Monitoring redox-dependent contribution of lipids in Fourier transform infrared difference spectra of complex I fromEscherichia coli

Colloidal Particles for Pickering Emulsion Stabilization Prepared via Antisolvent Precipitation of Lignin-Rich Cocoa Shell Extract

This study concerns the preparation and functionality testing of a new class of Pickering particles for food emulsion stabilization: colloidal lignin-rich particles (CLRPs) derived from ethanol-soluble extract of cocoa shell. A further goal was to achieve Pickering functionality without the need to add co-emulsifying surfactants during emulsion processing. Cocoa shell is a co-product of the food manufacturing industry. As such it is anticipated that the particles would be accepted as a natural food ingredient, provided no harmful solvents are used in any step of their processing. The cocoa shell particles were milled, dispersed in water and exposed to 250 °C for 1 h in a stainless-steel tubular reactor followed by ethanol extraction to obtain a lignin-rich extract (46% (w/w) lignin with the remainder predominantly lipids). CLRPs were then fabricated by the precipitation of ethanol-dissolved extract into water (antisolvent). By employing an agitated process and droplet dosing into a non-agitated process, four particle suspensions of a range of submicron diameters were obtained. All particle suspensions contained the same mass fraction of extract and were surface active, with surface tension decreasing with increasing particle size. The smallest particles were obtained when lipids were removed from the extract prior to particle processing. In contrast to the other four particle suspensions, this one failed to stabilize a 10% (w/w) sunflower oil-in-water emulsion. We hypothesize that the phospholipids indigenously present in these CLRP formulations are a critical component for Pickering functionality. It can be concluded that we have successfully introduced a new class of Pickering particles, fabricated from an industry co-product and anticipated to be food grade.

Substrate-Protein Interactions of Type II NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli

Type II NADH:quinone oxidoreductases (NDH-2s) are membrane proteins involved in respiratory chains and responsible for the maintenance of NADH/NAD(+) balance in cells. NDH-2s are the only enzymes with NADH dehydrogenase activity present in the respiratory chain of many pathogens, and thus, they were proposed as suitable targets for antimicrobial therapies. In addition, NDH-2s were also considered key players for the treatment of complex I-related neurodegenerative disorders. In this work, we explored substrate-protein interaction in NDH-2 from Escherichia coli (EcNDH-2) combining surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopic studies with electrochemical experiments, fluorescence spectroscopy assays, and quantum chemical calculations. Because of the specific stabilization of substrate complexes of EcNDH-2 immobilized on electrodes, it was possible to demonstrate the presence of two distinct substrate binding sites for NADH and the quinone and to identify a bound semiprotonated quinol as a catalytic intermediate.

Monitoring the redox and protonation dependent contributions of cardiolipin in electrochemically induced FTIR difference spectra of the cytochrome bc(1) complex from yeast

Biochemical studies have shown that cardiolipin is essential for the integrity and activity of the cytochrome bc(1) complex and many other membrane proteins. Recently the direct involvement of a bound cardiolipin molecule (CL) for proton uptake at center N, the site of quinone reduction, was suggested on the basis of a crystallographic study. In the study presented here, we probe the low frequency infrared spectroscopy region as a technique suitable to detect the involvement of the lipids in redox induced reactions of the protein. First the individual infrared spectroscopic features of lipids, typically present in the yeast membrane, have been monitored for different pH values in micelles and vesicles. The pK(a) values for cardiolipin molecule have been observed at 4.7+/-0.3 and 7.9+/-1.3, respectively. Lipid contributions in the electrochemically induced FTIR spectra of the bc(1) complex from yeast have been identified by comparing the spectra of the as isolated form, with samples where the lipids were digested by lipase-A(2). Overall, a noteworthy perturbation in the spectral region typical for the protein backbone can be reported. Interestingly, signals at 1159, 1113, 1039 and 980 cm(-1) have shifted, indicating the perturbation of the protonation state of cardiolipin coupled to the reduction of the hemes. Additional shifts are found and are proposed to reflect lipids reorganizing due to a change in their direct environment upon the redox reaction of the hemes. In addition a small shift in the alpha band from 559 to 556 nm can be seen after lipid depletion, reflecting the interaction with heme b(H) and heme c. Thus, our work highlights the role of lipids in enzyme reactivity and structure.

Nucleotide-induced conformational changes in the Escherichia coli NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I)

The energy-converting NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, also known as respiratory complex I, couples the transfer of electrons from NADH to ubiquinone with the translocation of protons across the membrane. Electron microscopy revealed the two-part structure of the complex consisting of a peripheral and a membrane arm. The peripheral arm contains all known cofactors and the NADH-binding site, whereas the membrane arm has to be involved in proton translocation. Owing to this, a conformation-linked mechanism for redox-driven proton translocation is discussed. By means of electron microscopy, we show that both arms of the Escherichia coli complex I are widened after the addition of NADH but not of NADPH. NADH-induced conformational changes were also detected in solution: ATR-FTIR (attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared) of the soluble NADH dehydrogenase fragment of the complex indicates protein re-arrangements induced by the addition of NADH. EPR spectroscopy of surface mutants of the complex containing a covalently bound spin label at distinct positions demonstrates NADH-dependent conformational changes in both arms of the complex.