1
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Aydin S, Salehi SM, Töpfer K, Meuwly M. SCN as a local probe of protein structural dynamics. J Chem Phys 2024; 161:055101. [PMID: 39092954 DOI: 10.1063/5.0216657] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of lysozyme is probed by attaching -SCN to all alanine residues. The one-dimensional infrared spectra exhibit frequency shifts in the position of the maximum absorption of 4 cm-1, which is consistent with experiments in different solvents and indicates moderately strong interactions of the vibrational probe with its environment. Isotopic substitution 12C → 13C leads to a redshift by -47 cm-1, which agrees quantitatively with experiments for CN-substituted copper complexes in solution. The low-frequency, far-infrared part of the protein spectra contains label-specific information in the difference spectra when compared with the wild type protein. Depending on the position of the labels, local structural changes are observed. For example, introducing the -SCN label at Ala129 leads to breaking of the α-helical structure with concomitant change in the far-infrared spectrum. Finally, changes in the local hydration of SCN-labeled alanine residues as a function of time can be related to the reorientation of the label. It is concluded that -SCN is potentially useful for probing protein dynamics, both in the high-frequency part (CN-stretch) and in the far-infrared part of the spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sena Aydin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Seyedeh Maryam Salehi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kai Töpfer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Meuwly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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2
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Birch-Price Z, Hardy FJ, Lister TM, Kohn AR, Green AP. Noncanonical Amino Acids in Biocatalysis. Chem Rev 2024; 124:8740-8786. [PMID: 38959423 PMCID: PMC11273360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00120] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, powerful genetic code reprogramming methods have emerged that allow new functional components to be embedded into proteins as noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) side chains. In this review, we will illustrate how the availability of an expanded set of amino acid building blocks has opened a wealth of new opportunities in enzymology and biocatalysis research. Genetic code reprogramming has provided new insights into enzyme mechanisms by allowing introduction of new spectroscopic probes and the targeted replacement of individual atoms or functional groups. NcAAs have also been used to develop engineered biocatalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability, as well as enzymes with artificial regulatory elements that are responsive to external stimuli. Perhaps most ambitiously, the combination of genetic code reprogramming and laboratory evolution has given rise to new classes of enzymes that use ncAAs as key catalytic elements. With the framework for developing ncAA-containing biocatalysts now firmly established, we are optimistic that genetic code reprogramming will become a progressively more powerful tool in the armory of enzyme designers and engineers in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Anthony P. Green
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology,
School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, U.K.
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3
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Feng RR, Wang M, Zhang W, Gai F. Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy. Chem Rev 2024; 124:6501-6542. [PMID: 38722769 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran-Ran Feng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Manxi Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Feng Gai
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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4
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Sakpal S, Chakrabarty S, Reddy KD, Deshmukh SH, Biswas R, Bagchi S, Ghosh A. Perturbation of Fermi Resonance on Hydrogen-Bonded > C═O: 2D IR Studies of Small Ester Probes. J Phys Chem B 2024. [PMID: 38686937 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
We utilized linear and 2D infrared spectroscopy to analyze the carbonyl stretching modes of small esters in different solvents. Particularly noteworthy were the distinct carbonyl spectral line shapes in aqueous solutions, prompting our investigation of the underlying factors responsible for these differences. Through our experimental and theoretical calculations, we identified the presence of the hydrogen-bond-induced Fermi resonance as the primary contributor to the varied line shapes of small esters in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, our findings revealed that the skeletal deformation mode plays a crucial role in the Fermi resonance for all small esters. Specifically, the first overtone band of the skeletal deformation mode intensifies when hydrogen bonds form with the carbonyl group of esters, whereas such coupling is rare in aprotic organic solvents. These spectral insights carry significant implications for the utilization of esters as infrared probes in both biological and chemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil Sakpal
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Suranjana Chakrabarty
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata 700106, India
| | - Kambham Devendra Reddy
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 517619
| | - Samadhan H Deshmukh
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Rajib Biswas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India 517619
| | - Sayan Bagchi
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Anup Ghosh
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata 700106, India
- Department of Chemical Science, Bose Institute, Kolkata 700091, India
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5
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Hartmann P, Bohdan K, Hommrich M, Juliá F, Vogelsang L, Eirich J, Zangl R, Farès C, Jacobs JB, Mukhopadhyay D, Mengeler JM, Vetere A, Sterling MS, Hinrichs H, Becker S, Morgner N, Schrader W, Finkemeier I, Dietz KJ, Griesinger C, Ritter T. Chemoselective umpolung of thiols to episulfoniums for cysteine bioconjugation. Nat Chem 2024; 16:380-388. [PMID: 38123842 PMCID: PMC10914617 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01388-7] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Cysteine conjugation is an important tool in protein research and relies on fast, mild and chemoselective reactions. Cysteinyl thiols can either be modified with prefunctionalized electrophiles, or converted into electrophiles themselves for functionalization with selected nucleophiles in an independent step. Here we report a bioconjugation strategy that uses a vinyl thianthrenium salt to transform cysteine into a highly reactive electrophilic episulfonium intermediate in situ, to enable conjugation with a diverse set of bioorthogonal nucleophiles in a single step. The reactivity profile can connect several nucleophiles to biomolecules through a short and stable ethylene linker, ideal for introduction of infrared labels, post-translational modifications or NMR probes. In the absence of reactive exogenous nucleophiles, nucleophilic amino acids can react with the episulfonium intermediate for native peptide stapling and protein-protein ligation. Ready synthetic access to isotopologues of vinyl thianthrenium salts enables applications in quantitative proteomics. Such diverse applications demonstrate the utility of vinyl-thianthrenium-based bioconjugation as a fast, selective and broadly applicable tool for chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Hartmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kostiantyn Bohdan
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Moritz Hommrich
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabio Juliá
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Lara Vogelsang
- Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jürgen Eirich
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Rene Zangl
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Christophe Farès
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Alessandro Vetere
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | | | - Heike Hinrichs
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Stefan Becker
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schrader
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Iris Finkemeier
- Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Karl-Josef Dietz
- Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Ritter
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
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6
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Jermusek FA, Webb LJ. Electrostatic Impact of Brefeldin A on Thiocyanate Probes Surrounding the Interface of Arf1-BFA-ARNO4M, a Protein-Drug-Protein Complex. Biochemistry 2024; 63:27-41. [PMID: 38078826 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions regulate many cellular processes, making them ideal drug candidates. Design of such drugs, however, is hindered by a lack of understanding of the factors that contribute to the interaction specificity. Specific protein-protein complexes possess both structural and electrostatic complementarity, and while structural complementarity of protein complexes has been extensively investigated, fundamental understanding of the complicated networks of electrostatic interactions at these interfaces is lacking, thus hindering the rational design of orthosterically binding small molecules. To better understand the electrostatic interactions at protein interfaces and how a small molecule could contribute to and fit within that environment, we used a model protein-drug-protein system, Arf1-BFA-ARNO4M, to investigate how small molecule brefeldin A (BFA) perturbs the Arf1-ARNO4M interface. By using nitrile probe labeled Arf1 sites and measuring vibrational Stark effects as well as temperature dependent infrared shifts, we measured changes in the electric field and hydrogen bonding at this interface upon BFA binding. At all five probe locations of Arf1, we found that the vibrational shifts resulting from BFA binding corroborate trends found in Poisson-Boltzmann calculations of surface potentials of Arf1-ARNO4M and Arf1-BFA-ARNO4M, where BFA contributes negative electrostatic potential to the protein interface. The data also corroborate previous hypotheses about the mechanism of interfacial binding and confirm that alternating patches of hydrophobic and polar interactions lead to BFA binding specificity. These findings demonstrate the impact of BFA on this protein-protein interface and have implications for the design of other interfacial drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A Jermusek
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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7
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Perera SM, Aikawa T, Shaner SE, Moran SD, Wang L. Effects of the Intramolecular Group and Solvent on Vibrational Coupling Modes and Strengths of Fermi Resonances in Aryl Azides: A DFT Study of 4-Azidotoluene and 4-Azido- N-phenylmaleimide. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:8911-8921. [PMID: 37819373 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c06312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The high transition dipole strength of the azide asymmetric stretch makes aryl azides good candidates as vibrational probes (VPs). However, aryl azides have complex absorption profiles due to Fermi resonances (FRs). Understanding the origin and the vibrational modes involved in FRs of aryl azides is critically important toward developing them as VPs for studies of protein structures and structural changes in response to their surroundings. As such, we studied vibrational couplings in 4-azidotoluene and 4-azido-N-phenylmaleimide in two solvents, N,N-dimethylacetamide and tetrahydrofuran, to explore the origin and the effects of intramolecular group and solvent on the FRs of aryl azides using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the B3LYP functional and seven basis sets, 6-31G(d,p), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p), 6-311+G(d,p), 6-311++G(d,p), and 6-311++G(df,pd). Two combination bands consisting of the azide symmetric stretch and another mode form strong FRs with the azide asymmetric stretch for both molecules. The FR profile was altered by replacing the methyl group with maleimide. Solvents change the relative peak position and intensity more significantly for 4-azido-N-phenylmaleimide, which makes it a more sensitive VP. Furthermore, the DFT results indicate that a comparison among the results from different basis sets can be used as a means to predict more reliable vibrational spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sathya M Perera
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Tenyu Aikawa
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Sarah E Shaner
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701, United States
| | - Sean D Moran
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
| | - Lichang Wang
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
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8
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Lin YC, Ren P, Webb LJ. AMOEBA Force Field Predicts Accurate Hydrogen Bond Counts of Nitriles in SNase by Revealing Water-Protein Interaction in Vibrational Absorption Frequencies. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:5609-5619. [PMID: 37339399 PMCID: PMC10851345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02060] [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] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Precisely quantifying the magnitude and direction of electric fields in proteins has long been an outstanding challenge in understanding biological functions. Nitrile vibrational Stark effect probes have been shown to be minimally disruptive to the protein structure and can be better direct reporters of local electrostatic field in the native state of a protein than other measures such as pKa shifts of titratable residues. However, interpretations of the connection between measured vibrational energy and electric field rely on the accurate molecular understanding of interactions of the nitrile group and its environment, particularly from hydrogen bonding. In this work, we compared the extent of hydrogen bonding calculated in two common force fields, the fixed charge force field Amber03 and polarizable force field AMOEBA, at 10 locations of cyanocysteine (CNC) in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) against the experimental nitrile absorption frequency in terms of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and frequency temperature line slope (FTLS). We observed that the number of hydrogen bonds correlated well in AMOEBA trajectories with respect to both the FWHM (r = 0.88) and the FTLS (r = -0.85), whereas the correlation of Amber03 trajectories was less reliable because the Amber03 force field predicted more hydrogen bonds in some mutants. Moreover, we demonstrated that contributions from the interactions between CNC and nearby water molecules were significant in AMOEBA trajectories but were not predicted by Amber03. We conclude that although the nitrile absorption peak shape could be qualitatively predicted by the fixed charge Amber03 force field, the detailed electrostatic environment measured by the nitrile probe in terms of the extent of hydrogen bonding could only be accurately observed in the AMOEBA trajectories, where the permanent dipole, quadrupole, and dipole-induced-dipole polarizable interactions were all taken into account. The significance of this finding to the goal of accurately predicting electric fields in complex biomolecular environments is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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9
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Hildebrandt P. Vibrational Spectroscopy of Phytochromes. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1007. [PMID: 37371587 DOI: 10.3390/biom13061007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytochromes are biological photoswitches that translate light into physiological functions. Spectroscopic techniques are essential tools for molecular research into these photoreceptors. This review is directed at summarizing how resonance Raman and IR spectroscopy contributed to an understanding of the structure, dynamics, and reaction mechanism of phytochromes, outlining the substantial experimental and theoretical challenges and describing the strategies to master them. It is shown that the potential of the various vibrational spectroscopic techniques can be most efficiently exploited using integral approaches via a combination of theoretical methods as well as other experimental techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hildebrandt
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
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10
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Abstract
Optimization of pump-probe signal requires a complete understanding of how signal scales with experimental factors. In simple systems, signal scales quadratically with molar absorptivity, and linearly with fluence, concentration, and path length. In practice, scaling factors weaken beyond certain thresholds (e.g., OD > 0.1) due to asymptotic limits related to optical density, fluence and path length. While computational models can accurately account for subdued scaling, quantitative explanations often appear quite technical in the literature. This Perspective aims to present a simpler understanding of the subject with concise formulas for estimating absolute magnitudes of signal under both ordinary and asymptotic scaling conditions. This formulation may be more appealing for spectroscopists seeking rough estimates of signal or relative comparisons. We identify scaling dependencies of signal with respect to experimental parameters and discuss applications for improving signal under broad conditions. We also review other signal enhancement methods, such as local-oscillator attenuation and plasmonic enhancement, and discuss respective benefits and challenges regarding asymptotic limits that signal cannot exceed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Robben
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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11
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Chaudhari AS, Chatterjee A, Domingos CAO, Andrikopoulos PC, Liu Y, Andersson I, Schneider B, Lórenz-Fonfría VA, Fuertes G. Genetically encoded non-canonical amino acids reveal asynchronous dark reversion of chromophore, backbone and side-chains in EL222. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4590. [PMID: 36764820 PMCID: PMC10019195 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Photoreceptors containing the light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain elicit biological responses upon excitation of their flavin mononucleotide (FMN) chromophore by blue light. The mechanism and kinetics of dark-state recovery are not well understood. Here we incorporated the non-canonical amino acid p-cyanophenylalanine (CNF) by genetic code expansion technology at forty-five positions of the bacterial transcription factor EL222. Screening of light-induced changes in infrared (IR) absorption frequency, electric field and hydration of the nitrile groups identified residues CNF31 and CNF35 as reporters of monomer/oligomer and caged/decaged equilibria, respectively. Time-resolved multi-probe UV/Visible and IR spectroscopy experiments of the lit-to-dark transition revealed four dynamical events. Predominantly, rearrangements around the A'α helix interface (CNF31 and CNF35) precede FMN-cysteinyl adduct scission, folding of α-helices (amide bands), and relaxation of residue CNF151. This study illustrates the importance of characterizing all parts of a protein and suggests a key role for the N-terminal A'α extension of the LOV domain in controlling EL222 photocycle length. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya S Chaudhari
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Aditi Chatterjee
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Catarina A O Domingos
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.,Escola Superior de Tecnologia do Barreiro, Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Lavradio, Portugal
| | | | - Yingliang Liu
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Inger Andersson
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bohdan Schneider
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | | | - Gustavo Fuertes
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
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12
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Fica-Contreras SM, Charnay AP, Pan J, Fayer MD. Rethinking Vibrational Stark Spectroscopy: Peak Shifts, Line Widths, and the Role of Non-Stark Solvent Coupling. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:717-731. [PMID: 36629314 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A vibration's transition frequency is partly determined by the first-order Stark effect, which accounts for the electric field experienced by the mode. Using ultrafast infrared pump-probe and FT-IR spectroscopies, we characterized both the 0 → 1 and 1 → 2 vibrational transitions' field-dependent peak positions and line widths of the CN stretching mode of benzonitrile (BZN) and phenyl selenocyanate (PhSeCN) in ten solvents. We present a theoretical model that decomposes the observed line width into a field-dependent Stark contribution and a field-independent non-Stark solvent coupling contribution (NSC). The model demonstrates that the field-dependent peak position is independent of the line width, even when the NSC dominates the latter. Experiments show that when the Stark tuning rate is large compared to the NSC (PhSeCN), the line width has a field dependence, albeit with major NSC-induced excursions from linearity. When the Stark tuning rate is small relative to the NSC (BZN), the line width is field-independent. BZN's line widths are substantially larger for the 1 → 2 transition, indicating a 1 → 2 transition enhancement of the NSC. Additionally, we examine, theoretically and experimentally, the difference in the 0 → 1 and 1 → 2 transitions' Stark tuning rates. Second-order perturbation theory combined with density functional theory explain the difference and show that the 1 → 2 transition's Stark tuning rate is ∼10% larger. The Stark tuning rate of PhSeCN is larger than BZN's for both transitions, consistent with the theoretical calculations. This study provides new insights into vibrational line shape components and a more general understanding of the vibrational response to external electric fields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron P Charnay
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California94305, United States
| | - Junkun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California94305, United States
| | - Michael D Fayer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California94305, United States
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13
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Romei M, von Krusenstiern EV, Ridings ST, King RN, Fortier JC, McKeon CA, Nichols KM, Charkoudian LK, Londergan CH. Frequency Changes in Terminal Alkynes Provide Strong, Sensitive, and Solvatochromic Raman Probes of Biochemical Environments. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:85-94. [PMID: 36538691 PMCID: PMC9841980 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The C≡C stretching frequencies of terminal alkynes appear in the "clear" window of vibrational spectra, so they are attractive and increasingly popular as site-specific probes in complicated biological systems like proteins, cells, and tissues. In this work, we collected infrared (IR) absorption and Raman scattering spectra of model compounds, artificial amino acids, and model proteins that contain terminal alkyne groups, and we used our results to draw conclusions about the signal strength and sensitivity to the local environment of both aliphatic and aromatic terminal alkyne C≡C stretching bands. While the IR bands of alkynyl model compounds displayed surprisingly broad solvatochromism, their absorptions were weak enough that alkynes can be ruled out as effective IR probes. The same solvatochromism was observed in model compounds' Raman spectra, and comparisons to published empirical solvent scales (including a linear regression against four meta-aggregated solvent parameters) suggested that the alkyne C≡C stretching frequency mainly reports on local electronic interactions (i.e., short-range electron donor-acceptor interactions) with solvent molecules and neighboring functional groups. The strong solvatochromism observed here for alkyne stretching bands introduces an important consideration for Raman imaging studies based on these signals. Raman signals for alkynes (especially those that are π-conjugated) can be exceptionally strong and should permit alkynyl Raman signals to function as probes at very low concentrations, as compared to other widely used vibrational probe groups like azides and nitriles. We incorporated homopropargyl glycine into a transmembrane helical peptide via peptide synthesis, and we installed p-ethynylphenylalanine into the interior of the Escherichia coli fatty acid acyl carrier protein using a genetic code expansion technique. The Raman spectra from each of these test systems indicate that alkynyl C≡C bands can act as effective and unique probes of their local biomolecular environments. We provide guidance for the best possible future uses of alkynes as solvatochromic Raman probes, and while empirical explanations of the alkyne solvatochromism are offered, open questions about its physical basis are enunciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew
G. Romei
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Eliana V. von Krusenstiern
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Stephen T. Ridings
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Renee N. King
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Julia C. Fortier
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Caroline A. McKeon
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Krysta M. Nichols
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Louise K. Charkoudian
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
| | - Casey H. Londergan
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United States
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14
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Ramos De Dios SM, Tiwari VK, McCune CD, Dhokale RA, Berkowitz DB. Biomacromolecule-Assisted Screening for Reaction Discovery and Catalyst Optimization. Chem Rev 2022; 122:13800-13880. [PMID: 35904776 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reaction discovery and catalyst screening lie at the heart of synthetic organic chemistry. While there are efforts at de novo catalyst design using computation/artificial intelligence, at its core, synthetic chemistry is an experimental science. This review overviews biomacromolecule-assisted screening methods and the follow-on elaboration of chemistry so discovered. All three types of biomacromolecules discussed─enzymes, antibodies, and nucleic acids─have been used as "sensors" to provide a readout on product chirality exploiting their native chirality. Enzymatic sensing methods yield both UV-spectrophotometric and visible, colorimetric readouts. Antibody sensors provide direct fluorescent readout upon analyte binding in some cases or provide for cat-ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)-type readouts. DNA biomacromolecule-assisted screening allows for templation to facilitate reaction discovery, driving bimolecular reactions into a pseudo-unimolecular format. In addition, the ability to use DNA-encoded libraries permits the barcoding of reactants. All three types of biomacromolecule-based screens afford high sensitivity and selectivity. Among the chemical transformations discovered by enzymatic screening methods are the first Ni(0)-mediated asymmetric allylic amination and a new thiocyanopalladation/carbocyclization transformation in which both C-SCN and C-C bonds are fashioned sequentially. Cat-ELISA screening has identified new classes of sydnone-alkyne cycloadditions, and DNA-encoded screening has been exploited to uncover interesting oxidative Pd-mediated amido-alkyne/alkene coupling reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virendra K Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Christopher D McCune
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
| | - Ranjeet A Dhokale
- Higuchi Biosciences Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - David B Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, United States
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15
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Löffler JG, Deniz E, Feid C, Franz VG, Bredenbeck J. Versatile Vibrational Energy Sensors for Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200648. [PMID: 35226765 PMCID: PMC9401566 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational energy transfer (VET) is emerging as key mechanism for protein functions, possibly playing an important role for energy dissipation, allosteric regulation, and enzyme catalysis. A deep understanding of VET is required to elucidate its role in such processes. Ultrafast VIS-pump/IR-probe spectroscopy can detect pathways of VET in proteins. However, the requirement of having a VET donor and a VET sensor installed simultaneously limits the possible target proteins and sites; to increase their number we compare six IR labels regarding their utility as VET sensors. We compare these labels in terms of their FTIR, and VET signature in VET donor-sensor dipeptides in different solvents. Furthermore, we incorporated four of these labels in PDZ3 to assess their capabilities in more complex systems. Our results show that different IR labels can be used interchangeably, allowing for free choice of the right label depending on the system under investigation and the methods available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan G. Löffler
- Institute of BiophysicsGoethe University FrankfurtMax-von-Laue-Straße 160438Frankfurt (Main)Germany
| | - Erhan Deniz
- Institute of BiophysicsGoethe University FrankfurtMax-von-Laue-Straße 160438Frankfurt (Main)Germany
| | - Carolin Feid
- Institute of BiophysicsGoethe University FrankfurtMax-von-Laue-Straße 160438Frankfurt (Main)Germany
| | - Valentin G. Franz
- Institute of BiophysicsGoethe University FrankfurtMax-von-Laue-Straße 160438Frankfurt (Main)Germany
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Institute of BiophysicsGoethe University FrankfurtMax-von-Laue-Straße 160438Frankfurt (Main)Germany
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16
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Weaver JB, Kozuch J, Kirsh JM, Boxer SG. Nitrile Infrared Intensities Characterize Electric Fields and Hydrogen Bonding in Protic, Aprotic, and Protein Environments. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:7562-7567. [PMID: 35467853 PMCID: PMC10082610 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nitriles are widely used vibrational probes; however, the interpretation of their IR frequencies is complicated by hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) in protic environments. We report a new vibrational Stark effect (VSE) that correlates the electric field projected on the -C≡N bond to the transition dipole moment and, by extension, the nitrile peak area or integrated intensity. This linear VSE applies to both H-bonding and non-H-bonding interactions. It can therefore be generally applied to determine electric fields in all environments. Additionally, it allows for semiempirical extraction of the H-bonding contribution to the blueshift of the nitrile frequency. Nitriles were incorporated at H-bonding and non-H-bonding protein sites using amber suppression, and each nitrile variant was structurally characterized at high resolution. We exploited the combined information available from variations in frequency and integrated intensity and demonstrate that nitriles are a generally useful probe for electric fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared Bryce Weaver
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
| | - Jacek Kozuch
- Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacob M Kirsh
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
| | - Steven G Boxer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
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17
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Löffler JG, Deniz E, Feid C, Franz VG, Bredenbeck J. Versatile Vibrational Energy Sensors for Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan G. Löffler
- Institute of Biophysics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 60438 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Erhan Deniz
- Institute of Biophysics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 60438 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Carolin Feid
- Institute of Biophysics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 60438 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Valentin G. Franz
- Institute of Biophysics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 60438 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Institute of Biophysics Goethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 60438 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
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18
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Zhao R, Shirley JC, Lee E, Grofe A, Li H, Baiz CR, Gao J. Origin of thiocyanate spectral shifts in water and organic solvents. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:104106. [PMID: 35291777 PMCID: PMC8923707 DOI: 10.1063/5.0082969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrational spectroscopy is a useful technique for probing chemical environments. The development of models that can reproduce the spectra of nitriles and azides is valuable because these probes are uniquely suited for investigating complex systems. Empirical vibrational spectroscopic maps are commonly employed to obtain the instantaneous vibrational frequencies during molecular dynamics simulations but often fail to adequately describe the behavior of these probes, especially in its transferability to a diverse range of environments. In this paper, we demonstrate several reasons for the difficulty in constructing a general-purpose vibrational map for methyl thiocyanate (MeSCN), a model for cyanylated biological probes. In particular, we found that electrostatics alone are not a sufficient metric to categorize the environments of different solvents, and the dominant features in intermolecular interactions in the energy landscape vary from solvent to solvent. Consequently, common vibrational mapping schemes do not cover all essential interaction terms adequately, especially in the treatment of van der Waals interactions. Quantum vibrational perturbation (QVP) theory, along with a combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical potential for solute-solvent interactions, is an alternative and efficient modeling technique, which is compared in this paper, to yield spectroscopic results in good agreement with experimental FTIR. QVP has been used to analyze the computational data, revealing the shortcomings of the vibrational maps for MeSCN in different solvents. The results indicate that insights from QVP analysis can be used to enhance the transferability of vibrational maps in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoqi Zhao
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130023, China
| | - Joseph C Shirley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Euihyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Adam Grofe
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130023, China
| | - Hui Li
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130023, China
| | - Carlos R Baiz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Jiali Gao
- Institute of Systems and Physical Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
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19
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Min A, Kim J, Moon CJ, Ahn A, Park J, Choi MY. Spectroscopic and theoretical studies of jet‐cooled 3‐cyanoindole ammonia clusters in the gas phase. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahreum Min
- Core‐Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Kim
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Natural Sciences Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol Joo Moon
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Natural Sciences Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
| | - Ahreum Ahn
- Center for Supercomputing Applications Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information Daejeon Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyeon Park
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Natural Sciences Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
| | - Myong Yong Choi
- Core‐Facility Center for Photochemistry & Nanomaterials Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry (BK21 FOUR), Research Institute of Natural Sciences Gyeongsang National University Jinju Republic of Korea
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20
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Kwon HJ, Gwak S, Park JY, Cho M, Han H. TfNN 15N: A γ- 15N-Labeled Diazo-Transfer Reagent for the Synthesis of β- 15N-Labeled Azides. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:293-298. [PMID: 35036700 PMCID: PMC8757338 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Azides are infrared (IR) probes that are important for structure and dynamics studies of proteins. However, they often display complex IR spectra owing to Fermi resonances and multiple conformers. Isotopic substitution of azides weakens the Fermi resonance, allowing more accurate IR spectral analysis. Site-specifically 15N-labeled aromatic azides, but not aliphatic azides, are synthesized through nitrosation. Both 15N-labeled aromatic and aliphatic azides are synthesized through nucleophilic substitution or diazo-transfer reaction but as an isotopomeric mixture. We present the synthesis of TfNN15N, a γ-15N-labeled diazo-transfer reagent, and its use to prepare β-15N-labeled aliphatic as well as aromatic azides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeok-Jun Kwon
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Sungduk Gwak
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jun Young Park
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Center
for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Center
for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hogyu Han
- Department
of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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21
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Mukherjee D, Ahmed IA, Gai F. Site-Specific Interrogation of Protein Structure and Stability. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2376:65-87. [PMID: 34845603 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1716-8_3] [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] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To execute their function or activity, proteins need to possess variability in local electrostatic environment, solvent accessibility, structure, and stability. However, assessing any protein property in a site-specific manner is not easy since native spectroscopic signals often lack the needed specificity. One strategy that overcomes this limitation is to use unnatural amino acids that exhibit distinct spectroscopic features. In this chapter, we describe several such unnatural amino acids (UAAs) and their respective applications in site-specific interrogation of protein structure and stability using standard biophysical methods, including circular dichroism (CD), infrared (IR), and fluorescence spectroscopies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ismail A Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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22
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Kraskov A, von Sass J, Nguyen AD, Hoang TO, Buhrke D, Katz S, Michael N, Kozuch J, Zebger I, Siebert F, Scheerer P, Mroginski MA, Budisa N, Hildebrandt P. Local Electric Field Changes during the Photoconversion of the Bathy Phytochrome Agp2. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2967-2977. [PMID: 34570488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Phytochromes switch between a physiologically inactive and active state via a light-induced reaction cascade, which is initiated by isomerization of the tetrapyrrole chromophore and leads to the functionally relevant secondary structure transition of a protein segment (tongue). Although details of the underlying cause-effect relationships are not known, electrostatic fields are likely to play a crucial role in coupling chromophores and protein structural changes. Here, we studied local electric field changes during the photoconversion of the dark state Pfr to the photoactivated state Pr of the bathy phytochrome Agp2. Substituting Tyr165 and Phe192 in the chromophore pocket by para-cyanophenylalanine (pCNF), we monitored the respective nitrile stretching modes in the various states of photoconversion (vibrational Stark effect). Resonance Raman and IR spectroscopic analyses revealed that both pCNF-substituted variants undergo the same photoinduced structural changes as wild-type Agp2. Based on a structural model for the Pfr state of F192pCNF, a molecular mechanical-quantum mechanical approach was employed to calculate the electric field at the nitrile group and the respective stretching frequency, in excellent agreement with the experiment. These calculations serve as a reference for determining the electric field changes in the photoinduced states of F192pCNF. Unlike F192pCNF, the nitrile group in Y165pCNF is strongly hydrogen bonded such that the theoretical approach is not applicable. However, in both variants, the largest changes of the nitrile stretching modes occur in the last step of the photoconversion, supporting the view that the proton-coupled restructuring of the tongue is accompanied by a change of the electric field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kraskov
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes von Sass
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anh Duc Nguyen
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tu Oanh Hoang
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Buhrke
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sagie Katz
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Michael
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacek Kozuch
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich für Physik, Arnimallee 14, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo Zebger
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedrich Siebert
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Institut für Molekulare Medizin und Zellforschung, Sektion Biophysik, Hermann-Herderstr. 9, D-79104 Freiburg, 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
| | - Maria Andrea Mroginski
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, 144 Dysart Rd, 360 Parker Building, R3T 2N2 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Peter Hildebrandt
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
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23
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Maitra A, Sarkar S, Leitner DM, Dawlaty JM. Electric Fields Influence Intramolecular Vibrational Energy Relaxation and Line Widths. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7818-7825. [PMID: 34378946 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Intramolecular vibrational energy relaxation (IVR) is fundamentally important to chemical dynamics. We show that externally applied electric fields affect IVR and vibrational line widths by changing the anharmonic couplings and frequency detunings between modes. We demonstrate this effect in benzonitrile for which prior experimental results show a decrease in vibrational line width as a function of applied electric field. We identify three major channels for IVR that depend on electric field. In the dominant channel, the electric field affects the frequency detuning, while in the other two channels, variation of anharmonic couplings as a function of field is the underlying mechanism. Consistent with experimental results, we show that the combination of all channels gives rise to reduced line widths with increasing electric field in benzonitrile. Our results are relevant for controlling IVR with external or internal fields and for gaining a more complete interpretation of line widths of vibrational Stark probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Maitra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
| | - Sohini Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
| | - David M Leitner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, Nevada 89519, United States
| | - Jahan M Dawlaty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
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24
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Fica-Contreras SM, Daniels R, Yassin O, Hoffman DJ, Pan J, Sotzing G, Fayer MD. Long Vibrational Lifetime R-Selenocyanate Probes for Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy: Properties and Synthesis. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8907-8918. [PMID: 34339200 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ultrafast infrared vibrational spectroscopy is widely used for the investigation of dynamics in systems from water to model membranes. Because the experimental observation window is limited to a few times the probe's vibrational lifetime, a frequent obstacle for the measurement of a broad time range is short molecular vibrational lifetimes (typically a few to tens of picoseconds). Five new long-lifetime aromatic selenocyanate vibrational probes have been synthesized and their vibrational properties characterized. These probes are compared to commercial phenyl selenocyanate. The vibrational lifetimes range between ∼400 and 500 ps in complex solvents, which are some of the longest room-temperature vibrational lifetimes reported to date. In contrast to vibrations that are long-lived in simple solvents such as CCl4, but become much shorter in complex solvents, the probes discussed here have ∼400 ps lifetimes in complex solvents and even longer in simple solvents. One of them has a remarkable lifetime of 1235 ps in CCl4. These probes have a range of molecular sizes and geometries that can make them useful for placement into different complex materials due to steric reasons, and some of them have functionalities that enable their synthetic incorporation into larger molecules, such as industrial polymers. We investigated the effect of a range of electron-donating and electron-withdrawing para-substituents on the vibrational properties of the CN stretch. The probes have a solvent-independent linear relationship to the Hammett substituent parameter when evaluated with respect to the CN vibrational frequency and the ipso 13C NMR chemical shift.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Daniels
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Omer Yassin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - David J Hoffman
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Junkun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Gregory Sotzing
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States
| | - Michael D Fayer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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25
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Thielges MC. Transparent window 2D IR spectroscopy of proteins. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:040903. [PMID: 34340394 PMCID: PMC8302233 DOI: 10.1063/5.0052628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins are complex, heterogeneous macromolecules that exist as ensembles of interconverting states on a complex energy landscape. A complete, molecular-level understanding of their function requires experimental tools to characterize them with high spatial and temporal precision. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy has an inherently fast time scale that can capture all states and their dynamics with, in principle, bond-specific spatial resolution. Two-dimensional (2D) IR methods that provide richer information are becoming more routine but remain challenging to apply to proteins. Spectral congestion typically prevents selective investigation of native vibrations; however, the problem can be overcome by site-specific introduction of amino acid side chains that have vibrational groups with frequencies in the "transparent window" of protein spectra. This Perspective provides an overview of the history and recent progress in the development of transparent window 2D IR of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana 47405, USA
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26
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Drexler CI, Cracchiolo OM, Myers RL, Okur HI, Serrano AL, Corcelli SA, Cremer PS. Local Electric Fields in Aqueous Electrolytes. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8484-8493. [PMID: 34313130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c03257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational Stark shifts were explored in aqueous solutions of organic molecules with carbonyl- and nitrile-containing constituents. In many cases, the vibrational resonances from these moieties shifted toward lower frequency as salt was introduced into solution. This is in contrast to the blue-shift that would be expected based upon Onsager's reaction field theory. Salts containing well-hydrated cations like Mg2+ or Li+ led to the most pronounced Stark shift for the carbonyl group, while poorly hydrated cations like Cs+ had the greatest impact on nitriles. Moreover, salts containing I- gave rise to larger Stark shifts than those containing Cl-. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that cations and anions both accumulate around the probe in an ion- and probe-dependent manner. An electric field was generated by the ion pair, which pointed from the cation to the anion through the vibrational chromophore. This resulted from solvent-shared binding of the ions to the probes, consistent with their positions in the Hofmeister series. The "anti-Onsager" Stark shifts occur in both vibrational spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia M Cracchiolo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | | | - Halil I Okur
- Department of Chemistry and National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Arnaldo L Serrano
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Steven A Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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27
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Tumbic GW, Hossan MY, Thielges MC. Protein Dynamics by Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2021; 14:299-321. [PMID: 34314221 PMCID: PMC8713465 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-091520-091009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Proteins function as ensembles of interconverting structures. The motions span from picosecond bond rotations to millisecond and longer subunit displacements. Characterization of functional dynamics on all spatial and temporal scales remains challenging experimentally. Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) is maturing as a powerful approach for investigating proteins and their dynamics. We outline the advantages of IR spectroscopy, describe 2D IR and the information it provides, and introduce vibrational groups for protein analysis. We highlight example studies that illustrate the power and versatility of 2D IR for characterizing protein dynamics and conclude with a brief discussion of the outlook for biomolecular 2D IR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran W Tumbic
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA;
| | - Md Yeathad Hossan
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA;
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA;
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Edington SC, Liu S, Baiz CR. Infrared spectroscopy probes ion binding geometries. Methods Enzymol 2021; 651:157-191. [PMID: 33888203 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a well-established technique for probing the structure, behavior, and surroundings of molecules in their native environments. Its characteristics-most specifically high structural sensitivity, ready applicability to aqueous samples, and broad availability-make it a valuable enzymological technique, particularly for the interrogation of ion binding sites. While IR spectroscopy of the "garden variety" (steady state at room temperature with wild-type proteins) is versatile and powerful in its own right, the combination of IR spectroscopy with specialized experimental schemes for leveraging ultrafast time resolution, protein labeling, and other enhancements further extends this utility. This book chapter provides the fundamental physical background and literature context essential for harnessing IR spectroscopy in the general context of enzymology with specific focus on interrogation of ion binding. Studies of lanthanide ions binding to calmodulin are highlighted as illustrative examples of this process. Appropriate sample preparation, data collection, and spectral interpretation are discussed from a detail-oriented and practical perspective with the goal of facilitating the reader's rapid progression from reading words in a book to collecting and analyzing their own data in the lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Edington
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Stephanie Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Carlos R Baiz
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.
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29
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Chen J, Yang H, Zhang M, Chen H, Liu J, Yin K, Chen S, Shao A. Electrochemical-induced regioselective C-3 thiocyanation of imidazoheterocycles with hydrogen evolution. Tetrahedron Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2020.152755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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30
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Park JY, Kwon HJ, Mondal S, Han H, Kwak K, Cho M. Two-dimensional IR spectroscopy reveals a hidden Fermi resonance band in the azido stretch spectrum of β-azidoalanine. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:19223-19229. [PMID: 32812969 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02693j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Azido stretch modes in a variety of azido-derivatized nonnatural amino acids and nucleotides have been used as a site-specific infrared (IR) probe for monitoring changes in their conformations and local electrostatic environments. The vibrational bands of azide probes are often accompanied by complex line shapes with shoulder peaks, which may arise either from incomplete background subtraction, Fermi resonance, or multiple conformers. The isotope substitution in the infrared probe has thus been introduced to remove Fermi resonances without causing a significant perturbation to the structure. Here, we synthesized and labeled the mid-N atoms of aliphatic azide derivatives with 15N to study the effects of isotope labelling on their vibrational properties. The FT-IR spectra of the aliphatic azide with asymmetric lineshape became a single symmetric band upon isotope substitution, which might be an indication of the removal of the hidden Fermi resonance from the system. We also noticed that the 2D-IR spectrum of unlabeled aliphatic azide has cross-peaks, even though it is not apparently identifiable. The 1D slice spectra obtained from the 2D-IR spectra reveal the existence of a hidden Fermi resonance peak. Furthermore, we show that this weak Fermi resonance does not produce discernible oscillatory beating patterns in the IR pump-probe spectrum, which has been used as evidence of the Fermi resonance. Therefore, we confirm that isotope labelling combined with 2D-IR spectroscopy is the most efficient and incisive way to identify the origin of small shoulder peaks in the linear and nonlinear vibrational spectra of various IR probe molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Young Park
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyeok-Jun Kwon
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Saptarsi Mondal
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hogyu Han
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyungwon Kwak
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
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31
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Chalyavi F, Schmitz AJ, Fetto NR, Tucker MJ, Brewer SH, Fenlon EE. Extending the vibrational lifetime of azides with heavy atoms. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:18007-18013. [PMID: 32749405 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02814b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel vibrational reporters (VRs), aka infrared (IR) probes, to study local environments and dynamic processes in biomolecules and materials continues to be an important area of research. Azides are important VRs because of their small size and large transition dipole strengths, however, their relatively short vibrational lifetimes (<2 ps) have limited their full potential. Herein we report that the vibrational lifetimes of azides can be increased by attaching them to heavy atoms and by using heavy 15N isotopes. Three group 14 atom triphenyl azides (Ph3CN3, Ph3SiN3, Ph3SnN3), and their triple-15N isotopomers, were synthesized in good yields. Tributyltin azide and its heavy isotopomer (Bu3Sn15N3) were also prepared to probe the effect of molecular scaffolding. The extinction coefficients for the natural abundance azides were determined, ranging from 900 to 1500 M-1 cm-1. The vibrational lifetimes of all azides were measured by pump-probe IR spectroscopy and each showed a major component with a short-to-moderate vibrational lifetime and a minor component with a much longer vibrational lifetime. Based on these results, the lifetime, aka the observation window, of an azide reporter can be extended from ∼2 ps to as long as ∼300 ps by a combination of isotopic labeling and heavy atom effect. 2D IR measurements of these compounds further confirmed the ability to observe these azide transitions at much longer timescales showing their utility to capture dynamic processes from tens to hundreds of picoseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Chalyavi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Andrew J Schmitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Natalie R Fetto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Matthew J Tucker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Scott H Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA. ,
| | - Edward E Fenlon
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA. ,
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Adesina AS, Świderek K, Luk LYP, Moliner V, Allemann RK. Electric Field Measurements Reveal the Pivotal Role of Cofactor-Substrate Interaction in Dihydrofolate Reductase Catalysis. ACS Catal 2020; 10:7907-7914. [PMID: 32905264 PMCID: PMC7467645 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c01856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
contribution of ligand–ligand electrostatic interaction
to transition state formation during enzyme catalysis has remained
unexplored, even though electrostatic forces are known to play a major
role in protein functions and have been investigated by the vibrational
Stark effect (VSE). To monitor electrostatic changes along important
steps during catalysis, we used a nitrile probe (T46C-CN) inserted
proximal to the reaction center of three dihydrofolate reductases
(DHFRs) with different biophysical properties, Escherichia
coli DHFR (EcDHFR), its conformationally impaired variant
(EcDHFR-S148P), and Geobacillus stearothermophilus DHFR (BsDHFR). Our combined experimental and computational approach
revealed that the electric field projected by the substrate toward
the probe negates those exerted by the cofactor when both are bound
within the enzymes. This indicates that compared to previous models
that focus exclusively on subdomain reorganization and protein–ligand
contacts, ligand–ligand interactions are the key driving force
to generate electrostatic environments conducive for catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aduragbemi S. Adesina
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Świderek
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Louis Y. P. Luk
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Rudolf K. Allemann
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
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34
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First JT, Novelli ET, Webb LJ. Beyond pKa: Experiments and Simulations of Nitrile Vibrational Probes in Staphylococcal Nuclease Show the Importance of Local Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:3387-3399. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T. First
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Elisa T. Novelli
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
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Abstract
Infrared difference spectroscopy probes vibrational changes of proteins upon their perturbation. Compared with other spectroscopic methods, it stands out by its sensitivity to the protonation state, H-bonding, and the conformation of different groups in proteins, including the peptide backbone, amino acid side chains, internal water molecules, or cofactors. In particular, the detection of protonation and H-bonding changes in a time-resolved manner, not easily obtained by other techniques, is one of the most successful applications of IR difference spectroscopy. The present review deals with the use of perturbations designed to specifically change the protein between two (or more) functionally relevant states, a strategy often referred to as reaction-induced IR difference spectroscopy. In the first half of this contribution, I review the technique of reaction-induced IR difference spectroscopy of proteins, with special emphasis given to the preparation of suitable samples and their characterization, strategies for the perturbation of proteins, and methodologies for time-resolved measurements (from nanoseconds to minutes). The second half of this contribution focuses on the spectral interpretation. It starts by reviewing how changes in H-bonding, medium polarity, and vibrational coupling affect vibrational frequencies, intensities, and bandwidths. It is followed by band assignments, a crucial aspect mostly performed with the help of isotopic labeling and site-directed mutagenesis, and complemented by integration and interpretation of the results in the context of the studied protein, an aspect increasingly supported by spectral calculations. Selected examples from the literature, predominately but not exclusively from retinal proteins, are used to illustrate the topics covered in this review.
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36
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Schmidt-Engler JM, Zangl R, Guldan P, Morgner N, Bredenbeck J. Exploring the 2D-IR repertoire of the -SCN label to study site-resolved dynamics and solvation in the calcium sensor protein calmodulin. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:5463-5475. [PMID: 32096510 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp06808b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The calcium sensor protein calmodulin is ubiquitous among eukaryotes. It translates intracellular Ca2+ influx (by a decrease of conformational flexibility) into increased target recognition affinity. Here we demonstrate that by using the IR reporter -SCN in combination with 2D-IR spectroscopy, global structure changes and local dynamics, degree of solvent exposure and protein-ligand interaction can be characterised in great detail. The long vibrational lifetime of the -SCN label allows for centerline slope analysis of the 2D-IR line shape up to 120 ps to deduce the frequency-frequency correlation function (FFCF) of the -SCN label in various states and label positions in the protein. Based on that we show clear differences between a solvent exposed site, the environment close to the Ca2+ binding motif and three highly conserved positions for ligand binding. Furthermore, we demonstrate how these dynamics are affected by conformational change induced by the addition of Ca2+ ions and by interaction with a short helical peptide mimicking protein binding. We show that the binding mode is strongly heterogeneous among the probed key binding methionine residues. SCN's vibrational relaxation is dominated by intermolecular contributions. Changes in the vibrational lifetime upon changing between H2O and D2O buffer therefore provide a robust measure for water accessibility of the label. Characterising -SCN's extinction coefficient, vibrational lifetime in light and heavy water and its FFCF we demonstrate the vast potential it has as a label especially for nonlinear spectroscopies, such as 2D-IR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian M Schmidt-Engler
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Rene Zangl
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Patrick Guldan
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Nina Morgner
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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37
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Liu J, Huang X, Fan H, Su W, Chen X, Zhang W. Ester-derivatized indoles as sensitive infrared probes for local environment. Chem Phys Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.137139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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38
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Schmidt-Engler JM, Blankenburg L, Zangl R, Hoffmann J, Morgner N, Bredenbeck J. Local dynamics of the photo-switchable protein PYP in ground and signalling state probed by 2D-IR spectroscopy of –SCN labels. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:22963-22972. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04307a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We employ 2D-IR spectroscopy of the protein label –SCN to describe the local dynamics in the photo-switchable protein PYP in its dark state (pG) and after photoactivation, concomitant with vast structural rearrangements, in its signalling state (pB).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larissa Blankenburg
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
- Institute of Biophysics
- 60438 Frankfurt am Main
- Germany
| | - Rene Zangl
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
- Frankfurt am Main
- Germany
| | - Jan Hoffmann
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
- Frankfurt am Main
- Germany
| | - Nina Morgner
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
- Frankfurt am Main
- Germany
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
- Institute of Biophysics
- 60438 Frankfurt am Main
- Germany
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39
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Schmidt-Engler JM, Blankenburg L, Błasiak B, van Wilderen LJGW, Cho M, Bredenbeck J. Vibrational Lifetime of the SCN Protein Label in H 2O and D 2O Reports Site-Specific Solvation and Structure Changes During PYP's Photocycle. Anal Chem 2019; 92:1024-1032. [PMID: 31769286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The application of vibrational labels such as thiocyanate (-S-C≡N) for studying protein structure and dynamics is thriving. Absorption spectroscopy is usually employed to obtain wavenumber and line shape of the label. An observable of great significance might be the vibrational lifetime, which can be obtained by pump probe or 2D-IR spectroscopy. Due to the insulating effect of the heavy sulfur atom in the case of the SCN label, the lifetime of the C≡N oscillator is expected to be particularly sensitive to its surrounding as it is not dominated by through-bond relaxation. We therefore investigate the vibrational lifetime of the SCN label at various positions in the blue light sensor protein Photoactive Yellow Protein (PYP) in the ground state and signaling state of the photoreceptor. We find that the vibrational lifetime of the C≡N stretching mode is strongly affected both by its protein environment and by the degree of exposure to the solvent. Even for label positions where the line shape and wavenumber observed by FTIR are barely changing upon activation of the photoreceptor, we find that the lifetime can change considerably. To obtain an unambiguous measure for the solvent exposure of the labeled site, we show that it is imperative to compare the lifetimes in H2O and D2O. Importantly, the lifetimes shorten in H2O as compared to D2O for water exposed labels, while they stay largely the same for buried labels. We quantify this effect by defining a solvent exclusion coefficient (SEC). The response of the label's vibrational lifetime to its solvent exposure renders it a suitable universal probe for protein investigations. This applies even to systems that are otherwise hard to address, such as transient or short-lived states, which could be created during a protein's working cycle (as here in PYP) or during protein folding. It is also applicable to flexible systems (intrinsically disordered proteins), protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian M Schmidt-Engler
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University , Institute of Biophysics , Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 , 60438 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Larissa Blankenburg
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University , Institute of Biophysics , Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 , 60438 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Bartosz Błasiak
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University , Institute of Biophysics , Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 , 60438 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Luuk J G W van Wilderen
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University , Institute of Biophysics , Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 , 60438 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Institute of Basic Science , Center of Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics , 145 Anam-ro , Seongbuk-gu , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea.,Korea University , Department of Chemistry , 145 Anam-ro , Seongbuk-gu , Seoul 02841 , Republic of Korea
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University , Institute of Biophysics , Max-von-Laue-Straße 1 , 60438 Frankfurt am Main , Germany
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40
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Chatterjee S, Ghosh D, Haldar T, Deb P, Sakpal SS, Deshmukh SH, Kashid SM, Bagchi S. Hydrocarbon Chain-Length Dependence of Solvation Dynamics in Alcohol-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopic Investigation. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:9355-9363. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b08954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Srijan Chatterjee
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
| | - Deborin Ghosh
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
| | - Tapas Haldar
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Pranab Deb
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sushil S. Sakpal
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Samadhan H. Deshmukh
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Somnath M. Kashid
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sayan Bagchi
- Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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41
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Santos Seica AF, Schimpf J, Friedrich T, Hellwig P. Visualizing the movement of the amphipathic helix in the respiratory complex I using a nitrile infrared probe and SEIRAS. FEBS Lett 2019; 594:491-496. [PMID: 31556114 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Conformational movements play an important role in enzyme catalysis. Respiratory complex I, an L-shaped enzyme, connects electron transfer from NADH to ubiquinone in its peripheral arm with proton translocation through its membrane arm by a coupling mechanism still under debate. The amphipathic helix across the membrane arm represents a unique structural feature. Here, we demonstrate a new way to study conformational changes by introducing a small and highly flexible nitrile infrared (IR) label to this helix to visualize movement with surface-enhanced IR absorption spectroscopy. We find that labeled residues K551CL and Y590CL move to a more hydrophobic environment upon NADH reduction of the enzyme, likely as a response to the reorganization of the antiporter-like subunits in the membrane arm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filipa Santos Seica
- Laboratoire de Bioélectrochimie et Spectroscopie, UMR 7140, CMC, Université de Strasbourg CNRS, France
| | - Johannes Schimpf
- Institut für Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Petra Hellwig
- Laboratoire de Bioélectrochimie et Spectroscopie, UMR 7140, CMC, Université de Strasbourg CNRS, France.,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Studies (USIAS), France
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42
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Luo M, Eaton CN, Hess KR, Phillips-Piro CM, Brewer SH, Fenlon EE. Paired Spectroscopic and Crystallographic Studies of Proteases. ChemistrySelect 2019; 4:9836-9843. [PMID: 34169145 PMCID: PMC8221577 DOI: 10.1002/slct.201902049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The active sites of subtilisin and trypsin have been studied by paired IR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies. The active site serines of the proteases were reacted with 4-cyanobenzenesulfonyl fluoride (CBSF), an inhibitor that contains a nitrile vibrational reporter. The nitrile stretch vibration of the water-soluble inhibitor model, potassium 4-cyanobenzenesulfonate (KCBSO), and the inhibitor were calibrated by IR solvent studies in H2O/DMSO and the frequency-temperature line-slope (FTLS) method in H2O and THF. The inhibitor complexes were examined by FTLS and the slopes of the best fit lines for subtilisin-CBS and trypsin-CBS in aqueous buffer were both measured to be -3.5×10-2 cm-1/°C. These slopes were intermediate in value between that of KCBSO in aqueous buffer and CBSF in THF, which suggests that the active-site nitriles in both proteases are mostly solvated. The X-ray crystal structures of the subtilisin-CBS and trypsin-CBS complexes were solved at 1.27 and 1.32 Å, respectively. The inhibitor was modelled in two conformations in subtilisin-CBS and in one conformation in the trypsin-CBS. The crystallographic data support the FTLS data that the active-site nitrile groups are mostly solvated and participate in hydrogen bonds with water molecules. The combination of IR spectroscopy utilizing vibrational reporters paired with X-ray crystallography provides a powerful approach to studying protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Luo
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Christopher N. Eaton
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Kenneth R. Hess
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | | | - Scott H. Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
| | - Edward E. Fenlon
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003
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43
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Welborn VV, Head-Gordon T. Fluctuations of Electric Fields in the Active Site of the Enzyme Ketosteroid Isomerase. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:12487-12492. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b05323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Vaissier Welborn
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Teresa Head-Gordon
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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44
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Kossowska D, Park K, Park JY, Lim C, Kwak K, Cho M. Rational Design of an Acetylenic Infrared Probe with Enhanced Dipole Strength and Increased Vibrational Lifetime. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:6274-6281. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b04925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kossowska
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Kwanghee Park
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jun Young Park
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Chaiho Lim
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Kyungwon Kwak
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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45
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You M, Zhou L, Huang X, Wang Y, Zhang W. Isonitrile-Derivatized Indole as an Infrared Probe for Hydrogen-Bonding Environments. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24071379. [PMID: 30965674 PMCID: PMC6480494 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24071379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The isonitrile (NC) group has been shown to be a promising infrared probe for studying the structure and dynamics of biomolecules. However, there have been no systematic studies performed on the NC group as an infrared probe, when it is bonded to an indole ring. Here, we systematically study the NC stretching mode of two model compounds, 5-isocyano-1H-indole (5ICI) and 5-isocyano-1-methyl-1H-indole (NM5ICI), using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The NC stretching frequency is shown to be strongly dependent on the polarizability of protic solvents and the density of hydrogen-bond donor groups in the solvent when NC is bonded to an indole ring. Infrared pump–probe studies of 5ICI in DMSO and in EtOH further support that the NC stretching mode could be used as a site-specific infrared probe for local environments when NC is bonded to an indole ring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min You
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Liang Zhou
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Xinyue Huang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Wenkai Zhang
- Department of Physics and Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Center for Advanced Quantum Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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Blankenburg L, Schroeder L, Habenstein F, Błasiak B, Kottke T, Bredenbeck J. Following local light-induced structure changes and dynamics of the photoreceptor PYP with the thiocyanate IR label. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:6622-6634. [PMID: 30855039 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp05399e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Photoactive Yellow Protein (PYP) is a bacterial blue light receptor that enters a photocycle after excitation. The intermediate states are formed on time scales ranging from femtoseconds up to hundreds of milliseconds, after which the signaling state with a lifetime of about 1 s is reached. To investigate structural changes and dynamics, we incorporated the SCN IR label at distinct positions of the photoreceptor via cysteine mutation and cyanylation. FT-IR measurements of the SCN label at different sites of the well-established dark state structure of PYP characterized the spectral response of the label to differences in the environment. Under constant blue light irradiation, we observed the formation of the signaling state with significant changes of wavenumber and lineshape of the SCN bands. Thereby we deduced light-induced structural changes in the local environment of the labels. These results were supported by molecular dynamics simulations on PYP providing the solvent accessible surface area (SASA) at the different positions. To follow protein dynamics via the SCN label during the photocycle, we performed step-scan FT-IR measurements with a time resolution of 10 μs. Global analysis yielded similar time constants of τ1 = 70 μs, τ2 = 640 μs, and τ3 > 20 ms for the wild type and τ1 = 36 μs, τ2 = 530 μs, and τ3 > 20 ms for the SCN-labeled mutant PYP-A44C*, a mutant which provided a sufficiently large SCN difference signal to measure step-scan FT-IR spectra. In comparison to the protein (amide, E46) and chromophore bands the dynamics of the SCN label show a different behavior. This result indicates that the local kinetics sensed by the label are different from the global protein kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Blankenburg
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Ramos S, Thielges MC. Site-Specific 1D and 2D IR Spectroscopy to Characterize the Conformations and Dynamics of Protein Molecular Recognition. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:3551-3566. [PMID: 30848912 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b00969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Proteins exist as ensembles of interconverting states on a complex energy landscape. A complete, molecular-level understanding of their function requires knowledge of the populated states and thus the experimental tools to characterize them. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy has an inherently fast time scale that can capture all states and their dynamics with, in principle, bond-specific spatial resolution, and 2D IR methods that provide richer information are becoming more routine. Although application of IR spectroscopy for investigation of proteins is challenged by spectral congestion, the issue can be overcome by site-specific introduction of amino acid side chains that have IR probe groups with frequency-resolved absorptions, which furthermore enables selective characterization of different locations in proteins. Here, we briefly introduce the biophysical methods and summarize the current progress toward the study of proteins. We then describe our efforts to apply site-specific 1D and 2D IR spectroscopy toward elucidation of protein conformations and dynamics to investigate their involvement in protein molecular recognition, in particular mediated by dynamic complexes: plastocyanin and its binding partner cytochrome f, cytochrome P450s and substrates or redox partners, and Src homology 3 domains and proline-rich peptide motifs. We highlight the advantages of frequency-resolved probes to characterize specific, local sites in proteins and uncover variation among different locations, as well as the advantage of the fast time scale of IR spectroscopy to detect rapidly interconverting states. In addition, we illustrate the greater insight provided by 2D methods and discuss potential routes for further advancement of the field of biomolecular 2D IR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sashary Ramos
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
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Ahmed IA, Acharyya A, Eng CM, Rodgers JM, DeGrado WF, Jo H, Gai F. 4-Cyanoindole-2'-deoxyribonucleoside as a Dual Fluorescence and Infrared Probe of DNA Structure and Dynamics. Molecules 2019; 24:E602. [PMID: 30744004 PMCID: PMC6384856 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24030602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Unnatural nucleosides possessing unique spectroscopic properties that mimic natural nucleobases in both size and chemical structure are ideally suited for spectroscopic measurements of DNA/RNA structure and dynamics in a site-specific manner. However, such unnatural nucleosides are scarce, which prompts us to explore the utility of a recently found unnatural nucleoside, 4-cyanoindole-2'-deoxyribonucleoside (4CNI-NS), as a site-specific spectroscopic probe of DNA. A recent study revealed that 4CNI-NS is a universal nucleobase that maintains the high fluorescence quantum yield of 4-cyanoindole and that among the four natural nucleobases, only guanine can significantly quench its fluorescence. Herein, we further show that the C≡N stretching frequency of 4CNI-NS is sensitive to the local environment, making it a useful site-specific infrared probe of oligonucleotides. In addition, we demonstrate that the fluorescence-quencher pair formed by 4CNI-NS and guanine can be used to quantitatively assess the binding affinity of a single-stranded DNA to the protein system of interest via fluorescence spectroscopy, among other applications. We believe that this fluorescence binding assay is especially useful as its potentiality allows high-throughput screening of DNA⁻protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail A Ahmed
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Arusha Acharyya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Christina M Eng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Jeffrey M Rodgers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Hyunil Jo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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49
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Saggu M, Fried SD, Boxer SG. Local and Global Electric Field Asymmetry in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:1527-1536. [PMID: 30668130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b11458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The origin of unidirectional electron transfer in photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) has been widely discussed. Despite the high level of structural similarity between the two branches of pigments that participate in the initial electron transfer steps of photosynthesis, electron transfer only occurs along one branch. One possible explanation for this functional asymmetry is the differences in the electrostatic environment between the active and the inactive branches arising from the charges and dipoles of the organized protein structure. We present an analysis of electric fields in the RC of the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides using the intrinsic carbonyl groups of the pigments as vibrational reporters whose vibrational frequency shifts can be converted into electric fields based on the vibrational Stark effect and also provide Stark effect data for plant pigments that can be used in future studies. The carbonyl stretches of the isolated pigments show pronounced Stark effects. We use these data, solvatochromism, molecular dynamics simulations, and data in the literature from IR and Raman spectra to evaluate differences in fields at symmetry-related positions, in particular at the 9-keto and 2-acetyl positions of the pigments involved in primary charge separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Saggu
- Department of Chemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305-5080 , United States
| | - Stephen D Fried
- Department of Chemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305-5080 , United States
| | - Steven G Boxer
- Department of Chemistry , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305-5080 , United States
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50
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Krause BS, Kaufmann JCD, Kuhne J, Vierock J, Huber T, Sakmar TP, Gerwert K, Bartl FJ, Hegemann P. Tracking Pore Hydration in Channelrhodopsin by Site-Directed Infrared-Active Azido Probes. Biochemistry 2019; 58:1275-1286. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S. Krause
- Institut für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Joel C. D. Kaufmann
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institut für medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Kuhne
- Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Johannes Vierock
- Institut für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Huber
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Thomas P. Sakmar
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology & Signal Transduction, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division for Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels Allé 23, 141 57 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Klaus Gerwert
- Lehrstuhl für Biophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Franz J. Bartl
- Institut für Biologie, Biophysikalische Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Institut für medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institut für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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