1
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Tu W, Thompson IP, Huang WE. Engineering bionanoreactor in bacteria for efficient hydrogen production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404958121. [PMID: 38985767 PMCID: PMC11260135 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404958121] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen production through water splitting is a vital strategy for renewable and sustainable clean energy. In this study, we developed an approach integrating nanomaterial engineering and synthetic biology to establish a bionanoreactor system for efficient hydrogen production. The periplasmic space (20 to 30 nm) of an electroactive bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, was engineered to serve as a bionanoreactor to enhance the interaction between electrons and protons, catalyzed by hydrogenases for hydrogen generation. To optimize electron transfer, we used the microbially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to coat the electrode, which improved the electron transfer from the electrode to the cells. Native MtrCAB protein complex on S. oneidensis and self-assembled iron sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles acted in tandem to facilitate electron transfer from an electrode to the periplasm. To enhance proton transport, S. oneidensis MR-1 was engineered to express Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR) and the light-harvesting antenna canthaxanthin. This led to efficient proton pumping when exposed to light, resulting in a 35.6% increase in the rate of hydrogen production. The overexpression of native [FeFe]-hydrogenase further improved the hydrogen production rate by 56.8%. The bionanoreactor engineered in S. oneidensis MR-1 achieved a hydrogen yield of 80.4 μmol/mg protein/day with a Faraday efficiency of 80% at a potential of -0.75 V. This periplasmic bionanoreactor combines the strengths of both nanomaterial and biological components, providing an efficient approach for microbial electrosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Tu
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian P. Thompson
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Wei E. Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
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2
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Li J, Shen J, Hou T, Tang H, Zeng C, Xiao K, Hou Y, Wang B. A Self-Assembled MOF-Escherichia Coli Hybrid System for Light-Driven Fuels and Valuable Chemicals Synthesis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308597. [PMID: 38664984 PMCID: PMC11220693 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308597] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The development of semi-artificial photosynthetic systems, which integrate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with industrial microbial cell factories for light-driven synthesis of fuels and valuable chemicals, represents a highly promising avenue for both research advancements and practical applications. In this study, an MOF (PCN-222) utilizing racemic-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin and zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) as primary constituents is synthesized. Employing a self-assembly process, a hybrid system is constructed, integrating engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) to investigate light-driven hydrogen and lysine production. These results demonstrate that the light-irradiated biohybrid system efficiently produce H2 with a quantum efficiency of 0.75% under full spectrum illumination, the elevated intracellular reducing power NADPH is also observed. By optimizing the conditions, the biohybrid system achieves a maximum lysine production of 18.25 mg L-1, surpassing that of pure bacteria by 332%. Further investigations into interfacial electron transfer mechanisms reveals that PCN-222 efficiently captures light and facilitates the transfer of photo-generated electrons into E. coli cells. It is proposed that the interfacial energy transfer process is mediated by riboflavin, with facilitation by secreted small organic acids acting as hole scavengers for PCN-222. This study establishes a crucial foundation for future research into the light-driven biomanufacturing using E. coli-based hybrid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialu Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
- School of ResourcesEnvironment and MaterialsGuangxi UniversityNanning530004China
| | - Junfeng Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
| | - Tianfeng Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
| | - Hongting Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
| | - Cuiping Zeng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
| | - Kemeng Xiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Cell and Developmental BiologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatinHong Kong999077China
| | - Yanping Hou
- School of ResourcesEnvironment and MaterialsGuangxi UniversityNanning530004China
| | - Bo Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering BiologyShenzhen Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institute of Advanced TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenzhen518055China
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3
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Greening C, Cabotaje PR, Valentin Alvarado LE, Leung PM, Land H, Rodrigues-Oliveira T, Ponce-Toledo RI, Senger M, Klamke MA, Milton M, Lappan R, Mullen S, West-Roberts J, Mao J, Song J, Schoelmerich M, Stairs CW, Schleper C, Grinter R, Spang A, Banfield JF, Berggren G. Minimal and hybrid hydrogenases are active from archaea. Cell 2024; 187:3357-3372.e19. [PMID: 38866018 PMCID: PMC11216029 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.032] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Microbial hydrogen (H2) cycling underpins the diversity and functionality of diverse anoxic ecosystems. Among the three evolutionarily distinct hydrogenase superfamilies responsible, [FeFe] hydrogenases were thought to be restricted to bacteria and eukaryotes. Here, we show that anaerobic archaea encode diverse, active, and ancient lineages of [FeFe] hydrogenases through combining analysis of existing and new genomes with extensive biochemical experiments. [FeFe] hydrogenases are encoded by genomes of nine archaeal phyla and expressed by H2-producing Asgard archaeon cultures. We report an ultraminimal hydrogenase in DPANN archaea that binds the catalytic H-cluster and produces H2. Moreover, we identify and characterize remarkable hybrid complexes formed through the fusion of [FeFe] and [NiFe] hydrogenases in ten other archaeal orders. Phylogenetic analysis and structural modeling suggest a deep evolutionary history of hybrid hydrogenases. These findings reveal new metabolic adaptations of archaea, streamlined H2 catalysts for biotechnological development, and a surprisingly intertwined evolutionary history between the two major H2-metabolizing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; SAEF: Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Princess R Cabotaje
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Luis E Valentin Alvarado
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Pok Man Leung
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; SAEF: Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Henrik Land
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rafael I Ponce-Toledo
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Moritz Senger
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Max A Klamke
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael Milton
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rachael Lappan
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; SAEF: Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan Mullen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Jacob West-Roberts
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Jie Mao
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jiangning Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Marie Schoelmerich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | | | - Christa Schleper
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Unit, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rhys Grinter
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Anja Spang
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Den Hoorn, the Netherlands; Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA.
| | - Gustav Berggren
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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4
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Yang Y, Zwijnenburg MA, Gardner AM, Adamczyk S, Yang J, Sun Y, Jiang Q, Cowan AJ, Sprick RS, Liu LN, Cooper AI. Conjugated Polymer/Recombinant Escherichia coli Biohybrid Systems for Photobiocatalytic Hydrogen Production. ACS NANO 2024; 18:13484-13495. [PMID: 38739725 PMCID: PMC11140839 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c10668] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Biohybrid photocatalysts are composite materials that combine the efficient light-absorbing properties of synthetic materials with the highly evolved metabolic pathways and self-repair mechanisms of biological systems. Here, we show the potential of conjugated polymers as photosensitizers in biohybrid systems by combining a series of polymer nanoparticles with engineered Escherichia coli cells. Under simulated solar light irradiation, the biohybrid system consisting of fluorene/dibenzo [b,d]thiophene sulfone copolymer (LP41) and recombinant E. coli (i.e., a LP41/HydA BL21 biohybrid) shows a sacrificial hydrogen evolution rate of 3.442 mmol g-1 h-1 (normalized to polymer amount). It is over 30 times higher than the polymer photocatalyst alone (0.105 mmol g-1 h-1), while no detectable hydrogen was generated from the E. coli cells alone, demonstrating the strong synergy between the polymer nanoparticles and bacterial cells. The differences in the physical interactions between synthetic materials and microorganisms, as well as redox energy level alignment, elucidate the trends in photochemical activity. Our results suggest that organic semiconductors may offer advantages, such as solution processability, low toxicity, and more tunable surface interactions with the biological components over inorganic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Materials
Innovation Factory and Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 3NY, United
Kingdom
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | | | - Adrian M. Gardner
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
- Early
Career Laser Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Sylwia Adamczyk
- Macromolecular
Chemistry Group and Institute for Polymer Technology, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Gauss-Straße 20, D-42097 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Jing Yang
- Materials
Innovation Factory and Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 3NY, United
Kingdom
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Yaqi Sun
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Qiuyao Jiang
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
| | - Alexander J. Cowan
- Stephenson
Institute for Renewable Energy and the Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
- Early
Career Laser Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Reiner Sebastian Sprick
- Department
of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University
of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XL, United
Kingdom
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute
of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United
Kingdom
- MOE Key Laboratory
of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for
Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System & College of Marine Life
Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Andrew I. Cooper
- Materials
Innovation Factory and Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 3NY, United
Kingdom
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5
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Lv X, Liu D, Chen R, Liu H, Weng L, He L, Liu S. Bismuth-Doped Carbon Dots Decorated Escherichia coli for Enhanced Hydrogen Production. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 38687628 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Photosynthetic inorganic biohybrid systems (PBSs) combining an inorganic photosensitizer with intact living cells provide an innovative view for solar hydrogen production. However, typical whole-cell biohybrid systems often suffer from sluggish electron transfer kinetics during transmembrane diffusion, which severely limits the efficiency of solar hydrogen production. Here, a unique biohybrid system with a quantum yield of 8.42% was constructed by feeding bismuth-doped carbon dots (Bi@CDS) to Escherichia coli (E. coli). In this biohybrid system, Bi@CDS can enter the cells and transfer the electrons upon light irradiation, greatly reducing the energy loss and shortening the distance of electron transfer. More importantly, the photocatalytic hydrogen production of the E. coli-Bi@CDs biohybrid system reached up to 0.95 mmol within 3 h under light irradiation (420-780 nm, 2000 W m-2), which is 1.36 and 2.38 times higher than that in the E. coli-CDs biohybrid system and the E. coli system, respectively. In addition, the mechanism of enhanced hydrogen production was further explored. It was found that the accelerated decomposition of glucose, the accelerated production of pyruvate, the inhibition of lactic acid, and the increase of formic acid were the reasons for the increase of hydrogen production. This work provides a novel strategy for improving the hydrogen production in photosynthetic inorganic biohybrid systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Lv
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Technology of College of Heilongjiang Province, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Danqing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Technology of College of Heilongjiang Province, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Technology of College of Heilongjiang Province, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Haoxin Liu
- Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta, Camrose T4V 2R3, Canada
| | - Ling Weng
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Technology of College of Heilongjiang Province, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Liangcan He
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-structures Manufacturing of Ministry of Education, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- School of Medicine and Health, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research InstituteHarbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Shaoqin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Micro-systems and Micro-structures Manufacturing of Ministry of Education, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- School of Medicine and Health, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research InstituteHarbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450046, China
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6
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Honda Y, Yuki R, Hamakawa R, Fujii H. Photo-Electro-Biochemical H 2 Production Using the Carbon Material-Based Cathode Combined with Genetically Engineered Escherichia coli Whole-Cell Biocatalysis. CHEMSUSCHEM 2024; 17:e202300958. [PMID: 37707171 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202300958] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Abio/bio hybrids, which incorporate biocatalysts that promote efficient and selective material conversions under mild conditions into existing catalytic reactions, have attracted considerable attention for developing new catalytic systems. This study constructed a H2 -forming biocathode based on a carbon material combined with whole-cell biocatalysis of genetically-engineered-hydrogenase-overproducing Escherichia coli for the photoelectrochemical water splitting for clean H2 production. Low-cost and abundant carbon materials are generally not suitable for H2 -forming cathode due to their high overpotential for proton reduction; however, the combination of the reduction of an organic electron mediator on the carbon electrode and the H2 formation with the reduced mediator by the redox enzyme hydrogenase provides a H2 -forming cathodic reaction comparable to that of the noble metal electrode. The present study demonstrates that the recombinant E. coli whole cell can be employed as a part of the H2 -forming biocathode system, and the biocathode system wired with TiO2 photoanode can be a photoelectrochemical water-splitting system without external voltage assistance under natural pH. The findings of this study expand the feasibility of applications of whole-cell biocatalysis and contribute to obtaining solar-to-chemical conversions by abio/bio hybrid systems, especially for low-cost, noble-metal-free, and clean H2 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Honda
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan
| | - Risa Yuki
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan
| | - Reina Hamakawa
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujii
- Department of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Nara Women's University Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara, 630-8506, Japan
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7
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Runda ME, de Kok NAW, Schmidt S. Rieske Oxygenases and Other Ferredoxin-Dependent Enzymes: Electron Transfer Principles and Catalytic Capabilities. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300078. [PMID: 36964978 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300078] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes that depend on sophisticated electron transfer via ferredoxins (Fds) exhibit outstanding catalytic capabilities, but despite decades of research, many of them are still not well understood or exploited for synthetic applications. This review aims to provide a general overview of the most important Fd-dependent enzymes and the electron transfer processes involved. While several examples are discussed, we focus in particular on the family of Rieske non-heme iron-dependent oxygenases (ROs). In addition to illustrating their electron transfer principles and catalytic potential, the current state of knowledge on structure-function relationships and the mode of interaction between the redox partner proteins is reviewed. Moreover, we highlight several key catalyzed transformations, but also take a deeper dive into their engineerability for biocatalytic applications. The overall findings from these case studies highlight the catalytic capabilities of these biocatalysts and could stimulate future interest in developing additional Fd-dependent enzyme classes for synthetic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Runda
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels A W de Kok
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandy Schmidt
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
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8
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Leone L, Sgueglia G, La Gatta S, Chino M, Nastri F, Lombardi A. Enzymatic and Bioinspired Systems for Hydrogen Production. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108605. [PMID: 37239950 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108605] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary potential of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable fuel has sparked the interest of the scientific community to find environmentally friendly methods for its production. Biological catalysts are the most attractive solution, as they usually operate under mild conditions and do not produce carbon-containing byproducts. Hydrogenases promote reversible proton reduction to hydrogen in a variety of anoxic bacteria and algae, displaying unparallel catalytic performances. Attempts to use these sophisticated enzymes in scalable hydrogen production have been hampered by limitations associated with their production and stability. Inspired by nature, significant efforts have been made in the development of artificial systems able to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction, via either electrochemical or light-driven catalysis. Starting from small-molecule coordination compounds, peptide- and protein-based architectures have been constructed around the catalytic center with the aim of reproducing hydrogenase function into robust, efficient, and cost-effective catalysts. In this review, we first provide an overview of the structural and functional properties of hydrogenases, along with their integration in devices for hydrogen and energy production. Then, we describe the most recent advances in the development of homogeneous hydrogen evolution catalysts envisioned to mimic hydrogenases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Leone
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Gianmattia Sgueglia
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Salvatore La Gatta
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Chino
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Flavia Nastri
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Lombardi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
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