1
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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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2
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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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3
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Mammoser CC, LeMasters BE, Edwards SG, McRae EM, Mullins MH, Wang Y, Garcia NM, Edmonds KA, Giedroc DP, Thielges MC. The structure of plastocyanin tunes the midpoint potential by restricting axial ligation of the reduced copper ion. Commun Chem 2023; 6:175. [PMID: 37612467 PMCID: PMC10447441 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00977-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Blue copper proteins are models for illustrating how proteins tune metal properties. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which the protein controls the metal site remain to be fully elucidated. A hindrance is that the closed shell Cu(I) site is inaccessible to most spectroscopic analyses. Carbon deuterium (C-D) bonds used as vibrational probes afford nonperturbative, selective characterization of the key cysteine and methionine copper ligands in both redox states. The structural integrity of Nostoc plastocyanin was perturbed by disrupting potential hydrogen bonds between loops of the cupredoxin fold via mutagenesis (S9A, N33A, N34A), variably raising the midpoint potential. The C-D vibrations show little change to suggest substantial alteration to the Cu(II) coordination in the oxidized state or in the Cu(I) interaction with the cysteine ligand. They rather indicate, along with visible and NMR spectroscopy, that the methionine ligand distinctly interacts more strongly with the Cu(I) ion, in line with the increases in midpoint potential. Here we show that the protein structure determines the redox properties by restricting the interaction between the methionine ligand and Cu(I) in the reduced state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire C Mammoser
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Brynn E LeMasters
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sydney G Edwards
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Emma M McRae
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - M Hunter Mullins
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Yiqi Wang
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Nicholas M Garcia
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Katherine A Edmonds
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - David P Giedroc
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Indiana University Department of Chemistry, 800 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
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4
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Doyon TJ, Buller AR. Site-Selective Deuteration of Amino Acids through Dual-Protein Catalysis. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:7327-7336. [PMID: 35416652 PMCID: PMC10634506 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Deuterated amino acids have been recognized for their utility in drug development, for facilitating nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, and as probes for enzyme mechanism. Small molecule-based methods for the site-selective synthesis of deuterated amino acids typically involve de novo synthesis of the compound from deuterated precursors. In comparison, enzymatic methods for introducing deuterium offer improved efficiency, operating directly on free amino acids to achieve hydrogen-deuterium (H/D) exchange. However, site selectivity remains a significant challenge for enzyme-mediated deuteration, limiting access to desirable deuteration motifs. Here, we use enzyme-catalyzed deuteration, combined with steady-state kinetic analysis and ultraviolet (UV)-vis spectroscopy to probe the mechanism of a two-protein system responsible for the biosynthesis of l-allo-Ile. We show that an aminotransferase (DsaD) can pair with a small partner protein (DsaE) to catalyze Cα and Cβ H/D exchange of amino acids, while reactions without DsaE lead exclusively to Cα-deuteration. With conditions for improved catalysis, we evaluate the substrate scope for Cα/Cβ-deuteration and demonstrate the utility of this system for preparative-scale, selective labeling of amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J Doyon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Andrew R Buller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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5
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Adams ZC, Olson EJ, Lopez-Silva TL, Lian Z, Kim AY, Holcomb M, Zimmermann J, Adhikary R, Dawson PE. Direct observation of peptide hydrogel self-assembly. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10020-10028. [PMID: 36128231 PMCID: PMC9430618 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc06562a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The characterization of self-assembling molecules presents significant experimental challenges, especially when associated with phase separation or precipitation. Transparent window infrared (IR) spectroscopy leverages site-specific probes that absorb in the “transparent window” region of the biomolecular IR spectrum. Carbon–deuterium (C–D) bonds are especially compelling transparent window probes since they are non-perturbative, can be readily introduced site selectively into peptides and proteins, and their stretch frequencies are sensitive to changes in the local molecular environment. Importantly, IR spectroscopy can be applied to a wide range of molecular samples regardless of solubility or physical state, making it an ideal technique for addressing the solubility challenges presented by self-assembling molecules. Here, we present the first continuous observation of transparent window probes following stopped-flow initiation. To demonstrate utility in a self-assembling system, we selected the MAX1 peptide hydrogel, a biocompatible material that has significant promise for use in drug delivery and medical applications. C–D labeled valine was synthetically introduced into five distinct positions of the twenty-residue MAX1 β-hairpin peptide. Consistent with current structural models, steady-state IR absorption frequencies and linewidths of C–D bonds at all labeled positions indicate that these side chains occupy a hydrophobic region of the hydrogel and that the motion of side chains located in the middle of the hairpin is more restricted than those located on the hairpin ends. Following a rapid change in ionic strength to initiate self-assembly, the peptide absorption spectra were monitored as function of time, allowing determination of site-specific time constants. We find that within the experimental resolution, MAX1 self-assembly occurs as a cooperative process. These studies suggest that stopped-flow transparent window FTIR can be extended to other time-resolved applications, such as protein folding and enzyme kinetics. To facilitate the characterization of phase-transitioning molecules, site-specific non-perturbative infrared probes are leveraged for continuous observation of the self-assembly of fibrils in a peptide hydrogel following stopped-flow initiation.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë C. Adams
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Erika J. Olson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Tania L. Lopez-Silva
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Zhengwen Lian
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Audrey Y. Kim
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Matthew Holcomb
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA
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6
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Mammoser CC, Agh RE, Garcia NM, Wang Y, Thielges M. Altered coordination in a blue copper protein upon association with redox partner revealed by carbon-deuterium vibrational probes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:21588-21592. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03314c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Proteins tune the reactivity of metal sites; less understood is the impact of association with a redox partner. We demonstrate the utility of carbon-deuterium labels for selective analysis of delicate...
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7
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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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8
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Lang X, Welsher K. Mapping solvation heterogeneity in live cells by hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:174201. [PMID: 32384848 DOI: 10.1063/1.5141422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Water provides a dynamic matrix in which all biochemical processes occur in living organisms. The structure and dynamics of intracellular water constitute the cornerstone for understanding all aspects of cellular function. Fundamentally, direct visualization of subcellular solvation heterogeneity is essential but remains challenging with commonly used nuclear magnetic resonance methods due to poor spatial resolution. To explore this question, we demonstrate a vibrational-shift imaging approach by combining the spectral-focusing hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering technique with an environmentally sensitive nitrile probe. The sensing ability of a near-infrared nitrile-containing molecule is validated in the solution phase, microscopic droplets, and cellular environments. Finally, we quantitatively measure the subcellular solvation variance between the cytoplasm (29.5%, S.E. 1.8%) and the nucleus (57.3%, S.E. 1.0%), which is in good agreement with previous studies. This work sheds light on heterogeneous solvation in live systems using coherent Raman microscopy and opens up new avenues to explore environmental variance in complex systems with high spatiotemporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Lang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Kevin Welsher
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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9
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Baiz CR, Błasiak B, Bredenbeck J, Cho M, Choi JH, Corcelli SA, Dijkstra AG, Feng CJ, Garrett-Roe S, Ge NH, Hanson-Heine MWD, Hirst JD, Jansen TLC, Kwac K, Kubarych KJ, Londergan CH, Maekawa H, Reppert M, Saito S, Roy S, Skinner JL, Stock G, Straub JE, Thielges MC, Tominaga K, Tokmakoff A, Torii H, Wang L, Webb LJ, Zanni MT. Vibrational Spectroscopic Map, Vibrational Spectroscopy, and Intermolecular Interaction. Chem Rev 2020; 120:7152-7218. [PMID: 32598850 PMCID: PMC7710120 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational spectroscopy is an essential tool in chemical analyses, biological assays, and studies of functional materials. Over the past decade, various coherent nonlinear vibrational spectroscopic techniques have been developed and enabled researchers to study time-correlations of the fluctuating frequencies that are directly related to solute-solvent dynamics, dynamical changes in molecular conformations and local electrostatic environments, chemical and biochemical reactions, protein structural dynamics and functions, characteristic processes of functional materials, and so on. In order to gain incisive and quantitative information on the local electrostatic environment, molecular conformation, protein structure and interprotein contacts, ligand binding kinetics, and electric and optical properties of functional materials, a variety of vibrational probes have been developed and site-specifically incorporated into molecular, biological, and material systems for time-resolved vibrational spectroscopic investigation. However, still, an all-encompassing theory that describes the vibrational solvatochromism, electrochromism, and dynamic fluctuation of vibrational frequencies has not been completely established mainly due to the intrinsic complexity of intermolecular interactions in condensed phases. In particular, the amount of data obtained from the linear and nonlinear vibrational spectroscopic experiments has been rapidly increasing, but the lack of a quantitative method to interpret these measurements has been one major obstacle in broadening the applications of these methods. Among various theoretical models, one of the most successful approaches is a semiempirical model generally referred to as the vibrational spectroscopic map that is based on a rigorous theory of intermolecular interactions. Recently, genetic algorithm, neural network, and machine learning approaches have been applied to the development of vibrational solvatochromism theory. In this review, we provide comprehensive descriptions of the theoretical foundation and various examples showing its extraordinary successes in the interpretations of experimental observations. In addition, a brief introduction to a newly created repository Web site (http://frequencymap.org) for vibrational spectroscopic maps is presented. We anticipate that a combination of the vibrational frequency map approach and state-of-the-art multidimensional vibrational spectroscopy will be one of the most fruitful ways to study the structure and dynamics of chemical, biological, and functional molecular systems in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos R. Baiz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, U.S.A
| | - Bartosz Błasiak
- Department of Physical and Quantum Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jens Bredenbeck
- Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Ho Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Steven A. Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, U.S.A
| | - Arend G. Dijkstra
- School of Chemistry and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Chi-Jui Feng
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, U.S.A
| | - Sean Garrett-Roe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, U.S.A
| | - Nien-Hui Ge
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, U.S.A
| | - Magnus W. D. Hanson-Heine
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Jonathan D. Hirst
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Thomas L. C. Jansen
- University of Groningen, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kijeong Kwac
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kevin J. Kubarych
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, U.S.A
| | - Casey H. Londergan
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, U.S.A
| | - Hiroaki Maekawa
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2025, U.S.A
| | - Mike Reppert
- Chemical Physics Theory Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Shinji Saito
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, Myodaiji, Okazaki, 444-8585, Japan
| | - Santanu Roy
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6110, U.S.A
| | - James L. Skinner
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, U.S.A
| | - Gerhard Stock
- Biomolecular Dynamics, Institute of Physics, Albert Ludwigs University, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - John E. Straub
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, U.S.A
| | - Megan C. Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 East Kirkwood, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, U.S.A
| | - Keisuke Tominaga
- Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657-0013, Japan
| | - Andrei Tokmakoff
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, U.S.A
| | - Hajime Torii
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, and Department of Optoelectronics and Nanostructure Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1 Johoku, Naka-Ku, Hamamatsu 432-8561, Japan
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, U.S.A
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E. 24th Street, STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, U.S.A
| | - Martin T. Zanni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1396, U.S.A
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10
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11
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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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12
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Agarwal R, Smith MD, Smith JC. Capturing Deuteration Effects in a Molecular Mechanics Force Field: Deuterated THF and the THF-Water Miscibility Gap. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:2529-2540. [PMID: 32175738 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b01138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deuteration is a common chemical modification used in conjunction with experiments such as neutron scattering, NMR, and Fourier-transform infrared for the study of molecular systems. Under the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation, while the underlying potential energy surface remains unchanged by isotopic substitutions, isotopic substitution still alters intramolecular vibrations, which in turn may alter intermolecular interactions. Molecular mechanics (MM) force fields used in classical molecular dynamics simulations are assumed to represent local approximations of the BO potential energy surfaces, and hence, MD simulations using simple isotopic mass substitutions should capture BO-compatible isotope effects. However, standard MM force-field parameterizations do not directly fit to the local harmonic quantum mechanical (QM) Hessian that describes the BO surface, but rather to QM normal-modes and/or mass-dependent internal-coordinate derived distortion energies. Here, using tetrahydrofuran (THF)-water mixtures as our model system, we show that not only does a simple mass-substitution approach fail to capture an experimentally characterized deuteration effect (the loss of the closed-loop miscibility gap associated with the complete deuteration of THF) but also it is necessary to generate new MM force-field parameters that correctly describe isotopic dependent vibrations to capture the experimental deuteration effect. We show that the origin of this failure is a result of using mass-dependent features to fit the THF MM force field, which unintentionally biases the bonded terms of the force field to represent only the isotopologue used during the original force-field parameterization. In addition, we make use of our isotopologue-corrected force field for D8THF to examine the molecular origins of the isotope-dependent loss of the THF-water miscibility gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Agarwal
- UT/ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6309, United States.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Micholas Dean Smith
- UT/ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6309, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Jeremy C Smith
- UT/ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6309, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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13
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Bukowski GS, Horness RE, Thielges MC. Involvement of Local, Rapid Conformational Dynamics in Binding of Flexible Recognition Motifs. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:8387-8396. [PMID: 31535866 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Flexible protein sequences populate ensembles of rapidly interconverting states differentiated by small-scale fluctuations; however, elucidating whether and how the ensembles determine function experimentally is challenged by the combined high spatial and temporal resolution needed to capture the states. We used carbon-deuterium (C-D) bond vibrations incorporated as infrared probes to characterize with residue-specific detail the heterogeneity of states adopted by proline-rich (PR) sequences and assess their involvement in recognition of Src homology 3 domains. The C-D absorption envelopes provided evidence for two or three sub-populations at all proline residues. The changes in the subpopulations induced by binding generally reflected recognition by conformational selection but depended on the residue and the state of the ligand to illuminate distinct mechanisms among the PR ligands. Notably, the spectral data indicate that greater adaptability among the states is associated with reduced recognition specificity and that perturbation to the ensemble populations contributes to differences in binding entropy. Broadly, the study quantifies rapidly interconverting ensembles with residue-specific detail and implicates them in function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S Bukowski
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University, Bloomington , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Rachel E Horness
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University, Bloomington , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Department of Chemistry , Indiana University, Bloomington , Bloomington , Indiana 47405 , United States
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14
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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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15
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pKa Determination of a Histidine Residue in a Short Peptide Using Raman Spectroscopy. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24030405. [PMID: 30678032 PMCID: PMC6385126 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24030405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the pKa of key functional groups is critical to understanding the pH-dependent behavior of biological proteins and peptide-based biomaterials. Traditionally, 1H NMR spectroscopy has been used to determine the pKa of amino acids; however, for larger molecules and aggregating systems, this method can be practically impossible. Previous studies concluded that the C-D stretches in Raman are a useful alternative for determining the pKa of histidine residues. In this study, we report on the Raman application of the C2-D probe on histidine’s imidazole side chain to determining the pKa of histidine in a short peptide sequence. The pKa of the tripeptide was found via difference Raman spectroscopy to be 6.82, and this value was independently confirmed via 1H NMR spectroscopy on the same peptide. The C2-D probe was also compared to other Raman reporters of the protonation state of histidine and was determined to be more sensitive and reliable than other protonation-dependent signals. The C2-D Raman probe expands the tool box available to chemists interested in directly interrogating the pKa’s of histidine-containing peptide and protein systems.
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16
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Adhikary R, Tan YX, Liu J, Zimmermann J, Holcomb M, Yvellez C, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Conformational Heterogeneity and DNA Recognition by the Morphogen Bicoid. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2787-2793. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yun Xuan Tan
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Matthew Holcomb
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Carolyn Yvellez
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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17
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Loveridge EJ, Hroch L, Hughes RL, Williams T, Davies RL, Angelastro A, Luk LYP, Maglia G, Allemann RK. Reduction of Folate by Dihydrofolate Reductase from Thermotoga maritima. Biochemistry 2017; 56:1879-1886. [PMID: 28319664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b01268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian dihydrofolate reductases (DHFRs) catalyze the reduction of folate more efficiently than the equivalent bacterial enzymes do, despite typically having similar efficiencies for the reduction of their natural substrate, dihydrofolate. In contrast, we show here that DHFR from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima can catalyze reduction of folate to tetrahydrofolate with an efficiency similar to that of reduction of dihydrofolate under saturating conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry experiments showed no evidence of the production of free dihydrofolate during either the EcDHFR- or TmDHFR-catalyzed reductions of folate, suggesting that both enzymes perform the two reduction steps without release of the partially reduced substrate. Our results imply that the reaction proceeds more efficiently in TmDHFR than in EcDHFR because the more open active site of TmDHFR facilitates protonation of folate. Because T. maritima lives under extreme conditions where tetrahydrofolate is particularly prone to oxidation, this ability to salvage folate may impart an advantage to the bacterium by minimizing the squandering of a valuable cofactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Joel Loveridge
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K.,Department of Chemistry, Swansea University , Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, U.K
| | - Lukas Hroch
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Control, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove, Charles University in Prague , Akademika Heyrovskeho 1203, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Robert L Hughes
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K
| | - Thomas Williams
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K
| | - Rhidian L Davies
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K
| | - Antonio Angelastro
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K
| | - Louis Y P Luk
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K
| | - Giovanni Maglia
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K
| | - Rudolf K Allemann
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, U.K.,School of Chemical Sciences, University of Birmingham , Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K
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18
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Völler JS, Biava H, Hildebrandt P, Budisa N. An expanded genetic code for probing the role of electrostatics in enzyme catalysis by vibrational Stark spectroscopy. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:3053-3059. [PMID: 28229928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To find experimental validation for electrostatic interactions essential for catalytic reactions represents a challenge due to practical limitations in assessing electric fields within protein structures. SCOPE OF REVIEW This review examines the applications of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) as genetically encoded probes for studying the role of electrostatic interactions in enzyme catalysis. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS ncAAs constitute sensitive spectroscopic probes to detect local electric fields by exploiting the vibrational Stark effect (VSE) and thus have the potential to map the protein electrostatics. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Mapping the electrostatics in proteins will improve our understanding of natural catalytic processes and, in beyond, will be helpful for biocatalyst engineering. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Stefan Völler
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hernan Biava
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, D-10623 Berlin, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Hildebrandt
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
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19
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Adhikary R, Zimmermann J, Romesberg FE. Transparent Window Vibrational Probes for the Characterization of Proteins With High Structural and Temporal Resolution. Chem Rev 2017; 117:1927-1969. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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20
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Luk LYP, Loveridge EJ, Allemann RK. Protein motions and dynamic effects in enzyme catalysis. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 17:30817-27. [PMID: 25854702 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp00794a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of protein motions in promoting the chemical step of enzyme catalysed reactions remains a subject of considerable debate. Here, a unified view of the role of protein dynamics in dihydrofolate reductase catalysis is described. Recently the role of such motions has been investigated by characterising the biophysical properties of isotopically substituted enzymes through a combination of experimental and computational analyses. Together with previous work, these results suggest that dynamic coupling to the chemical coordinate is detrimental to catalysis and may have been selected against during DHFR evolution. The full catalytic power of Nature's catalysts appears to depend on finely tuning protein motions in each step of the catalytic cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Y P Luk
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
| | - E Joel Loveridge
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
| | - Rudolf K Allemann
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK.
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21
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Le Sueur AL, Schaugaard RN, Baik MH, Thielges MC. Methionine Ligand Interaction in a Blue Copper Protein Characterized by Site-Selective Infrared Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:7187-93. [PMID: 27164303 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b03916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The reactivity of metal sites in proteins is tuned by protein-based ligands. For example, in blue copper proteins such as plastocyanin (Pc), the structure imparts a highly elongated bond between the Cu and a methionine (Met) axial ligand to modulate its redox properties. Despite extensive study, a complete understanding of the contribution of the protein to redox activity is challenged by experimentally accessing both redox states of metalloproteins. Using infrared (IR) spectroscopy in combination with site-selective labeling with carbon-deuterium (C-D) vibrational probes, we characterized the localized changes at the Cu ligand Met97 in the oxidized and reduced states, as well as the Zn(II) or Co(II)-substituted, the pH-induced low-coordinate, the apoprotein, and the unfolded states. The IR absorptions of (d3-methyl)Met97 are highly sensitive to interaction of the sulfur-based orbitals with the metal center and are demonstrated to be useful reporters of its modulation in the different states. Unrestricted Kohn-Sham density functional theory calculations performed on a model of the Cu site of Pc confirm the observed dependence. IR spectroscopy was then applied to characterize the impact of binding to the physiological redox partner cytochrome (cyt) f. The spectral changes suggest a slightly stronger Cu-S(Met97) interaction in the complex with cyt f that has potential to modulate the electron transfer properties. Besides providing direct, molecular-level comparison of the oxidized and reduced states of Pc from the perspective of the axial Met ligand and evidence for perturbation of the Cu site properties by redox partner binding, this study demonstrates the localized spatial information afforded by IR spectroscopy of selectively incorporated C-D probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Le Sueur
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Richard N Schaugaard
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Mu-Hyun Baik
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Megan C Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University , 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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22
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Deb P, Haldar T, Kashid SM, Banerjee S, Chakrabarty S, Bagchi S. Correlating Nitrile IR Frequencies to Local Electrostatics Quantifies Noncovalent Interactions of Peptides and Proteins. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:4034-46. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b02732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pranab Deb
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Tapas Haldar
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Somnath M Kashid
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Subhrashis Banerjee
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Suman Chakrabarty
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
| | - Sayan Bagchi
- Physical and Materials Chemistry
Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411008, India
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23
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Wilson PB, Williams IH. Influence of Equatorial CH⋅⋅⋅O Interactions on Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects for Methyl Transfer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016; 55:3192-5. [PMID: 26823274 PMCID: PMC4770435 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201511708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
DFT calculations for methyl cation complexed within a constrained cage of water molecules permit the controlled manipulation of the "axial" donor/acceptor distance and the "equatorial" distance to hydrogen-bond acceptors. The kinetic isotope effect k(CH3)/k(CT3) for methyl transfer within a cage with a short axial distance becomes less inverse for shorter equatorial C⋅⋅⋅O distances: a decrease of 0.5 Å results in a 3 % increase at 298 K. Kinetic isotope effects in AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases may be m∧odulated by CH⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonding, and factors other than axial compression may contribute, at least partially, to recently reported isotope-effect variations for catechol-O-methyltransferase and its mutant structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian H Williams
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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24
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Wilson PB, Williams IH. Influence of Equatorial CH⋅⋅⋅O Interactions on Secondary Kinetic Isotope Effects for Methyl Transfer. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201511708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian H. Williams
- Department of Chemistry; University of Bath; Bath BA2 7AY UK
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25
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Carbon-deuterium bonds as non-perturbative infrared probes of protein dynamics, electrostatics, heterogeneity, and folding. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1084:101-19. [PMID: 24061918 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-658-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Vibrational spectroscopy is uniquely able to characterize protein dynamics and microenvironmental heterogeneity because it possesses an inherently high temporal resolution and employs probes of ultimately high structural resolution-the bonds themselves. The use of carbon-deuterium (C-D) bonds as vibrational labels circumvents the spectral congestion that otherwise precludes the use of vibrational spectroscopy to proteins and makes the observation of single vibrations within a protein possible while being wholly non-perturbative. Thus, C-D probes can be used to site-specifically characterize conformational heterogeneity and thermodynamic stability. C-D probes are also uniquely useful in characterizing the electrostatic microenvironment experienced by a specific residue side chain or backbone due to its effect on the C-D absorption frequency. In this chapter we describe the experimental procedures required to use C-D bonds and FT IR spectroscopy to characterize protein dynamics, structural and electrostatic heterogeneity, ligand binding, and folding.
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26
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Adhikary R, Zimmermann J, Liu J, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Experimental characterization of electrostatic and conformational heterogeneity in an SH3 domain. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:13082-9. [PMID: 23834285 DOI: 10.1021/jp402772x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Electrostatic and conformational heterogeneity make central contributions to protein function, but their experimental characterization requires a combination of spatial and temporal resolution that is challenging to achieve. Src homology 3 (SH3) domains mediate protein-protein interactions, and NMR studies have demonstrated that most possess conformational heterogeneity, which could be critical for their function. Here, we use the IR absorptions of carbon-deuterium (C-D) bonds site-selectively incorporated throughout the N-terminal SH3 domain from the murine adapter protein Crk-II to characterize its different microenvironments with high spatial and temporal resolution. The C-D absorptions are only differentiated in the folded state of the protein where they show evidence of significant environmental heterogeneity. However, the spectra of the folded state are independent of temperature, and upon thermal denaturation the protein undergoes a single, global unfolding transition. While some evidence of conformational heterogeneity is found within the peptide backbone, the majority of the environmental heterogeneity appears to result from electrostatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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27
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Kim H, Cho M. Infrared Probes for Studying the Structure and Dynamics of Biomolecules. Chem Rev 2013; 113:5817-47. [DOI: 10.1021/cr3005185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heejae Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea
- Multidimensional Spectroscopy Laboratory, Korea Basic Science Institute,
Seoul 136-713, Korea
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28
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Hoffman KW, Romei MG, Londergan CH. A New Raman Spectroscopic Probe of Both the Protonation State and Noncovalent Interactions of Histidine Residues. J Phys Chem A 2013; 117:5987-96. [DOI: 10.1021/jp311815k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin W. Hoffman
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, United
States
| | - Matthew G. Romei
- 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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29
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Lee H, Choi JH, Cho M. Vibrational solvatochromism and electrochromism. II. Multipole analysis. J Chem Phys 2013; 137:114307. [PMID: 22998262 DOI: 10.1063/1.4751477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Small infrared probe molecules have been widely used to study local electrostatic environment in solutions and proteins. Using a variety of time- and frequency-resolved vibrational spectroscopic methods, one can accurately measure the solvation-induced vibrational frequency shifts and the timescales and amplitudes of frequency fluctuations of such IR probes. Since the corresponding frequency shifts are directly related to the local electric field and its spatial derivatives of the surrounding solvent molecules or amino acids in proteins, one can extract information on local electric field around an IR probe directly from the vibrational spectroscopic results. Here, we show that, carrying out a multipole analysis of the solvatochromic frequency shift, the solvatochromic dipole contribution to the frequency shift is not always the dominant factor. In the cases of the nitrile-, thiocyanato-, and azido-derivatized molecules, the solvatochromic quadrupole contributions to the corresponding stretch mode frequency shifts are particularly large and often comparable to the solvatochromic dipole contributions. Noting that the higher multipole moment-solvent electric field interactions are short range effects in comparison to the dipole interaction, the H-bonding interaction-induced vibrational frequency shift can be caused by such short-range multipole-field interaction effects. We anticipate that the present multipole analysis method specifically developed to describe the solvatochromic vibrational frequency shifts will be useful to understand the intermolecular interaction-induced vibrational property changes and to find out a relationship between vibrational solvatochromism and electrochromism of IR probes in condensed phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hochan Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, South Korea
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30
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Terranova ZL, Corcelli SA. Monitoring Intramolecular Proton Transfer with Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy: A Computational Prediction. J Phys Chem Lett 2012; 3:1842-1846. [PMID: 26291870 DOI: 10.1021/jz300714t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Proton transfer processes are ubiquitous and play a vital role in a broad range of chemical and biochemical phenomena. The ability of two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy with a carbon-deuterium (C-D) reporter to monitor the kinetics of proton transfer in the model compound malonaldehyde was demonstrated computationally. One of the two carbonyl/enol carbon atoms in malonaldehyde was labeled with a C-D bond. The C-D stretch vibrational frequency provides ∼150 cm(-1) of sensitivity to the two tautomers of malonaldehyde. Mixed quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations employing the self-consistent-charge density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method were used to compute 2D IR line shapes for the C-D stretch of labeled malonaldehyde in aqueous solution. The 2D IR spectra reveal cross peaks from the chemical exchange of the proton. The kinetics for the growth of the cross-peaks (and the decay of the diagonal peaks) precisely match the proton transfer rate observed in the SCC-DFTB simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z L Terranova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - S A Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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31
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Weikl TR, Boehr DD. Conformational selection and induced changes along the catalytic cycle of Escherichia coli
dihydrofolate reductase. Proteins 2012; 80:2369-83. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.24123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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32
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Yu W, Dawson PE, Zimmermann J, Romesberg FE. Carbon-deuterium bonds as probes of protein thermal unfolding. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:6397-403. [PMID: 22625650 DOI: 10.1021/jp303521t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We report a residue-specific characterization of the thermal unfolding mechanism of ferric horse heart cytochrome c using C-D bonds site-specifically incorporated at residues dispersed throughout three different structural elements within the protein. As the temperature increases, Met80 first dissociates from the heme center, and the protein populates a folding intermediate before transitioning to a solvent exposed state. With further increases in temperature, the C-terminal helix frays and then loses structure along with the core of the protein. Interestingly, the data also reveal that the state populated at high temperature retains some structure and possibly represents a molten globule. Elucidation of the detailed unfolding mechanism and the structure of the associated molten globule, both of which represent challenges to conventional techniques, highlights the utility of the C-D technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Yu
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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33
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Stafford AJ, Walker DM, Webb LJ. Electrostatic effects of mutations of Ras glutamine 61 measured using vibrational spectroscopy of a thiocyanate probe. Biochemistry 2012; 51:2757-67. [PMID: 22385209 DOI: 10.1021/bi201225p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of human oncoprotein p21(Ras) (hereafter Ras) at glutamine 61 are known to slow the rate of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis and transform healthy cells into malignant cells. It has been hypothesized that this glutamine plays a role in the intrinsic mechanism of GTP hydrolysis by interacting with an active site water molecule that electrostatically stabilizes the formation of the charged transition state at the γ-phosphate during hydrolysis. We have tested the interactions between amino acids at this position and water by measuring changes in the electrostatic field experienced by a nitrile probe positioned near Ras Q61 using vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy. We mutated this glutamine to every amino acid except cysteine and proline and then incubated these mutants with a Ral guanine nucleotide dissociation stimulator (Ral) containing the I18C mutation that was chemically labeled with a thiocyanate vibrational spectroscopic probe. The formation of the docked Ras Q61X-labeled Ral complex was confirmed by measurement of the dissociation constant of the interaction. We measured the absorption energy of this nitrile to determine any differences in electrostatic environment in the immediate vicinity of the thiocyanate probe between wild type and mutants of Ras. For each Ras Q61X mutant, we correlate the change in electrostatic field at position 61 with the solvent accessible surface area of polar components of the mutant side chain determined from a Boltzmann-weighted ensemble of structures, as well as the residue's hydration potential. These results support the hypothesis that the role of Ras Q61 is to stabilize water in or near the active site during GTP hydrolysis. The substantial effect that nonpolar side chains of Ras Q61X have on the absorption energy of the thiocyanate must be investigated with further experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Stafford
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, and Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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34
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Hickert AS, Durgan AC, Patton DA, Blake SA, Cremeens ME. A B3LYP investigation of the conformational and environmental sensitivity of carbon–deuterium frequencies of aryl-perdeuterated phenylalanine and tryptophan. Theor Chem Acc 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00214-011-1050-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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35
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Waegele MM, Culik RM, Gai F. Site-Specific Spectroscopic Reporters of the Local Electric Field, Hydration, Structure, and Dynamics of Biomolecules. J Phys Chem Lett 2011; 2:2598-2609. [PMID: 22003429 PMCID: PMC3192500 DOI: 10.1021/jz201161b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of protein folding and function is a very exciting and active research area, but poses significant challenges. This is due in part to the fact that existing experimental techniques are incapable of capturing snapshots along the 'reaction coordinate' in question with both sufficient spatial and temporal resolutions. In this regard, recent years have seen increased interests and efforts in development and employment of site-specific probes to enhance the structural sensitivity of spectroscopic techniques in conformational and dynamical studies of biological molecules. In particular, the spectroscopic and chemical properties of nitriles, thiocyanates, and azides render these groups attractive for the interrogation of complex biochemical constructs and processes. Here, we review their signatures in vibrational, fluorescence and NMR spectra and their utility in the context of elucidating chemical structure and dynamics of protein and DNA molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng Gai
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Phone: 215-573-6256; Fax: 215-573-2112
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36
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Dutta S, Rock W, Cook RJ, Kohen A, Cheatum CM. Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy of azido-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide in water. J Chem Phys 2011; 135:055106. [PMID: 21823737 PMCID: PMC3162616 DOI: 10.1063/1.3623418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mid-IR active analogs of enzyme cofactors have the potential to be important spectroscopic reporters of enzyme active site dynamics. Azido-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)), which has been recently synthesized in our laboratory, is a mid-IR active analog of NAD(+), a ubiquitous redox cofactor in biology. In this study, we measure the frequency-frequency time correlation function for the antisymmetric stretching vibration of the azido group of azido-NAD(+) in water. Our results are consistent with previous studies of pseudohalides in water. We conclude that azido-NAD(+) is sensitive to local environmental fluctuations, which, in water, are dominated by hydrogen-bond dynamics of the water molecules around the probe. Our results demonstrate the potential of azido-NAD(+) as a vibrational probe and illustrate the potential of substituted NAD(+)-analogs as reporters of local structural dynamics that could be used for studies of protein dynamics in NAD-dependent enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samrat Dutta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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37
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Zimmermann J, Thielges MC, Seo YJ, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Cyano Groups as Probes of Protein Microenvironments and Dynamics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201101016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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38
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Zimmermann J, Thielges MC, Seo YJ, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Cyano groups as probes of protein microenvironments and dynamics. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011; 50:8333-7. [PMID: 21780257 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201101016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 03/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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39
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Loveridge EJ, Allemann RK. Effect of pH on hydride transfer by Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. Chembiochem 2011; 12:1258-62. [PMID: 21506230 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) on hydride transfer in the reaction catalysed by dihydrofolate reductase from Escherichia coli (EcDHFR) is known to be temperature dependent at pH 7, but essentially independent of temperature at elevated pH. Here, we show that the transition from the temperature-dependent regime to the temperature-independent regime occurs sharply between pH 7.5 and 8. The activation energy for hydride transfer is independent of pH. The mechanism leading to the change in behaviour of the KIEs is not clear, but probably involves a conformational change in the enzyme brought about by deprotonation of a key residue (or residues) at high pH. The KIE on hydride transfer at low pH suggests that the rate constant for the reaction is not limited by a conformational change to the enzyme under these conditions. The effect of pH on the temperature dependence of the rate constants and KIEs for hydride transfer catalysed by EcDHFR suggests that enzyme motions and conformational changes do not directly influence the chemistry, but that the reaction conditions affect the conformational ensemble of the enzyme prior to reaction and control the reaction though this route.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Joel Loveridge
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, UK
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40
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Nydegger MW, Rock W, Cheatum CM. 2D IR Spectroscopy of the C–D stretching vibration of the deuterated formic acid dimer. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2011; 13:6098-104. [DOI: 10.1039/c0cp01087a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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41
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Abstract
Three different nitrile-containing amino acids, p-cyanophenylalanine, m-cyanophenylalanine, and S-cyanohomocysteine, have been introduced near the active site of the semisynthetic enzyme ribonuclease S (RNase S) to serve as probes of electrostatic fields. Vibrational Stark spectra, measured directly on the probe-modified proteins, confirm the predominance of the linear Stark tuning rate in describing the sensitivity of the nitrile stretch to external electric fields, a necessary property for interpreting observed frequency shifts as a quantitative measure of local electric fields that can be compared with simulations. The X-ray structures of these nitrile-modified RNase variants and enzymatic assays demonstrate minimal perturbation to the structure and function, respectively, by the probes and provide a context for understanding the influence of the environment on the nitrile stretching frequency. We examine the ability of simulation techniques to recapitulate the spectroscopic properties of these nitriles as a means to directly test a computational electrostatic model for proteins, specifically that in the ubiquitous Amber-99 force field. Although qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is observed for the largest shifts, substantial discrepancies are observed in some cases, highlighting the ongoing need for experimental metrics to inform the development of theoretical models of electrostatic fields in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Fafarman
- Department of Chemistry Stanford University Stanford, California 94305-5080
| | - Steven G. Boxer
- Department of Chemistry Stanford University Stanford, California 94305-5080
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42
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Fafarman AT, Sigala PA, Herschlag D, Boxer SG. Decomposition of vibrational shifts of nitriles into electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding effects. J Am Chem Soc 2010; 132:12811-3. [PMID: 20806897 PMCID: PMC2943212 DOI: 10.1021/ja104573b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Infrared (IR) band shifts of isolated vibrational transitions can serve as quantitative and directional probes of local electrostatic fields, due to the vibrational Stark effect. However, departures from the Stark model can arise when the probe participates in specific, chemical interactions, such as direct hydrogen bonding. We present a method to identify and correct for these departures based on comparison of (13)C NMR chemical shifts and IR frequencies each calibrated in turn by a solvatochromic model. We demonstrate how the tandem use of these experimental observables can be applied to a thiocyanate-modified protein, ketosteroid isomerase, and show, by comparison to structural models, that changes in electrostatic field can be measured within the complex protein environment even in the background of direct hydrogen bonding to the probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T Fafarman
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, USA
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43
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Edelstein L, Stetz MA, McMahon HA, Londergan CH. The effects of alpha-helical structure and cyanylated cysteine on each other. J Phys Chem B 2010; 114:4931-6. [PMID: 20297787 PMCID: PMC2851192 DOI: 10.1021/jp101447r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
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β-Thiocyanatoalanine, or cyanylated cysteine, is an artificial amino acid that can be introduced at solvent-exposed cysteine residues in proteins via chemical modification. Its facile post-translational synthesis means that it may find broad use in large protein systems as a probe of site-specific structure and dynamics. The C≡N stretching vibration of this artificial side chain provides an isolated infrared chromophore. To test both the perturbative effect of this side chain on local secondary structure and its sensitivity to structural changes, three variants of a model water-soluble alanine-repeat helix were synthesized containing cyanylated cysteine at different sites. The cyanylated cysteine side chain is shown to destabilize, but not completely disrupt, the helical structure of the folded peptide when substituted for alanine. In addition, the C≡N stretching bandwidth of the artificial side chain is sensitive to the helix−coil structural transition. These model system results indicate that cyanylated cysteine can be placed into protein sequences with a native helical propensity without destroying the helix, and further that the CN probe may be able to report local helix formation events even when it is water-exposed in both the ordered and disordered conformational states. These results indicate that cyanylated cysteine could be a widely useful probe of structure-forming events in proteins with large in vitro structural distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Edelstein
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041-1392, USA
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44
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Miller CS, Corcelli SA. Carbon−Deuterium Vibrational Probes of the Protonation State of Histidine in the Gas-Phase and in Aqueous Solution. J Phys Chem B 2010; 114:8565-73. [DOI: 10.1021/jp1028596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. S. Miller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - S. A. Corcelli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
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45
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Zimmermann J, Gundogdu K, Cremeens ME, Bandaria JN, Hwang GT, Thielges MC, Cheatum CM, Romesberg FE. Efforts toward developing probes of protein dynamics: vibrational dephasing and relaxation of carbon-deuterium stretching modes in deuterated leucine. J Phys Chem B 2009; 113:7991-4. [PMID: 19441845 DOI: 10.1021/jp900516c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The spectral position of C-D stretching absorptions in the so-called "transparent window" of protein absorption (1800-2300 cm(-1)) makes them well suited as probes of protein dynamics with high temporal and structural resolution. We have previously incorporated single deuterated amino acids into proteins to site-selectively follow protein folding and ligand binding by steady-state FT IR spectroscopy. Ultimately, our goal is to use C-D bonds as probes in time-resolved IR spectroscopy to study dynamics and intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in proteins. As a step toward this goal, we now present the first time-resolved experiments characterizing the population and dephasing dynamics of selectively excited C-D bonds in a deuterated amino acid. Three differently deuterated, Boc-protected leucines were selected to systematically alter the number of additional C-D bonds that may mediate IVR out of the initially populated bright C-D stretching mode. Three-pulse photon echo experiments show that the steady-state C-D absorption linewidths are broadened by both homogeneous and inhomogeneous effects, and transient grating experiments reveal that IVR occurs on a subpicosecond time scale and is nonstatistical. The results have important implications for the interpretation of steady-state C-D spectra and demonstrate the potential utility of C-D bonds as probes of dynamics and IVR within a protein.
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46
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Cremeens ME, Zimmermann J, Yu W, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. Direct observation of structural heterogeneity in a beta-sheet. J Am Chem Soc 2009; 131:5726-7. [PMID: 19351132 DOI: 10.1021/ja900505e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Structural heterogeneity is thought to be inherent in many proteins and may be important for their folding and/or function. However, it is difficult to detect by conventional methods. Carbon-deuterium bonds are environmentally sensitive, nonperturbative probes of protein environments whose observation and characterization are facilitated by their unique stretching absorption frequency in an otherwise unobscured region of the IR spectrum. We demonstrate that deuterium atoms incorporated at C(alpha) backbone positions (C(alpha)-D bonds) are sensitive to the local backbone structure and thus may be used not only to detect structural heterogeneity but also to help characterize it structurally. Density functional theory calculations are used to predict that C(alpha)-D bonds of glycine are sensitive to their local structure, with the absorptions red-shifted for an extended beta-sheet relative to gamma- and alpha-helix-like turns. These predictions are confirmed using the N-terminal Src homology 3 (nSH3) domain from the human CrkII adaptor protein, whose function as a signaling domain may require structural heterogeneity. Four nSH3 variants were synthesized in which individual glycine residues were site-specifically modified with C(alpha)D(2) glycine residues. Not only were the C(alpha)-D bonds incorporated within the beta-sheet of nSH3 more red-shifted than those incorporated within loops, but the data also reveal that nSH3 populates at least two discrete beta-sheet core structures. Moreover, the data suggest that the folded core of nSH3 may be less ordered than previously believed and also that the unfolded state may be more ordered than previously thought, and both of these factors may influence the folding and function of these important signaling domains. The C-D-based IR technique should be generally useful in the characterization of structure and heterogeneity of both folded and unfolded states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Cremeens
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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47
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Groff D, Thielges MC, Cellitti S, Schultz PG, Romesberg FE. Efforts toward the direct experimental characterization of enzyme microenvironments: tyrosine100 in dihydrofolate reductase. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2009; 48:3478-81. [PMID: 19347910 DOI: 10.1002/anie.200806239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
State secrets: Site-specific deuteration and FTIR studies reveal that Tyr100 in dihydrofolate reductase plays an important role in catalysis, with a strong electrostatic coupling occurring between Tyr100 and the charge that develops in the hydride-transfer transition state (see picture, NADP(+) purple, Tyr100 green). However, relaying correlated motions that facilitate catalysis from distal sites of the protein to the hydride donor may also be involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Groff
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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48
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Groff D, Thielges M, Cellitti S, Schultz P, Romesberg F. Efforts Toward the Direct Experimental Characterization of Enzyme Microenvironments: Tyrosine100 in Dihydrofolate Reductase. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2009. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.200806239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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49
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Thielges MC, Zimmermann J, Dawson PE, Romesberg FE. The determinants of stability and folding in evolutionarily diverged cytochromes c. J Mol Biol 2009; 388:159-67. [PMID: 19268474 PMCID: PMC2990880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.02.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2008] [Revised: 01/25/2009] [Accepted: 02/24/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome c has served as a paradigm for the study of protein stability, folding, and molecular evolution, but it remains unclear how these aspects of the protein are related. For example, while the bovine and equine cytochromes c are known to have different stabilities, and possibly different folding mechanisms, it is not known how these differences arise from just three amino acid substitutions introduced during divergence. Using site-selectively incorporated carbon-deuterium bonds, we show that like the equine protein, bovine cytochrome c is induced to unfold by guanidine hydrochloride via a stepwise mechanism, but it does not populate an intermediate as is observed with the equine protein. The increased stability also results in more similar free energies of unfolding observed at different sites within the protein, giving the appearance of a more concerted mechanism. Furthermore, we show that the differences in stability and folding appear to result from a single amino acid substitution that stabilizes a helix by allowing for increased solvation of its N-terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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50
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Thielges MC, Zimmermann J, Romesberg FE. Direct Observation of Ligand Dynamics in Cytochrome c. J Am Chem Soc 2009; 131:6054-5. [DOI: 10.1021/ja810155s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037
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