affinity and electron-binding mode of the β-turn oligopeptide and the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) energy of the corresponding electron adduct and thus the relaying properties. Different vibration modes lead to different structural distortions and thus have different effects on the relaying properties and ability of the β-turn peptide. For the relaying properties, there approximately is a linear negative correlation of electron affinity with the LUMO energy of the β-turn or the SOMO energy of its electron adduct. Besides, such relaying properties also vary in the vibration evolution process, and the electron-binding modes may be tunable. As an important addition to the known static charge relaying properties occurring in various protein structural motifs, this work reports the dynamic electron-relaying characteristics of a β-turn oligopeptide with variable relaying properties governed by molecular vibrations which can be applied to different proteins in mediating long-range charge transfers. Clearly, this work reveals molecular vibration effects on the electron relaying properties of protein structural motifs and provides new insights into the dynamics of long-range charge transfers in proteins. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Song
- School of Chemistry &Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengying Zhang
- School of Chemistry &Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxiang Bu
- School of Chemistry &Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, People's Republic of China
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Tunneling explains efficient electron transport via protein junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E4577-E4583. [PMID: 29712853 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1719867115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Metalloproteins, proteins containing a transition metal ion cofactor, are electron transfer agents that perform key functions in cells. Inspired by this fact, electron transport across these proteins has been widely studied in solid-state settings, triggering the interest in examining potential use of proteins as building blocks in bioelectronic devices. Here, we report results of low-temperature (10 K) electron transport measurements via monolayer junctions based on the blue copper protein azurin (Az), which strongly suggest quantum tunneling of electrons as the dominant charge transport mechanism. Specifically, we show that, weakening the protein-electrode coupling by introducing a spacer, one can switch the electron transport from off-resonant to resonant tunneling. This is a consequence of reducing the electrode's perturbation of the Cu(II)-localized electronic state, a pattern that has not been observed before in protein-based junctions. Moreover, we identify vibronic features of the Cu(II) coordination sphere in transport characteristics that show directly the active role of the metal ion in resonance tunneling. Our results illustrate how quantum mechanical effects may dominate electron transport via protein-based junctions.
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Bostick CD, Mukhopadhyay S, Pecht I, Sheves M, Cahen D, Lederman D. Protein bioelectronics: a review of what we do and do not know. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2018; 81:026601. [PMID: 29303117 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aa85f2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We review the status of protein-based molecular electronics. First, we define and discuss fundamental concepts of electron transfer and transport in and across proteins and proposed mechanisms for these processes. We then describe the immobilization of proteins to solid-state surfaces in both nanoscale and macroscopic approaches, and highlight how different methodologies can alter protein electronic properties. Because immobilizing proteins while retaining biological activity is crucial to the successful development of bioelectronic devices, we discuss this process at length. We briefly discuss computational predictions and their connection to experimental results. We then summarize how the biological activity of immobilized proteins is beneficial for bioelectronic devices, and how conductance measurements can shed light on protein properties. Finally, we consider how the research to date could influence the development of future bioelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Bostick
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, United States of America. Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, United States of America
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Vilan A, Aswal D, Cahen D. Large-Area, Ensemble Molecular Electronics: Motivation and Challenges. Chem Rev 2017; 117:4248-4286. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayelet Vilan
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - David Cahen
- Department
of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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9
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Mukhopadhyay S, Gärtner W, Cahen D, Pecht I, Sheves M. Electron transport via a soluble photochromic photoreceptor. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:25671-25675. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05011e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Electron transport properties via a photochromic biological photoreceptor have been studied in junctions of monolayer assemblies in solid-state configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Materials and Interfaces
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
- Department of Organic Chemistry
- Weizmann Institute of Science
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
- 45470 Mülheim a.d. Ruhr
- Germany
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department of Immunology
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Organic Chemistry
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
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