1
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Bódizs S, Mészáros P, Grunewald L, Takala H, Westenhoff S. Cryo-EM structures of a bathy phytochrome histidine kinase reveal a unique light-dependent activation mechanism. Structure 2024:S0969-2126(24)00325-3. [PMID: 39216473 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Phytochromes are photoreceptor proteins in plants, fungi, and bacteria. They can adopt two photochromic states with differential biochemical responses. The structural changes transducing the signal from the chromophore to the biochemical output modules are poorly understood due to challenges in capturing structures of the dynamic, full-length protein. Here, we present cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the phytochrome from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PaBphP) in its resting (Pfr) and photoactivated (Pr) state. The kinase-active Pr state has an asymmetric, dimeric structure, whereas the kinase-inactive Pfr state opens up. This behavior is different from other known phytochromes and we explain it with the unusually short connection between the photosensory and output modules. Multiple sequence alignment of this region suggests evolutionary optimization for different modes of signal transduction in sensor proteins. The results establish a new mechanism for light-sensing by phytochrome histidine kinases and provide input for the design of optogenetic phytochrome variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Bódizs
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Petra Mészáros
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lukas Grunewald
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Heikki Takala
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
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2
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Burgie ES, Basore K, Rau MJ, Summers B, Mickles AJ, Grigura V, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Vierstra RD. Signaling by a bacterial phytochrome histidine kinase involves a conformational cascade reorganizing the dimeric photoreceptor. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6853. [PMID: 39127720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50412-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Phytochromes (Phys) are a divergent cohort of bili-proteins that detect light through reversible interconversion between dark-adapted Pr and photoactivated Pfr states. While our understandings of downstream events are emerging, it remains unclear how Phys translate light into an interpretable conformational signal. Here, we present models of both states for a dimeric Phy with histidine kinase (HK) activity from the proteobacterium Pseudomonas syringae, which were built from high-resolution cryo-EM maps (2.8-3.4-Å) of the photosensory module (PSM) and its following signaling (S) helix together with lower resolution maps for the downstream output region augmented by RoseTTAFold and AlphaFold structural predictions. The head-to-head models reveal the PSM and its photointerconversion mechanism with strong clarity, while the HK region is interpretable but relatively mobile. Pr/Pfr comparisons show that bilin phototransformation alters PSM architecture culminating in a scissoring motion of the paired S-helices linking the PSMs to the HK bidomains that ends in reorientation of the paired catalytic ATPase modules relative to the phosphoacceptor histidines. This action apparently primes autophosphorylation enroute to phosphotransfer to the cognate DNA-binding response regulator AlgB which drives quorum-sensing behavior through transient association with the photoreceptor. Collectively, these models illustrate how light absorption conformationally translates into accelerated signaling by Phy-type kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sethe Burgie
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Bayer Crop Sciences, Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Katherine Basore
- Washington University in St. Louis Center for Cellular Imaging, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Michael J Rau
- Washington University in St. Louis Center for Cellular Imaging, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Bayer Crop Sciences, Chesterfield, MO, USA
| | - Brock Summers
- Washington University in St. Louis Center for Cellular Imaging, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Alayna J Mickles
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Vadim Grigura
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - James A J Fitzpatrick
- Washington University in St. Louis Center for Cellular Imaging, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Grenzacherstrasse, 124, 4070, Switzerland
| | - Richard D Vierstra
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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3
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Malla TN, Hernandez C, Muniyappan S, Menendez D, Bizhga D, Mendez JH, Schwander P, Stojković EA, Schmidt M. Photoreception and signaling in bacterial phytochrome revealed by single-particle cryo-EM. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadq0653. [PMID: 39121216 PMCID: PMC11313861 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq0653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
Phytochromes are red-light photoreceptors discovered in plants with homologs in bacteria and fungi that regulate a variety of physiological responses. They display a reversible photocycle between two distinct states: a red-light-absorbing Pr state and a far-red light-absorbing Pfr state. The photoconversion regulates the activity of an enzymatic domain, usually a histidine kinase (HK). The molecular mechanism that explains how light controls the HK activity is not understood because structures of unmodified bacterial phytochromes with HK activity are missing. Here, we report three cryo-electron microscopy structures of a wild-type bacterial phytochrome with HK activity determined as Pr and Pfr homodimers and as a Pr/Pfr heterodimer with individual subunits in distinct states. We propose that the Pr/Pfr heterodimer is a physiologically relevant signal transduction intermediate. Our results offer insight into the molecular mechanism that controls the enzymatic activity of the HK as part of a bacterial two-component system that perceives and transduces light signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tek Narsingh Malla
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | | | | | - David Menendez
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - Dorina Bizhga
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - Joshua H. Mendez
- New York Structural Biology Center (NYSBC), New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Peter Schwander
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Emina A. Stojković
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - Marius Schmidt
- Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
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4
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Hughes J, Winkler A. New Insight Into Phytochromes: Connecting Structure to Function. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 75:153-183. [PMID: 39038250 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-070623-110636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Red and far-red light-sensing phytochromes are widespread in nature, occurring in plants, algae, fungi, and prokaryotes. Despite at least a billion years of evolution, their photosensory modules remain structurally and functionally similar. Conversely, nature has found remarkably different ways of transmitting light signals from the photosensor to diverse physiological responses. We summarize key features of phytochrome structure and function and discuss how these are correlated, from how the bilin environment affects the chromophore to how light induces cellular signals. Recent advances in the structural characterization of bacterial and plant phytochromes have resulted in paradigm changes in phytochrome research that we discuss in the context of present-day knowledge. Finally, we highlight questions that remain to be answered and suggest some of the benefits of understanding phytochrome structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Hughes
- Department of Plant Physiology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany;
- Department of Physics, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Winkler
- Institute of Biochemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria;
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
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5
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Burgie ES, Mickles AJ, Luo F, Miller MD, Vierstra RD. Crystal structure of the photosensory module from a PAS-less cyanobacterial phytochrome as Pr shows a mix of dark-adapted and photoactivated features. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107369. [PMID: 38750792 PMCID: PMC11264168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Phytochromes (Phys) are a diverse collection of photoreceptors that regulate numerous physiological and developmental processes in microorganisms and plants through photointerconversion between red-light-absorbing Pr and far-red light-absorbing Pfr states. Light is detected by an N-terminal photo-sensing module (PSM) sequentially comprised of Period/ARNT/Sim (PAS), cGMP-phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA (GAF), and Phy-specific (PHY) domains, with the bilin chromophore covalently-bound within the GAF domain. Phys sense light via the Pr/Pfr ratio measured by the light-induced rotation of the bilin D-pyrrole ring that triggers conformational changes within the PSM, which for microbial Phys reaches into an output region. A key step is a β-stranded to α-helical reconfiguration of a hairpin loop extending from the PHY domain to contact the GAF domain. Besides canonical Phys, cyanobacteria express several variants, including a PAS-less subfamily that harbors just the GAF and PHY domains for light detection. Prior 2D-NMR studies of a model PAS-less Phy from Synechococcus_sp._JA-2-3B'a(2-13) (SyB-Cph1) proposed a unique photoconversion mechanism involving an A-pyrrole ring rotation while magic-angle-spinning NMR probing the chromophore proposed the prototypic D-ring flip. To help solve this conundrum, we determined the crystallographic structure of the GAF-PHY region from SyB-Cph1 as Pr. Surprisingly, this structure differs from canonical Phys by having a Pr ZZZsyn,syn,anti bilin configuration but shifted to the activated position in the binding pocket with consequent folding of the hairpin loop to α-helical, an architecture common for Pfr. Collectively, the PSM of SyB-Cph1 as Pr displayed a mix of dark-adapted and photoactivated features whose co-planar A-C pyrrole rings support a D-ring flip mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sethe Burgie
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Alayna J Mickles
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Fang Luo
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Richard D Vierstra
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
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6
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Perrett S, Chatrchyan V, Buckup T, van Thor JJ. Application of density matrix Wigner transforms for ultrafast macromolecular and chemical x-ray crystallography. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:100901. [PMID: 38456527 DOI: 10.1063/5.0188888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Time-Resolved Serial Femtosecond Crystallography (TR-SFX) conducted at X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) has become a powerful tool for capturing macromolecular structural movies of light-initiated processes. As the capabilities of XFELs advance, we anticipate that a new range of coherent control and structural Raman measurements will become achievable. Shorter optical and x-ray pulse durations and increasingly more exotic pulse regimes are becoming available at free electron lasers. Moreover, with high repetition enabled by the superconducting technology of European XFEL (EuXFEL) and Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS-II) , it will be possible to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the light-induced differences, allowing for the observation of vibronic motion on the sub-Angstrom level. To predict and assign this coherent motion, which is measurable with a structural technique, new theoretical approaches must be developed. In this paper, we present a theoretical density matrix approach to model the various population and coherent dynamics of a system, which considers molecular system parameters and excitation conditions. We emphasize the use of the Wigner transform of the time-dependent density matrix, which provides a phase space representation that can be directly compared to the experimental positional displacements measured in a TR-SFX experiment. Here, we extend the results from simple models to include more realistic schemes that include large relaxation terms. We explore a variety of pulse schemes using multiple model systems using realistic parameters. An open-source software package is provided to perform the density matrix simulation and Wigner transformations. The open-source software allows us to define any arbitrary level schemes as well as any arbitrary electric field in the interaction Hamiltonian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Perrett
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Viktoria Chatrchyan
- Physikalisch Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls Universität, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tiago Buckup
- Physikalisch Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls Universität, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jasper J van Thor
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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7
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Do TN, Menendez D, Bizhga D, Stojković EA, Kennis JTM. Two-photon Absorption and Photoionization of a Bacterial Phytochrome. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168357. [PMID: 37944794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Phytochromes constitute a family of photosensory proteins that are utilized by various organisms to regulate several physiological processes. Phytochromes bind a bilin pigment that switches its isomeric state upon absorption of red or far-red photons, resulting in protein conformational changes that are sensed by the organism. Previously, the ultrafast dynamics in bacterial phytochrome was resolved to atomic resolution by time-resolved serial femtosecond X-ray diffraction (TR-SFX), showing extensive changes in its molecular conformation at 1 picosecond delay time. However, the large excitation fluence of mJ/mm2 used in TR-SFX questions the validity of the observed dynamics. In this work, we present an excitation-dependent ultrafast transient absorption study to test the response of a related bacterial phytochrome to excitation fluence. We observe excitation power-dependent sub-picosecond dynamics, assigned to the population of high-lying excited state Sn through resonantly enhanced two-photon absorption, followed by rapid internal conversion to the low-lying S1 state. Inspection of the long-lived spectrum under high fluence shows that in addition to the primary intermediate Lumi-R, spectroscopic signatures of solvated electrons and ionized chromophore radicals are observed. Supported by numerical modelling, we propose that under excitation fluences of tens of μJ/mm2 and higher, bacterial phytochrome partly undergoes photoionization from the Sn state in competition with internal conversion to the S1 state in 300 fs. We suggest that the extensive structural changes of related, shorter bacterial phytochrome, lacking the PHY domain, resolved from TR-SFX may have been affected by the ionized species. We propose approaches to minimize the two-photon absorption process by tuning the excitation spectrum away from the S1 absorption or using phytochromes exhibiting minimized or shifted S1 absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh Nhut Do
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Menendez
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - Dorina Bizhga
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - Emina A Stojković
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, IL 60625, USA
| | - John T M Kennis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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8
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Khusainov G, Standfuss J, Weinert T. The time revolution in macromolecular crystallography. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:020901. [PMID: 38616866 PMCID: PMC11015943 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crystallography has historically provided the atomic structures of proteins fundamental to cellular functions. However, the advent of cryo-electron microscopy for structure determination of large and increasingly smaller and flexible proteins signaled a paradigm shift in structural biology. The extensive structural and sequence data from crystallography and advanced sequencing techniques have been pivotal for training computational models for accurate structure prediction, unveiling the general fold of most proteins. Here, we present a perspective on the rise of time-resolved crystallography as the new frontier of macromolecular structure determination. We trace the evolution from the pioneering time-resolved crystallography methods to modern serial crystallography, highlighting the synergy between rapid detection technologies and state-of-the-art x-ray sources. These innovations are redefining our exploration of protein dynamics, with high-resolution crystallography uniquely positioned to elucidate rapid dynamic processes at ambient temperatures, thus deepening our understanding of protein functionality. We propose that the integration of dynamic structural data with machine learning advancements will unlock predictive capabilities for protein kinetics, revolutionizing dynamics like macromolecular crystallography revolutionized structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Khusainov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Standfuss
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Weinert
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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9
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Barends TRM, Gorel A, Bhattacharyya S, Schirò G, Bacellar C, Cirelli C, Colletier JP, Foucar L, Grünbein ML, Hartmann E, Hilpert M, Holton JM, Johnson PJM, Kloos M, Knopp G, Marekha B, Nass K, Nass Kovacs G, Ozerov D, Stricker M, Weik M, Doak RB, Shoeman RL, Milne CJ, Huix-Rotllant M, Cammarata M, Schlichting I. Influence of pump laser fluence on ultrafast myoglobin structural dynamics. Nature 2024; 626:905-911. [PMID: 38355794 PMCID: PMC10881388 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
High-intensity femtosecond pulses from an X-ray free-electron laser enable pump-probe experiments for the investigation of electronic and nuclear changes during light-induced reactions. On timescales ranging from femtoseconds to milliseconds and for a variety of biological systems, time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (TR-SFX) has provided detailed structural data for light-induced isomerization, breakage or formation of chemical bonds and electron transfer1,2. However, all ultrafast TR-SFX studies to date have employed such high pump laser energies that nominally several photons were absorbed per chromophore3-17. As multiphoton absorption may force the protein response into non-physiological pathways, it is of great concern18,19 whether this experimental approach20 allows valid conclusions to be drawn vis-à-vis biologically relevant single-photon-induced reactions18,19. Here we describe ultrafast pump-probe SFX experiments on the photodissociation of carboxymyoglobin, showing that different pump laser fluences yield markedly different results. In particular, the dynamics of structural changes and observed indicators of the mechanistically important coherent oscillations of the Fe-CO bond distance (predicted by recent quantum wavepacket dynamics21) are seen to depend strongly on pump laser energy, in line with quantum chemical analysis. Our results confirm both the feasibility and necessity of performing ultrafast TR-SFX pump-probe experiments in the linear photoexcitation regime. We consider this to be a starting point for reassessing both the design and the interpretation of ultrafast TR-SFX pump-probe experiments20 such that mechanistically relevant insight emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Gorel
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Giorgio Schirò
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | | | - Lutz Foucar
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Mario Hilpert
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - James M Holton
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Bogdan Marekha
- ENSL, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie UMR 5182, Lyon, France
| | - Karol Nass
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Martin Weik
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - R Bruce Doak
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
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10
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Caramello N, Royant A. From femtoseconds to minutes: time-resolved macromolecular crystallography at XFELs and synchrotrons. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:60-79. [PMID: 38265875 PMCID: PMC10836399 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798323011002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the development of time-resolved serial crystallography (TR-SX) at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) and synchrotrons has allowed researchers to study phenomena occurring in proteins on the femtosecond-to-minute timescale, taking advantage of many technical and methodological breakthroughs. Protein crystals of various sizes are presented to the X-ray beam in either a static or a moving medium. Photoactive proteins were naturally the initial systems to be studied in TR-SX experiments using pump-probe schemes, where the pump is a pulse of visible light. Other reaction initiations through small-molecule diffusion are gaining momentum. Here, selected examples of XFEL and synchrotron time-resolved crystallography studies will be used to highlight the specificities of the various instruments and methods with respect to time resolution, and are compared with cryo-trapping studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Caramello
- Structural Biology Group, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 1 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Antoine Royant
- Structural Biology Group, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 1 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 10090, 38044 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
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11
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Schmidt M, Stojković EA. Blue and red in the protein world: Photoactive yellow protein and phytochromes as revealed by time-resolved crystallography. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:014701. [PMID: 38304445 PMCID: PMC10834066 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Time-resolved crystallography (TRX) is a method designed to investigate functional motions of biological macromolecules on all time scales. Originally a synchrotron-based method, TRX is enabled by the development of TR Laue crystallography (TRLX). TR serial crystallography (TR-SX) is an extension of TRLX. As the foundations of TRLX were evolving from the late 1980s to the turn of the millennium, TR-SX has been inspired by the development of Free Electron Lasers for hard X-rays. Extremely intense, ultrashort x-ray pulses could probe micro and nanocrystals, but at the same time, they inflicted radiation damage that necessitated the replacement by a new crystal. Consequently, a large number of microcrystals are exposed to X-rays one by one in a serial fashion. With TR-SX methods, one of the largest obstacles of previous approaches, namely, the unsurmountable challenges associated with the investigation of non-cyclic (irreversible) reactions, can be overcome. This article describes successes and transformative contributions to the TRX field by Keith Moffat and his collaborators, highlighting two major projects on protein photoreceptors initiated in the Moffat lab at the turn of the millennium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Schmidt
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 N. Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA
| | - Emina A. Stojković
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60625, USA
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12
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Henning RW, Kosheleva I, Šrajer V, Kim IS, Zoellner E, Ranganathan R. BioCARS: Synchrotron facility for probing structural dynamics of biological macromolecules. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:014301. [PMID: 38304444 PMCID: PMC10834067 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
A major goal in biomedical science is to move beyond static images of proteins and other biological macromolecules to the internal dynamics underlying their function. This level of study is necessary to understand how these molecules work and to engineer new functions and modulators of function. Stemming from a visionary commitment to this problem by Keith Moffat decades ago, a community of structural biologists has now enabled a set of x-ray scattering technologies for observing intramolecular dynamics in biological macromolecules at atomic resolution and over the broad range of timescales over which motions are functionally relevant. Many of these techniques are provided by BioCARS, a cutting-edge synchrotron radiation facility built under Moffat leadership and located at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. BioCARS enables experimental studies of molecular dynamics with time resolutions spanning from 100 ps to seconds and provides both time-resolved x-ray crystallography and small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering. Structural changes can be initiated by several methods-UV/Vis pumping with tunable picosecond and nanosecond laser pulses, substrate diffusion, and global perturbations, such as electric field and temperature jumps. Studies of dynamics typically involve subtle perturbations to molecular structures, requiring specialized computational techniques for data processing and interpretation. In this review, we present the challenges in experimental macromolecular dynamics and describe the current state of experimental capabilities at this facility. As Moffat imagined years ago, BioCARS is now positioned to catalyze the scientific community to make fundamental advances in understanding proteins and other complex biological macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Henning
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Irina Kosheleva
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Vukica Šrajer
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - In-Sik Kim
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Eric Zoellner
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Rama Ranganathan
- BioCARS, Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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13
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Maestre-Reyna M, Wang PH, Nango E, Hosokawa Y, Saft M, Furrer A, Yang CH, Gusti Ngurah Putu EP, Wu WJ, Emmerich HJ, Caramello N, Franz-Badur S, Yang C, Engilberge S, Wranik M, Glover HL, Weinert T, Wu HY, Lee CC, Huang WC, Huang KF, Chang YK, Liao JH, Weng JH, Gad W, Chang CW, Pang AH, Yang KC, Lin WT, Chang YC, Gashi D, Beale E, Ozerov D, Nass K, Knopp G, Johnson PJM, Cirelli C, Milne C, Bacellar C, Sugahara M, Owada S, Joti Y, Yamashita A, Tanaka R, Tanaka T, Luo F, Tono K, Zarzycka W, Müller P, Alahmad MA, Bezold F, Fuchs V, Gnau P, Kiontke S, Korf L, Reithofer V, Rosner CJ, Seiler EM, Watad M, Werel L, Spadaccini R, Yamamoto J, Iwata S, Zhong D, Standfuss J, Royant A, Bessho Y, Essen LO, Tsai MD. Visualizing the DNA repair process by a photolyase at atomic resolution. Science 2023; 382:eadd7795. [PMID: 38033054 DOI: 10.1126/science.add7795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Photolyases, a ubiquitous class of flavoproteins, use blue light to repair DNA photolesions. In this work, we determined the structural mechanism of the photolyase-catalyzed repair of a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) lesion using time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (TR-SFX). We obtained 18 snapshots that show time-dependent changes in four reaction loci. We used these results to create a movie that depicts the repair of CPD lesions in the picosecond-to-nanosecond range, followed by the recovery of the enzymatic moieties involved in catalysis, completing the formation of the fully reduced enzyme-product complex at 500 nanoseconds. Finally, back-flip intermediates of the thymine bases to reanneal the DNA were captured at 25 to 200 microseconds. Our data cover the complete molecular mechanism of a photolyase and, importantly, its chemistry and enzymatic catalysis at work across a wide timescale and at atomic resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Maestre-Reyna
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Po-Hsun Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Eriko Nango
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Yuhei Hosokawa
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
- Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Martin Saft
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Antonia Furrer
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Cheng-Han Yang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | | | - Wen-Jin Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Hans-Joachim Emmerich
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Nicolas Caramello
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Franz-Badur
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sylvain Engilberge
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Maximilian Wranik
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | | | - Tobias Weinert
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Hsiang-Yi Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chung Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Cheng Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Fa Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Kai Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Jiahn-Haur Liao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hung Weng
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Wael Gad
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Wen Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Allan H Pang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Chun Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Ting Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chen Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Dardan Gashi
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Emma Beale
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Dmitry Ozerov
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Karol Nass
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Knopp
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Philip J M Johnson
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Claudio Cirelli
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Chris Milne
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Camila Bacellar
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | | | - Shigeki Owada
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Joti
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Ayumi Yamashita
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Rie Tanaka
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Tanaka
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Fangjia Luo
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Kensuke Tono
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan
| | - Wiktoria Zarzycka
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pavel Müller
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Maisa Alkheder Alahmad
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Filipp Bezold
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Valerie Fuchs
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Petra Gnau
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Stephan Kiontke
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Lukas Korf
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Viktoria Reithofer
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Christian Joshua Rosner
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Elisa Marie Seiler
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Mohamed Watad
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Laura Werel
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Roberta Spadaccini
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
- Dipartimento di Scienze e tecnologie, Universita degli studi del Sannio, Benevento, Italy
| | - Junpei Yamamoto
- Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - So Iwata
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Dongping Zhong
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jörg Standfuss
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Antoine Royant
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38044 Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshitaka Bessho
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Lars-Oliver Essen
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein Strasse 4, Marburg 35032, Germany
| | - Ming-Daw Tsai
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, 128 Academia Rd. Sec. 2, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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14
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Botha S, Fromme P. Review of serial femtosecond crystallography including the COVID-19 pandemic impact and future outlook. Structure 2023; 31:1306-1319. [PMID: 37898125 PMCID: PMC10842180 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) revolutionized macromolecular crystallography over the past decade by enabling the collection of X-ray diffraction data from nano- or micrometer sized crystals while outrunning structure-altering radiation damage effects at room temperature. The serial manner of data collection from millions of individual crystals coupled with the femtosecond duration of the ultrabright X-ray pulses enables time-resolved studies of macromolecules under near-physiological conditions to unprecedented temporal resolution. In 2020 the rapid spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 resulted in a global pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019. This led to a shift in how serial femtosecond experiments were performed, along with rapid funding and free electron laser beamtime availability dedicated to SARS-CoV-2-related studies. This review outlines the current state of SFX research, the milestones that were achieved, the impact of the global pandemic on this field as well as an outlook into exciting future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Botha
- Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA; Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1504, USA.
| | - Petra Fromme
- Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA; School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA.
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15
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Pounot K, Schirò G, Levantino M. Tracking the structural dynamics of proteins with time-resolved X-ray solution scattering. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102661. [PMID: 37536065 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Relevant events during protein function such as ligand binding/release and interaction with substrates or with light are often accompanied by out-of-equilibrium structural dynamics. Time-resolved experimental techniques have been developed to follow protein structural changes as they happen in real time after a given reaction-triggering event. Time-resolved X-ray solution scattering is a promising approach that bears structural sensitivity with temporal resolution in the femto-to-millisecond time range, depending on the X-ray source characteristics and the triggering method. Here we present the basic principles of the technique together with a description of the most relevant results recently published and a discussion on the computational methods currently developed to achieve a structural interpretation of the time-resolved X-ray solution scattering experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Pounot
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Matteo Levantino
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
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16
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Aldama LA, Dalton KM, Hekstra DR. Correcting systematic errors in diffraction data with modern scaling algorithms. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2023; 79:796-805. [PMID: 37584427 PMCID: PMC10478637 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798323005776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
X-ray diffraction enables the routine determination of the atomic structure of materials. Key to its success are data-processing algorithms that allow experimenters to determine the electron density of a sample from its diffraction pattern. Scaling, the estimation and correction of systematic errors in diffraction intensities, is an essential step in this process. These errors arise from sample heterogeneity, radiation damage, instrument limitations and other aspects of the experiment. New X-ray sources and sample-delivery methods, along with new experiments focused on changes in structure as a function of perturbations, have led to new demands on scaling algorithms. Classically, scaling algorithms use least-squares optimization to fit a model of common error sources to the observed diffraction intensities to force these intensities onto the same empirical scale. Recently, an alternative approach has been demonstrated which uses a Bayesian optimization method, variational inference, to simultaneously infer merged data along with corrections, or scale factors, for the systematic errors. Owing to its flexibility, this approach proves to be advantageous in certain scenarios. This perspective briefly reviews the history of scaling algorithms and contrasts them with variational inference. Finally, appropriate use cases are identified for the first such algorithm, Careless, guidance is offered on its use and some speculations are made about future variational scaling methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Aldama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kevin M. Dalton
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Doeke R. Hekstra
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Besaw JE, Miller RJD. Addressing high excitation conditions in time-resolved X-ray diffraction experiments and issues of biological relevance. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 81:102624. [PMID: 37331203 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important fundamental questions connecting chemistry to biology is how chemistry scales in complexity up to biological systems where there are innumerable possible pathways and competing processes. With the development of ultrabright electron and x-ray sources, it has been possible to literally light up atomic motions to directly observe the reduction in dimensionality in the barrier crossing region to a few key reaction modes. How do these chemical processes further couple to the surrounding protein or macromolecular assembly to drive biological functions? Optical methods to trigger photoactive biological processes are needed to probe this issue on the relevant timescales. However, the excitation conditions have been in the highly nonlinear regime, which questions the biological relevance of the observed structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Besaw
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - R J Dwayne Miller
- Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada.
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18
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Burgie ES, Li H, Gannam ZTK, McLoughlin KE, Vierstra RD, Li H. The structure of Arabidopsis phytochrome A reveals topological and functional diversification among the plant photoreceptor isoforms. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:1116-1129. [PMID: 37291396 PMCID: PMC10546791 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01435-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plants employ a divergent cohort of phytochrome (Phy) photoreceptors to govern many aspects of morphogenesis through reversible photointerconversion between inactive Pr and active Pfr conformers. The two most influential are PhyA whose retention of Pfr enables sensation of dim light, while the relative instability of Pfr for PhyB makes it better suited for detecting full sun and temperature. To better understand these contrasts, we solved, by cryo-electron microscopy, the three-dimensional structure of full-length PhyA as Pr. Like PhyB, PhyA dimerizes through head-to-head assembly of its C-terminal histidine kinase-related domains (HKRDs), while the remainder assembles as a head-to-tail light-responsive platform. Whereas the platform and HKRDs associate asymmetrically in PhyB dimers, these lopsided connections are absent in PhyA. Analysis of truncation and site-directed mutants revealed that this decoupling and altered platform assembly have functional consequences for Pfr stability of PhyA and highlights how plant Phy structural diversification has extended light and temperature perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Sethe Burgie
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Structural Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Zira T K Gannam
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katrice E McLoughlin
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Burning Rock Dx, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Richard D Vierstra
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Huilin Li
- Department of Structural Biology, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.
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19
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Bacteria phototaxis optimizer. Neural Comput Appl 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-023-08391-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
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20
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Blue Light Sensing BlsA-Mediated Modulation of Meropenem Resistance and Biofilm Formation in Acinetobacter baumannii. mSystems 2023; 8:e0089722. [PMID: 36622157 PMCID: PMC9948694 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00897-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The presence or absence of BlsA, a protein with a blue light-sensing flavin domain in the genomes of Acinetobacter species has aroused curiosity about its roles in the regulation of bacterial lifestyle under light. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed the loss of BlsA in several multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii strains as well as the light-mediated induction of blsA, along with a possible BlsA-interacting partner BipA. Their direct in vivo interactions were verified using a bacterial two-hybrid system. The results demonstrated that the C-terminal region of BipA could bind to the C-terminal residues of BlsA under blue light at 23°C but not at 37°C. Genetic manipulations of blsA and bipA revealed that the coexistence of BlsA and BipA was required to induce the light-dependent expression of ompA in A. baumannii ATCC 17978 at 23°C. The same phenomenon occurred in the BlsA-deficient MDR strain in our functional complementation assay; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. BlsA-modulated amounts of OmpA, the most abundant porin, in the outer membrane affected the membrane integrity and permeability of small molecules. Dark conditions or the deletion of ompA made the membrane more permeable to lipophilic ethidium bromide (EtBr) but not to meropenem. Interestingly, light illumination and low temperature conditions made the cells more sensitive to meropenem; however, this bactericidal effect was not noted in the blsA mutant or in the BlsA-deficient MDR strains. Light-mediated cell death and the reduction of biofilm formation at 23°C were abolished in the blsA mutant strain, suggesting multifaceted roles of BlsA in A. baumannii strains. IMPORTANCE Little is known about the functional roles of BlsA and its interacting partners in Acinetobacter species. Intriguingly, no BlsA homolog was found in several clinical isolates, suggesting that BlsA was not required inside the host because of the lack of blue light and the warm temperature conditions. As many chromophore-harboring proteins interact with various partners to control light-dependent cellular behaviors, the maintenance of blsA in the genomes of many Acinetobacter species during their evolution may be beneficial when fluctuations occur in two important environmental factors: light and temperature. Our study is the first to report the novel protein partner of BlsA, namely, BipA, and its contribution to multiple phenotypic changes, including meropenem resistance and biofilm formation. Rapid physiological acclimation to changing light or temperature conditions may be possible in the presence of the light-sensing BlsA protein, which may have more interacting partners than expected.
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21
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Westenhoff S, Meszaros P, Schmidt M. Protein motions visualized by femtosecond time-resolved crystallography: The case of photosensory vs photosynthetic proteins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 77:102481. [PMID: 36252455 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are dynamic objects and undergo conformational changes when functioning. These changes range from interconversion between states in equilibrium to ultrafast and coherent structural motions within one perturbed state. Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography at free-electron X-ray lasers can unravel structural changes with atomic resolution and down to femtosecond time scales. In this review, we summarize recent advances on detecting structural changes for phytochrome photosensor proteins and a bacterial photosynthetic reaction center. In the phytochrome structural changes are extensive and involve major rearrangements of many amino acids and water molecules, accompanying the regulation of its biochemical activity, whereas in the photosynthetic reaction center protein the structural changes are smaller, more localized, and are optimized to facilitate electron transfer along the chromophores. The detected structural motions underpin the proteins' function, providing a showcase for the importance of detecting ultrafast protein structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Petra Meszaros
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Biochemistry, Uppsala University, 75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marius Schmidt
- Physics Department, Physic, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3134 N. Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
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22
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Weik M, Domratcheva T. Insight into the structural dynamics of light sensitive proteins from time-resolved crystallography and quantum chemical calculations. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 77:102496. [PMID: 36462226 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The structural dynamics underlying molecular mechanisms of light-sensitive proteins can be studied by a variety of experimental and computational biophysical techniques. Here we review recent progress in combining time-resolved crystallography at X-ray free electron lasers and quantum chemical calculations to study structural changes in photoenzymes, photosynthetic proteins, photoreceptors, and photoswitchable fluorescent proteins following photoexcitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Weik
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38044 Grenoble, France.
| | - Tatiana Domratcheva
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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23
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Protein control of photochemistry and transient intermediates in phytochromes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6838. [PMID: 36369284 PMCID: PMC9652276 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34640-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytochromes are ubiquitous photoreceptors responsible for sensing light in plants, fungi and bacteria. Their photoactivation is initiated by the photoisomerization of the embedded chromophore, triggering large conformational changes in the protein. Despite numerous experimental and computational studies, the role of chromophore-protein interactions in controlling the mechanism and timescale of the process remains elusive. Here, we combine nonadiabatic surface hopping trajectories and adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the molecular details of such control for the Deinococcus radiodurans bacteriophytochrome. Our simulations reveal that chromophore photoisomerization proceeds through a hula-twist mechanism whose kinetics is mainly determined by the hydrogen bond of the chromophore with a close-by histidine. The resulting photoproduct relaxes to an early intermediate stabilized by a tyrosine, and finally evolves into a late intermediate, featuring a more disordered binding pocket and a weakening of the aspartate-to-arginine salt-bridge interaction, whose cleavage is essential to interconvert the phytochrome to the active state.
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24
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Barends TR, Stauch B, Cherezov V, Schlichting I. Serial femtosecond crystallography. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:59. [PMID: 36643971 PMCID: PMC9833121 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00141-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
With the advent of X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs), new, high-throughput serial crystallography techniques for macromolecular structure determination have emerged. Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and related methods provide possibilities beyond canonical, single-crystal rotation crystallography by mitigating radiation damage and allowing time-resolved studies with unprecedented temporal resolution. This primer aims to assist structural biology groups with little or no experience in serial crystallography planning and carrying out a successful SFX experiment. It discusses the background of serial crystallography and its possibilities. Microcrystal growth and characterization methods are discussed, alongside techniques for sample delivery and data processing. Moreover, it gives practical tips for preparing an experiment, what to consider and do during a beamtime and how to conduct the final data analysis. Finally, the Primer looks at various applications of SFX, including structure determination of membrane proteins, investigation of radiation damage-prone systems and time-resolved studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R.M. Barends
- Department for Biological Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stauch
- Department of Chemistry, The Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Department of Chemistry, The Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ilme Schlichting
- Department for Biological Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany,
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25
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Conserved histidine and tyrosine determine spectral responses through the water network in Deinococcus radiodurans phytochrome. PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN PHOTOCHEMISTRY ASSOCIATION AND THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOBIOLOGY 2022; 21:1975-1989. [PMID: 35906527 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Phytochromes are red light-sensing photoreceptor proteins that bind a bilin chromophore. Here, we investigate the role of a conserved histidine (H260) and tyrosine (Y263) in the chromophore-binding domain (CBD) of Deinococcus radiodurans phytochrome (DrBphP). Using crystallography, we show that in the H260A variant, the missing imidazole side chain leads to increased water content in the binding pocket. On the other hand, Y263F mutation reduces the water occupancy around the chromophore. Together, these changes in water coordination alter the protonation and spectroscopic properties of the biliverdin. These results pinpoint the importance of this conserved histidine and tyrosine, and the related water network, for the function and applications of phytochromes.
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26
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Malla TN, Schmidt M. Transient state measurements on proteins by time-resolved crystallography. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 74:102376. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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27
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Serial crystallography captures dynamic control of sequential electron and proton transfer events in a flavoenzyme. Nat Chem 2022; 14:677-685. [PMID: 35393554 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-00922-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Flavin coenzymes are universally found in biological redox reactions. DNA photolyases, with their flavin chromophore (FAD), utilize blue light for DNA repair and photoreduction. The latter process involves two single-electron transfers to FAD with an intermittent protonation step to prime the enzyme active for DNA repair. Here we use time-resolved serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography to describe how light-driven electron transfers trigger subsequent nanosecond-to-microsecond entanglement between FAD and its Asn/Arg-Asp redox sensor triad. We found that this key feature within the photolyase-cryptochrome family regulates FAD re-hybridization and protonation. After first electron transfer, the FAD•- isoalloxazine ring twists strongly when the arginine closes in to stabilize the negative charge. Subsequent breakage of the arginine-aspartate salt bridge allows proton transfer from arginine to FAD•-. Our molecular videos demonstrate how the protein environment of redox cofactors organizes multiple electron/proton transfer events in an ordered fashion, which could be applicable to other redox systems such as photosynthesis.
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28
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Rydzewski J, Walczewska-Szewc K, Czach S, Nowak W, Kuczera K. Enhancing the Inhomogeneous Photodynamics of Canonical Bacteriophytochrome. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:2647-2657. [PMID: 35357137 PMCID: PMC9014414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ability of phytochromes
to act as photoswitches in plants and
microorganisms depends on interactions between a bilin-like chromophore
and a host protein. The interconversion occurs between the spectrally
distinct red (Pr) and far-red (Pfr) conformers. This conformational
change is triggered by the photoisomerization of the chromophore D-ring
pyrrole. In this study, as a representative example of a phytochrome-bilin
system, we consider biliverdin IXα (BV) bound to bacteriophytochrome
(BphP) from Deinococcus radiodurans. In the absence
of light, we use an enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) method
to overcome the photoisomerization energy barrier. We find that the
calculated free energy (FE) barriers between essential metastable
states agree with spectroscopic results. We show that the enhanced
dynamics of the BV chromophore in BphP contributes to triggering nanometer-scale
conformational movements that propagate by two experimentally determined
signal transduction pathways. Most importantly, we describe how the
metastable states enable a thermal transition known as the dark reversion
between Pfr and Pr, through a previously unknown intermediate state
of Pfr. We present the heterogeneity of temperature-dependent Pfr
states at the atomistic level. This work paves a way toward understanding
the complete mechanism of the photoisomerization of a bilin-like chromophore
in phytochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Rydzewski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Walczewska-Szewc
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Sylwia Czach
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Wieslaw Nowak
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kuczera
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
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29
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Kraskov A, Buhrke D, Scheerer P, Shaef I, Sanchez JC, Carrillo M, Noda M, Feliz D, Stojković EA, Hildebrandt P. On the Role of the Conserved Histidine at the Chromophore Isomerization Site in Phytochromes. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:13696-13709. [PMID: 34843240 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Phytochromes are sensory photoreceptors that use light to drive protein structural changes, which in turn trigger physiological reaction cascades. The process starts with a double-bond photoisomerization of the linear methine-bridged tetrapyrrole chromophore in the photosensory core module. The molecular mechanism of the photoconversion depends on the structural and electrostatic properties of the chromophore environment, which are highly conserved in related phytochromes. However, the specific role of individual amino acids is yet not clear. A histidine in the vicinity of the isomerization site is highly conserved and almost invariant among all phytochromes. The present study aimed at analyzing its role by taking advantage of a myxobacterial phytochrome SaBphP1 from Stigmatella aurantiaca, where this histidine is naturally substituted with a threonine (Thr289), and comparing it to its normal, His-containing counterpart from the same organism SaBphP2 (His275). We have carried out a detailed resonance Raman and IR spectroscopic investigation of the wild-type proteins and their respective His- or Thr-substituted variants (SaBphP1-T289H and SaBphP2-H275T) using the well-characterized prototypical phytochrome Agp1 from Agrobacterium fabrum as a reference. The overall mechanism of the photoconversion is insensitive toward the His substitution. However, the chromophore geometry at the isomerization site appears to be affected, with a slightly stronger twist of ring D in the presence of Thr, which is sufficient to cause different light absorption properties in SaBphP1 and SaBphP2. Furthermore, the presence of His allows for multiple hydrogen-bonding interactions with the ring D carbonyl which may be the origin for the geometric differences of the C-D methine bridge compared to the Thr-containing variants. Other structural and mechanistic differences are independent of the presence of His. The most striking finding is the protonation of the ring C propionate in the Pfr states of SaBphP2, which is common among bathy phytochromes but so far has not been reported in prototypical phytochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kraskov
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Buhrke
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Scheerer
- Charité─Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Group Protein X-ray Crystallography and Signal Transduction, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ida Shaef
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Juan C Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625, United States
| | - Melissa Carrillo
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625, United States
| | - Moraima Noda
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625, United States
| | - Denisse Feliz
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625, United States
| | - Emina A Stojković
- Department of Biology, Northeastern Illinois University, 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625, United States
| | - Peter Hildebrandt
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
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30
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Tang K, Beyer HM, Zurbriggen MD, Gärtner W. The Red Edge: Bilin-Binding Photoreceptors as Optogenetic Tools and Fluorescence Reporters. Chem Rev 2021; 121:14906-14956. [PMID: 34669383 PMCID: PMC8707292 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review adds the bilin-binding phytochromes to the Chemical Reviews thematic issue "Optogenetics and Photopharmacology". The work is structured into two parts. We first outline the photochemistry of the covalently bound tetrapyrrole chromophore and summarize relevant spectroscopic, kinetic, biochemical, and physiological properties of the different families of phytochromes. Based on this knowledge, we then describe the engineering of phytochromes to further improve these chromoproteins as photoswitches and review their employment in an ever-growing number of different optogenetic applications. Most applications rely on the light-controlled complex formation between the plant photoreceptor PhyB and phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) or C-terminal light-regulated domains with enzymatic functions present in many bacterial and algal phytochromes. Phytochrome-based optogenetic tools are currently implemented in bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals to achieve light control of a wide range of biological activities. These cover the regulation of gene expression, protein transport into cell organelles, and the recruitment of phytochrome- or PIF-tagged proteins to membranes and other cellular compartments. This compilation illustrates the intrinsic advantages of phytochromes compared to other photoreceptor classes, e.g., their bidirectional dual-wavelength control enabling instant ON and OFF regulation. In particular, the long wavelength range of absorption and fluorescence within the "transparent window" makes phytochromes attractive for complex applications requiring deep tissue penetration or dual-wavelength control in combination with blue and UV light-sensing photoreceptors. In addition to the wide variability of applications employing natural and engineered phytochromes, we also discuss recent progress in the development of bilin-based fluorescent proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Tang
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hannes M. Beyer
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matias D. Zurbriggen
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology and CEPLAS, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse
1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Retired: Max Planck Institute
for Chemical Energy Conversion. At present: Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University
Leipzig, Linnéstrasse
3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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31
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Garratt RC. Protein structure, dynamics, and function-a 20th IUPAB Congress symposium. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:867-869. [PMID: 35059010 PMCID: PMC8724499 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00889-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A wide range of topics was raised by the four invited speakers who took part in the session on protein structure, dynamics, and function during the 20th IUPAB Congress. Most of the emphasis was placed on understanding the underlying biological phenomena of interest although applications in drug development were also mentioned. For both these purposes, it was clear that a complete description of the dynamics of the system was as important as the structures themselves. The subjects covered included antibiotic peptides, sodium channels, the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall, and protein dynamics using X-FELs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C. Garratt
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
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32
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Schmidt M. Macromolecular movies, storybooks written by nature. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:1191-1197. [PMID: 35059037 PMCID: PMC8724502 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00846-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Twelve years ago, the first free electron laser for hard X-rays (XFEL), the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), came online. Due to the extreme brilliance and the ultrashort pulse duration of their X-ray radiation, XFELs are exceptionally well positioned to conduct time-resolved studies on biological macromolecules. Here, some of the pioneering experiments and recent results are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Schmidt
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211 USA
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33
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Pandey S, Calvey G, Katz AM, Malla TN, Koua FHM, Martin-Garcia JM, Poudyal I, Yang JH, Vakili M, Yefanov O, Zielinski KA, Bajt S, Awel S, Doerner K, Frank M, Gelisio L, Jernigan R, Kirkwood H, Kloos M, Koliyadu J, Mariani V, Miller MD, Mills G, Nelson G, Olmos JL, Sadri A, Sato T, Tolstikova A, Xu W, Ourmazd A, Spence JCH, Schwander P, Barty A, Chapman HN, Fromme P, Mancuso AP, Phillips GN, Bean R, Pollack L, Schmidt M. Observation of substrate diffusion and ligand binding in enzyme crystals using high-repetition-rate mix-and-inject serial crystallography. IUCRJ 2021; 8:878-895. [PMID: 34804542 PMCID: PMC8562667 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521008125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Here, we illustrate what happens inside the catalytic cleft of an enzyme when substrate or ligand binds on single-millisecond timescales. The initial phase of the enzymatic cycle is observed with near-atomic resolution using the most advanced X-ray source currently available: the European XFEL (EuXFEL). The high repetition rate of the EuXFEL combined with our mix-and-inject technology enables the initial phase of ceftriaxone binding to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-lactamase to be followed using time-resolved crystallography in real time. It is shown how a diffusion coefficient in enzyme crystals can be derived directly from the X-ray data, enabling the determination of ligand and enzyme-ligand concentrations at any position in the crystal volume as a function of time. In addition, the structure of the irreversible inhibitor sulbactam bound to the enzyme at a 66 ms time delay after mixing is described. This demonstrates that the EuXFEL can be used as an important tool for biomedically relevant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj Pandey
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - George Calvey
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Andrea M. Katz
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tek Narsingh Malla
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Faisal H. M. Koua
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jose M. Martin-Garcia
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
- Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Spanish National Research Council, Calle de Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ishwor Poudyal
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Jay-How Yang
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | | | - Oleksandr Yefanov
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kara A. Zielinski
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sasa Bajt
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Salah Awel
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Frank
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Luca Gelisio
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Jernigan
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | | | - Marco Kloos
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Valerio Mariani
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Mitchell D. Miller
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Grant Mills
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Garrett Nelson
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Jose L. Olmos
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alireza Sadri
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tokushi Sato
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Alexandra Tolstikova
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Weijun Xu
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Abbas Ourmazd
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - John C. H. Spence
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Peter Schwander
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Anton Barty
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henry N. Chapman
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | - Adrian P. Mancuso
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - George N. Phillips
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Richard Bean
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Lois Pollack
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Marius Schmidt
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
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34
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Brändén G, Neutze R. Advances and challenges in time-resolved macromolecular crystallography. Science 2021; 373:373/6558/eaba0954. [PMID: 34446579 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba0954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Conformational changes within biological macromolecules control a vast array of chemical reactions in living cells. Time-resolved crystallography can reveal time-dependent structural changes that occur within protein crystals, yielding chemical insights in unparalleled detail. Serial crystallography approaches developed at x-ray free-electron lasers are now routinely used for time-resolved diffraction studies of macromolecules. These techniques are increasingly being applied at synchrotron radiation sources and to a growing diversity of macromolecules. Here, we review recent progress in the field, including visualizing ultrafast structural changes that guide the initial trajectories of light-driven reactions as well as capturing biologically important conformational changes on slower time scales, for which bacteriorhodopsin and photosystem II are presented as illustrative case studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Brändén
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard Neutze
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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35
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Poddar H, Heyes DJ, Schirò G, Weik M, Leys D, Scrutton NS. A guide to time-resolved structural analysis of light-activated proteins. FEBS J 2021; 289:576-595. [PMID: 33864718 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dynamical changes in protein structures are essential for protein function and occur over femtoseconds to seconds timescales. X-ray free electron lasers have facilitated investigations of structural dynamics in proteins with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. Light-activated proteins are attractive targets for time-resolved structural studies, as the reaction chemistry and associated protein structural changes can be triggered by short laser pulses. Proteins with different light-absorbing centres have evolved to detect light and harness photon energy to bring about downstream chemical and biological output responses. Following light absorption, rapid chemical/small-scale structural changes are typically localised around the chromophore. These localised changes are followed by larger structural changes propagated throughout the photoreceptor/photocatalyst that enables the desired chemical and/or biological output response. Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and solution scattering techniques enable direct visualisation of early chemical change in light-activated proteins on timescales previously inaccessible, whereas scattering gives access to slower timescales associated with more global structural change. Here, we review how advances in time-resolved SFX and solution scattering techniques have uncovered mechanisms of photochemistry and its coupling to output responses. We also provide a prospective on how these time-resolved structural approaches might impact on other photoreceptors/photoenzymes that have not yet been studied by these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshwardhan Poddar
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Derren J Heyes
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Martin Weik
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - David Leys
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
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