Electron tunneling in rhenium-modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurins

Proximal Methionine Amino Acid Residue Affects the Properties of Redox-Active Tryptophan in an Artificial Model Protein

Redox-active amino acid residues are at the heart of biological electron-transfer reactions. They play important roles in natural protein functions and are implicated in disease states (e.g., oxidative-stress-associated disorders). Tryptophan (Trp) is one such redox-active amino acid residue, and it has long been known to serve a functional role in proteins. Broadly speaking, there is still much to learn about the local features that make some Trp redox active and others inactive. Herein, we describe a new protein model system where we investigate how a methionine (Met) residue proximal to a redox-active Trp affects its reactivity and spectroscopy. We use an artificial variant of azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa to produce these models. We employ a series of UV-visible spectroscopy, electrochemistry, electron paramagnetic resonance, and density functional theory experiments to demonstrate the effect that placing Met near Trp radicals has in the context of redox proteins. The introduction of Met proximal to Trp lowers its reduction potential by ca. 30 mV and causes clear shifts in the optical spectra of the corresponding radicals. While the effect may be small, it is significant enough to be a way for natural systems to tune Trp reactivity.

Two Tryptophans Are Better Than One in Accelerating Electron Flow through a Protein

We have constructed and structurally characterized a Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin mutant Re126WWCuI , where two adjacent tryptophan residues (W124 and W122, indole separation 3.6-4.1 Å) are inserted between the CuI center and a Re photosensitizer coordinated to the imidazole of H126 (ReI(H126)(CO)3(4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)+). CuI oxidation by the photoexcited Re label (*Re) 22.9 Å away proceeds with a ∼70 ns time constant, similar to that of a single-tryptophan mutant (∼40 ns) with a 19.4 Å Re-Cu distance. Time-resolved spectroscopy (luminescence, visible and IR absorption) revealed two rapid reversible electron transfer steps, W124 → *Re (400-475 ps, K 1 ≅ 3.5-4) and W122 → W124•+ (7-9 ns, K 2 ≅ 0.55-0.75), followed by a rate-determining (70-90 ns) CuI oxidation by W122•+ ca. 11 Å away. The photocycle is completed by 120 μs recombination. No photochemical CuI oxidation was observed in Re126FWCuI , whereas in Re126WFCuI , the photocycle is restricted to the ReH126W124 unit and CuI remains isolated. QM/MM/MD simulations of Re126WWCuI indicate that indole solvation changes through the hopping process and W124 → *Re electron transfer is accompanied by water fluctuations that tighten W124 solvation. Our finding that multistep tunneling (hopping) confers a ∼9000-fold advantage over single-step tunneling in the double-tryptophan protein supports the proposal that hole-hopping through tryptophan/tyrosine chains protects enzymes from oxidative damage.

Bioinspired approach toward molecular electrets: synthetic proteome for materials

Molecular-level control of charge transfer (CT) is essential for both, organic electronics and solar-energy conversion, as well as for a wide range of biological processes. This article provides an overview of the utility of local electric fields originating from molecular dipoles for directing CT processes. Systems with ordered dipoles, i.e. molecular electrets, are the centerpiece of the discussion. The conceptual evolution from biomimicry to biomimesis, and then to biological inspiration, paves the roads leading from testing the understanding of how natural living systems function to implementing these lessons into optimal paradigms for specific applications. This progression of the evolving structure-function relationships allows for the development of bioinspired electrets composed of non-native aromatic amino acids. A set of such non-native residues that are electron-rich can be viewed as a synthetic proteome for hole-transfer electrets. Detailed considerations of the electronic structure of an individual residue prove of key importance for designating the points for optimal injection of holes (i.e. extraction of electrons) in electret oligomers. This multifaceted bioinspired approach for the design of CT molecular systems provides unexplored paradigms for electronic and energy science and engineering.

Tryptophan-accelerated electron flow across a protein-protein interface

We report a new metallolabeled blue copper protein, Re126W122Cu(I) Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin, which has three redox sites at well-defined distances in the protein fold: Re(I)(CO)3(4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) covalently bound at H126, a Cu center, and an indole side chain W122 situated between the Re and Cu sites (Re-W122(indole) = 13.1 Å, dmp-W122(indole) = 10.0 Å, Re-Cu = 25.6 Å). Near-UV excitation of the Re chromophore leads to prompt Cu(I) oxidation (<50 ns), followed by slow back ET to regenerate Cu(I) and ground-state Re(I) with biexponential kinetics, 220 ns and 6 μs. From spectroscopic measurements of kinetics and relative ET yields at different concentrations, it is likely that the photoinduced ET reactions occur in protein dimers, (Re126W122Cu(I))2 and that the forward ET is accelerated by intermolecular electron hopping through the interfacial tryptophan: *Re//←W122←Cu(I), where // denotes a protein-protein interface. Solution mass spectrometry confirms a broad oligomer distribution with prevalent monomers and dimers, and the crystal structure of the Cu(II) form shows two Re126W122Cu(II) molecules oriented such that redox cofactors Re(dmp) and W122-indole on different protein molecules are located at the interface at much shorter intermolecular distances (Re-W122(indole) = 6.9 Å, dmp-W122(indole) = 3.5 Å, and Re-Cu = 14.0 Å) than within single protein folds. Whereas forward ET is accelerated by hopping through W122, BET is retarded by a space jump at the interface that lacks specific interactions or water molecules. These findings on interfacial electron hopping in (Re126W122Cu(I))2 shed new light on optimal redox-unit placements required for functional long-range charge separation in protein complexes.

Redox properties of tyrosine and related molecules

Redox reactions of tyrosine play key roles in many biological processes, including water oxidation and DNA synthesis. We first review the redox properties of tyrosine (and other phenols) in small molecules and related polypeptides, then report work on (H20)/(Y48)-modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin. The crystal structure of this protein (1.18Å resolution) shows that H20 is strongly hydrogen bonded to Y48 (2.7-2.8Å tyrosine-O to histidine-N distance). A firm conclusion is that proper tuning of the tyrosine potential by a proton-accepting base is critical for biological redox functions.

Mass spectrometric characterization of oligomers in Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin solutions

We have employed laser-induced liquid bead ion desorption mass spectroscopy (LILBID MS) to study the solution behavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin as well as two mutants and corresponding Re-labeled derivatives containing a Re(CO)(3)(4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(+) chromophore appended to a surface histidine. LILBID spectra show broad oligomer distributions whose particular patterns depend on the solution composition (pure H(2)O, 20-30 mM NaCl, 20 and 50 mM NaP(i) or NH(4)P(i) at pH = 7). The distribution maximum shifts to smaller oligomers upon decreasing the azurin concentration and increasing the buffer concentration. Oligomerization is less extensive for native azurin than its mutants. The oligomerization propensities of unlabeled and Re-labeled proteins are generally comparable, and only Re126 shows some preference for the dimer that persists even in highly diluted solutions. Peak shifts to higher masses and broadening in 20-50 mM NaP(i) confirm strong azurin association with buffer ions and solvation. We have found that LILBID MS reveals the solution behavior of weakly bound nonspecific protein oligomers, clearly distinguishing individual components of the oligomer distribution. Independently, average data on oligomerization and the dependence on solution composition were obtained by time-resolved anisotropy of the Re-label photoluminescence that confirmed relatively long rotation correlation times, 6-30 ns, depending on Re-azurin and solution composition. Labeling proteins with Re-chromophores that have long-lived phosphorescence extends the time scale of anisotropy measurements to hundreds of nanoseconds, thereby opening the way for investigations of large oligomers with long rotation times.

Electrochemistry of redox-active self-assembled monolayers

Redox-active self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) provide an excellent platform for investigating electron transfer kinetics. Using a well-defined bridge, a redox center can be positioned at a fixed distance from the electrode and electron transfer kinetics probed using a variety of electrochemical techniques. Cyclic voltammetry, AC voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and chronoamperometry are most commonly used to determine the rate of electron transfer of redox-activated SAMs. A variety of redox species have been attached to SAMs, and include transition metal complexes (e.g., ferrocene, ruthenium pentaammine, osmium bisbipyridine, metal clusters) and organic molecules (e.g., galvinol, C(60)). SAMs offer an ideal environment to study the outer-sphere interactions of redox species. The composition and integrity of the monolayer and the electrode material influence the electron transfer kinetics and can be investigated using electrochemical methods. Theoretical models have been developed for investigating SAM structure. This review discusses methods and monolayer compositions for electrochemical measurements of redox-active SAMs.

Designing photosystem II: molecular engineering of photo-catalytic proteins

Biological photosynthesis utilizes membrane-bound pigment/protein complexes to convert light into chemical energy through a series of electron-transfer events. In the unique photosystem II (PSII) complex these electron-transfer events result in the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. PSII is an extremely complex enzyme and in order to exploit its unique ability to convert sunlight into chemical energy it will be necessary to make a minimal model. Here we will briefly describe how PSII functions and identify those aspects that are essential in order to catalyze the oxidation of water into O(2), and review previous attempts to design simple photo-catalytic proteins and summarize our current research exploiting the E. coli bacterioferritin protein as a scaffold into which multiple cofactors can be bound, to oxidize a manganese metal center upon illumination. Through the reverse engineering of PSII and light driven water splitting reactions it may be possible to provide a blueprint for catalysts that can produce clean green fuel for human energy needs.

Modulation of the electrochemical behavior of tyrosyl radicals by the electrode surface

The ability to adsorb proteins and enzymes on electrode surfaces enhances opportunities for studying enzyme activity and redox-based catalysis. Proteins may be bound in a chosen orientation on surfaces so that specific sites within them may be preferentially studied, but to date no systematic study of a redox moiety from solvent to electrode surface to the protein milieu has been performed. We report the redox and ionization behavior of tyrosine-cysteine, using the cysteine residue to form covalent linkages with Au and self-assembled-monolayer (SAM)-modified Au surfaces and using the tyrosine for redox activity. In addition, the same redox fragment incorporated into a protein bound to a SAM is examined. We find that directly binding the dipeptide to Au causes the greatest change in properties, while binding it to the SAM causes a slight perturbation in redox potential and a significant perturbation in pK(a). When azurin with a surface-exposed tyrosine is bound to a SAM-modified electrode, the redox potential and pK(a) of the tyrosine are nearly unperturbed from the values found for the dipeptide free in solution. Finally, quantification of the voltammetric signal indicates that tyrosine oxidation in the protein triggers the additional oxidation of another nearby amino acid.

Cysteine-Specific, Covalent Anchoring of Transition Organometallic Complexes to the Protein Papain fromCarica papaya

Site-directed and covalent introduction of various transition metal-organic entities to the active site of the cysteine endoproteinase, papain, was achieved by treatment of this enzyme with a series of organometallic maleimide derivatives specially designed for the purpose. Kinetic studies made it clear that time-dependent irreversible inactivation of papain occurred in the presence of these organometallic maleimides as a result of Michael addition of the sulfhydryl of Cys25. The rate and mechanism of inactivation were highly dependent on the structure of the organometallic entity attached to the maleimide group. Combined ESI-MS and IR analysis indicated that all the resulting papain adducts contained one organometallic moiety per protein molecule. This confirmed that chemospecific introduction of the metal complexes was indeed achieved. Thus, three novel reagents for heavy-atom derivatization of protein crystals, which include ruthenium, rhenium and tungsten, are now available for the introduction of electron-dense scatterers for phasing of X-ray crystallographic data.

Electron Transfer Reactions of Fluorotyrosyl Radicals

The complex Re(bpy)(CO)3CN is an excited state oxidant of tyrosine upon deprotonation of the tyrosyl phenol. A series of Re(bpy-FnY)(CO)3CN complexes ([Re]-FnY: [Re]-Y, [Re]-3-FY, [Re]-3,5-F2Y, [Re]-2,3-F2Y, [Re]-2,3,5-F3Y, [Re]-2,3,6-F3Y, and [Re]-F4Y) have been prepared so as to vary the FnY*/FnY- reduction potential and thus the driving force for electron transfer in this system. Time-resolved emission and nanosecond absorption spectroscopies have been used to measure the rates for charge separation, CS, and charge recombination, CR, for each complex. A driving force analysis reveals that CS is well described by Marcus' theory for ET, is strongly driving force dependent (activated), and occurs in the normal region for ET. CR, on the other hand, is weakly driving force dependent (near activationless) and occurs in the inverted region for ET. These data demonstrate that fluorotyrosines will be powerful probes for unraveling charge transport mechanisms in enzymes that utilize tyrosyl radicals.

Excited-State Dynamics of Structurally Characterized [Re I (CO) 3 (phen)(HisX)] + (X = 83, 109) Pseudomonas a eruginosa Azurins in Aqueous Solution

The triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) dynamics of two structurally characterized Re(I)(CO)(3)(phen)(HisX)-modified (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; X = 83, 109) Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurins have been investigated by picosecond time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy in aqueous (D(2)O) solution. The (3)MLCT relaxation dynamics exhibited by the two Re(I)-azurins are very different from those of the sensitizer [Re(I)(CO)(3)(phen)(im)](+) (im = imidazole). Whereas the Re(I)(CO)(3) intramolecular vibrational relaxation in Re(I)(CO)(3)(phen)(HisX)Az (4 ps) is similar to that of [Re(I)(CO)(3)(phen)(im)](+) (2 ps), the medium relaxation is much slower ( approximately 250 vs 9.5 ps); the 250-ps relaxation is attributable to reorientation of D(2)O molecules as well as structural reorganization of the rhenium chromophore and nearby polar amino acids in each of the modified proteins.

Direct Tyrosine Oxidation Using the MLCT Excited States of Rhenium Polypyridyl Complexes

Rhenium(I) polypyridyl complexes have been designed for the intramolecular photogeneration of tyrosyl radical. Tyrosine (Y) and phenylalanine (F) have each been separately appended to a conventional Re(I)(bpy)(CO)(3)CN framework via an amide linkage to the bipyridine (bpy) ligand. Comparative time-resolved emission quenching and transient absorption spectra of Re(bpy-Y)(CO)(3)CN and Re(bpy-F)(CO)(3)CN show that Y is oxidized only upon its deprotonation at pH 12. In an effort to redirect electron transport so that it is more compatible with intramolecular Y oxidation, polypyridyl Re(I) complexes have been prepared with the amide bond functionality located on a pendant phosphine ligand. A [Re(phen)(PP-Bn)(CO)(2)](PF(6)) (PP = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethylene) complex has been synthesized and crystallographically characterized. Electrochemistry and phosphorescence measurements of this complex indicate a modest excited-state potential for tyrosine oxidation, similar to that for the (bpy)Re(I)(CO)(3)CN framework. The excited-state oxidation potential can be increased by introducing a monodentate phosphine to the Re(I)(NN)(CO)(3)(+) framework (NN = polypyridyl). In this case, Y is oxidized at all pHs when appended to the triphenylphosphine (P) of [Re(phen)(P-Y)(CO(3))](PF(6)). Analysis of the pH dependence of the rate constant for tyrosyl radical generation is consistent with a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) quenching mechanism.

Protein dynamics and electron transfer: electronic decoherence and non-Condon effects

We compute the autocorrelation function of the donor-acceptor tunneling matrix element <T(DA)(t)T(DA)(0)> for six Ru-azurin derivatives. Comparison of this decay time to the decay time of the time-dependent Franck-Condon factor {computed by Rossky and coworkers [Lockwood, D. M., Cheng, Y.-K. & Rossky, P. J. (2001) Chem. Phys. Lett. 345, 159-165]} reveals the extent to which non-Condon effects influence the electron-transfer rate. <T(DA)(t)T(DA)(0)> is studied as a function of donor-acceptor distance, tunneling pathway structure, tunneling energy, and temperature to explore the structural and dynamical origins of non-Condon effects. For azurin, the correlation function is remarkably insensitive to tunneling pathway structure. The decay time is only slightly shorter than it is for solvent-mediated electron transfer in small organic molecules and originates, largely, from fluctuations of valence angles rather than bond lengths.