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Ding Y, Lee CC, Hu Y, Ribbe MM, Nagpal P, Chatterjee A. Light-driven Transformation of Carbon Monoxide into Hydrocarbons using CdS@ZnS : VFe Protein Biohybrids. CHEMSUSCHEM 2023; 16:e202300981. [PMID: 37419863 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202300981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Enzymatic Fisher-Tropsch (FT) process catalyzed by vanadium (V)-nitrogenase can convert carbon monoxide (CO) to longer-chain hydrocarbons (>C2) under ambient conditions, although this process requires high-cost reducing agent(s) and/or the ATP-dependent reductase as electron and energy sources. Using visible light-activated CdS@ZnS (CZS) core-shell quantum dots (QDs) as alternative reducing equivalent for the catalytic component (VFe protein) of V-nitrogenase, we first report a CZS : VFe biohybrid system that enables effective photo-enzymatic C-C coupling reactions, hydrogenating CO into hydrocarbon fuels (up to C4) that can be hardly achieved with conventional inorganic photocatalysts. Surface ligand engineering optimizes molecular and opto-electronic coupling between QDs and the VFe protein, realizing high efficiency (internal quantum yield >56 %), ATP-independent, photon-to-fuel production, achieving an electron turnover number of >900, that is 72 % compared to the natural ATP-coupled transformation of CO into hydrocarbons by V-nitrogenase. The selectivity of products can be controlled by irradiation conditions, with higher photon flux favoring (longer-chain) hydrocarbon generation. The CZS : VFe biohybrids not only can find applications in industrial CO removal for high-value-added chemical production by using the cheap, renewable solar energy, but also will inspire related research interests in understanding the molecular and electronic processes in photo-biocatalytic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Ding
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Chi Chung Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
| | - Yilin Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
| | - Markus M Ribbe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-3900, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Prashant Nagpal
- Sachi Bio, Louisville, CO 80027, USA
- Antimicrobial Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, CO 80027, USA
| | - Anushree Chatterjee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- Sachi Bio, Louisville, CO 80027, USA
- Antimicrobial Regeneration Consortium Labs, Louisville, CO 80027, USA
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Abstract
The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process converts a mixture of CO and H2 into liquid hydrocarbons as a major component of the gas-to-liquid technology for the production of synthetic fuels. Contrary to the energy-demanding chemical FT process, the enzymatic FT-type reactions catalyzed by nitrogenase enzymes, their metalloclusters, and synthetic mimics utilize H+ and e- as the reducing equivalents to reduce CO, CO2, and CN- into hydrocarbons under ambient conditions. The C1 chemistry exemplified by these FT-type reactions is underscored by the structural and electronic properties of the nitrogenase-associated metallocenters, and recent studies have pointed to the potential relevance of this reactivity to nitrogenase mechanism, prebiotic chemistry, and biotechnological applications. This review will provide an overview of the features of nitrogenase enzymes and associated metalloclusters, followed by a detailed discussion of the activities of various nitrogenase-derived FT systems and plausible mechanisms of the enzymatic FT reactions, highlighting the versatility of this unique reactivity while providing perspectives onto its mechanistic, evolutionary, and biotechnological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine 92697-3900, USA
| | - Chi Chung Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine 92697-3900, USA
| | - Mario Grosch
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine 92697-3900, USA
| | - Joseph B. Solomon
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, USA
| | - Wolfgang Weigand
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Markus W. Ribbe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine 92697-3900, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, USA
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Evidence of substrate binding and product release via belt-sulfur mobilization of the nitrogenase cofactor. Nat Catal 2022; 5:443-454. [DOI: 10.1038/s41929-022-00782-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Buscagan TM, Perez KA, Maggiolo AO, Rees DC, Spatzal T. Structural Characterization of Two CO Molecules Bound to the Nitrogenase Active Site. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:5704-5707. [PMID: 33320413 PMCID: PMC7920927 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202015751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
As an approach towards unraveling the nitrogenase mechanism, we have studied the binding of CO to the active-site FeMo-cofactor. CO is not only an inhibitor of nitrogenase, but it is also a substrate, undergoing reduction to hydrocarbons (Fischer-Tropsch-type chemistry). The C-C bond forming capabilities of nitrogenase suggest that multiple CO or CO-derived ligands bind to the active site. Herein, we report a crystal structure with two CO ligands coordinated to the FeMo-cofactor of the molybdenum nitrogenase at 1.33 Å resolution. In addition to the previously observed bridging CO ligand between Fe2 and Fe6 of the FeMo-cofactor, a new ligand binding mode is revealed through a second CO ligand coordinated terminally to Fe6. While the relevance of this state to nitrogenase-catalyzed reactions remains to be established, it highlights the privileged roles for Fe2 and Fe6 in ligand binding, with multiple coordination modes available depending on the ligand and reaction conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trixia M. Buscagan
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
| | - Kathryn A. Perez
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
- Present address: European Molecular Biology LaboratoryMeyerhofstrasse 169117HeidelbergGermany
| | - Ailiena O. Maggiolo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
| | - Douglas C. Rees
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
| | - Thomas Spatzal
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology1200 E. California Blvd.PasadenaCA91125USA
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Buscagan TM, Perez KA, Maggiolo AO, Rees DC, Spatzal T. Structural Characterization of Two CO Molecules Bound to the Nitrogenase Active Site. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202015751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Trixia M. Buscagan
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
| | - Kathryn A. Perez
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
- Present address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory Meyerhofstrasse 1 69117 Heidelberg Germany
| | - Ailiena O. Maggiolo
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
| | - Douglas C. Rees
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
| | - Thomas Spatzal
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering California Institute of Technology 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena CA 91125 USA
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Harris DF, Jimenez-Vicente E, Yang ZY, Hoffman BM, Dean DR, Seefeldt LC. CO as a substrate and inhibitor of H+ reduction for the Mo-, V-, and Fe-nitrogenase isozymes. J Inorg Biochem 2020; 213:111278. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2020.111278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Rapson TD, Gregg CM, Allen RS, Ju H, Doherty CM, Mulet X, Giddey S, Wood CC. Insights into Nitrogenase Bioelectrocatalysis for Green Ammonia Production. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:4856-4865. [PMID: 32696610 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202001433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in using ammonia as a liquid carrier of hydrogen for energy applications. Currently, ammonia is produced industrially by the Haber-Bosch process, which requires high temperature and high pressure. In contrast, bacteria have naturally evolved an enzyme known as nitrogenase, that is capable of producing ammonia and hydrogen at ambient temperature and pressure. Therefore, nitrogenases are attractive as a potentially more efficient means to produce ammonia via harnessing the unique properties of this enzyme. In recent years, exciting progress has been made in bioelectrocatalysis using nitrogenases to produce ammonia. Here, the prospects for developing biological ammonia production are outlined, key advances in bioelectrocatalysis by nitrogenases are highlighted, and possible solutions to the obstacles faced in realising this goal are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor D Rapson
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Black Mountain, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | | | - Robert S Allen
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Black Mountain, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - HyungKuk Ju
- CSIRO Energy, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, 3169, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cara M Doherty
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, 3169, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xavier Mulet
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, 3169, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarbjit Giddey
- CSIRO Energy, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, 3169, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig C Wood
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Black Mountain, ACT, 2601, Australia
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Martin WF. Carbon-Metal Bonds: Rare and Primordial in Metabolism. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 44:807-818. [PMID: 31104860 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Submarine hydrothermal vents are rich in hydrogen (H2), an ancient source of electrons and chemical energy for life. Geochemical H2 stems from serpentinization, a process in which rock-bound iron reduces water to H2. Reactions involving H2 and carbon dioxide (CO2) in hydrothermal systems generate abiotic methane and formate; these reactions resemble the core energy metabolism of methanogens and acetogens. These organisms are strict anaerobic autotrophs that inhabit hydrothermal vents and harness energy via H2-dependent CO2 reduction. Serpentinization also generates native metals, which can reduce CO2 to formate and acetate in the laboratory. The enzymes that channel H2, CO2, and dinitrogen (N2) into methanogen and acetogen metabolism are the backbone of the most ancient metabolic pathways. Their active sites share carbon-metal bonds which, although rare in biology, are conserved relics of primordial biochemistry present at the origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- William F Martin
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Jasniewski AJ, Lee CC, Ribbe MW, Hu Y. Reactivity, Mechanism, and Assembly of the Alternative Nitrogenases. Chem Rev 2020; 120:5107-5157. [PMID: 32129988 PMCID: PMC7491575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase, which facilitates the cleavage of the relatively inert triple bond of N2. Nitrogenase is most commonly associated with the molybdenum-iron cofactor called FeMoco or the M-cluster, and it has been the subject of extensive structural and spectroscopic characterization over the past 60 years. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, two "alternative nitrogenase" systems were discovered, isolated, and found to incorporate V or Fe in place of Mo. These systems are regulated by separate gene clusters; however, there is a high degree of structural and functional similarity between each nitrogenase. Limited studies with the V- and Fe-nitrogenases initially demonstrated that these enzymes were analogously active as the Mo-nitrogenase, but more recent investigations have found capabilities that are unique to the alternative systems. In this review, we will discuss the reactivity, biosynthetic, and mechanistic proposals for the alternative nitrogenases as well as their electronic and structural properties in comparison to the well-characterized Mo-dependent system. Studies over the past 10 years have been particularly fruitful, though key aspects about V- and Fe-nitrogenases remain unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Jasniewski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3900, United States
| | - Chi Chung Lee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3900, United States
| | - Markus W Ribbe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3900, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States
| | - Yilin Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3900, United States
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Tanifuji K, Ohki Y. Metal–Sulfur Compounds in N2 Reduction and Nitrogenase-Related Chemistry. Chem Rev 2020; 120:5194-5251. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Tanifuji
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-3900, United States
| | - Yasuhiro Ohki
- Department of Chemsitry, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
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Ward TR. ACS Central Science Virtual Issue on Bioinspired Catalysis. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:1732-1735. [PMID: 31807670 PMCID: PMC6891863 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b01045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
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