Theoretical Understanding of the Interprotein Electron Transfer between Cytochrome c2 and the Photosynthetic Reaction Center

Modeling the Energy Landscape of Side Reactions in the Cytochrome bc1 Complex

Much of the metabolic molecular machinery responsible for energy transduction processes in living organisms revolves around a series of electron and proton transfer processes. The highly redox active enzymes can, however, also pose a risk of unwanted side reactions leading to reactive oxygen species, which are harmful to cells and are a factor in aging and age-related diseases. Using extensive quantum and classical computational modeling, we here show evidence of a particular superoxide production mechanism through stray reactions between molecular oxygen and a semiquinone reaction intermediate bound in the mitochondrial complex III of the electron transport chain, also known as the cytochrome b c 1 complex. Free energy calculations indicate a favorable electron transfer from semiquinone occurring at low rates under normal circumstances. Furthermore, simulations of the product state reveal that superoxide formed at the Q _o -site exclusively leaves the b c 1 complex at the positive side of the membrane and escapes into the intermembrane space of mitochondria, providing a critical clue in further studies of the harmful effects of mitochondrial superoxide production.

Definition of the Interaction Domain and Electron Transfer Route between Cytochrome c and Cytochrome Oxidase

The reaction between cytochrome c (Cc) and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) was studied using horse cytochrome c derivatives labeled with ruthenium trisbipyridine at Cys 39 (Ru-39-Cc). Flash photolysis of a 1:1 complex between Ru-39-Cc and bovine CcO at a low ionic strength resulted in the electron transfer from photoreduced heme c to Cu_A with an intracomplex rate constant of k₃ = 6 × 10⁴ s^-1. The K13A, K72A, K86A, and K87A Ru-39-Cc mutants had nearly the same k₃ value but bound much more weakly to bovine CcO than wild-type Ru-39-Cc, indicating that lysines 13, 72, 86, and 87 were involved in electrostatic binding to CcO, but were not involved in the electron transfer pathway. The Rhodobacter sphaeroides (Rs) W143F mutant (bovine W104) caused a 450-fold decrease in k₃ but did not affect the binding strength with CcO or the redox potential of Cu_A. These results are consistent with a computational model for Cc-CcO (Roberts and Pique ( 1999 ) J. Biol. Chem. 274 , 38051 - 38060 ) with the following electron transfer pathway: heme c → CcO-W104 → CcO-M207 → Cu_A. A crystal structure for the Cc-CcO complex with the proposed electron transfer pathway heme c → Cc-C14 → Cc-K13 → CcO-Y105 → CcO-M207 → Cu_A ( S. Shimada ( 2017 ) EMBO J. 36 , 291 - 300 ) is not consistent with the kinetic results because the K13A mutation had no effect on k₃. Addition of 40% ethylene glycol (as present during the crystal preparation) decreased k₃ significantly, indicating that it affected the conformation of the complex. This may explain the discrepancy between the current results and the crystallographic structure.

Dissecting the cytochrome c 2-reaction centre interaction in bacterial photosynthesis using single molecule force spectroscopy

The reversible docking of small, diffusible redox proteins onto a membrane protein complex is a common feature of bacterial, mitochondrial and photosynthetic electron transfer (ET) chains. Spectroscopic studies of ensembles of such redox partners have been used to determine ET rates and dissociation constants. Here, we report a single-molecule analysis of the forces that stabilise transient ET complexes. We examined the interaction of two components of bacterial photosynthesis, cytochrome c ₂ and the reaction centre (RC) complex, using dynamic force spectroscopy and PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical imaging. RC-LH1-PufX complexes, attached to silicon nitride AFM probes and maintained in a photo-oxidised state, were lowered onto a silicon oxide substrate bearing dispersed, immobilised and reduced cytochrome c ₂ molecules. Microscale patterns of cytochrome c ₂ and the cyan fluorescent protein were used to validate the specificity of recognition between tip-attached RCs and surface-tethered cytochrome c ₂ Following the transient association of photo-oxidised RC and reduced cytochrome c ₂ molecules, retraction of the RC-functionalised probe met with resistance, and forces between 112 and 887 pN were required to disrupt the post-ET RC-c ₂ complex, depending on the retraction velocities used. If tip-attached RCs were reduced instead, the probability of interaction with reduced cytochrome c ₂ molecules decreased 5-fold. Thus, the redox states of the cytochrome c ₂ haem cofactor and RC 'special pair' bacteriochlorophyll dimer are important for establishing a productive ET complex. The millisecond persistence of the post-ET cytochrome c ₂[oxidised]-RC[reduced] 'product' state is compatible with rates of cyclic photosynthetic ET, at physiologically relevant light intensities.

The role of protein dynamics and thermal fluctuations in regulating cytochrome c/cytochrome c oxidase electron transfer

In this overview we present recent combined electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, spectroscopic and computational studies from our group on the electron transfer reactions of cytochrome c and of the primary electron acceptor of cytochrome c oxidase, the CuA site, in biomimetic complexes. Based on these results, we discuss how protein dynamics and thermal fluctuations may impact on protein ET reactions, comment on the possible physiological relevance of these results, and finally propose a regulatory mechanism that may operate in the Cyt/CcO electron transfer reaction in vivo. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: 18th European Bioenergetic Conference.

Heme-protein vibrational couplings in cytochrome c provide a dynamic link that connects the heme-iron and the protein surface

The active site of cytochrome c (Cyt c) consists of a heme covalently linked to a pentapeptide segment (Cys-X-X-Cys-His), which provides a link between the heme and the protein surface, where the redox partners of Cyt c bind. To elucidate the vibrational properties of heme c, nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) measurements were performed on (57)Fe-labeled ferric Hydrogenobacter thermophilus cytochrome c(552), including (13)C(8)-heme-, (13)C(5)(15)N-Met-, and (13)C(15)N-polypeptide (pp)-labeled samples, revealing heme-based vibrational modes in the 200- to 450-cm(-1) spectral region. Simulations of the NRVS spectra of H. thermophilus cytochrome c(552) allowed for a complete assignment of the Fe vibrational spectrum of the protein-bound heme, as well as the quantitative determination of the amount of mixing between local heme vibrations and pp modes from the Cys-X-X-Cys-His motif. These results provide the basis to propose that heme-pp vibrational dynamic couplings play a role in electron transfer (ET) by coupling vibrations of the heme directly to vibrations of the pp at the protein-protein interface. This could allow for the direct transduction of the thermal (vibrational) energy from the protein surface to the heme that is released on protein/protein complex formation, or it could modulate the heme vibrations in the protein/protein complex to minimize reorganization energy. Both mechanisms lower energy barriers for ET. Notably, the conformation of the distal Met side chain is fine-tuned in the protein to localize heme-pp mixed vibrations within the 250- to 400-cm(-1) spectral region. These findings point to a particular orientation of the distal Met that maximizes ET.

Modeling and computations of the intramolecular electron transfer process in the two-heme protein cytochrome c(4)

The di-heme protein Pseudomonas stutzeri cytochrome c(4) (cyt c(4)) has emerged as a useful model for studying long-range protein electron transfer (ET). Recent experimental observations have shown a dramatically different pattern of intramolecular ET between the two heme groups in different local environments. Intramolecular ET in homogeneous solution is too slow (>10 s) to be detected but fast (ms-μs) intramolecular ET in an electrochemical environment has recently been achieved by controlling the molecular orientation of the protein assembled on a gold electrode surface. In this work we have performed computational modeling of the intramolecular ET process by a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and quantum mechanical charge transfer theory to disclose reasons for this difference. We first address the electronic structures of the model heme core with histidine and methionine axial ligands in both low- and high-spin states by structure-optimized DFT. The computations enable estimating the intramolecular reorganization energy of the ET process for different combinations of low- and high-spin heme couples. Environmental reorganization free energies, work terms ("gating") and driving force were determined using dielectric continuum models. We then calculated the electronic transmission coefficient of the intramolecular ET rate using perturbation theory combined with the electronic wave functions determined by the DFT calculations for different heme group orientations and Fe-Fe separations. The reactivity of low- and high-spin heme groups was notably different. The ET rate is exceedingly low for the crystallographic equilibrium orientation but increases by several orders of magnitude for thermally accessible non-equilibrium configurations. Deprotonation of the propionate carboxyl group was also found to enhance the ET rate significantly. The results are discussed in relation to the observed surface immobilization effect and support the notion of conformationally gated ET.

Transmission coefficients for chemical reactions with multiple states: role of quantum decoherence

Transition-state theory (TST) is a widely accepted paradigm for rationalizing the kinetics of chemical reactions involving one potential energy surface (PES). Multiple PES reaction rate constants can also be estimated within semiclassical approaches provided the hopping probability between the quantum states is taken into account when determining the transmission coefficient. In the Marcus theory of electron transfer, this hopping probability was historically calculated with models such as Landau-Zener theory. Although the hopping probability is intimately related to the question of the transition from the fully quantum to the semiclassical description, this issue is not adequately handled in physicochemical models commonly in use. In particular, quantum nuclear effects such as decoherence or dephasing are not present in the rate constant expressions. Retaining the convenient semiclassical picture, we include these effects through the introduction of a phenomenological quantum decoherence function. A simple modification to the usual TST rate constant expression is proposed: in addition to the electronic coupling, a characteristic decoherence time τ(dec) now also appears as a key parameter of the rate constant. This new parameter captures the idea that molecular systems, although intrinsically obeying quantum mechanical laws, behave semiclassically after a finite but nonzero amount of time (τ(dec)). This new degree of freedom allows a fresh look at the underlying physics of chemical reactions involving more than one quantum state. The ability of the proposed formula to describe the main physical lines of the phenomenon is confirmed by comparison with results obtained from density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations for a triplet to singlet transition within a copper dioxygen adduct relevant to the question of dioxygen activation by copper monooxygenases.

Association of cytochrome c with membrane-bound cytochrome c oxidase proceeds parallel to the membrane rather than in bulk solution

Electron transfer between the water-soluble cytochrome c and the integral membrane protein cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is the terminal reaction in the respiratory chain. The first step in this reaction is the diffusional association of cytochrome c toward COX, and it is still not completely clear whether cytochrome c diffuses in the bulk solution while encountering COX, or whether it prefers to diffuse laterally on the membrane surface. This is a rather crucial question, since in the latter case the association would be strongly dependent on the lipid composition and the presence of additional membrane proteins. We applied Brownian dynamics simulations to investigate the effect of an atomistically modeled dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine membrane on the association behavior of cytochrome c toward COX from Paracoccus denitrificans. We studied the negatively charged, physiological electron-transfer partner of COX, cytochrome c(552), and the positively charged horse-heart cytochrome c. As expected, both cytochrome c species prefer diffusion in bulk solution while associating toward COX embedded in a membrane, where the partial charges of the lipids were switched off, and the corresponding optimal association pathways largely overlap with the association toward fully solvated COX. Remarkably, after switching on the lipid partial charges, both cytochrome c species were strongly attracted by the inhomogeneous charge distribution caused by the zwitterionic lipid headgroups. This effect is particularly enhanced for horse-heart cytochrome c and is stronger at lower ionic strength. We therefore conclude that in the presence of a polar or even a charged membrane, cytochrome c diffuses laterally rather than in three dimensions.

Interaction between cytochrome c2 and the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides: role of interprotein hydrogen bonds in binding and electron transfer

The role of short-range hydrogen bond interactions at the interface between electron transfer proteins cytochrome c(2) (cyt) and the reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides was studied by mutation (to Ala) of RC residues Asn M187, Asn M188, and Gln L258 which form interprotein hydrogen bonds to cyt in the cyt-RC complex. The largest decrease in binding constant K(A) (8-fold) for a single mutation was observed for Asn M187, which forms an intraprotein hydrogen bond to the key residue Tyr L162 in the center of the contact region with a low solvent accessibility. Interaction between Asn M187 and Tyr L162 was also implicated in binding by double mutation of the two residues. The hydrogen bond mutations did not significantly change the second-order rate constant, k(2), indicating the mutations did not change the association rate for formation of the cyt-RC complex but increased the dissociation rate. The first-order electron transfer rate, k(e), for the cyt-RC complex was reduced by a factor of up to 4 (for Asn M187). The changes in k(e) were correlated with the changes in binding affinity but were not accompanied by increases in activation energy. We conclude that short-range hydrogen bond interactions contribute to the close packing of residues in the central contact region between the cyt and RC near Asn M187 and Tyr L162. The close packing contributes to fast electron transfer by increasing the rate of electronic coupling and contributes to the binding energy holding the cyt in position for times sufficient for electron transfer to occur.

Theoretical study of DNA damage recognition via electron transfer from the [4Fe-4S] complex of MutY

The mechanism of site-specific recognition of DNA by proteins has been a long-standing issue. The DNA glycosylase MutY, for instance, must find the rare 8-oxoguanine-adenine mismatches among the large number of basepairs in the DNA. This protein has a [4Fe-4S] cluster, which is highly conserved in species as diverse as Escherichia Coli and Homo sapiens. The mixed-valent nature of this cluster suggests that charge transfer may play a role in MutY's function. We have studied the energetics of the charge transfer in Bacillus stearothermophilus MutY-DNA complex using multiscale calculation including density functional theory and molecular dynamics. The [4Fe-4S] cluster in MutY is found to undergo 2+ to 3+ oxidation when coupling to DNA through hole transfer, especially when MutY is near an oxoguanine modified base (oxoG). Employing the Marcus theory for electron transfer, we find near optimal Frank-Condon factors for electron transfer from MutY to oxoguanine modified base. MutY has modest selectivity for oxoguanine over guanine due to the difference in oxidation potential. The tunneling matrix element is significantly reduced with the mutation R149W, whereas the mutation L154F reduces the tunneling matrix element as well as the Frank-Condon factor. Both L154F and R149W mutations are known to dramatically reduce or eliminate repair efficiency. We suggest a scenario where the charge transfer leads to a stabilization of the specific binding conformation, which is likely the recognition mode, thus enabling it to find the damaged site efficiently.

Calculation of redox properties: understanding short- and long-range effects in rubredoxin

In this computational study we show that for rubredoxin, a small and comparatively simple iron-sulfur protein, it is possible to combine a full ab initio description of the electronic structure of the protein in explicit solvent with sampling of the relevant time scale of the protein dynamics by using a hybrid method based on a force field molecular dynamics/density functional theory scheme. Applying this scheme within the framework of Marcus theory we are able to reproduce the experimental redox potential difference of 60 mV between a mesophilic and thermophilic rubredoxin within an accuracy of 20 mV and explain it in terms of short-range contributions from a few residues close to the metal center. We also compute the reorganization free energy for oxidation of the protein obtaining 720 meV for the mesophilic and 590 meV for thermophilic variant. Decomposition of the reorganization energy by using the classical force field shows that this quantity is largely determined by the solvent, with both short-range (an oxidation induced change of coordination number) and long-range (dielectric) contributions. The 130 meV higher value for the mesophilic form is analyzed in terms of detailed differences in the solvent structure around the metal center and the dielectric response. These results underline the importance of a molecular description of the solvent and of a correct inclusion of the polarization effects.

Protein phosphorylation and intermolecular electron transfer: a joint experimental and computational study of a hormone biosynthesis pathway

Protein phosphorylation is a common regulator of enzyme activity. Chemical modification of a protein surface, including phosphorylation, could alter the function of biological electron-transfer reactions. However, the sensitivity of intermolecular electron-transfer kinetics to post-translational protein modifications has not been widely investigated. We have therefore combined experimental and computational studies to assess the potential role of phosphorylation in electron-transfer reactions. We investigated the steroid hydroxylating system from bovine adrenal glands, which consists of adrenodoxin (Adx), adrenodoxin reductase (AdR), and a cytochrome P450, CYP11A1. We focused on the phosphorylation of Adx at Thr-71, since this residue is located in the acidic interaction domain of Adx, and a recent study has demonstrated that this residue is phosphorylated by casein kinase 2 (CK2) in vitro.1 Optical biosensor experiments indicate that the presence of this phosphorylation slightly increases the binding affinity of oxidized Adx with CYP11A1ox but not AdRox. This tendency was confirmed by KA values extracted from Adx concentration-dependent stopped-flow experiments that characterize the interaction between AdRred and Adxox or between Adxred and CYP11A1ox. In addition, acceleration of the electron-transfer kinetics measured with stopped-flow is seen only for the phosphorylated Adx-CYP11A1 reaction. Biphasic reaction kinetics are observed only when Adx is phosphorylated at Thr-71, and the Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations suggest that this phosphorylation may enhance the formation of a secondary Adx-CYP11A1 binding complex that provides an additional electron-transfer pathway with enhanced coupling.

Conductive Wiring of Immobilized Photosynthetic Reaction Center to Electrode by Cytochrome c

The photosynthetic reaction center (RC) found in photosynthetic bacteria is one of the most advanced photoelectronic devices developed by nature. However, after immobilization on the electrode surface, the efficiency of electron transfer (ET) between the RC and the electrode is relatively low. This inefficiency has limited the possibility of using the RC for technological applications. Here we show that photoinduced electron transfer between the immobilized RC and a gold electrode can be increased by several tens-fold by incorporation of cytochrome c into the RC-self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-electrode complex. The effect does not depend on the initial redox state of the cytochrome and seems to be the result of the formation of a complex between the RC and the cytochrome c serving as an ET wire. This observation opens the possibility for electrochemical analysis of the special pair in the RC protein that is deeply buried inside the protein globe and is barely electrically addressable from the electrode surface.

Interactions between cytochrome c2 and the photosynthetic reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides: the cation-pi interaction

The cation-pi interaction between positively charged and aromatic groups is a common feature of many proteins and protein complexes. The structure of the complex between cytochrome c(2) (cyt c(2)) and the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides exhibits a cation-pi complex formed between Arg-C32 on cyt c(2) and Tyr-M295 on the RC [Axelrod, H. L., et al. (2002) J. Mol. Biol. 319, 501-515]. The importance of the cation-pi interaction for binding and electron transfer was studied by mutating Tyr-M295 and Arg-C32. The first- and second-order rates for electron transfer were not affected by mutating Tyr-M295 to Ala, indicating that the cation-pi complex does not greatly affect the association process or structure of the state active in electron transfer. The dissociation constant K(D) showed a greater increase when Try-M295 was replaced with nonaromatic Ala (3-fold) as opposed to aromatic Phe (1.2-fold), which is characteristic of a cation-pi interaction. Replacement of Arg-C32 with Ala increased K(D) (80-fold) largely due to removal of electrostatic interactions with negatively charged residues on the RC. Replacement with Lys increased K(D) (6-fold), indicating that Lys does not form a cation-pi complex. This specificity for Arg may be due to a solvation effect. Double mutant analysis indicates an interaction energy between Tyr-M295 and Arg-C32 of approximately -24 meV (-0.6 kcal/mol). This energy is surprisingly small considering the widespread occurrence of cation-pi complexes and may be due to the tradeoff between the favorable cation-pi binding energy and the unfavorable desolvation energy needed to bury Arg-C32 in the short-range contact region between the two proteins.

Simulation of Electron Transfer between Cytochrome c2 and the Bacterial Photosynthetic Reaction Center: Brownian Dynamics Analysis of the Native Proteins and Double Mutants

Electron transfer is essential for bacterial photosynthesis which converts light energy into chemical energy. This paper theoretically studies the interprotein electron transfer from cytochrome c(2) of Rhodobacter capsulatus to the photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobacter sphaeroides in native and mutated systems. Brownian dynamics is used with an exponential distance-dependent electron-transfer rate model to compute bimolecular rate constants, which are consistent with experimental data when reasonable prefactors and decay constants are used. Interestingly, switching of the reaction mechanism from the diffusion-controlled limit in the native proteins to the activation-controlled limit in one of the mutants (DK(L261)/KE(C99)) was found. We also predict that the second-order rate for the native reaction center/cytochrome c(2) system will decrease with increasing ionic strength, a characteristic of electrostatically controlled docking.

Interprotein electron transfer from cytochrome c2 to photosynthetic reaction center: tunneling across an aqueous interface

Interprotein electron transfer (ET) reactions play an important role in biological energy conversion processes. One of these reactions, the ET between cytochrome c(2) (cyt) and reaction center from photosynthetic bacteria, is the focus of this theoretical study. The changes in the ET rate constant at fixed distances during the association process were calculated as the cyt moved from the electrostatically stabilized encounter complex to the bound state having short range van der Waals contacts in the tunneling region. Multiple conformations of the protein were generated by molecular dynamics simulations including explicit water molecules. For each of these conformations, the ET rate was calculated by using the Pathways model. The ET rate increased smoothly as the cyt approached from the encounter complex to the bound state, with a tunneling decay factor beta = 1.1 A(-1). This relatively efficient coupling between redox centers is due to the ability of interfacial water molecules to form multiple strong hydrogen bonding pathways connecting tunneling pathways on the surfaces of the two proteins. The ET rate determined for the encounter complex ensemble of states is only about a factor of 100 slower than that of the bound state (tau = 100 micros, compared with 1 micros), because of fluctuations of the cyt within the encounter complex ensemble through configurations having strong tunneling pathways. The ET rate for the encounter complex is in agreement with rates observed in mutant reaction centers modified to remove shortrange hydrophobic interactions, suggesting that in this case, ET occurs within the solvent-separated, electrostatically stabilized encounter complex.

The structure and function of the cytochrome c2: reaction center electron transfer complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

In the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, the mobile electron carrier, cytochrome c2 (cyt c2) transfers an electron from reduced heme to the photooxidized bacteriochlorophyll dimer in the membrane bound reaction center (RC) as part of the light induced cyclic electron transfer chain. A complex between these two proteins that is active in electron transfer has been crystallized and its structure determined by X-ray diffraction. The structure of the cyt:RC complex shows the cyt c2 (cyt c2) positioned at the center of the periplasmic surface of the RC. The exposed heme edge from cyt c2 is in close tunneling contact with the electron acceptor through an intervening bridging residue, Tyr L162 located on the RC surface directly above the bacteriochlorophyll dimer. The binding interface between the two proteins can be divided into two regions: a short-range interaction domain and a long-range interaction domain. The short-range domain includes residues immediately surrounding the tunneling contact region around the heme and Tyr L162 that display close intermolecular contacts optimized for electron transfer. These include a small number of hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds and a pi-cation interaction. The long-range interaction domain consists of solvated complementary charged residues; positively charged residues from the cyt and negatively charged residues from the RC that provide long range electrostatic interactions that can steer the two proteins into position for rapid association.

Transition state and encounter complex for fast association of cytochrome c2 with bacterial reaction center

Electrostatic interactions strongly enhance the electron transfer reaction between cytochrome (Cyt) c(2) and reaction center (RC) from photosynthetic bacteria, yielding a second-order rate constant, k(2) approximately 10(9) s(-1).M(-1), close to the diffusion limit. The proposed mechanism involves an encounter complex (EC) stabilized by electrostatic interactions, followed by a transition state (TS), leading to the bound complex active in electron transfer. The effect of electrostatic interactions was previously studied by Tetreault et al. [Tetreault, M., Cusanovich, M., Meyer, T., Axelrod, H. & Okamura, M. Y. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 5807-5815] by measuring k(2) for RC and Cyt molecules with modified charged residues at the binding interface. The present work is a computational analysis of this kinetic study to determine the ensemble of configurations of the TS and EC. Changes in the TS energies due to different mutations were compared with differences in the calculated electrostatic energies for a wide range of Cyt/RC configurations. The TS ensemble, obtained from structures having the highest correlation coefficients in the comparison with experimental data, has the Cyt displaced by approximately 10 A from its position in x-ray crystal structure, close to the average position of the EC ensemble, with strong electrostatic interactions between Cyt on the M subunit side of the RC surface. The heme of the Cyt is oriented toward Tyr L162 on the RC, the tunneling contact in the bound final state on the RC. The similarity between the structures of the EC, TS, and bound state can account for the rapid rate of association responsible for fast diffusion-controlled electron transfer.

Interrupted escape and the emergence of exponential relaxation

A simple statistical theory of irreversible processes in a subsystem coupled to (or "interrupted" by) a stochastic bath is formulated. The theory does not explicitly invoke time scale separation that underlies the standard description of nonequilibrium phenomena and is intrinsic to the concept of quasiequilibrium in the canonical ensemble. Arbitrary statistics and speed of bath fluctuations are straightforwardly treated by the theory. Except in the case of an extremely slow, nonequilibrium bath, the ultimate statistics of interrupted escape are shown to be Poisson, which is solely a consequence of the stationary nature of interactions in a sufficiently dense system. In the limit of a fast bath, the corresponding relaxation rate is shown to equal the initial rate of decay, thus validating a wide class of Golden Rate type expressions at long times. This true exponentiality thus appears when the time scale separation takes place. The theory also applies to a number of specific phenomena including transport in a fluctuating or disordered medium, gated reactions, the line shape theory, and the quantum Zeno effect. The general nature of motional narrowing phenomena is demonstrated and related to the bath mediated slowing down of a decay process with a nearly deterministic uninterrupted escape probability. The corresponding survival probability is shown also to exhibit discernible oscillations around the exponential background. Mathematical tools necessary for using the theory in specific applications are exposed in some detail.