Ligand binding and conformational states of the photoprotein obelin

Crystal structure of semisynthetic obelin-v

Coelenterazine-v (CTZ-v), a synthetic derivative with an additional benzyl ring, yields a bright bioluminescence of Renilla luciferase and its "yellow" mutant with a significant shift in the emission spectrum toward longer wavelengths, which makes it the substrate of choice for deep tissue imaging. Although Ca²⁺ -regulated photoproteins activated with CTZ-v also display red-shifted light emission, in contrast to Renilla luciferase their bioluminescence activities are very low, which makes photoproteins activated by CTZ-v unusable for calcium imaging. Here, we report the crystal structure of Ca²⁺ -regulated photoprotein obelin with 2-hydroperoxycoelenterazine-v (obelin-v) at 1.80 Å resolution. The structures of obelin-v and obelin bound with native CTZ revealed almost no difference; only the minor rearrangement in hydrogen-bond pattern and slightly increased distances between key active site residues and some atoms of 2-hydroperoxycoelenterazine-v were found. The fluorescence quantum yield (Φ_FL ) of obelin bound with coelenteramide-v (0.24) turned out to be even higher than that of obelin with native coelenteramide (0.19). Since both obelins are in effect the enzyme-substrate complexes containing the 2-hydroperoxy adduct of CTZ-v or CTZ, we reasonably assume the chemical reaction mechanisms and the yields of the reaction products (Φ_R ) to be similar for both obelins. Based on these findings we suggest that low bioluminescence activity of obelin-v is caused by the low efficiency of generating an electronic excited state (Φ_S ). In turn, the low Φ_S value as compared to that of native CTZ might be the result of small changes in the substrate microenvironment in the obelin-v active site.

The interaction of C-terminal Tyr208 and Tyr13 of the first α-helix ensures a closed conformation of ctenophore photoprotein berovin

Light-sensitive Ca²⁺-regulated photoprotein berovin is responsible for the bioluminescence of the ctenophore Beroe abyssicola. It shares many properties of hydromedusan photoproteins although the degree of identity of its amino acid sequence with those of photoproteins is low. There is a hydrogen bond between C-terminal Pro and Arg situated in the N-terminal α-helix of hydromedusan photoproteins that supports a closed conformation of the internal cavity of the photoprotein molecule with bound 2-hydroperoxycoelenterazine. The C- and N-terminal hydrogen bond network is necessary to properly isolate the photoprotein active site from the solvent and consequently to provide a high quantum yield of the bioluminescence reaction. In order to find out which berovin residues perform the same function we modified the N- and C-termini of the protein by replacing or deleting various amino acid residues. The studies on berovin mutants showed that the interaction between C-terminal Tyr208 and Tyr13 localized in the first α-helix of the photoprotein is important for the stabilization and proper orientation of the oxygenated coelenterazine adduct within the internal cavity as well as for supporting the closed photoprotein conformation. We also suggest that the interplay between Tyr residues in ctenophore photoproteins occurs rather through the π-π interaction of their phenyl rings than through hydrogen bonds as in hydromedusan photoproteins.

Photoinactivation related dynamics of ctenophore photoproteins: Insights from molecular dynamics simulation under electric-field

Photoinactivation is a common phenomenon in bioluminescence ctenophore photoproteins (e.g mnemiopsin, berovin and BfosPP) with still unknown mechanism. The activity of coelenterate photoproteins (e.g aequorin), which has high structural similarity with ctenophore photoproteins, is not affected by light. Recently, we have characterized the effects of light on ctenophore photoprotein mnemiopsin, in different conformations, which has demonstrated light induced structural changes, uniquely secondary structures, of both apo and holo mnemiopsin. This paper is further expansion of our previous work, by applying molecular dynamics simulations to investigate photoinactivation related dynamics of berovin at atomistic level, in comparison with aequorin, under the influence of electric component of electromagnetic field. The results have indicated that the intense electric filed could influence structure of both berovin and aequorin but in different manner, whereas moderate electric field only effects on berovin's structure remarkably. In this case, increased helicity of residues E180-M193 and decreased helical contents of L38-D46 and L125-D138 segments are considerable in berovin as well as flexibility elevation of calcium binding loops. These changes cause structural expansion of berovin, especially at N-terminal domain, in direction of electric field. In conclusion, the induced structural changes of mentioned helical parts together with elevated fluctuation of their adjacent segments, N26-D46 and M193-Y206, indicate the influence of light on substrate stabilizing residues, Arg41 and Y204. This condition could presumably leads to inactivation of bioluminescence reaction due to separation of substrate from the cavity of the protein.