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Kuleta P, Pietras R, Andrys-Olek J, Wójcik-Augustyn A, Osyczka A. Probing molecular interactions of semiquinone radicals at quinone reduction sites of cytochrome bc1 by X-band HYSCORE EPR spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:21935-21943. [PMID: 37551546 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02433d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Quinone redox reactions involve a semiquinone (SQ) intermediate state. The catalytic sites in enzymes stabilize the SQ state via various molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding to oxygens of the two carbonyls of the benzoquinone ring. To understand how these interactions contribute to SQ stabilization, we examined SQ in the quinone reduction site (Qi) of cytochrome bc1 using electron paramagnetic resonance (ESEEM, HYSCORE) at the X-band and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. We compared native enzyme (WT) with a H217R mutant (replacement of histidine that interacts with one carbonyl of the occupant of Qi to arginine) in which the SQ stability has previously been shown to markedly increase. The 14N region of the HYSCORE 2D spectrum for SQi in WT had a shape typical of histidine residue, while in H217R, the spectrum shape changed significantly and appeared similar to the pattern described for SQ liganded natively by arginine in cytochrome bo3. Parametrization of hyperfine and quadrupolar interactions of SQi with surrounding magnetic nuclei (1H, 14N) allowed us to assign specific nitrogens of H217 or R217 as ligands of SQi in WT and H217R, respectively. This was further substantiated by qualitative agreement between the experimental (EPR-derived) and theoretical (QM-derived) parameters. The proton (1H) region of the HYSCORE spectrum in both WT and H217R was very similar and indicative of interactions with two protons, which in view of the QM calculations, were identified as directly involved in the formation of a H-bond with the two carbonyl oxygens of SQ (interaction of H217 or R217 with O4 and D252 with O1). In view of these assignments, we explain how different SQ ligands effectively influence SQ stability. We also propose that the characteristic X-band HYSCORE pattern and parameters of H217R are highly specific to the interaction of SQ with the nitrogen of arginine. These features can thus be considered as potential markers of the interaction of arginine with SQ in other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patryk Kuleta
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Rafał Pietras
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Justyna Andrys-Olek
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Anna Wójcik-Augustyn
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
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Borek A, Ekiert R, Osyczka A. On the inter-monomer electron transfer in cytochrome bc 1. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2023; 1864:148981. [PMID: 37164301 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2023.148981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Cytochrome bc1 is a structural and functional homodimer. The catalytically-relevant inter-monomer electron transfer has been implicated by a number of experiments, including those based on analyses of the cross-dimer mutated derivatives. As some of the original data on these derivatives have recently been questioned, we extend kinetic analysis of these mutants to confirm the enzymatic origin of the observed activities and their relevance in exploration of conditions that expose electron transfer between the monomers. While obtained data consistently implicate rapid inter-monomer electron equilibration in cytochrome bc1, the mechanistic and physiological meaning of this equilibration is yet to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Borek
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Robert Ekiert
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
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Structural basis for safe and efficient energy conversion in a respiratory supercomplex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:545. [PMID: 35087070 PMCID: PMC8795186 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Proton-translocating respiratory complexes assemble into supercomplexes that are proposed to increase the efficiency of energy conversion and limit the production of harmful reactive oxygen species during aerobic cellular respiration. Cytochrome bc complexes and cytochrome aa3 oxidases are major drivers of the proton motive force that fuels ATP generation via respiration, but how wasteful electron- and proton transfer is controlled to enhance safety and efficiency in the context of supercomplexes is not known. Here, we address this question with the 2.8 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the cytochrome bcc-aa3 (III2-IV2) supercomplex from the actinobacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum. Menaquinone, substrate mimics, lycopene, an unexpected Qc site, dioxygen, proton transfer routes, and conformational states of key protonable residues are resolved. Our results show how safe and efficient energy conversion is achieved in a respiratory supercomplex through controlled electron and proton transfer. The structure may guide the rational design of drugs against actinobacteria that cause diphtheria and tuberculosis. Aerobic energy metabolism is driven by proton-pumping respiratory supercomplexes. The study reports the structural basis for energy conversion in such supercomplex. It may aid metabolic engineering and drug design against diphtheria and tuberculosis.
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Sarewicz M, Pintscher S, Bujnowicz Ł, Wolska M, Artur Osyczka. The High-Spin Heme b L Mutant Exposes Dominant Reaction Leading to the Formation of the Semiquinone Spin-Coupled to the [2Fe-2S] + Cluster at the Q o Site of Rhodobacter capsulatus Cytochrome bc 1. Front Chem 2021; 9:658877. [PMID: 34026724 PMCID: PMC8138165 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.658877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytochrome bc 1 (mitochondrial complex III) catalyzes electron transfer from quinols to cytochrome c and couples this reaction with proton translocation across lipid membrane; thus, it contributes to the generation of protonmotive force used for the synthesis of ATP. The energetic efficiency of the enzyme relies on a bifurcation reaction taking place at the Qo site which upon oxidation of ubiquinol directs one electron to the Rieske 2Fe2S cluster and the other to heme b L. The molecular mechanism of this reaction remains unclear. A semiquinone spin-coupled to the reduced 2Fe2S cluster (SQo-2Fe2S) was identified as a state associated with the operation of the Qo site. To get insights into the mechanism of the formation of this state, we first constructed a mutant in which one of the histidine ligands of the iron ion of heme b L Rhodobacter capsulatus cytochrome bc 1 was replaced by asparagine (H198N). This converted the low-spin, low-potential heme into the high-spin, high-potential species which is unable to support enzymatic turnover. We performed a comparative analysis of redox titrations of antimycin-supplemented bacterial photosynthetic membranes containing native enzyme and the mutant. The titrations revealed that H198N failed to generate detectable amounts of SQo-2Fe2S under neither equilibrium (in dark) nor nonequilibrium (in light), whereas the native enzyme generated clearly detectable SQo-2Fe2S in light. This provided further support for the mechanism in which the back electron transfer from heme b L to a ubiquinone bound at the Qo site is mainly responsible for the formation of semiquinone trapped in the SQo-2Fe2S state in R. capusulatus cytochrome bc 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Sarewicz
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Sebastian Pintscher
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bujnowicz
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Wolska
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Sarewicz M, Pintscher S, Pietras R, Borek A, Bujnowicz Ł, Hanke G, Cramer WA, Finazzi G, Osyczka A. Catalytic Reactions and Energy Conservation in the Cytochrome bc1 and b6f Complexes of Energy-Transducing Membranes. Chem Rev 2021; 121:2020-2108. [PMID: 33464892 PMCID: PMC7908018 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This review focuses on key components of respiratory and photosynthetic energy-transduction systems: the cytochrome bc1 and b6f (Cytbc1/b6f) membranous multisubunit homodimeric complexes. These remarkable molecular machines catalyze electron transfer from membranous quinones to water-soluble electron carriers (such as cytochromes c or plastocyanin), coupling electron flow to proton translocation across the energy-transducing membrane and contributing to the generation of a transmembrane electrochemical potential gradient, which powers cellular metabolism in the majority of living organisms. Cytsbc1/b6f share many similarities but also have significant differences. While decades of research have provided extensive knowledge on these enzymes, several important aspects of their molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We summarize a broad range of structural, mechanistic, and physiological aspects required for function of Cytbc1/b6f, combining textbook fundamentals with new intriguing concepts that have emerged from more recent studies. The discussion covers but is not limited to (i) mechanisms of energy-conserving bifurcation of electron pathway and energy-wasting superoxide generation at the quinol oxidation site, (ii) the mechanism by which semiquinone is stabilized at the quinone reduction site, (iii) interactions with substrates and specific inhibitors, (iv) intermonomer electron transfer and the role of a dimeric complex, and (v) higher levels of organization and regulation that involve Cytsbc1/b6f. In addressing these topics, we point out existing uncertainties and controversies, which, as suggested, will drive further research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Sarewicz
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Sebastian Pintscher
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Rafał Pietras
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Borek
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Łukasz Bujnowicz
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Guy Hanke
- School
of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen
Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, U.K.
| | - William A. Cramer
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 United States
| | - Giovanni Finazzi
- Laboratoire
de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National Recherche Scientifique,
Commissariat Energie Atomique et Energies Alternatives, Institut National
Recherche l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Department
of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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Wright JJ, Fedor JG, Hirst J, Roessler MM. Using a chimeric respiratory chain and EPR spectroscopy to determine the origin of semiquinone species previously assigned to mitochondrial complex I. BMC Biol 2020; 18:54. [PMID: 32429970 PMCID: PMC7238650 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00768-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For decades, semiquinone intermediates have been suggested to play an essential role in catalysis by one of the most enigmatic proton-pumping enzymes, respiratory complex I, and different mechanisms have been proposed on their basis. However, the difficulty in investigating complex I semiquinones, due to the many different enzymes embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane, has resulted in an ambiguous picture and no consensus. RESULTS In this paper, we re-examine the highly debated origin of semiquinone species in mitochondrial membranes using a novel approach. Our combination of a semi-artificial chimeric respiratory chain with pulse EPR spectroscopy (HYSCORE) has enabled us to conclude, unambiguously and for the first time, that the majority of the semiquinones observed in mitochondrial membranes originate from complex III. We also identify a minor contribution from complex II. CONCLUSIONS We are unable to attribute any semiquinone signals unambiguously to complex I and, reconciling our observations with much of the previous literature, conclude that they are likely to have been misattributed to it. We note that, for this earlier work, the tools we have relied on here to deconvolute overlapping EPR signals were not available. Proposals for the mechanism of complex I based on the EPR signals of semiquinone species observed in mitochondrial membranes should thus be treated with caution until future work has succeeded in isolating any complex I semiquinone EPR spectroscopic signatures present.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Wright
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Justin G Fedor
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Judy Hirst
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Maxie M Roessler
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK.
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, White City Campus, Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, UK.
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Pintscher S, Wójcik-Augustyn A, Sarewicz M, Osyczka A. Charge polarization imposed by the binding site facilitates enzymatic redox reactions of quinone. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1861:148216. [PMID: 32387188 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Quinone reduction site (Qi) of cytochrome bc1 represents one of the canonical sites used to explore the enzymatic redox reactions involving semiquinone (SQ) states. However, the mechanism by which Qi allows the completion of quinone reduction during the sequential transfers of two electrons from the adjacent heme bH and two protons to C1- and C4-carbonyl remains unclear. Here we established that the SQ coupled to an oxidized heme bH is a dominant intermediate of catalytic forward reaction and, contrary to the long-standing assumption, represents a significant population of SQ detected across pH 5-9. The pH dependence of its redox midpoint potential implicated proton exchange with histidine. Complementary quantum mechanical calculations revealed that the SQ anion formed after the first electron transfer undergoes charge and spin polarization imposed by the electrostatic field generated by histidine and the aspartate/lysine pair interacting with the C4- and C1-carbonyl, respectively. This favors a barrierless proton exchange between histidine and the C4-carbonyl, which continues until the second electron reaches the SQi. Inversion of charge polarization facilitates the uptake of the second proton by the C1-carbonyl. Based on these findings we developed a comprehensive scheme for electron and proton transfers at Qi featuring the equilibration between the anionic and neutral states of SQi as means for a leak-proof stabilization of the radical intermediate. The key catalytic role of the initial charge/spin polarization of the SQ anion at the active site, inherent to the proposed mechanism, may also be applicable to the other quinone oxidoreductases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pintscher
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków 30387, Poland.
| | - Anna Wójcik-Augustyn
- Department of Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków 30387, Poland.
| | - Marcin Sarewicz
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków 30387, Poland.
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków 30387, Poland.
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