1
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Kurle-Tucholski P, Wiebeler C, Köhler L, Qin R, Zhao Z, Šimėnas M, Pöppl A, Matysik J. Red Shift in the Absorption Spectrum of Phototropin LOV1 upon the Formation of a Semiquinone Radical: Reconstructing the Orbital Architecture. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4344-4353. [PMID: 38688080 PMCID: PMC11089501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) is a ubiquitous blue-light pigment due to its ability to drive one- and two-electron transfer reactions. In both light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domains of phototropin from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, FMN is noncovalently bound. In the LOV1 cysteine-to-serine mutant (C57S), light-induced electron transfer from a nearby tryptophan occurs, and a transient spin-correlated radical pair (SCRP) is formed. Within this photocycle, nuclear hyperpolarization is created by the solid-state photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) effect. In a side reaction, a stable protonated semiquinone radical (FMNH·) forms undergoing a significant bathochromic shift of the first electronic transition from 445 to 591 nm. The incorporation of phototropin LOV1-C57S into an amorphous trehalose matrix, stabilizing the radical, allows for application of various magnetic resonance experiments at ambient temperatures, which are combined with quantum-chemical calculations. As a result, the bathochromic shift of the first absorption band is explained by lifting the degeneracy of the molecular orbital energy levels for electrons with alpha and beta spins in FMNH· due to the additional electron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kurle-Tucholski
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Wiebeler
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institut
für Physik, Universität Augsburg, Universitätsstraße 1, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Köhler
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ruonan Qin
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ziyue Zhao
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mantas Šimėnas
- Faculty
of Physics, Vilnius University, Sauletekio 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Andreas Pöppl
- Felix
Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Universität Leipzig, Linnéstraße 5, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jörg Matysik
- Institut
für Analytische Chemie, Universität
Leipzig, Linnéstraße
3, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
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2
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Arinkin V, Granzin J, Jaeger KE, Willbold D, Krauss U, Batra-Safferling R. Conserved Signal Transduction Mechanisms and Dark Recovery Kinetic Tuning in the Pseudomonadaceae Short Light, Oxygen, Voltage (LOV) Protein Family. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168458. [PMID: 38280482 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Light-Oxygen-Voltage (LOV) flavoproteins transduce a light signal into variable signaling outputs via a structural rearrangement in the sensory core domain, which is then relayed to fused effector domains via α-helical linker elements. Short LOV proteins from Pseudomonadaceae consist of a LOV sensory core and N- and C-terminal α-helices of variable length, providing a simple model system to study the molecular mechanism of allosteric activation. Here we report the crystal structures of two LOV proteins from Pseudomonas fluorescens - SBW25-LOV in the fully light-adapted state and Pf5-LOV in the dark-state. In a comparative analysis of the Pseudomonadaceae short LOVs, the structures demonstrate light-induced rotation of the core domains and splaying of the proximal A'α and Jα helices in the N and C-termini, highlighting evidence for a conserved signal transduction mechanism. Another distinguishing feature of the Pseudomonadaceae short LOV protein family is their highly variable dark recovery, ranging from seconds to days. Understanding this variability is crucial for tuning the signaling behavior of LOV-based optogenetic tools. At 37 °C, SBW25-LOV and Pf5-LOV exhibit adduct state lifetimes of 1470 min and 3.6 min, respectively. To investigate this remarkable difference in dark recovery rates, we targeted three residues lining the solvent channel entrance to the chromophore pocket where we introduced mutations by exchanging the non-conserved amino acids from SBW25-LOV into Pf5-LOV and vice versa. Dark recovery kinetics of the resulting mutants, as well as MD simulations and solvent cavity calculations on the crystal structures suggest a correlation between solvent accessibility and adduct lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Arinkin
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI): Strukturbiochemie (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Joachim Granzin
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI): Strukturbiochemie (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Karl-Erich Jaeger
- Institut für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften (IBG): Biotechnologie (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI): Strukturbiochemie (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ulrich Krauss
- Institut für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institut für Bio- und Geowissenschaften (IBG): Biotechnologie (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Renu Batra-Safferling
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse (IBI): Strukturbiochemie (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
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3
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Panter S, Ayekoi A, Tesche J, Chen J, Illarionov B, Bacher A, Fischer M, Weber S. Shining a Spotlight on Methyl Groups: Photochemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Spectroscopy of 5-Deazariboflavin and Its Nor Analogs. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:848. [PMID: 38255921 PMCID: PMC10815406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
5-Deazaflavins are analogs of naturally occurring flavin cofactors. They serve as substitutes for natural flavin cofactors to investigate and modify the reaction pathways of flavoproteins. Demethylated 5-deazaflavins are potential candidates for artificial cofactors, allowing us to fine-tune the reaction kinetics and absorption characteristics of flavoproteins. In this contribution, demethylated 5-deazariboflavin radicals are investigated (1) to assess the influence of the methyl groups on the electronic structure of the 5-deazaflavin radical and (2) to explore their photophysical properties with regard to their potential as artificial cofactors. We determined the proton hyperfine structure of demethylated 5-deazariboflavins using photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) spectroscopy, as well as density functional theory (DFT). To provide context, we compare our findings to a study of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) derivatives. We found a significant influence of the methylation pattern on the absorption properties, as well as on the proton hyperfine coupling ratios of the xylene moiety, which appears to be solvent-dependent. This effect is enhanced by the replacement of N5 by C5-H in 5-deazaflavin derivatives compared to their respective flavin counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Panter
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.P.); (A.A.)
| | - Audrey Ayekoi
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.P.); (A.A.)
| | - Jannis Tesche
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.P.); (A.A.)
| | - Jing Chen
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.P.); (A.A.)
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (B.I.); (M.F.)
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85747 Garching, Germany;
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany; (B.I.); (M.F.)
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.P.); (A.A.)
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4
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Hemmer S, Siedhoff NE, Werner S, Ölçücü G, Schwaneberg U, Jaeger KE, Davari MD, Krauss U. Machine Learning-Assisted Engineering of Light, Oxygen, Voltage Photoreceptor Adduct Lifetime. JACS AU 2023; 3:3311-3323. [PMID: 38155650 PMCID: PMC10751770 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring and engineered flavin-binding, blue-light-sensing, light, oxygen, voltage (LOV) photoreceptor domains have been used widely to design fluorescent reporters, optogenetic tools, and photosensitizers for the visualization and control of biological processes. In addition, natural LOV photoreceptors with engineered properties were recently employed for optimizing plant biomass production in the framework of a plant-based bioeconomy. Here, the understanding and fine-tuning of LOV photoreceptor (kinetic) properties is instrumental for application. In response to blue-light illumination, LOV domains undergo a cascade of photophysical and photochemical events that yield a transient covalent FMN-cysteine adduct, allowing for signaling. The rate-limiting step of the LOV photocycle is the dark-recovery process, which involves adduct scission and can take between seconds and days. Rational engineering of LOV domains with fine-tuned dark recovery has been challenging due to the lack of a mechanistic model, the long time scale of the process, which hampers atomistic simulations, and a gigantic protein sequence space covering known mutations (combinatorial challenge). To address these issues, we used machine learning (ML) trained on scarce literature data and iteratively generated and implemented experimental data to design LOV variants with faster and slower dark recovery. Over the three prediction-validation cycles, LOV domain variants were successfully predicted, whose adduct-state lifetimes spanned 7 orders of magnitude, yielding optimized tools for synthetic (opto)biology. In summary, our results demonstrate ML as a viable method to guide the design of proteins even with limited experimental data and when no mechanistic model of the underlying physical principles is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hemmer
- Institute
of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich
Heine University Düsseldorf, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
| | - Niklas Erik Siedhoff
- Institute
of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- DWI-Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Sophia Werner
- Institute
of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich
Heine University Düsseldorf, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
| | - Gizem Ölçücü
- Institute
of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich
Heine University Düsseldorf, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schwaneberg
- Institute
of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringer Weg 3, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- DWI-Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Karl-Erich Jaeger
- Institute
of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich
Heine University Düsseldorf, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
- Institute
of Bio-and Geosciences IBG 1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
| | - Mehdi D. Davari
- Department
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Leibniz Institute
of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Ulrich Krauss
- Institute
of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich
Heine University Düsseldorf, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
- Institute
of Bio-and Geosciences IBG 1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm Johnen Strasse, Jülich 52426, Germany
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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5
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Hemmer S, Schulte M, Knieps-Grünhagen E, Granzin J, Willbold D, Jaeger KE, Batra-Safferling R, Panwalkar V, Krauss U. Residue alterations within a conserved hydrophobic pocket influence light, oxygen, voltage photoreceptor dark recovery. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2022; 22:713-727. [PMID: 36480084 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00346-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLight, oxygen, voltage (LOV) photoreceptors are widely distributed throughout all kingdoms of life, and have in recent years, due to their modular nature, been broadly used as sensor domains for the construction of optogenetic tools. For understanding photoreceptor function as well as for optogenetic tool design and fine-tuning, a detailed knowledge of the photophysics, photochemistry, and structural changes underlying the LOV signaling paradigm is instrumental. Mutations that alter the lifetime of the photo-adduct signaling state represent a convenient handle to tune LOV sensor on/off kinetics and, thus, steady-state on/off equilibria of the photoreceptor (or optogenetic switch). Such mutations, however, should ideally only influence sensor kinetics, while being benign with regard to the nature of the structural changes that are induced by illumination, i.e., they should not result in a disruption of signal transduction. In the present study, we identify a conserved hydrophobic pocket for which mutations have a strong impact on the adduct-state lifetime across different LOV photoreceptor families. Using the slow cycling bacterial short LOV photoreceptor PpSB1-LOV, we show that the I48T mutation within this pocket, which accelerates adduct rupture, is otherwise structurally and mechanistically benign, i.e., light-induced structural changes, as probed by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, are not altered in the variant. Additional mutations within the pocket of PpSB1-LOV and the introduction of homologous mutations in the LOV photoreceptor YtvA of Bacillus subtilis and the Avena sativa LOV2 domain result in similarly altered kinetics. Given the conserved nature of the corresponding structural region, the here identified mutations should find application in dark-recovery tuning of optogenetic tools and LOV photoreceptors, alike.
Graphical abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Hemmer
- Institut Für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- IBG-1: Biotechnology IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Marianne Schulte
- IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Institut Für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Esther Knieps-Grünhagen
- Institut Für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Joachim Granzin
- IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Institut Für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl-Erich Jaeger
- Institut Für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- IBG-1: Biotechnology IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Renu Batra-Safferling
- IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Vineet Panwalkar
- IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Institut Für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Biozentrum University of Basel, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulrich Krauss
- Institut Für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
- IBG-1: Biotechnology IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
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6
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Ho MB, Jodts RJ, Kim Y, McSkimming A, Suess DLM, Hoffman BM. Characterization by ENDOR Spectroscopy of the Iron–Alkyl Bond in a Synthetic Counterpart of Organometallic Intermediates in Radical SAM Enzymes. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:17642-17650. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c07155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline B. Ho
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Richard J. Jodts
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Youngsuk Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alex McSkimming
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daniel L. M. Suess
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Brian M. Hoffman
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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7
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Schleicher E, Rein S, Illarionov B, Lehmann A, Al Said T, Kacprzak S, Bittl R, Bacher A, Fischer M, Weber S. Selective 13C labelling reveals the electronic structure of flavocoenzyme radicals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18234. [PMID: 34521887 PMCID: PMC8440535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97588-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Flavocoenzymes are nearly ubiquitous cofactors that are involved in the catalysis and regulation of a wide range of biological processes including some light-induced ones, such as the photolyase-mediated DNA repair, magnetoreception of migratory birds, and the blue-light driven phototropism in plants. One of the factors that enable versatile flavin-coenzyme biochemistry and biophysics is the fine-tuning of the cofactor's frontier orbital by interactions with the protein environment. Probing the singly-occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of the intermediate radical state of flavins is therefore a prerequisite for a thorough understanding of the diverse functions of the flavoprotein family. This may be ultimately achieved by unravelling the hyperfine structure of a flavin by electron paramagnetic resonance. In this contribution we present a rigorous approach to obtaining a hyperfine map of the flavin's chromophoric 7,8-dimethyl isoalloxazine unit at an as yet unprecedented level of resolution and accuracy. We combine powerful high-microwave-frequency/high-magnetic-field electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) with 13C isotopologue editing as well as spectral simulations and density functional theory calculations to measure and analyse 13C hyperfine couplings of the flavin cofactor in DNA photolyase. Our data will provide the basis for electronic structure considerations for a number of flavin radical intermediates occurring in blue-light photoreceptor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Schleicher
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Rein
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- grid.9026.d0000 0001 2287 2617Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ariane Lehmann
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tarek Al Said
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sylwia Kacprzak
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany ,grid.423218.ePresent Address: Bruker BioSpin GmbH, Silberstreifen 4, 76287 Rheinstetten, Germany
| | - Robert Bittl
- grid.14095.390000 0000 9116 4836Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- grid.9026.d0000 0001 2287 2617Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- grid.5963.9Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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8
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Chandrasekaran S, Schneps CM, Dunleavy R, Lin C, DeOliveira CC, Ganguly A, Crane BR. Tuning flavin environment to detect and control light-induced conformational switching in Drosophila cryptochrome. Commun Biol 2021; 4:249. [PMID: 33637846 PMCID: PMC7910608 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01766-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Light-induction of an anionic semiquinone (SQ) flavin radical in Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) alters the dCRY conformation to promote binding and degradation of the circadian clock protein Timeless (TIM). Specific peptide ligation with sortase A attaches a nitroxide spin-probe to the dCRY C-terminal tail (CTT) while avoiding deleterious side reactions. Pulse dipolar electron-spin resonance spectroscopy from the CTT nitroxide to the SQ shows that flavin photoreduction shifts the CTT ~1 nm and increases its motion, without causing full displacement from the protein. dCRY engineered to form the neutral SQ serves as a dark-state proxy to reveal that the CTT remains docked when the flavin ring is reduced but uncharged. Substitutions of flavin-proximal His378 promote CTT undocking in the dark or diminish undocking in the light, consistent with molecular dynamics simulations and TIM degradation activity. The His378 variants inform on recognition motifs for dCRY cellular turnover and strategies for developing optogenetic tools. Chandrasekaran et al. engineered the Drosophila circadian clock protein Cryptochrome (dCRY) to form the neutral semiquinone, which serves as a dark-state proxy. They find that the C-terminal tail of dCRY remains docked when the flavin ring is reduced but uncharged. dCRY His378 variants provide insights into the recognition motifs for dCRY turnover and strategies for optogenetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Connor M Schneps
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Robert Dunleavy
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Changfan Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Abir Ganguly
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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9
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Brosi R, Illarionov B, Heidinger L, Kim RR, Fischer M, Weber S, Bacher A, Bittl R, Schleicher E. Coupled Methyl Group Rotation in FMN Radicals Revealed by Selective Deuterium Labeling. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:1678-1690. [PMID: 32011886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b11331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Flavin semiquinones are common intermediate redox states in flavoproteins, and thus, knowledge of their electronic structure is essential for fully understanding their chemistry and chemical versatility. In this contribution, we use a combination of high-field electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy and selective deuterium labeling of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) with subsequent incorporation as cofactor into a variant Avena sativa LOV domain to extract missing traits of the electronic structure of a protein-bound FMN radical. From these experiments, precise values of small proton hyperfine and deuterium nuclear quadrupole couplings could be extracted. Specifically, isotropic hyperfine couplings of -3.34, -0.11, and +0.91 MHz were obtained for the protons H(6), H(9), and H(7α), respectively. These values are discussed in the light of specific protein-cofactor interactions. Furthermore, the temperature behavior of the H(7α) methyl-group rotation elicited by its energy landscape was analyzed in greater detail. Pronounced interplay between the two methyl groups at C(7) and C(8) of FMN could be revealed. Most strikingly, this rotational behavior could be modulated by selective deuterium editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Brosi
- Fachbereich Physik, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lorenz Heidinger
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ryu-Ryun Kim
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.,Fakultät für Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 4, 80247 Garching, Germany
| | - Robert Bittl
- Fachbereich Physik, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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10
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Pompe N, Chen J, Illarionov B, Panter S, Fischer M, Bacher A, Weber S. Methyl groups matter: Photo-CIDNP characterizations of the semiquinone radicals of FMN and demethylated FMN analogs. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:235103. [PMID: 31864274 DOI: 10.1063/1.5130557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, the relative hyperfine couplings are determined for the 1H nuclei of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) radical in an aqueous environment. In addition, three structural analogs with different methylation patterns are characterized and the influence of the substituents at the isoalloxazine moiety on the electronic structure of the radicals is explored. By exploiting nuclear hyperpolarization generated via the photo-CIDNP (chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization) effect, it is possible to study the short-lived radical species generated by in situ light excitation. Experimental data are extracted by least-squares fitting and supported by quantum chemical calculations and published values from electron paramagnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance. Furthermore, mechanistic details of the photoreaction of the investigated flavin analogs with l-tryptophan are derived from the photo-CIDNP spectra recorded at different pH values. Thereby, the neutral and anionic radicals of FMN and three structural analogs are, for the first time, characterized in terms of their electronic structure in an aqueous environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Pompe
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Institute of Food Chemistry, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Panter
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Institute of Food Chemistry, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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11
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Nohr D, Weber S, Schleicher E. EPR spectroscopy on flavin radicals in flavoproteins. Methods Enzymol 2019; 620:251-275. [PMID: 31072489 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Flavin semiquinone redox states are important intermediates in a broad variety of reactions catalyzed by flavoproteins. As paramagnetic states they can be favorably probed by EPR spectroscopy in all its flavors. This review summarizes recent results in the characterization of flavin radicals. On the one hand, flavin radical states, e.g., trapped as reaction intermediates, can be characterized using modern pulsed EPR methods to unravel their electronic structure and to gain information about the surrounding environment and its changes on protein action. On the other hand, short-lived intermediate flavin radical states generated, e.g., photochemically, can be followed by time-resolved EPR, which allows a direct tracking of flavin-dependent reactions with a temporal resolution reaching nanoseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nohr
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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12
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Zayner JP, Mathes T, Sosnick TR, Kennis JTM. Helical Contributions Mediate Light-Activated Conformational Change in the LOV2 Domain of Avena sativa Phototropin 1. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:1238-1243. [PMID: 31459397 PMCID: PMC6648828 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b02872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Algae, plants, bacteria, and fungi contain flavin-binding light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domains that function as blue light sensors to control cellular responses to light. In the second LOV domain of phototropins, called LOV2 domains, blue light illumination leads to covalent bond formation between protein and flavin that induces the dissociation and unfolding of a C-terminally attached α helix (Jα) and the N-terminal helix (A'α). To date, the majority of studies on these domains have focused on versions that contain truncations in the termini, which creates difficulties when extrapolating to the much larger proteins that contain these domains. Here, we study the influence of deletions and extensions of the A'α helix of the LOV2 domain of Avena sativa phototropin 1 (AsLOV2) on the light-triggered structural response of the protein by Fourier-transform infrared difference spectroscopy. Deletion of the A'α helix abolishes the light-induced unfolding of Jα, whereas extensions of the A'α helix lead to an attenuated structural change of Jα. These results are different from shorter constructs, indicating that the conformational changes in full-length phototropin LOV domains might not be as large as previously assumed, and that the well-characterized full unfolding of the Jα helix in AsLOV2 with short A'α helices may be considered a truncation artifact. It also suggests that the N- and C-terminal helices of phot-LOV2 domains are necessary for allosteric regulation of the phototropin kinase domain and may provide a basis for signal integration of LOV1 and LOV2 domains in phototropins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah P. Zayner
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, The University of
Chicago, Chicago 60637, United States
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Biophysics
Section, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tobin R. Sosnick
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, The University of
Chicago, Chicago 60637, United States
- Institute
for Biophysical Dynamics, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 United States
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Biophysics
Section, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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13
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Rostas A, Einholz C, Illarionov B, Heidinger L, Said TA, Bauss A, Fischer M, Bacher A, Weber S, Schleicher E. Long-Lived Hydrated FMN Radicals: EPR Characterization and Implications for Catalytic Variability in Flavoproteins. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:16521-16527. [PMID: 30412389 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b07544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Until now, FMN/FAD radicals could not be stabilized in aqueous solution or other protic solvents because of rapid and efficient dismutation reactions. In this contribution, a novel system for stabilizing flavin radicals in aqueous solution is reported. Subsequent to trapping FMN in an agarose matrix, light-generated FMN radicals could be produced that were stable for days even under aerobic conditions, and their concentrations were high enough for extensive EPR characterization. All large hyperfine couplings could be extracted by using a combination of continuous-wave EPR and low-temperature ENDOR spectroscopy. To map differences in the electronic structure of flavin radicals, two exemplary proton hyperfine couplings were compared with published values from various neutral and anionic flavoprotein radicals: C(6)H and C(8α)H 3. It turned out that FMN•- in an aqueous environment shows the largest hyperfine couplings, whereas for FMNH• under similar conditions, hyperfine couplings are at the lower end and the values of both vary by up to 30%. This finding demonstrates that protein-cofactor interactions in neutral and anionic flavoprotein radicals can alter their electron spin density in different directions. With this aqueous system that allows the characterization of flavin radicals without protein interactions and that can be extended by using selective isotope labeling, a powerful tool is now at hand to quantify interactions in flavin radicals that modulate the reactivity in different flavoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpad Rostas
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Christopher Einholz
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Hamburg School of Food Science , Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg , Grindelallee 117 , 20146 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Lorenz Heidinger
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Tarek Al Said
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Anna Bauss
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Hamburg School of Food Science , Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Universität Hamburg , Grindelallee 117 , 20146 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- Department of Chemistry , Technical University of Munich , Lichtenbergstr. 4 , 85747 Garching , Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie , Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg , Albertstr. 21 , 79104 Freiburg , Germany
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14
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Fettweiss T, Röllen K, Granzin J, Reiners O, Endres S, Drepper T, Willbold D, Jaeger KE, Batra-Safferling R, Krauss U. Mechanistic Basis of the Fast Dark Recovery of the Short LOV Protein DsLOV from Dinoroseobacter shibae. Biochemistry 2018; 57:4833-4847. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timo Fettweiss
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Katrin Röllen
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Joachim Granzin
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Oliver Reiners
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Stephan Endres
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas Drepper
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl-Erich Jaeger
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Renu Batra-Safferling
- Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Krauss
- Institute of Molecular Enzyme Technology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
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15
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Steyrleuthner R, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Kraffert F, Cherniawski BP, Bittl R, Briseno AL, Bredas JL, Behrends J. Impact of morphology on polaron delocalization in a semicrystalline conjugated polymer. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 19:3627-3639. [PMID: 28094360 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp07485e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We investigate the delocalization of holes in the semicrystalline conjugated polymer poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT) by directly measuring the hyperfine coupling between photogenerated polarons and bound nuclear spins using electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy. An extrapolation of the corresponding oligomer spectra reveals that charges tend to delocalize over 4.0-4.8 nm with delocalization strongly dependent on molecular order and crystallinity of the PBTTT polymer thin films. Density functional theory calculations of hyperfine couplings confirm that long-range corrected functionals appropriately describe the change in coupling strength with increasing oligomer size and agree well with the experimentally measured polymer limit. Our discussion presents general guidelines illustrating the various pitfalls and opportunities when deducing polaron localization lengths from hyperfine coupling spectra of conjugated polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Steyrleuthner
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Joint EPR Lab, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Yuexing Zhang
- King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia and Department of Chemistry, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Conte Research Center, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Felix Kraffert
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Joint EPR Lab, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Benjamin P Cherniawski
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Conte Research Center, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Robert Bittl
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Joint EPR Lab, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Alejandro L Briseno
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Conte Research Center, University of Massachusetts, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Jean-Luc Bredas
- King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jan Behrends
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin Joint EPR Lab, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Berlin, Germany.
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16
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Kattnig DR, Solov'yov IA, Hore PJ. Electron spin relaxation in cryptochrome-based magnetoreception. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:12443-56. [PMID: 27020113 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp06731f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The magnetic compass sense of migratory birds is thought to rely on magnetically sensitive radical pairs formed photochemically in cryptochrome proteins in the retina. An important requirement of this hypothesis is that electron spin relaxation is slow enough for the Earth's magnetic field to have a significant effect on the coherent spin dynamics of the radicals. It is generally assumed that evolutionary pressure has led to protection of the electron spins from irreversible loss of coherence in order that the underlying quantum dynamics can survive in a noisy biological environment. Here, we address this question for a structurally characterized model cryptochrome expected to share many properties with the putative avian receptor protein. To this end we combine all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, Bloch-Redfield relaxation theory and spin dynamics calculations to assess the effects of spin relaxation on the performance of the protein as a compass sensor. Both flavin-tryptophan and flavin-Z˙ radical pairs are studied (Z˙ is a radical with no hyperfine interactions). Relaxation is considered to arise from modulation of hyperfine interactions by librational motions of the radicals and fluctuations in certain dihedral angles. For Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome 1 (AtCry1) we find that spin relaxation implies optimal radical pair lifetimes of the order of microseconds, and that flavin-Z˙ pairs are less affected by relaxation than flavin-tryptophan pairs. Our results also demonstrate that spin relaxation in isolated AtCry1 is incompatible with the long coherence times that have been postulated to explain the disruption of the avian magnetic compass sense by weak radiofrequency magnetic fields. We conclude that a cryptochrome sensor in vivo would have to differ dynamically, if not structurally, from isolated AtCry1. Our results clearly mark the limits of the current hypothesis and lead to a better understanding of the operation of radical pair magnetic sensors in noisy biological environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Kattnig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, OX1 3QZ, UK.
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17
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Nohr D, Rodriguez R, Weber S, Schleicher E. How can EPR spectroscopy help to unravel molecular mechanisms of flavin-dependent photoreceptors? Front Mol Biosci 2015; 2:49. [PMID: 26389123 PMCID: PMC4555020 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a well-established spectroscopic method for the examination of paramagnetic molecules. Proteins can contain paramagnetic moieties in form of stable cofactors, transiently formed intermediates, or spin labels artificially introduced to cysteine sites. The focus of this review is to evaluate potential scopes of application of EPR to the emerging field of optogenetics. The main objective for EPR spectroscopy in this context is to unravel the complex mechanisms of light-active proteins, from their primary photoreaction to downstream signal transduction. An overview of recent results from the family of flavin-containing, blue-light dependent photoreceptors is given. In detail, mechanistic similarities and differences are condensed from the three classes of flavoproteins, the cryptochromes, LOV (Light-oxygen-voltage), and BLUF (blue-light using FAD) domains. Additionally, a concept that includes spin-labeled proteins and examination using modern pulsed EPR is introduced, which allows for a precise mapping of light-induced conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nohr
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ryan Rodriguez
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
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18
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Diensthuber RP, Engelhard C, Lemke N, Gleichmann T, Ohlendorf R, Bittl R, Möglich A. Biophysical, mutational, and functional investigation of the chromophore-binding pocket of light-oxygen-voltage photoreceptors. ACS Synth Biol 2014; 3:811-9. [PMID: 24926890 DOI: 10.1021/sb400205x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As light-regulated actuators, sensory photoreceptors underpin optogenetics and numerous applications in synthetic biology. Protein engineering has been applied to fine-tune the properties of photoreceptors and to generate novel actuators. For the blue-light-sensitive light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptors, mutations near the flavin chromophore modulate response kinetics and the effective light responsiveness. To probe for potential, inadvertent effects on receptor activity, we introduced these mutations into the engineered LOV photoreceptor YF1 and determined their impact on light regulation. While several mutations severely impaired the dynamic range of the receptor (e.g., I39V, R63K, and N94A), residue substitutions in a second group were benign with little effect on regulation (e.g., V28T, N37C, and L82I). Electron paramagnetic resonance and absorption spectroscopy identified correlated effects for certain of the latter mutations on chromophore environment and response kinetics in YF1 and the LOV2 domain from Avena sativa phototropin 1. Carefully chosen mutations provide a powerful means to adjust the light-response function of photoreceptors as demanded for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph P. Diensthuber
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher Engelhard
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Physik,
Institut für Experimentalphysik, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nora Lemke
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Gleichmann
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Ohlendorf
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Bittl
- Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Physik,
Institut für Experimentalphysik, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie,
Biophysikalische Chemie, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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19
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Paulus B, Illarionov B, Nohr D, Roellinger G, Kacprzak S, Fischer M, Weber S, Bacher A, Schleicher E. One Protein, Two Chromophores: Comparative Spectroscopic Characterization of 6,7-Dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine and Riboflavin Bound to Lumazine Protein. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:13092-105. [DOI: 10.1021/jp507618f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Paulus
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Institute for Biochemistry & Food Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 45, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Nohr
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Guillaume Roellinger
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sylwia Kacprzak
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute for Biochemistry & Food Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 45, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- Institute for Biochemistry & Food Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 45, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- Chemistry
Department, Technical University Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institute
of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Albertstrasse
21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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20
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Abstract
Most biological photoreceptors are protein/cofactor complexes that induce a physiological reaction upon absorption of a photon. Therefore, these proteins represent signal converters that translate light into biological information. Researchers use this property to stimulate and study various biochemical processes conveniently and non-invasively by the application of light, an approach known as optogenetics. Here, we summarize the recent experimental progress on the family of blue light receptors using FAD (BLUF) receptors. Several BLUF photoreceptors modulate second messenger levels and thus represent highly interesting tools for optogenetic application. In order to activate a coupled effector protein, the flavin-binding pocket of the BLUF domain undergoes a subtle rearrangement of the hydrogen network upon blue light absorption. The hydrogen bond switch is facilitated by the ultrafast light-induced proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) between a tyrosine and the flavin in less than a nanosecond and remains stable on a long enough timescale for biochemical reactions to take place. The cyclic nature of the photoinduced reaction makes BLUF domains powerful model systems to study protein/cofactor interaction, protein-modulated PCET and novel mechanisms of biological signalling. The ultrafast nature of the photoconversion as well as the subtle structural rearrangement requires sophisticated spectroscopic and molecular biological methods to study and understand this highly intriguing signalling process.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T M Kennis
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences , Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences , Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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21
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Martínez JI, Alonso PJ, García-Rubio I, Medina M. Methyl rotors in flavoproteins. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:26203-12. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp03115f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ENDOR evidence shows that methyl groups in flavin behave as quantum locked rotors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús I. Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón
- Universidad de Zaragoza-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
- Facultad de Ciencias
- 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pablo J. Alonso
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón
- Universidad de Zaragoza-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
- Facultad de Ciencias
- 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Inés García-Rubio
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry
- ETH Zurich
- 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
- Centro Universitario de la Defensa
- 50090 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Milagros Medina
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular and Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI)
- Universidad de Zaragoza
- 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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22
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Abstract
Flavoproteins often employ radical mechanisms in their enzymatic reactions. This involves paramagnetic species, which can ideally be investigated with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In this chapter we focus on the example of flavin-based photoreceptors and discuss, how different EPR methods have been used to extract information about the flavin radical's electronic state, its binding pocket, electron-transfer pathways, and about the protein's tertiary and quaternary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Brosi
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, Berlin, 14195, Germany,
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23
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Silva MR, Mansurova M, Gärtner W, Thiel W. Photophysics of structurally modified flavin derivatives in the blue-light photoreceptor YtvA: a combined experimental and theoretical study. Chembiochem 2013; 14:1648-61. [PMID: 23940057 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201300217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The light-induced processes of two flavin mononucleotide derivatives (1- and 5-deaza flavin mononucleotide, 1DFMN and 5DFMN), incorporated into the LOV domain of YtvA protein from Bacillus subtilis, were studied by a combination of experimental and computational methods. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations were carried out in which the QM part was treated by density functional theory (DFT) using the B3LYP functional for geometry optimizations and the DFT/MRCI method for spectroscopic properties, whereas the MM part was described by the CHARMM force field. 1DFMN is incorporated into the protein binding site, yielding a red-shifted absorption band (λ(max) =530 nm compared to YtvA wild-type λ(max) =445 nm), but does not undergo any LOV-typical photoreactions such as triplet and photoadduct formation. QM/MM computations confirmed the absence of a channel for triplet formation and located a radiation-free channel (through an S₁/S₀ conical intersection) along a hydrogen transfer path that might allow for fast deactivation. By contrast, 5DFMN-YtvA-LOV shows a blue-shifted absorption (λ(max) =410 nm) and undergoes similar photochemical processes to FMN in the wild-type protein, both with regard to the photophysics and the formation of a photoadduct with a flavin-cysteinyl covalent bond. The QM/MM calculations predict a mechanism that involves hydrogen transfer in the T₁ state, followed by intersystem crossing and adduct formation in the S₀ state for the forward reaction. Experimentally, in contrast to wild-type YtvA, dark-state recovery in 5DFMN-YtvA-LOV is not thermally driven but can only be accomplished after absorption of a second photon by the photoadduct, again via the triplet state. The QM/MM calculations suggest a photochemical mechanism for dark-state recovery that is accessible only for the adduct with a C4a--S bond but not for alternative adducts with a C5--S bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario R Silva
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany)
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Kobori Y, Fuki M. Protein–Ligand Structure and Electronic Coupling of Photoinduced Charge-Separated State: 9,10-Anthraquinone-1-sulfonate Bound to Human Serum Albumin. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:16770-3. [DOI: 10.1021/ja206898j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kobori
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Masaaki Fuki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
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Zoltowski BD, Nash AI, Gardner KH. Variations in protein-flavin hydrogen bonding in a light, oxygen, voltage domain produce non-Arrhenius kinetics of adduct decay. Biochemistry 2011; 50:8771-9. [PMID: 21923139 DOI: 10.1021/bi200976a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Light, oxygen, voltage (LOV) domains utilize a conserved blue light-dependent mechanism to control a diverse array of effector domains in biological and engineered proteins. Variations in the kinetics and efficiency of LOV photochemistry fine-tune various aspects of the photic response. Characterization of the kinetics of a key aspect of this photochemical mechanism in EL222, a blue light responsive DNA binding protein from Erythrobacter litoralis HTCC2594, reveals unique non-Arrhenius behavior in the rate of dark-state cleavage of the photochemically generated adduct. Sequence analysis and mutagenesis studies establish that this effect stems from a Gln to Ala mutation unique to EL222 and homologous proteins from marine bacteria. Kinetic and spectroscopic analyses reveal that hydrogen bonding interactions between the FMN N1, O2, and ribityl hydroxyls and the surrounding protein regulate photocycle kinetics and stabilize the LOV active site from temperature-induced alteration in local structure. Substitution of residues interacting with the N1-O2 locus modulates adduct stability, structural flexibility, and sequestration of the active site from bulk solvent without perturbation of light-activated DNA binding. Together, these variants link non-Arrhenius behavior to specific alteration of an H-bonding network, while affording tunability of photocycle kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Zoltowski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8816, USA
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Losi A, Gärtner W. Old Chromophores, New Photoactivation Paradigms, Trendy Applications: Flavins in Blue Light-Sensing Photoreceptors†. Photochem Photobiol 2011; 87:491-510. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2011.00913.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Raffelberg S, Mansurova M, Gärtner W, Losi A. Modulation of the photocycle of a LOV domain photoreceptor by the hydrogen-bonding network. J Am Chem Soc 2011; 133:5346-56. [PMID: 21410163 DOI: 10.1021/ja1097379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An extended hydrogen-bonding (HB) network stabilizes the isoalloxazine ring of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) chromophore within the photosensing LOV domain of blue-light protein receptors, via interactions between the C(2)═O, N(3)H, C(4)═O, and N(5) groups and conserved glutamine and asparagine residues. In this work we studied the influence of the HB network on the efficiency, kinetics, and energetics of a LOV protein photocycle, involving the reversible formation of a FMN-cysteine covalent adduct. The following results were found for mutations of the conserved amino acids N94, N104, and Q123 in the Bacillus subtilis LOV protein YtvA: (i) Increased (N104D, N94D) or strongly reduced (N94A) rate of adduct formation; this latter mutation extends the lifetime of the flavin triplet state, i.e., adduct formation, more than 60-fold, from 2 μs for the wild-type (WT) protein to 129 μs. (ii) Acceleration of the overall photocycle for N94S, N94A, and Q123N, with recovery lifetimes 20, 45, and 85 times faster than for YtvA-WT, respectively. (iii) Slight modifications of FMN spectral features, correlated with the polarization of low-energy transitions. (iv) Strongly reduced (N94S) or suppressed (Q123N) structural volume changes accompanying adduct formation, as determined by optoacoustic spectroscopy. (v) Minor effects on the quantum yield, with the exception of a considerable reduction for Q123N, i.e., 0.22 vs 0.49 for YtvA-WT. The data stress the importance of the HB network in modulating the photocycle of LOV domains, while at the same time establishing a link with functional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Raffelberg
- Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Stiftstrasse 34-36, 45470 Mülheim, Germany
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Rigby SEJ, Lou X, Toogood HS, Wolthers KR, Scrutton NS. ELDOR spectroscopy reveals that energy landscapes in human methionine synthase reductase are extensively remodelled following ligand and partner protein binding. Chembiochem 2011; 12:863-7. [PMID: 21472912 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E J Rigby
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Mansurova M, Scheercousse P, Simon J, Kluth M, Gärtner W. Chromophore exchange in the blue light-sensitive photoreceptor YtvA from Bacillus subtilis. Chembiochem 2011; 12:641-6. [PMID: 21259411 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
YtvA from Bacillus subtilis was found as the first prokaryotic phototropin-like blue-light-responsive photoreceptor. It is composed of two domains, the photoactive LOV (light, oxygen, voltage) domain, which binds a flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as a chromophore and a STAS (sulfate transporter/anti-sigma-factor antagonist) domain, which generates a physiological signal. Here we present a routine chromophore-exchange protocol that allows chemically synthesized, structurally modified chromophores instead of the naturally present flavin mononucleotide (FMN) chromophore to be introduced. FMN was exchanged for riboflavin (RF), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), 7,8-didemethyl flavin mononucleotide (DMFMN), and 8-isopropyl flavin mononucleotide (iprFMN). LOV domains reconstituted with new flavins undergo the same photocycle as native YtvA LOV, consisting of triplet formation and covalent binding of the chromophore followed by a thermal recovery of the parent state, albeit with different kinetics and photophysical properties. Interestingly, the iprFMN chromophore, inducing steric hindrances to the protein, exhibits a very fast light-to-dark-conversion and shows a high fluorescence quantum yield (0.4). Incorporation of FAD causes an increase of its fluorescence quantum yield from 0.04 (H(2)O) to 0.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madina Mansurova
- Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Postfach 10135, 45410 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
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North MA, Bhattacharyya S, Truhlar DG. Improved Density Functional Description of the Electrochemistry and Structure−Property Descriptors of Substituted Flavins. J Phys Chem B 2010; 114:14907-15. [DOI: 10.1021/jp108024b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A. North
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54702, United States, and Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Sudeep Bhattacharyya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54702, United States, and Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Donald G. Truhlar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54702, United States, and Department of Chemistry and Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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