Outer-sphere effects on reduction potentials of copper sites in proteins: the curious case of high potential type 2 C112D/M121E Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin

Systematic elucidation of the second coordination sphere effect on the structure and properties of a blue copper protein, pseudoazurin

The rational structural and computational studies of a blue copper protein, pseudoazurin (PAz), and its Met16X (X = Phe, Leu, Val, Ile) variants gave clear functional meanings of the noncovalent interaction (NCI) through the second coordination sphere. The high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of Met16X PAz demonstrated that the active site geometry is significantly affected by the substitution of Met16, which is located within the NCI distance from the His81 imidazole ring at the copper active site. The computational chemistry calculations based on the crystal structure analyses confirmed that the NCI of S-π/CH-π (wild-type), π-π (Met16Phe), double CH-π (Met16Leu), and single CH-π (Met16Val and Met16Ile). The estimated interaction energies for the NCI demonstrated that the fine-tuning of the protein stability and Cu site properties form the second coordination sphere of PAz.

Designing Artificial Metalloenzymes by Tuning of the Environment beyond the Primary Coordination Sphere

Metalloenzymes catalyze a variety of reactions using a limited number of natural amino acids and metallocofactors. Therefore, the environment beyond the primary coordination sphere must play an important role in both conferring and tuning their phenomenal catalytic properties, enabling active sites with otherwise similar primary coordination environments to perform a diverse array of biological functions. However, since the interactions beyond the primary coordination sphere are numerous and weak, it has been difficult to pinpoint structural features responsible for the tuning of activities of native enzymes. Designing artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) offers an excellent basis to elucidate the roles of these interactions and to further develop practical biological catalysts. In this review, we highlight how the secondary coordination spheres of ArMs influence metal binding and catalysis, with particular focus on the use of native protein scaffolds as templates for the design of ArMs by either rational design aided by computational modeling, directed evolution, or a combination of both approaches. In describing successes in designing heme, nonheme Fe, and Cu metalloenzymes, heteronuclear metalloenzymes containing heme, and those ArMs containing other metal centers (including those with non-native metal ions and metallocofactors), we have summarized insights gained on how careful controls of the interactions in the secondary coordination sphere, including hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions, allow the generation and tuning of these respective systems to approach, rival, and, in a few cases, exceed those of native enzymes. We have also provided an outlook on the remaining challenges in the field and future directions that will allow for a deeper understanding of the secondary coordination sphere a deeper understanding of the secondary coordintion sphere to be gained, and in turn to guide the design of a broader and more efficient variety of ArMs.

On the roles of methionine and the importance of its microenvironments in redox metalloproteins

The amino acid residue methionine (Met) is commonly thought of as a ligand in redox metalloproteins, for example in cytochromes c and in blue copper proteins. However, the roles of Met can go beyond a simple ligand. The thioether functional group of Met allows it to be considered as a hydrophobic residue as well as one that is capable of weak dipolar interactions. In addition, the lone pairs on sulphur allow Met to interact with other groups, inluding the aforementioned metal ions. Because of its properties, Met can play diverse roles in metal coordination, fine tuning of redox reactions, or supporting protein structures. These roles are strongly influenced by the nature of the surrounding medium. Herein, we describe several common interactions between Met and surrounding aromatic amino acids and how they affect the physical properties of both copper and iron metalloproteins. While the importance of interactions between Met and other groups is established in biological systems, less is known about their roles in redox metalloproteins and our view is that this is an area that is ready for greater attention.

Frustration Dynamics and Electron-Transfer Reorganization Energies in Wild-Type and Mutant Azurins

Long-range electron tunneling through metalloproteins is facilitated by evolutionary tuning of donor–acceptor electronic couplings, formal electrochemical potentials, and active-site reorganization energies. Although the minimal frustration of the folding landscape enables this tuning, residual frustration in the vicinity of the metallocofactor can allow conformational fluctuations required for protein function. We show here that the constrained copper site in wild-type azurin is governed by an intricate pattern of minimally frustrated local and distant interactions that together enable rapid electron flow to and from the protein. In contrast, sluggish electron transfer reactions (unfavorable reorganization energies) of active-site azurin variants are attributable to increased frustration near to as well as distant from the copper site, along with an exaggerated oxidation-state dependence of both minimally and highly frustrated interaction patterns.

Traversing the Red-Green-Blue Color Spectrum in Rationally Designed Cupredoxins

Blue copper proteins have a constrained Cu(II) geometry that has proven difficult to recapitulate outside native cupredoxin folds. Previous work has successfully designed green copper proteins which could be tuned blue using exogenous ligands, but the question of how one can create a self-contained blue copper site within a de novo scaffold, especially one removed from a cupredoxin fold, remained. We have recently reported a red copper protein site within a three helical bundle scaffold which we later revisited and determined to be a nitrosocyanin mimic, with a CuHis₂CysGlu binding site. We now report efforts to rationally design this construct toward either green or blue copper chromophores using mutation strategies that have proven successful in native cupredoxins. By rotating the metal binding site, we created a de novo green copper protein. This in turn was converted to a blue copper protein by removing an axial methionine. Following this rational sequence, we have successfully created red, green, and blue copper proteins within an alpha helical fold, enabling comparisons for the first time of their structure and function disconnected from the overall cupredoxin fold.

Controlling a burn: outer-sphere gating of hydroxylamine oxidation by a distal base in cytochrome P460

One amino acid makes the difference between a metalloenzyme and a metalloprotein in two otherwise effectively identical cytochrome P460s.

Ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) use the cytotoxic, energetic molecule hydroxylamine (NH₂OH) as a source of reducing equivalents for cellular respiration. Despite disproportionation or violent decomposition being typical outcomes of reactions of NH₂OH with iron, AOB and anammox heme P460 proteins including cytochrome (cyt) P460 and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) effect controlled, stepwise oxidation of NH₂OH to nitric oxide (NO). Curiously, a recently characterized cyt P460 variant from the AOB Nitrosomonas sp. AL212 is able to form all intermediates of cyt P460 catalysis, but is nevertheless incompetent for NH₂OH oxidation. We now show via site-directed mutagenesis, activity assays, spectroscopy, and structural biology that this lack of activity is attributable to the absence of a critical basic glutamate residue in the distal pocket above the heme P460 cofactor. This substitution is the only distinguishing characteristic of a protein that is otherwise effectively structurally and spectroscopically identical to an active variant. This highlights and reinforces a fundamental principal of metalloenzymology: metallocofactor inner-sphere geometric and electronic structures are in many cases insufficient for imbuing reactivity; a precisely defined outer coordination sphere contributed by the polypeptide matrix can be the key differentiator between a metalloenzyme and an unreactive metalloprotein.

Improving artificial metalloenzymes' activity by optimizing electron transfer

This feature article discusses the strategies to optimize electron transfer efficiency, towards enhancing the activity of artificial metalloenzymes.

Design and fine-tuning redox potentials of metalloproteins involved in electron transfer in bioenergetics

Redox potentials are a major contributor in controlling the electron transfer (ET) rates and thus regulating the ET processes in the bioenergetics. To maximize the efficiency of the ET process, one needs to master the art of tuning the redox potential, especially in metalloproteins, as they represent major classes of ET proteins. In this review, we first describe the importance of tuning the redox potential of ET centers and its role in regulating the ET in bioenergetic processes including photosynthesis and respiration. The main focus of this review is to summarize recent work in designing the ET centers, namely cupredoxins, cytochromes, and iron-sulfur proteins, and examples in design of protein networks involved these ET centers. We then discuss the factors that affect redox potentials of these ET centers including metal ion, the ligands to metal center and interactions beyond the primary ligand, especially non-covalent secondary coordination sphere interactions. We provide examples of strategies to fine-tune the redox potential using both natural and unnatural amino acids and native and nonnative cofactors. Several case studies are used to illustrate recent successes in this area. Outlooks for future endeavors are also provided. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics--the design and engineering of electronic transfer cofactors, proteins and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson.

Ligand coordination and spin crossover in a nickel porphyrin anchored to mesoporous TiO2 thin films

The coordination and spin equilibrium of a Ni(II) meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin compound, NiP, was quantified both in fluid solution and when anchored to mesoporous, nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films. This comparison provides insights into the relative rate constants for excited-state injection and ligand field population. In the presence of pyridine, the spectroscopic data were consistent with the presence of equilibrium concentrations of a 4-coordinate low-spin S = 0 ((1)A1g) Ni(II) compound and a high-spin S = 1 ((3)B1g) 6-coordinate compound. Temperature-dependent equilibrium constants were consistently smaller for the surface-anchored NiP/TiO2, as were the absolute values of ΔH and ΔS. In the presence of diethylamine (DEA), the ground-state 6-coordinate compound was absent, but evidence for it was present after pulsed light excitation of NiP. Arrhenius analysis of data, measured from -40 to -10 °C, revealed activation energies for ligand dissociation that were the same for the compound in fluid solution and anchored to TiO2, Ea = 6.6 kcal/mol, within experimental error. At higher temperatures, a significantly smaller activation energy of 3.5 kcal/mol was found for NiP(DEA)2/TiO2. A model is proposed wherein the TiO2 surface sterically hinders ligand coordination to NiP. The lack of excited-state electron transfer from Ni(II)P*/TiO2 indicates that internal conversion to ligand field states was at least 10 times greater than that of excited-state injection into TiO2.

A Euclidean Perspective on the Unfolding of Azurin: Spatial Correlations

We investigate the stability to structural perturbation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin using a previously developed geometric model. Our analysis considers Ru(2,2',6',2″-terpyridine)(1,10-phenanthroline)(His83)-labeled wild-type azurin and five variants with mutations to Cu-ligating residues. We find that in the early stages of unfolding, the β-strands exhibit the most structural stability. The conserved residues comprising the hydrophobic core are dislocated only after nearly complete unfolding of the β-barrel. Attachment of the Ru-complex at His83 does not destabilize the protein fold, despite causing some degree of structural rearrangement. Notably, replacing the Cys112 and/or Met121 Cu ligands does not affect the conformational integrity of the protein. Notably, these results are in accord with experimental evidence, as well as molecular dynamics simulations of the denaturation of azurin.

Azurin as a protein scaffold for a low-coordinate nonheme iron site with a small-molecule binding pocket

The apoprotein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin binds iron(II) to give a 1:1 complex, which has been characterized by electronic absorption, Mössbauer, and NMR spectroscopies, as well as X-ray crystallography and quantum-chemical computations. Despite potential competition by water and other coordinating residues, iron(II) binds tightly to the low-coordinate site. The iron(II) complex does not react with chemical redox agents to undergo oxidation or reduction. Spectroscopically calibrated quantum-chemical computations show that the complex has high-spin iron(II) in a pseudotetrahedral coordination environment, which features interactions with side chains of two histidines and a cysteine as well as the C═O of Gly45. In the (5)A(1) ground state, the d(z(2)) orbital is doubly occupied. Mutation of Met121 to Ala leaves the metal site in a similar environment but creates a pocket for reversible binding of small anions to the iron(II) center. Specifically, azide forms a high-spin iron(II) complex and cyanide forms a low-spin iron(II) complex.

Flexibility of the metal-binding region in apo-cupredoxins

Protein-mediated electron transfer is an essential event in many biochemical processes. Efficient electron transfer requires the reorganization energy of the redox event to be minimized, which is ensured by the presence of rigid donor and acceptor sites. Electron transfer copper sites are present in the ubiquitous cupredoxin fold, able to bind one or two copper ions. The low reorganization energy in these metal centers has been accounted for by assuming that the protein scaffold creates an entatic/rack-induced state, which gives rise to a rigid environment by means of a preformed metal chelating site. However, this notion is incompatible with the need for an exposed metal-binding site and protein-protein interactions enabling metallochaperone-mediated assembly of the copper site. Here we report an NMR study that reveals a high degree of structural heterogeneity in the metal-binding region of the nonmetallated Cu(A)-binding cupredoxin domain, arising from microsecond to second dynamics that are quenched upon metal binding. We also report similar dynamic features in apo-azurin, a paradigmatic blue copper protein, suggesting a general behavior. These findings reveal that the entatic/rack-induced state, governing the features of the metal center in the copper-loaded protein, does not require a preformed metal-binding site. Instead, metal binding is a major contributor to the rigidity of electron transfer copper centers. These results reconcile the seemingly contradictory requirements of a rigid, occluded center for electron transfer, and an accessible, dynamic site required for in vivo copper uptake.

Electron transfer reactivity of type zero Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin

Type zero copper is a hard-ligand analogue of the classical type 1 or blue site in copper proteins that function as electron transfer (ET) agents in photosynthesis and other biological processes. The EPR spectroscopic features of type zero Cu(II) are very similar to those of blue copper, although lacking the deep blue color, due to the absence of thiolate ligation. We have measured the rates of intramolecular ET from the pulse radiolytically generated C3-C26 disulfide radical anion to the Cu(II) in both type zero C112D/M121L and type 2 C112D Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurins in pH 7.0 aqueous solutions between 8 and 45 °C. We also have obtained rate/temperature (10-30 °C) profiles for ET reactions between these mutants and the wild-type azurin. Analysis of the rates and activation parameters for both intramolecular and intermolecular ET reactions indicates that the type zero copper reorganization energy falls in a range (0.9-1.1 eV) slightly above that for type 1 (0.7-0.8 eV), but substantially smaller than that for type 2 (>2 eV), consistent with XAS and EXAFS data that reveal minimal type zero site reorientation during redox cycling.