Sensitized photo-oxidation of plant cytokinin-specific binding protein - Does the environment of the thioether group influence the oxidation reaction? From primary intermediates to stable products

Dual behavior of histidine during sensitized photo-oxidation of model compounds and proteins

Histidine (His) photo-oxidation has been widely investigated with several transient and stable products characterized, especially for aerobic conditions. Due to its role and structure, His-side chain can be a key player in the quenching of excited states such as the triplet state of the photosensitizer 3-carboxybenzophenone (3CB*). The capacity of His and its derivatives to quench 3CB* under anaerobic conditions are characterized in the current study by laser flash photolysis, with the resulting oxidation products examined by mass spectrometry to determine the reaction mechanism. The latter include adducts of the 3-carboxybenzophenone ketyl radical (CBH•) to the imidazole ring (Imid-CH2-CBH), His-His dimers, and other products with lower yields. The data obtained with model compounds are compared to those obtained with more complicated systems, including the peptide Exendin-4, and the protein MtHpt1. The data obtained from transient spectroscopy and product analyses indicate that two CB* quenching mechanisms occur: (i) proton-coupled electron transfer (as reported previously) yielding radicals that can recombine to give His-His dimers and CBH-adducts, and (ii) energy transfer yielding 3His* undergoing further reaction leading to formation of Imidazyl-CH2-CBH adduct. The latter, unexpected process only occurs when His and its derivatives have a free α-amino group. This process yielded a novel adduct between the imidazole ring and the CBH• formed by sensitizer reduction.

Does the presence of ground state complex between a PR-10 protein and a sensitizer affect the mechanism of sensitized photo-oxidation?

The mechanisms of one-electron protein oxidation are complicated and still not well-understood. In this work, we investigated the reaction of sensitized photo-oxidation using carboxybenzophenone (CB) as a sensitizer and a PR-10 protein (MtN13) as a quencher, which is intrinsically complicated due to the complex structure of the protein and multiple possibilities of CB attack. To predict and examine the possible reactions precisely, the 3D structure of the MtN13 protein was taken into account. Our crystallographic studies revealed a specific binding of the CB molecule in the protein's hydrophobic cavity, while mass spectrometry identified the amino acid residues (Met, Tyr, Asp and Phe) creating adducts with the sensitizer, thus indicating the sites of ³CB* quenching. In addition, protein aggregation was also observed. The detailed mechanisms of CB quenching by the MtN13 molecule were elucidated by an analysis of transient products by means of time-resolved spectroscopy. The investigation of the transient and stable products formed during the protein photo-oxidation was based on the data obtained from HPLC-MS analysis of model compounds, single amino acids and dipeptides. Our proposed mechanisms of sensitized protein photo-oxidation emphasize the role of a ground state complex between the protein and the sensitizer and indicate several new and specific products arising as a result of one-electron oxidation. Based on the analysis of the transient and stable products, we have demonstrated the influence of neighboring groups, especially in the case of Tyr oxidation, where the tyrosyl radical can be formed via a direct electron transfer from Tyr to CB* or via an intramolecular electron transfer from Tyr to Met radical cation Met > S^●+ or thiyl radical CysS^● from neighboring oxidized groups.

Photo- and Radiation-Induced One-Electron Oxidation of Methionine in Various Structural Environments Studied by Time-Resolved Techniques

Oxidation of methionine (Met) is an important reaction that plays a key role in protein modifications during oxidative stress and aging. The first steps of Met oxidation involve the creation of very reactive and short-lived transients. Application of complementary time-resolved radiation and photochemical techniques (pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis together with time-resolved CIDNP and ESR techniques) allowed comparing in detail the one-electron oxidation mechanisms initiated either by ●OH radicals and other one-electron oxidants or the excited triplet state of the sensitizers e.g., 4-,3-carboxybenzophenones. The main purpose of this review is to present various factors that influence the character of the forming intermediates. They are divided into two parts: those inextricably related to the structures of molecules containing Met and those related to external factors. The former include (i) the protection of terminal amine and carboxyl groups, (ii) the location of Met in the peptide molecule, (iii) the character of neighboring amino acid other than Met, (iv) the character of the peptide chain (open vs cyclic), (v) the number of Met residues in peptide and protein, and (vi) the optical isomerism of Met residues. External factors include the type of the oxidant, pH, and concentration of Met-containing compounds in the reaction environment. Particular attention is given to the neighboring group participation, which is an essential parameter controlling one-electron oxidation of Met. Mechanistic aspects of oxidation processes by various one-electron oxidants in various structural and pH environments are summarized and discussed. The importance of these studies for understanding oxidation of Met in real biological systems is also addressed.