Structure of the soluble domain of cytochrome c(552) from Paracoccus denitrificans in the oxidized and reduced states

Effect of Ca2+ on the redox potential of heme a in cytochrome c oxidase

Subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from mitochondria and many bacteria contains a cation binding site (CBS) located at the outer positively charged aqueous phase not far from heme a. Binding of Ca²⁺ with the CBS in bovine CcO inhibits activity of the enzyme 2-3 -fold [Vygodina, T., Kirichenko, A. & Konstantinov A.A. (2013) Direct Regulation of Cytochrome c Oxidase by Calcium Ions, PLoS One.8 e74436]. Here we show that binding of Ca²⁺ at CBS of bovine CcO shifts E_m of heme a to the positive by 15-20 mV. Na⁺ ions that bind to the same site and compete with Ca²⁺ do not affect E_m of heme a and also prevent and reverse the effect of Ca²⁺. No effect of Ca²⁺ or EGTA is observed on E_m of heme a with the wild type bacterial oxidases from R.sphaeroides or P.denitrificans that contain tightly-bound calcium at the site. In the D477A mutant CcO from P. denitrificans that binds Ca²⁺ reversibly like the mitochondrial CcO, calcium shifts redox titration curve of heme a to the positive by ∼35-50 mV that is in good agreement with the results of electrostatic calculations; however, as shown earlier, it does not inhibit CcO activity of the mutant enzyme. Therefore the data do not support the proposal that the inhibitory effect of Ca²⁺ on CcO activity may be explained by the Ca²⁺-induced shift of E_m of heme a. Rather, Ca²⁺ retards electron transfer by inhibition of charge dislocation in the exit part of the proton channel H in mammalian CcO, that is absent in the bacterial oxidases.

H-bond refinement for electron transfer membrane-bound protein-protein complexes: cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome c552

In this study we propose a protocol to evaluate membrane-bound cytochrome c oxidase-cytochrome c552 docking candidates. An initial rigid docking algorithm generates docking poses of the cytochrome c oxidase-cytochrome c552, candidates are then aggregated into a 512-DPPC membrane model and solvated in explicit solvent. Molecular dynamic simulations are performed to induce conformational changes to membrane-bound protein complexes. Lastly each protein-protein complex is optimized in terms of its hydrogen bond network, evaluated energetically and ranked. The protocol is directly applicable to other membrane-protein complexes, such as protein-ligand systems.

The acidic domain of cytochrome c₁ in paracoccus denitrificans, analogous to the acidic subunits in eukaryotic bc₁ complexes, is not involved in the electron transfer reaction to its native substrate cytochrome c(552)

The cytochrome bc(1) complex is a key component in several respiratory pathways. One of the characteristics of the eukaryotic complex is the presence of a small acidic subunit, which is thought to guide the interaction of the complex with its electron acceptor and facilitate electron transfer. Paracoccus denitrificans represents the only example of a prokaryotic organism in which a highly acidic domain is covalently fused to the cytochrome c(1) subunit. In this work, a deletion variant lacking this acidic domain has been produced and purified by affinity chromatography. The complex is fully intact as shown by its X-ray structure, and is a dimer (Kleinschroth et al., subm.) compared to the tetrameric (dimer-of-dimer) state of the wild-type. The variant complex is studied by steady-state kinetics and flash photolysis, showing wild type turnover and a virtually identical interaction with its substrate cytochrome c(552).

Structure at 1.5 Å resolution of cytochromec552with its flexible linker segment, a membrane-anchored protein fromParacoccus denitrificans

Electron transfer (ET) between the large membrane-integral redox complexes in the terminal part of the respiratory chain is mediated either by a solublec-type cytochrome, as in mitochondria, or by a membrane-anchored cytochromec, as described for the ET chain of the bacteriumParacoccus denitrificans. Here, the structure of cytochromec552fromP. denitrificanswith the linker segment that attaches the globular domain to the membrane anchor is presented. Cytochromec552including the linker segment was crystallized and its structure was determined by molecular replacement. The structural features provide functionally important information. The prediction of the flexibility of the linker region [Berry & Trumpower (1985),J. Biol. Chem.260, 2458–2467] was confirmed by our crystal structure. The N-terminal region from residues 13 to 31 is characterized by poor electron density, which is compatible with high mobility of this region. This result indicates that this region is highly flexible, which is functionally important for this protein to shuttle electrons between complexes III and IV in the respiratory chain. Zinc present in the crystallization buffer played a key role in the successful crystallization of this protein. It provided rigidity to the long negatively charged flexible loop by coordinating negatively charged residues from two different molecules and by enhancing the crystal contacts.

Crystal structure of the electron carrier domain of the reaction center cytochrome c(z) subunit from green photosynthetic bacterium Chlorobium tepidum

In green sulfur photosynthetic bacteria, the cytochrome c(z) (cyt c(z)) subunit in the reaction center complex mediates electron transfer mainly from menaquinol/cytochrome c oxidoreductase to the special pair (P840) of the reaction center. The cyt c(z) subunit consists of an N-terminal transmembrane domain and a C-terminal soluble domain that binds a single heme group. The periplasmic soluble domain has been proposed to be highly mobile and to fluctuate between oxidoreductase and P840 during photosynthetic electron transfer. We have determined the crystal structure of the oxidized form of the C-terminal functional domain of the cyt c(z) subunit (C-cyt c(z)) from thermophilic green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum at 1.3-A resolution. The overall fold of C-cyt c(z) consists of four alpha-helices and is similar to that of class I cytochrome c proteins despite the low similarity in their amino acid sequences. The N-terminal structure of C-cyt c(z) supports the swinging mechanism previously proposed in relation with electron transfer, and the surface properties provide useful information on possible interaction sites with its electron transfer partners. Several characteristic features are observed for the heme environment: These include orientation of the axial ligands with respect to the heme plane, surface-exposed area of the heme, positions of water molecules, and hydrogen-bond network involving heme propionate groups. These structural features are essential for elucidating the mechanism for regulating the redox state of cyt c(z).

Association of cytochrome c with membrane-bound cytochrome c oxidase proceeds parallel to the membrane rather than in bulk solution

Electron transfer between the water-soluble cytochrome c and the integral membrane protein cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is the terminal reaction in the respiratory chain. The first step in this reaction is the diffusional association of cytochrome c toward COX, and it is still not completely clear whether cytochrome c diffuses in the bulk solution while encountering COX, or whether it prefers to diffuse laterally on the membrane surface. This is a rather crucial question, since in the latter case the association would be strongly dependent on the lipid composition and the presence of additional membrane proteins. We applied Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of an atomistically modeled dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine membrane on the association behavior of cytochrome c toward COX from Paracoccus denitrificans. We studied the negatively charged, physiological electron-transfer partner of COX, cytochrome c(552), and the positively charged horse-heart cytochrome c. As expected, both cytochrome c species prefer diffusion in bulk solution while associating toward COX embedded in a membrane, where the partial charges of the lipids were switched off, and the corresponding optimal association pathways largely overlap with the association toward fully solvated COX. Remarkably, after switching on the lipid partial charges, both cytochrome c species were strongly attracted by the inhomogeneous charge distribution caused by the zwitterionic lipid headgroups. This effect is particularly enhanced for horse-heart cytochrome c and is stronger at lower ionic strength. We therefore conclude that in the presence of a polar or even a charged membrane, cytochrome c diffuses laterally rather than in three dimensions.

Probing the Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c(1)-cytochrome c(552) interaction by mutagenesis and fast kinetics

Electron transfer (ET) between Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome (cyt) c(1) and cytochrome c(552) was studied using the soluble redox fragments cyt c(1CF) and cyt c(552F). A new ruthenium cyt c(552F) derivative labeled at C23 (Ru(z)-23-c(552F)) was designed to measure rapid electron transfer with cyt c(1CF) in the physiological direction using flash photolysis. The bimolecular rate constant k(12) decreased rapidly with ionic strength above 40 mM, consistent with a diffusional process guided by long-range electrostatic interactions between the two proteins. However, a new kinetic phase was detected at an ionic strength of <35 mM with the ruthenium photoexcitation technique in which k(12) became very rapid (3 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)) and nearly independent of ionic strength, suggesting that the reaction became so fast that it was controlled by short-range diffusion along the protein surfaces guided by hydrophobic interactions. These results are consistent with a two-step model for formation of the final encounter complex. No intracomplex electron transfer between Ru(z)-23-c(552F) and c(1CF) was observed even at the lowest ionic strength, indicating that the dissociation constant of the complex was >30 microM. On the other hand, the ruthenium-labeled yeast cytochrome c derivative Ru(z)-39-Cc formed a tight 1:1 complex with cyt c(1CF) at ionic strengths of <60 mM with an intracomplex electron transfer rate constant of 50000 s(-1). A group of cyt c(1CF) variants in the presumed docking site were generated on the basis of information from the yeast cyt bc(1)-cyt c cocrystal structure. Kinetic analysis of cyt c(1CF) mutants located near the heme crevice provided preliminary identification of the interaction site for cyt c(552F) and suggested that formation of the encounter complex is guided primarily by the overall electrostatic surface potential rather than by defined ions.

Electron transfer and energy transduction in the terminal part of the respiratory chain - lessons from bacterial model systems

This review focuses on the terminal part of the respiratory chain where, macroscopically speaking, electron transfer (ET) switches from the two-electron donor, ubiquinol, to the single-electron carrier, cytochrome c, to finally reduce the four-electron acceptor dioxygen. With 3-D structures of prominent representatives of such multi-subunit membrane complexes known for some time, this section of the ET chain still leaves a number of key questions unanswered. The two relevant enzymes, ubiquinol:cytochrome c oxidoreductase and cytochrome c oxidase, appear as rather diverse modules, differing largely in their design for substrate interaction, internal ET, and moreover, in their mechanisms of energy transduction. While the canonical mitochondrial complexes have been investigated for almost five decades, the corresponding bacterial enzymes have been established only recently as attractive model systems to address basic reactions in ET and energy transduction. Lacking the intricate coding background and mitochondrial assembly pathways, bacterial respiratory enzymes typically offer a much simpler subunit composition, while maintaining all fundamental functions established for their complex "relatives". Moreover, related issues ranging from primary steps in cofactor insertion to supramolecular architecture of ET complexes, can also be favourably addressed in prokaryotic systems to hone our views on prototypic structures and mechanisms common to all family members.

Soluble variants of Rhodobacter capsulatus membrane-anchored cytochrome cy are efficient photosynthetic electron carriers

Photosynthetic (Ps) electron transport pathways often contain multiple electron carriers with overlapping functions. Here we focus on two c-type cytochromes (cyt) in facultative phototrophic bacteria of the Rhodobacter genus: the diffusible cyt c2 and the membrane-anchored cyt c(y). In species like R. capsulatus, cyt c(y) functions in both Ps and respiratory electron transport chains, whereas in other species like R. sphaeroides, it does so only in respiration. The molecular bases of this difference was investigated by producing a soluble variant of cyt c(y) (S-c(y)), by fusing genetically the cyt c2 signal sequence to the cyt c domain of cyt c(y). This novel electron carrier was unable to support the Ps growth of R. capsulatus. However, strains harboring cyt S-c(y) regained Ps growth ability by acquiring mutations in its cyt c domain. They produced cyt S-c(y) variants at amounts comparable with that of cyt c2, and conferred Ps growth. Chemical titration indicated that the redox midpoint potential of cyt S-c(y) was about 340 mV, similar to that of cyts c2 or c(y). Remarkably, electron transfer kinetics from the cyt bc1 complex to the photochemical reaction center (RC) mediated by cyt S-c(y) was distinct from those seen with the cyt c2 or cyt c(y). The kinetics exhibited a pronounced slow phase, suggesting that cyt S-c(y) interacted with the RC less tightly than cyt c2. Comparison of structural models of cyts c2 and S-c(y) revealed that several of the amino acid residues implicated in long-range electrostatic interactions promoting binding of cyt c2 to the RC are not conserved in cyt c(y), whereas those supporting short-range hydrophobic interactions are conserved. These findings indicated that attaching electron carrier cytochromes to the membrane allowed them to weaken their interactions with their partners so that they could accommodate more rapid multiple turnovers.

Electron transfer kinetics between soluble modules of Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c1 and its physiological redox partners

The transient electron transfer (ET) interactions between cytochrome c1 of the bc1-complex from Paracoccus denitrificans and its physiological redox partners cytochrome c552 and cytochrome c550 have been characterized functionally by stopped-flow spectroscopy. Two different soluble fragments of cytochrome c1 were generated and used together with a soluble cytochrome c552 module as a model system for interprotein ET reactions. Both c1 fragments lack the membrane anchor; the c1 core fragment (c1CF) consists of only the hydrophilic heme-carrying domain, whereas the c1 acidic fragment (c1AF) additionally contains the acidic domain unique to P. denitrificans. In order to determine the ionic strength dependencies of the ET rate constants, an optimized stopped-flow protocol was developed to overcome problems of spectral overlap, heme autoxidation and the prevalent non-pseudo first order conditions. Cytochrome c1 reveals fast bimolecular rate constants (10(7) to 10(8) M(-1) s(-1)) for the ET reaction with its physiological substrates c552 and c550, thus approaching the limit of a diffusion-controlled process, with 2 to 3 effective charges of opposite sign contributing to these interactions. No direct involvement of the N-terminal acidic c1-domain in electrostatically attracting its substrates could be detected. However, a slight preference for cytochrome c550 over c552 reacting with cyochrome c1 was found and attributed to the different functions of both cytochromes in the respiratory chain of P. denitrificans.

A novel approach to analyze membrane proteins by laser mass spectrometry: from protein subunits to the integral complex

A novel laser-based mass spectrometry method termed LILBID (laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption) is applied to analyze large integral membrane protein complexes and their subunits. In this method the ions are IR-laser desorbed from aqueous microdroplets containing the hydrophobic protein complexes solubilized by detergent. The method is highly sensitive, very efficient in sample handling, relatively tolerant to various buffers, and detects the ions in narrow, mainly low-charge state distributions. The crucial experimental parameter determining whether the integral complex or its subunits are observed is the laser intensity: At very low intensity level corresponding to an ultrasoft desorption, the intact complexes, together with few detergent molecules, are transferred into vacuum. Under these conditions the oligomerization state of the complex (i.e., its quaternary structure) may be analyzed. At higher laser intensity, complexes are thermolyzed into subunits, with any residual detergent being stripped off to yield the true mass of the polypeptides. The model complexes studied are derived from the respiratory chain of the soil bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans and include complexes III (cytochrome bc(1) complex) and IV (cytochrome c oxidase). These are well characterized multi-subunit membrane proteins, with the individual hydrophobic subunits being composed of up to 12 transmembrane helices.

Protein−Protein Interactions Studied by EPR Relaxation Measurements: Cytochromecand CytochromecOxidase

The complex formed between cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans and its electron-transfer partner cytochrome c has been studied by multi-frequency pulse electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The dipolar relaxation of a fast-relaxing paramagnetic center induced on a more slowly relaxing center can be used to measure their distance in the range of 1-4 nm. This method has been used here for the first time to study transient protein-protein complex formation, employing soluble fragments for both interacting species. We observed significantly enhanced transversal relaxation of the CuA center in cytochrome c oxidase due to the fast-relaxing iron of cytochrome c upon complex formation. The possibility to measure cytochrome c oxidase in the presence and absence of cytochrome c permitted us to separate the dipolar relaxation from other relaxation contributions. This allowed a quantitative simulation and interpretation of the relaxation data. The specific temperature dependence of the dipolar relaxation together with the high orientational selectivity achieved at high magnetic field values may provide detailed information on distance and relative orientation of the two proteins with respect to each other in the complex. Our experimental results cannot be explained by any single well-defined structure of the complex of cytochrome c oxidase with cytochrome c, but rather suggest that a broad distribution in distances and relative orientations between the two proteins exist within this complex.

Conformation of thec552:aa3electron transfer complex inParacoccus denitrificansstudied by EPR on oriented samples

The EPR spectral parameters of aa(3) oxidase and cyt c(552) from Paracoccus denitrificans were studied in purified oxidase and enriched cyt c(552). The orientation of the g-tensors of hemes a and c(552) were determined on partially ordered membranes, enriched cyt c(552) and a c(552):aa(3) subcomplex. The known correlation of g-tensor to molecular axes in histidine/methionine ligated hemes permits us to position cyt c(552) with respect to the parent membrane. Taken together with previous data on the interaction surface between aa(3) oxidase and cyt c(552), these results allow us to arrive at a single conformation for the c(552):aa(3) electron transfer complex.

The Electron Transfer Complex between Cytochrome c552 and the CuA Domain of the Thermus thermophilus ba3 Oxidase

The structural analysis of the redox complex between the soluble cytochrome c552 and the membrane-integral cytochrome ba3 oxidase of Thermus thermophilus is complicated by the transient nature of this protein-protein interaction. Using NMR-based chemical shift perturbation mapping, however, we identified the contact regions between cytochrome c552 and the CuA domain, the fully functional water-soluble fragment of subunit II of the ba3 oxidase. First we determined the complete backbone resonance assignments of both proteins for each redox state. Subsequently, two-dimensional [15N,1H]TROSY spectra recorded for each redox partner both in free and complexed state indicated those surface residues affected by complex formation between the two proteins. This chemical shift analysis performed for both redox states provided a topological description of the contact surface on each partner molecule. Remarkably, very pronounced indirect effects, which were observed on the back side of the heme cleft only in the reduced state, suggested that alterations of the electron distribution in the porphyrin ring due to formation of the protein-protein complex are apparently sensed even beyond the heme propionate groups. The contact residues of each redox partner, as derived from the chemical shift perturbation mapping, were employed for a protein-protein docking calculation that provided a structure ensemble of 10 closely related conformers representing the complex between cytochrome c552 and the CuA domain. Based on these structures, the electron transfer pathway from the heme of cytochrome c552 to the CuA center of the ba3 oxidase has been predicted.

Stereospecific assignments of protein NMR resonances based on the tertiary structure and 2D/3D NOE data

In many cases of protein structure determination by NMR a high-quality structure is required. An important contribution to structural precision is stereospecific assignment of magnetically nonequivalent prochiral methylene and methyl groups, eliminating the need for introducing pseudoatoms and pseudoatom corrections in distance restraint lists. Here, we introduce the stereospecific assignment program that uses the resonance assignment, a preliminary 3D structure and 2D and/or 3D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy peak lists for stereospecific assignment. For each prochiral group the algorithm automatically calculates a score for the two different stereospecific assignment possibilities, taking into account the presence and intensity of the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) peaks that are expected from the local environment of each prochiral group (i.e., the close neighbors). The performance of the algorithm has been tested and used on NMR data of alpha-helical and beta-sheet proteins using homology models and/or X-ray structures. The program produced no erroneous stereospecific assignments provided the NOEs were carefully picked and the 3D model was sufficiently accurate. The set of NOE distance restraints produced by nmr2st using the results of the SSA module was superior in generating good-quality ensembles of NMR structures (low deviations from upper limits in conjunction with low root-mean-square-deviation values) in the first round of structure calculations. The program uses a novel approach that employs the entire 3D structure of the protein to obtain stereospecific assignment; it can be used to speed up the NMR structure refinement and to increase the quality of the final NMR ensemble even when no scalar or residual dipolar coupling information is available.

A structural model for the adduct between cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase

An ensemble of structural models of the adduct between cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans has been calculated based on the experimental data from site-directed mutagenesis and NMR experiments that have accumulated over the last years of research on this system. The residues from each protein that are at the protein-protein interface have been identified by the above experimental work, and this information has been converted in a series of restraints explicitly used in calculations. It is found that a single static structural model cannot satisfy all experimental data simultaneously. Therefore, it is proposed that the adduct exists as a dynamic ensemble of different orientations in equilibrium, and may be represented by a combination or average of the various limiting conformations calculated here. The equilibrium involves both conformations that are competent for electron transfer and conformations that are not. Long-range recognition of the partners is driven by non-specific electrostatic interactions, while at shorter distances hydrophobic contacts tune the reciprocal orientation. Electron transfer from cytochrome bc (1) to cytochrome c oxidase is mediated through cytochrome c experiencing multiple encounters with both of its partners, only part of which are productive. The number of encounters, and thus the electron transfer rate, may be increased by the formation of a cytochrome bc (1)-cytochrome c oxidase supercomplex and/or (in human) by increasing the concentration of the two enzymes in the membrane space.

Structural insight into SoxC and SoxD interaction and their role in electron transport process in the novel global sulfur cycle in Paracoccus pantotrophus

Microbial oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds mainly sulfur anions in the environment is one of the major reactions of the global sulfur cycle mediated by phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes. The sulfur oxidizing gene cluster (sox) of alpha-Proteobacteria comprises of at least 16 genes, which form two transcriptional units, viz., soxSRT and soxVWXYZABCDEFGH. Sequence analysis reveals that soxD gene product (SoxD) belongs to the di-heme cytochrome c family of electron transport proteins whereas soxC gene product (SoxC) is a sulfur dehydrogenase. We employed homology modeling to construct the three-dimensional structures of the SoxC and SoxD from Paracoccus pantotrophus. SoxD protein is known to interact with SoxC. With the help of docking studies we have identified the residues involved in the interaction of SoxC and SoxD. The putative active site geometries of these two proteins as well as the structural basis of the involvements of these proteins in electron transport process during the oxidation of sulfur anions are also investigated.

A Brownian dynamics study: the effect of a membrane environment on an electron transfer system

During the past few years, three-dimensional crystal structures of many of the important integral membrane proteins responsible for the bioenergetic processes of photosynthesis and respiration have been determined. Moreover, a few crystal structures of protein-protein complexes have become available that characterize the interaction between those membrane proteins and the electron carrier protein cytochrome c. Here, we address the association kinetics for binding of cytochrome c to cytochrome c oxidase (COX) from Paracoccus denitrificans by Brownian dynamics simulations. The effects of ionic strength and protein mutations were studied for two different cytochrome c species: the positively charged, dipolar horse heart cytochrome c and the negatively charged physiological electron transfer partner cytochrome c(552). We studied association toward "naked" COX and toward membrane-embedded COX where the membrane is represented as an uncharged DPPC bilayer modeled in atomistic detail. For the nonnatural association toward "naked" COX, the association rates are >100 times larger for horse heart cytochrome c than for cytochrome c(552). Interestingly, the presence of the lipid bilayer leads to a dramatic decrease of the association rate of horse heart cytochrome c, but slightly enhances association of cytochrome c(552), leading to very similar association rates of both proteins to membrane-embedded COX. This finding from computational modeling studies may reflect the optimization of surface patches and of the total net charge on electron transfer pairs in nature.

Interaction of cytochrome c with cytochrome oxidase: two different docking scenarios

Cytochrome c is the specific and efficient electron transfer mediator between the two last redox complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Its interaction with both partner proteins, namely cytochrome c(1) (of complex III) and the hydrophilic Cu(A) domain (of subunit II of oxidase), is transient, and known to be guided mainly by electrostatic interactions, with a set of acidic residues on the presumed docking site on the Cu(A) domain surface and a complementary region of opposite charges exposed on cytochrome c. Information from recent structure determinations of oxidases from both mitochondria and bacteria, site-directed mutagenesis approaches, kinetic data obtained from the analysis of isolated soluble modules of interacting redox partners, and computational approaches have yielded new insights into the docking and electron transfer mechanisms. Here, we summarize and discuss recent results obtained from bacterial cytochrome c oxidases from both Paracoccus denitrificans, in which the primary electrostatic encounter most closely matches the mitochondrial situation, and the Thermus thermophilus ba(3) oxidase in which docking and electron transfer is predominantly based on hydrophobic interactions.

A mutant of Paracoccus denitrificans with disrupted genes coding for cytochrome c550 and pseudoazurin establishes these two proteins as the in vivo electron donors to cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase

In Paracoccus denitrificans, electrons pass from the membrane-bound cytochrome bc(1) complex to the periplasmic nitrite reductase, cytochrome cd(1). The periplasmic protein cytochrome c(550) has often been implicated in this electron transfer, but its absence, as a consequence of mutation, has previously been shown to result in almost no attenuation in the ability of the nitrite reductase to function in intact cells. Here, the hypothesis that cytochrome c(550) and pseudoazurin are alternative electron carriers from the cytochrome bc(1) complex to the nitrite reductase was tested by construction of mutants of P. denitrificans that are deficient in either pseudoazurin or both pseudoazurin and cytochrome c(550). The latter organism, but not the former (which is almost indistinguishable in this respect from the wild type), grows poorly under anaerobic conditions with nitrate as an added electron acceptor and accumulates nitrite in the medium. Growth under aerobic conditions with either succinate or methanol as the carbon source is not significantly affected in mutants lacking either pseudoazurin or cytochrome c(550) or both these proteins. We concluded that pseudoazurin and cytochrome c(550) are the alternative electron mediator proteins between the cytochrome bc(1) complex and the cytochrome cd(1)-type nitrite reductase. We also concluded that expression of pseudoazurin is mainly controlled by the transcriptional activator FnrP.

Different interaction modes of two cytochrome-c oxidase soluble CuA fragments with their substrates

Cytochrome-c oxidase is the terminal enzyme in the respiratory chains of mitochondria and many bacteria and catalyzes the formation of water by reduction of dioxygen. The first step in the cytochrome oxidase reaction is the bimolecular electron transfer from cytochrome c to the homobinuclear mixed-valence CuA center of subunit II. In Thermus thermophilus a soluble cytochrome c552 acts as the electron donor to ba3 cytochrome-c oxidase, an interaction believed to be mainly hydrophobic. In Paracoccus denitrificans, electrostatic interactions appear to play a major role in the electron transfer process from the membrane-spanning cytochrome c552. In the present study, soluble fragments of the CuA domains and their respective cytochrome c electron donors were analyzed by stopped-flow spectroscopy to further characterize the interaction modes. The forward and the reverse electron transfer reactions were studied as a function of ionic strength and temperature, in all cases yielding monoexponential time-dependent reaction profiles in either direction. From the apparent second-order rate constants, equilibrium constants were calculated, with values of 4.8 and of 0.19, for the T. thermophilus and P. denitrificans c552 and CuA couples, respectively. Ionic strength strongly affects the electron transfer reaction in P. denitrificans indicating that about five charges on the protein interfaces control the interaction, when analyzed according to the Brønsted equation, whereas in the T. thermophilus only 0.5 charges are involved. Overall the results indicate that the soluble CuA domains are excellent models for the initial electron transfer processes in cytochrome-c oxidases.

How cytochromes with different folds control heme redox potentials

The electrochemical midpoint potentials (E(m)'s) of 13 cytochromes, in globin (c, c(2), c(551), c(553)), four-helix bundle (c', b(562)), alpha beta roll (b(5)), and beta sandwich (f) motifs, with E(m)'s spanning 450 mV were calculated with multiconformation continuum electrostatics (MCCE). MCCE calculates changes in oxidation free energy when a heme-axial ligand complex is moved from water into protein. Calculated and experimental E(m)'s are in good agreement for cytochromes with His-Met and bis-His ligated hemes, where microperoxidases provide reference E(m)'s. In all cytochromes, E(m)'s are raised by 130-260 mV relative to solvated hemes by the loss of reaction field (solvation) energy. However, there is no correlation between E(m) and heme surface exposure. Backbone amide dipoles in loops or helix termini near the axial ligands raise E(m)'s, but amides in helix bundles contribute little. Heme propionates lower E(m)'s. If the propionic acids are partially protonated in the reduced cytochrome, protons are released on heme oxidation, contributing to the pH dependence of the E(m). In all cytochromes studied except b(5)'s and low potential globins, buried side chains raise E(m)'s. MCCE samples ionizable group protonation states, heme redox states, and side chain rotamers simultaneously. Globins show the largest structural changes on heme oxidation and four-helix bundles the least. Given the calculated protein-induced E(m) shift and measured cytochrome E(m) the five-coordinate, His heme in c' is predicted to have a solution E(m) between that of isolated bis-His and His-Met hemes, while the reference E(m) for His-Ntr ligands in cytochrome f should be near that of His-Met hemes.

Interaction of cytochrome c with cytochrome c oxidase: an NMR study on two soluble fragments derived from Paracoccus denitrificans

The functional interactions between the various components of the respiratory chain are relatively short-lived, thus allowing high turnover numbers but at the same time complicating the structural analysis of the complexes. Chemical shift mapping by NMR spectroscopy is a useful tool to investigate such transient contacts, since it can monitor changes in the electron-shielding properties of a protein as the result of temporary contacts with a reaction partner. In this study, we investigated the molecular interaction between two components of the electron-transfer chain from Paracoccus denitrificans: the engineered, water-soluble fragment of cytochrome c(552) and the Cu(A) domain from the cytochrome c oxidase. Comparison of [(15)N,(1)H]-TROSY spectra of the [(15)N]-labeled cytochrome c(552) fragment in the absence and in the presence of the Cu(A) fragment showed chemical shift changes for the backbone amide groups of several, mostly uncharged residues located around the exposed heme edge in cytochrome c(552). The detected contact areas on the cytochrome c(552) surface were comparable under both fully reduced and fully oxidized conditions, suggesting that the respective chemical shift changes represent biologically relevant protein-protein interactions.

Properties of a soluble domain of subunit C of a bacterial nitric oxide reductase

Bacterial nitric oxide reductases are integral membrane proteins that catalyze the reduction of two molecules of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide and water. They are diverged members of the superfamily of heme/copper oxidases. The enzyme from Paracoccus denitrificans (NorBC) contains two subunits; NorB comprises the membrane-integrated active site, which harbors a heme iron/non-heme iron dinuclear center. NorC is a membrane-anchored c-type cytochrome and presumably the site of electron uptake. A DNA construct encoding the water-soluble domain of NorC (NorC(sol)) was coexpressed with the cytochrome c maturation genes in Escherichia coli. Using redox potentiometry, electronic absorption, circular dichroism (CD), magnetic CD (MCD), nuclear magnetic resonance, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy the following observations were made: (i) NorC(sol) was folded into a alpha-helical structure. (ii) The low-spin heme iron was coordinated by histidine and methionine in both redox states. (iii) The midpoint redox potential of the NorC(sol) heme was 183 mV, much lower than the corresponding value of 275 mV in the NorBC complex. This points to an increased solvent exposure of the NorC(sol) heme compared to in the native NorBC complex and shows that the electronic properties of NorC are modulated by NorB in the complex. (iv) The EPR and MCD spectra of NorC(sol) were considered alongside the spectra of NorBC, which has helped to resolve the contribution that different redox centers make in the holo-enzyme complex.

Specificity of the interaction between the Paracoccus denitrificans oxidase and its substrate cytochrome c: comparing the mitochondrial to the homologous bacterial cytochrome c(552), and its truncated and site-directed mutants

Under in vitro conditions, bacterial cytochrome c oxidases may accept several nonhomologous c-type electron donors, including the evolutionarily related mitochondrial cytochrome c. Several lines of evidence suggest that in intact membranes the heme aa(3) oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans receives its electrons from the membrane-bound cytochrome c(552). Both the structures of the oxidase and of a heterologously expressed, soluble fragment of the c(552) have been determined recently, but no direct structural information about a static cocomplex is available. Here, we analyze the kinetic properties of the isolated oxidase with the full-size c(552), with two truncated soluble forms, and with a set of site-specific mutants within the presumed docking site of the cytochrome, all heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Our data indicate that all three forms, the wild type and both truncations, are fully competent kinetically and exhibit biphasic kinetic behavior, however, under widely different ionic strength conditions. When mutations in lysine residues clustered around the interaction domain were introduced into the smallest fragment of c(552), both kinetic parameters, K(M) and k(cat), were drastically influenced. On the other hand, when the nonmutated truncated form was used to donate electrons to a set of oxidase mutants with replacements clustered along the docking site on subunit II, we observe distinct differences when comparing the kinetic properties of the widely used horse heart cytochrome c with those of the bacterial c(552). We conclude that the specific docking sites for the two types of cytochromes differ to some extent.

Mutations in the docking site for cytochrome c on the Paracoccus heme aa3 oxidase. Electron entry and kinetic phases of the reaction

Introducing site-directed mutations in surface-exposed residues of subunit II of the heme aa3 cytochrome c oxidase of Paracoccus denitrificans, we analyze the kinetic parameters of electron transfer from reduced horse heart cytochrome c. Specifically we address the following issues: (a) which residues on oxidase contribute to the docking site for cytochrome c, (b) is an aromatic side chain required for electron entry from cytochrome c, and (c) what is the molecular basis for the previously observed biphasic reaction kinetics. From our data we conclude that tryptophan 121 on subunit II is the sole entry point for electrons on their way to the CuA center and that its precise spatial arrangement, but not its aromatic nature, is a prerequisite for efficient electron transfer. With different reaction partners and experimental conditions, biphasicity can always be induced and is critically dependent on the ionic strength during the reaction. For an alternative explanation to account for this phenomenon, we find no evidence for a second cytochrome c binding site on oxidase.

Protein conformations explored by difference high-angle solution X-ray scattering: oxidation state and temperature dependent changes in cytochrome C

We demonstrate the use of high-angle X-ray scattering to explore protein conformational states in solution by resolving oxidation state- and temperature-dependent changes in the conformation of horse heart cytochrome c. Several detailed models exist for oxidation-dependent changes in mitochondrial class I c cytochromes determined by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR techniques. These models differ in the magnitude and locations of structural change. Our scattering measurements show that high-angle X-ray scattering can discriminate between these models, and that the experimental scattering data for horse cytochrome c can be best reconciled with selected NMR models for the same protein. These results demonstrate the ability to use high-angle X-ray scattering to resolve conformational states of proteins in solution, and to relate these measurements to detailed structural models. Furthermore, temperature-dependent changes are found in the high angle scattering patterns for horse cytochrome c, illustrating the sensitivity of these measurements to dynamic aspects of protein structure. These results demonstrate the ability to use difference high angle scattering as a quantitative monitor of reaction-linked changes in protein conformation and structural dynamics. Synchrotron-based high-angle scattering holds promise as a widely applicable, high throughput technique for exploring conformational states linked to physiological protein function, for resolving configurational differences between protein structures in solution and crystalline states, and for bridging the gap between solution NMR and crystallographic structure techniques.

Semiautomatic sequence-specific assignment of proteins based on the tertiary structure--the program st2nmr

The sequence-specific assignment of resonances is still the most time-consuming procedure that is necessary as the first step in high-resolution NMR studies of proteins. In many cases a reliable three-dimensional (3D) structure of the protein is available, for example, from X-ray spectroscopy or homology modeling. Here we introduce the st2nmr program that uses the 3D structure and Nuclear Overhauser Effect spectroscopy (NOESY) peak list(s) to evaluate and optimize trial sequence-specific assignments of spin systems derived from correlation spectra to residues of the protein. A distance-dependent target function that scores trial assignments based on the presence of expected NOESY crosspeaks is optimized in a Monte Carlo fashion. The performance of the program st2nmr is tested on real NMR data of an alpha-helical (cytochrome c) and beta-sheet (lipocalin) protein using homology models and/or X-ray structures; it succeeded in completely reproducing the correct sequence-specific assignments in most cases using 2D and/or 15N/13C Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) data. Additionally to amino acid residues the program can also handle ligands that are bound to the protein, such as heme, and can be used as a complementary tool to fully automated assignment procedures.

Solution structure and dynamics of the functional domain of Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c(552) in both redox states

A soluble and fully functional 10.5 kDa fragment of the 18.2 kDa membrane-bound cytochrome c(552) from Paracoccus denitrificans has been heterologously expressed and (13)C/(15)N-labeled to study the structural features of this protein in both redox states. Well-resolved solution structures of both the reduced and oxidized states have been determined using high-resolution heteronuclear NMR. The overall protein topology consists of two long terminal helices and three shorter helices surrounding the heme moiety. No significant redox-induced structural differences have been observed. (15)N relaxation rates and heteronuclear NOE values were determined at 500 and 600 MHz. Several residues located around the heme moiety display increased backbone mobility in both oxidation states, while helices I, III, and V as well as the two concatenated beta-turns between Leu30 and Arg36 apparently form a less flexible domain within the protein structure. Major redox-state-dependent differences of the internal backbone mobility on the picosecond-nanosecond time scale were not evident. Hydrogen exchange experiments demonstrated that the slow-exchanging amide proton resonances mainly belong to the helices and beta-turns, corresponding to the regions with high order parameters in the dynamics data. Despite this correlation, the backbone amide protons of the oxidized cytochrome c(552) exchange considerably faster with the solvent compared to the reduced protein. Using both differential scanning calorimetry as well as temperature-dependent NMR spectroscopy, a significant difference in the thermostabilities of the two redox states has been observed, with transition temperatures of 349.9 K (76.8 degrees C) for reduced and 307.5 K (34.4 degrees C) for oxidized cytochrome c(552). These results suggest a clearly distinct backbone stability between the two oxidation states.

Solution structure of the functional domain of Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c552 in the reduced state

In order to determine the solution structure of Paracoccus denitrificans cytochrome c552 by NMR, we cloned and isotopically labeled a 10.5-kDa soluble fragment (100 residues) containing the functional domain of the 18.2-kDa membrane-bound protein. Using uniformly 15N-enriched samples of cytochrome c552 in the reduced state, a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional heteronuclear double-resonance NMR experiments was employed to achieve complete 1H and 15N assignments. A total of 1893 distance restraints was derived from homonuclear 2D-NOESY and heteronuclear 3D-NOESY spectra; 1486 meaningful restraints were used in the structure calculations. After restrained energy minimization a family of 20 structures was obtained with rmsd values of 0.56 +/- 0. 10 A and 1.09 +/- 0.09 A for the backbone and heavy atoms, respectively. The overall topology is similar to that seen in previously reported models of this class of proteins. The global fold consists of two long helices at the N-terminus and C-terminus and three shorter helices surrounding the heme moiety; the helices are connected by well-defined loops. Comparison with the X-ray structure shows some minor differences in the positions of the Trp57 and Phe65 side-chain rings as well as the heme propionate groups.