1
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Kang XW, Wang K, Zhang X, Zhong D, Ding B. Elementary Reactions in the Functional Triads of the Blue-Light Photoreceptor BLUF Domain. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2065-2075. [PMID: 38391132 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The blue light using the flavin (BLUF) domain is one of the smallest photoreceptors in nature, which consists of a unique bidirectional electron-coupled proton relay process in its photoactivation reaction cycle. This perspective summarizes our recent efforts in dissecting the photocycle into three elementary processes, including proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), proton rocking, and proton relay. Using ultrafast spectroscopy, we have determined the temporal sequence, rates, kinetic isotope effects (KIEs), and concertedness of these elementary steps. Our findings provide important implications for illuminating the photoactivation mechanism of the BLUF domain and suggest an engineering platform to characterize intricate reactions involving proton motions that are ubiquitous in nonphotosensitive protein machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Wen Kang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kailin Wang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaofan Zhang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Dongping Zhong
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Programs of Biophysics, Programs of Chemical Physics, and Programs of Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Bei Ding
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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2
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Nakasone Y, Murakami H, Tokonami S, Oda T, Terazima M. Time-resolved study on signaling pathway of photoactivated adenylate cyclase and its nonlinear optical response. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105285. [PMID: 37742920 PMCID: PMC10634658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoactivated adenylate cyclases (PACs) are multidomain BLUF proteins that regulate the cellular levels of cAMP in a light-dependent manner. The signaling route and dynamics of PAC from Oscillatoria acuminata (OaPAC), which consists of a light sensor BLUF domain, an adenylate cyclase domain, and a connector helix (α3-helix), were studied by detecting conformational changes in the protein moiety. Although circular dichroism and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements did not show significant changes upon light illumination, the transient grating method successfully detected light-induced changes in the diffusion coefficient (diffusion-sensitive conformational change (DSCC)) of full-length OaPAC and the BLUF domain with the α3-helix. DSCC of full-length OaPAC was observed only when both protomers in a dimer were photoconverted. This light intensity dependence suggests that OaPAC is a cyclase with a nonlinear light intensity response. The enzymatic activity indeed nonlinearly depends on light intensity, that is, OaPAC is activated under strong light conditions. It was also found that both DSCC and enzymatic activity were suppressed by a mutation in the W90 residue, indicating the importance of the highly conserved Trp in many BLUF domains for the function. Based on these findings, a reaction scheme was proposed together with the reaction dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nakasone
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroto Murakami
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shunrou Tokonami
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Oda
- Department of Life Science and Research Center for Life Science, College of Science, Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahide Terazima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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3
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Raics K, Pirisi K, Zhuang B, Fekete Z, Kis-Bicskei N, Pecsi I, Ujfalusi KP, Telek E, Li Y, Collado JT, Tonge PJ, Meech SR, Vos MH, Bodis E, Lukacs A. Photocycle alteration and increased enzymatic activity in genetically modified photoactivated adenylate cyclase OaPAC. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105056. [PMID: 37468104 PMCID: PMC10448171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoactivated adenylate cyclases (PACs) are light activated enzymes that combine blue light sensing capacity with the ability to convert ATP to cAMP and pyrophosphate (PPi) in a light-dependent manner. In most of the known PACs blue light regulation is provided by a blue light sensing domain using flavin which undergoes a structural reorganization after blue-light absorption. This minor structural change then is translated toward the C-terminal of the protein, inducing a larger conformational change that results in the ATP conversion to cAMP. As cAMP is a key second messenger in numerous signal transduction pathways regulating various cellular functions, PACs are of great interest in optogenetic studies. The optimal optogenetic device must be "silent" in the dark and highly responsive upon light illumination. PAC from Oscillatoria acuminata is a very good candidate as its basal activity is very small in the dark and the conversion rates increase 20-fold upon light illumination. We studied the effect of replacing D67 to N, in the blue light using flavin domain. This mutation was found to accelerate the primary electron transfer process in the photosensing domain of the protein, as has been predicted. Furthermore, it resulted in a longer lived signaling state, which was formed with a lower quantum yield. Our studies show that the overall effects of the D67N mutation lead to a slightly higher conversion of ATP to cAMP, which points in the direction that by fine tuning the kinetic properties more responsive PACs and optogenetic devices can be generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Raics
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Katalin Pirisi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Bo Zhuang
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
| | - Zsuzsanna Fekete
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | | | - Ildiko Pecsi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | | | - Elek Telek
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Yin Li
- Department of Physics, School of Physics and Materials Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, China
| | | | - Peter J Tonge
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | | | - Marten H Vos
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
| | - Emoke Bodis
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.
| | - Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.
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4
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Hontani Y, Mehlhorn J, Domratcheva T, Beck S, Kloz M, Hegemann P, Mathes T, Kennis JTM. Spectroscopic and Computational Observation of Glutamine Tautomerization in the Blue Light Sensing Using Flavin Domain Photoreaction. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:1040-1052. [PMID: 36607126 PMCID: PMC9853863 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Blue light sensing using flavin (BLUF) domains constitute a family of flavin-binding photoreceptors of bacteria and eukaryotic algae. BLUF photoactivation proceeds via a light-driven hydrogen-bond switch among flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and glutamine and tyrosine side chains, whereby FAD undergoes electron and proton transfer with tyrosine and is subsequently re-oxidized by a hydrogen back-shuttle in picoseconds, constituting an important model system to understand proton-coupled electron transfer in biology. The specific structure of the hydrogen-bond patterns and the prevalence of glutamine tautomeric states in dark-adapted (DA) and light-activated (LA) states have remained controversial. Here, we present a combined femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS), computational chemistry, and site-selective isotope labeling Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study of the Slr1694 BLUF domain. FSRS showed distinct vibrational bands from the FADS1 singlet excited state. We observed small but significant shifts in the excited-state vibrational frequency patterns of the DA and LA states, indicating that these frequencies constitute a sensitive probe for the hydrogen-bond arrangement around FAD. Excited-state model calculations utilizing four different realizations of hydrogen bond patterns and glutamine tautomeric states were consistent with a BLUF reaction model that involved glutamine tautomerization to imidic acid, accompanied by a rotation of its side chain. A combined FTIR and double-isotope labeling study, with 13C labeling of FAD and 15N labeling of glutamine, identified the glutamine imidic acid C═N stretch vibration in the LA state and the Gln C═O in the DA state. Hence, our study provides support for glutamine tautomerization and side-chain rotation in the BLUF photoreaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusaku Hontani
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Mehlhorn
- Institut
für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatiana Domratcheva
- Department
of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max Planck Institute
for Medical Research, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany,Department
of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sebastian Beck
- Department
of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität
zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str.
2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Miroslav Kloz
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, The Netherlands,Institute
of Physics, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 182
21 Praha 8, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institut
für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, The Netherlands,Institut
für Biologie, Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, The Netherlands,
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5
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Nakasone Y, Terazima M. Time-resolved diffusion reveals photoreactions of BLUF proteins with similar functional domains. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2022; 21:493-507. [PMID: 35391638 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00214-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BLUF (blue light sensor using flavin) proteins are the blue light receptors that consist of flavin-binding BLUF domains and functional domains. Upon blue light excitation, the hydrogen bond network around the flavin chromophore changes, and the absorption spectrum in the visible region shifts to red. Light signal received in the BLUF domain is intramolecularly or intermolecularly transmitted to the functional region. In this review, the reactions of three BLUF proteins with similar EAL functional groups within the protein (BlrP1, and YcgF), or with a separated target protein (PapB) are described using time-resolved diffusion technique. The diffusion coefficients (D) of the BLUF domains did not significantly change upon photoexcitation, whereas those of the full-length proteins BlrP1 and YcgF and the PapB-PapA system significantly decreased. The changes in D should be due to diffusion-sensitive conformational changes (DSCC) that alter the friction of diffusion. The time constants of the major D changes of BlrP1 and PapB-PapA were similar (~ 20 ms), although the magnitude of the friction change depended on the proteins. Similarities and differences among the reactions of these proteins were clarified from the viewpoint of DSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Nakasone
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masahide Terazima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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6
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Tokonami S, Onose M, Nakasone Y, Terazima M. Slow Conformational Changes of Blue Light Sensor BLUF Proteins in Milliseconds. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:4080-4090. [PMID: 35196858 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Blue light sensor using flavin (BLUF) proteins consist of flavin-binding BLUF domains and functional domains. Upon blue light excitation, the hydrogen bond network around the flavin chromophore changes, and the absorption spectrum in the visible region exhibits a red shift. Ultimately, the light information received in the BLUF domain is transmitted to the functional region. It has been believed that this red shift is complete within nanoseconds. In this study, slow reaction kinetics were discovered in milliseconds (τ1- and τ2-phase) for all the BLUF proteins examined (AppA, OaPAC, BlrP1, YcgF, PapB, SyPixD, and TePixD). Despite extensive reports on BLUF, this is the first clear observation of the BLUF protein absorption change with the duration in the millisecond time region. From the measurements of some domain-deleted mutants of OaPAC and two chimeric mutants of PixD proteins, it was found that the slower dynamics (τ2-phase) are strongly affected by the size and nature of the C-terminal region adjacent to the BLUF domain. Hence, this millisecond reaction is a significant indicator of conformational changes in the C-terminal region, which is essential for the biological functions. On the other hand, the τ1-phase commonly exists in all BLUF proteins, including any mutants. The origin of the slow dynamics was studied using site-specific mutants. These results clearly show the importance of Trp in the BLUF domain. Based on this, a reaction scheme for the BLUF reaction is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunrou Tokonami
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Morihiko Onose
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakasone
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masahide Terazima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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7
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Abstract
Light activated proteins are at the heart of photobiology and optogenetics, so there is wide interest in understanding the mechanisms coupling optical excitation to protein function. In addition, such light activated proteins provide unique insights into the real-time dynamics of protein function. Using pump-probe spectroscopy, the function of a photoactive protein can be initiated by a sub-100 fs pulse of light, allowing subsequent protein dynamics to be probed from femtoseconds to milliseconds and beyond. Among the most interesting photoactive proteins are the blue light using flavin (BLUF) domain proteins, which regulate the response to light of a wide range of bacterial and some euglenoid processes. The photosensing mechanism of BLUF domains has long been a subject of debate. In contrast to other photoactive proteins, the electronic and nuclear structure of the chromophore (flavin) is the same in dark- and light-adapted states. Thus, the driving force for photoactivity is unclear.To address this question requires real-time observation of both chromophore excited state processes and their effect on the structure and dynamics of the surrounding protein matrix. In this Account we describe how time-resolved infrared (IR) experiments, coupled with chemical biology, provide important new insights into the signaling mechanism of BLUF domains. IR measurements are sensitive to changes in both chromophore electronic structure and protein hydrogen bonding interactions. These contributions are resolved by isotope labeling of the chromophore and protein separately. Further, a degree of control over BLUF photochemistry is achieved through mutagenesis, while unnatural amino acid substitution allows us to both fine-tune the photochemistry and time resolve protein dynamics with spatial resolution.Ultrafast studies of BLUF domains reveal non-single-exponential relaxation of the flavin excited state. That relaxation leads within one nanosecond to the original flavin ground state bound in a modified hydrogen-bonding network, as seen in transient and steady-state IR spectroscopy. The change in H-bond configuration arises from formation of an unusual enol (imine) form of a critical glutamine residue. The dynamics observed, complemented by quantum mechanical calculations, suggest a unique sequential electron then double proton transfer reaction as the driving force, followed by rapid reorganization in the binding site and charge recombination. Importantly, studies of several BLUF domains reveal an unexpected diversity in their dynamics, although the underlying structure appears highly conserved. It is suggested that this diversity reflects structural dynamics in the ground state at standard temperature, leading to a distribution of structures and photochemical outcomes. Time resolved IR measurements were extended to the millisecond regime for one BLUF domain, revealing signaling state formation on the microsecond time scale. The mechanism involves reorganization of a β-sheet connected to the chromophore binding pocket via a tryptophan residue. The potential of site-specific labeling amino acids with IR labels as a tool for probing protein structural dynamics was demonstrated.In summary, time-resolved IR studies of BLUF domains (along with related studies at visible wavelengths and quantum and molecular dynamics calculations) have resolved the photoactivation mechanism and real-time dynamics of signaling state formation. These measurements provide new insights into protein structural dynamics and will be important in optimizing the potential of BLUF domains in optobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti str 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Peter J. Tonge
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Stephen R. Meech
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
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8
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Sayfutyarova ER, Goings JJ, Hammes-Schiffer S. Electron-Coupled Double Proton Transfer in the Slr1694 BLUF Photoreceptor: A Multireference Electronic Structure Study. J Phys Chem B 2018; 123:439-447. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b10973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elvira R. Sayfutyarova
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Joshua J. Goings
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Sharon Hammes-Schiffer
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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9
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Xu Y, Bao P, Song K, Shi Q. Theoretical study of proton coupled electron transfer reaction in the light state of the AppA BLUF photoreceptor. J Comput Chem 2018; 40:1005-1014. [PMID: 30341953 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.25561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The BLUF (blue light sensor using flavin adenine dinucleotide) domain is widely studied as a prototype for proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions in biological systems. In this work, the photo-induced concerted PCET reaction from the light state of the AppA BLUF domain is investigated. To model the simultaneous transfer of two protons in the reaction, two-dimensional potential energy surfaces for the double proton transfer are first calculated for the locally excited and charge transfer states, which are then used to obtain the vibrational wave function overlaps and the vibrational energy levels. Contributions to the PCET rate constant from each pair of vibronic states are then analyzed using the theory based on the Fermi's golden rule. We show that, the recently proposed light state structure of the BLUF domain with a tautomerized Gln63 residue is consistent with the concerted transfer of one electron and two protons. It is also found that, thermal fluctuations of the protein structure, especially the proton donor-acceptor distances, play an important role in determining the PCET reaction rate. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Bao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Song
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Shi
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Gil AA, Laptenok SP, Iuliano JN, Lukacs A, Verma A, Hall CR, Yoon GE, Brust R, Greetham GM, Towrie M, French JB, Meech SR, Tonge PJ. Photoactivation of the BLUF Protein PixD Probed by the Site-Specific Incorporation of Fluorotyrosine Residues. J Am Chem Soc 2017; 139:14638-14648. [PMID: 28876066 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b07849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The flavin chromophore in blue-light-using FAD (BLUF) photoreceptors is surrounded by a hydrogen bond network that senses and responds to changes in the electronic structure of the flavin on the ultrafast time scale. The hydrogen bond network includes a strictly conserved Tyr residue, and previously we explored the role of this residue, Y21, in the photoactivation mechanism of the BLUF protein AppABLUF by the introduction of fluorotyrosine (F-Tyr) analogues that modulated the pKa and reduction potential of Y21 by 3.5 pH units and 200 mV, respectively. Although little impact on the forward (dark- to light-adapted form) photoreaction was observed, the change in Y21 pKa led to a 4000-fold increase in the rate of dark-state recovery. In the present work we have extended these studies to the BLUF protein PixD, where, in contrast to AppABLUF, modulation in the Tyr (Y8) pKa has a profound impact on the forward photoreaction. In particular, a decrease in Y8 pKa by 2 or more pH units prevents formation of a stable light state, consistent with a photoactivation mechanism that involves proton transfer or proton-coupled electron transfer from Y8 to the electronically excited FAD. Conversely, the effect of pKa on the rate of dark recovery is markedly reduced in PixD. These observations highlight very significant differences between the photocycles of PixD and AppABLUF, despite their sharing highly conserved FAD binding architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergey P Laptenok
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | | | - Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs , Pecs H-7622, Hungary
| | - Anil Verma
- Central Laser Facility, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus , Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Christopher R Hall
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | | | | | - Gregory M Greetham
- Central Laser Facility, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus , Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Michael Towrie
- Central Laser Facility, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus , Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K
| | | | - Stephen R Meech
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia , Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
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11
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Khrenova MG, Domratcheva T, Nemukhin AV. Molecular mechanism of the dark-state recovery in BLUF photoreceptors. Chem Phys Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2017.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Mathes T, Götze JP. A proposal for a dipole-generated BLUF domain mechanism. Front Mol Biosci 2015; 2:62. [PMID: 26579529 PMCID: PMC4630285 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The resting and signaling structures of the blue-light sensing using flavin (BLUF) photoreceptor domains are still controversially debated due to differences in the molecular models obtained by crystal and NMR structures. Photocycles for the given preferred structural framework have been established, but a unifying picture combining experiment and theory remains elusive. We summarize present work on the AppA BLUF domain from both experiment and theory. We focus on IR and UV/vis spectra, and to what extent theory was able to reproduce experimental data and predict the structural changes upon formation of the signaling state. We find that the experimental observables can be theoretically reproduced employing any structural model, as long as the orientation of the signaling essential Gln63 and its tautomer state are a choice of the modeler. We also observe that few approaches are comparative, e.g., by considering all structures in the same context. Based on recent experimental findings and a few basic calculations, we suggest the possibility for a BLUF activation mechanism that only relies on electron transfer and its effect on the local electrostatics, not requiring an associated proton transfer. In this regard, we investigate the impact of dispersion correction on the interaction energies arising from weakly bound amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Mathes
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan P Götze
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews St Andrews, UK
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13
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Fudim R, Mehlhorn J, Berthold T, Weber S, Schleicher E, Kennis JTM, Mathes T. Photoinduced formation of flavin radicals in BLUF domains lacking the central glutamine. FEBS J 2015; 282:3161-74. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roman Fudim
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Jennifer Mehlhorn
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Thomas Berthold
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS); Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory; University of Oxford; UK
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Biophysics Section; Department of Physics and Astronomy; Faculty of Sciences; VU University; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
- Biophysics Section; Department of Physics and Astronomy; Faculty of Sciences; VU University; Amsterdam The Netherlands
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14
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Conrad KS, Manahan CC, Crane BR. Photochemistry of flavoprotein light sensors. Nat Chem Biol 2014; 10:801-9. [PMID: 25229449 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Three major classes of flavin photosensors, light oxygen voltage (LOV) domains, blue light sensor using FAD (BLUF) proteins and cryptochromes (CRYs), regulate diverse biological activities in response to blue light. Recent studies of structure, spectroscopy and chemical mechanism have provided unprecedented insight into how each family operates at the molecular level. In general, the photoexcitation of the flavin cofactor leads to changes in redox and protonation states that ultimately remodel protein conformation and molecular interactions. For LOV domains, issues remain regarding early photochemical events, but common themes in conformational propagation have emerged across a diverse family of proteins. For BLUF proteins, photoinduced electron transfer reactions critical to light conversion are defined, but the subsequent rearrangement of hydrogen bonding networks key for signaling remains highly controversial. For CRYs, the relevant photocycles are actively debated, but mechanistic and functional studies are converging. Despite these challenges, our current understanding has enabled the engineering of flavoprotein photosensors for control of signaling processes within cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen S Conrad
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Craig C Manahan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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15
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Fujisawa T, Takeuchi S, Masuda S, Tahara T. Signaling-State Formation Mechanism of a BLUF Protein PapB from the Purple Bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris Studied by Femtosecond Time-Resolved Absorption Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:14761-73. [PMID: 25406769 DOI: 10.1021/jp5076252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We studied the signaling-state formation of a BLUF (blue light using FAD) protein, PapB, from the purple bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris, using femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. Upon photoexcitation of the dark state, FADH(•) (neutral flavin semiquinone FADH radical) was observed as the intermediate before the formation of the signaling state. The kinetic analysis based on singular value decomposition showed that FADH(•) mediates the signaling-state formation, showing that PapB is the second example of FADH(•)-mediated formation of the signaling state after Slr1694 (M. Gauden et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2006, 103, 10895-10900). The mechanism of the signaling-state formation is discussed on the basis of the comparison between femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectra of the dark state and those obtained by exciting the signaling state. FADH(•) was observed also with excitation of the signaling state, and surprisingly, the kinetics of FADH(•) was indistinguishable from the case of exciting the dark state. This result suggests that the hydrogen bond environment in the signaling state is realized before the formation of FADH(•) in the photocycle of PapB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotsumi Fujisawa
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Satoshi Takeuchi
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan.,Ultrafast Spectroscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), RIKEN , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shinji Masuda
- Center for Biological Resources and Informatics, and Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Tahei Tahara
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan.,Ultrafast Spectroscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), RIKEN , 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan
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16
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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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17
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Miller AF. Solid-state NMR of flavins and flavoproteins. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1146:307-40. [PMID: 24764096 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0452-5_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Why apply solid-state NMR (SSNMR) to flavins and flavoproteins? NMR provides information on an atom-specific basis about chemical functionality, structure, proximity to other groups, and dynamics of the system. Thus, it has become indispensable to the study of chemicals, materials, catalysts, and biomolecules. It is no surprise then that NMR has a great deal to offer in the study of flavins and flavoenzymes. In general, their catalytic or electron-transfer activity resides essentially in the flavin, a molecule eminently accessible by NMR. However, the specific reactivity displayed depends on a host of subtle interactions whereby the protein biases and reshapes the flavin's propensities to activate it for one reaction while suppressing other aspects of this cofactor's prodigious repertoire (Massey et al., J Biol Chem 244:3999-4006, 1969; Müller, Z Naturforsch 27B:1023-1026, 1972; Joosten and van Berkel, Curr Opin Struct Biol 11:195-202, 2007). Thus, we are fascinated to learn about how the flavin cofactor of one enzyme is, and is not, like the flavin cofactor of another. In what follows, we describe how the capabilities of SSNMR can help and are beginning to bear fruit in this exciting endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Frances Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose St, Lexington, KY, 40506-0055, USA,
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18
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Lukacs A, Brust R, Haigney A, Laptenok SP, Addison K, Gil A, Towrie M, Greetham GM, Tonge PJ, Meech SR. BLUF domain function does not require a metastable radical intermediate state. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:4605-15. [PMID: 24579721 PMCID: PMC4004230 DOI: 10.1021/ja4121082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BLUF (blue light using flavin) domain proteins are an important family of blue light-sensing proteins which control a wide variety of functions in cells. The primary light-activated step in the BLUF domain is not yet established. A number of experimental and theoretical studies points to a role for photoinduced electron transfer (PET) between a highly conserved tyrosine and the flavin chromophore to form a radical intermediate state. Here we investigate the role of PET in three different BLUF proteins, using ultrafast broadband transient infrared spectroscopy. We characterize and identify infrared active marker modes for excited and ground state species and use them to record photochemical dynamics in the proteins. We also generate mutants which unambiguously show PET and, through isotope labeling of the protein and the chromophore, are able to assign modes characteristic of both flavin and protein radical states. We find that these radical intermediates are not observed in two of the three BLUF domains studied, casting doubt on the importance of the formation of a population of radical intermediates in the BLUF photocycle. Further, unnatural amino acid mutagenesis is used to replace the conserved tyrosine with fluorotyrosines, thus modifying the driving force for the proposed electron transfer reaction; the rate changes observed are also not consistent with a PET mechanism. Thus, while intermediates of PET reactions can be observed in BLUF proteins they are not correlated with photoactivity, suggesting that radical intermediates are not central to their operation. Alternative nonradical pathways including a keto-enol tautomerization induced by electronic excitation of the flavin ring are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Lukacs
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
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19
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Mathes T, van Stokkum IHM, Kennis JTM. Photoactivation mechanisms of flavin-binding photoreceptors revealed through ultrafast spectroscopy and global analysis methods. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1146:401-442. [PMID: 24764100 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0452-5_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Flavin-binding photoreceptor proteins use the isoalloxazine moiety of flavin cofactors to absorb light in the blue/UV-A wavelength region and subsequently translate it into biological information. The underlying photochemical reactions and protein structural dynamics are delicately tuned by the protein environment and represent fundamental reactions in biology and chemistry. Due to their photo-switchable nature, these proteins can be studied efficiently with laser-flash induced transient absorption and emission spectroscopy with temporal precision down to the femtosecond time domain. Here, we describe the application of both visible and mid-IR ultrafast transient absorption and time-resolved fluorescence methods in combination with sophisticated global analysis procedures to elucidate the photochemistry and signal transduction of BLUF (Blue light receptors using FAD) and LOV (Light oxygen voltage) photoreceptor domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Mathes
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, Amsterdam, 1081HV, The Netherlands
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20
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Mehlhorn J, Steinocher H, Beck S, Kennis JTM, Hegemann P, Mathes T. A set of engineered Escherichia coli expression strains for selective isotope and reactivity labeling of amino acid side chains and flavin cofactors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79006. [PMID: 24223875 PMCID: PMC3815312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 09/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological reactions are facilitated by delicate molecular interactions between proteins, cofactors and substrates. To study and understand their dynamic interactions researchers have to take great care not to influence or distort the object of study. As a non-invasive alternative to a site-directed mutagenesis approach, selective isotope labeling in combination with vibrational spectroscopy may be employed to directly identify structural transitions in wild type proteins. Here we present a set of customized Escherichia coli expression strains, suitable for replacing both the flavin cofactor and/or selective amino acids with isotope enriched or chemically modified substrates. For flavin labeling we report optimized auxotrophic strains with significantly enhanced flavin uptake properties. Labeled protein biosynthesis using these strains was achieved in optimized cultivation procedures using high cell density fermentation. Finally, we demonstrate how this approach is used for a clear assignment of vibrational spectroscopic difference signals of apoprotein and cofactor of a flavin containing photoreceptor of the BLUF (Blue Light receptors Using FAD) family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Mehlhorn
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helena Steinocher
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Beck
- Institut für Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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21
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Brust R, Lukacs A, Haigney A, Addison K, Gil A, Towrie M, Clark IP, Greetham G, Tonge PJ, Meech SR. Proteins in action: femtosecond to millisecond structural dynamics of a photoactive flavoprotein. J Am Chem Soc 2013; 135:16168-74. [PMID: 24083781 PMCID: PMC3837517 DOI: 10.1021/ja407265p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Living systems are fundamentally dependent on the ability of proteins to respond to external stimuli. The mechanism, the underlying structural dynamics, and the time scales for regulation of this response are central questions in biochemistry. Here we probe the structural dynamics of the BLUF domain found in several photoactive flavoproteins, which is responsible for light activated functions as diverse as phototaxis and gene regulation. Measurements have been made over 10 decades of time (from 100 fs to 1 ms) using transient vibrational spectroscopy. Chromophore (flavin ring) localized dynamics occur on the pico- to nanosecond time scale, while subsequent protein structural reorganization is observed over microseconds. Multiple time scales are observed for the dynamics associated with different vibrations of the protein, suggesting an underlying hierarchical relaxation pathway. Structural evolution in residues directly H-bonded to the chromophore takes place more slowly than changes in more remote residues. However, a point mutation which suppresses biological function is shown to 'short circuit' this structural relaxation pathway, suppressing the changes which occur further away from the chromophore while accelerating dynamics close to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Brust
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Andras Lukacs
- School
of Chemistry, University of East Anglia,
Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- Department
of Biophysics, Medical School, University
of Pecs, Szigeti ut 12, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Allison Haigney
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Kiri Addison
- School
of Chemistry, University of East Anglia,
Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Agnieszka Gil
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Michael Towrie
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11
0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Ian P. Clark
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11
0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory
M. Greetham
- Central
Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11
0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Tonge
- Department
of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Stephen R. Meech
- School
of Chemistry, University of East Anglia,
Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
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22
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Kennis JTM, van Stokkum IHM, Peterson DS, Pandit A, Wachter RM. Ultrafast proton shuttling in Psammocora cyan fluorescent protein. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:11134-43. [PMID: 23534404 DOI: 10.1021/jp401114e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cyan, green, yellow, and red fluorescent proteins (FPs) homologous to green fluorescent protein (GFP) are used extensively as model systems to study fundamental processes in photobiology, such as the capture of light energy by protein-embedded chromophores, color tuning by the protein matrix, energy conversion by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) reactions. Recently, a novel cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) termed psamFP488 was isolated from the genus Psammocora of reef building corals. Within the cyan color class, psamFP488 is unusual because it exhibits a significantly extended Stokes shift. Here, we applied ultrafast transient absorption and pump-dump-probe spectroscopy to investigate the mechanistic basis of psamFP488 fluorescence, complemented with fluorescence quantum yield and dynamic light scattering measurements. Transient absorption spectroscopy indicated that, upon excitation at 410 nm, the stimulated cyan emission rises in 170 fs. With pump-dump-probe spectroscopy, we observe a very short-lived (110 fs) ground-state intermediate that we assign to the deprotonated, anionic chromophore. In addition, a minor fraction (14%) decays with 3.5 ps to the ground state. Structural analysis of homologous proteins indicates that Glu-167 is likely positioned in sufficiently close vicinity to the chromophore to act as a proton acceptor. Our findings support a model where unusually fast ESPT from the neutral chromophore to Glu-167 with a time constant of 170 fs and resulting emission from the anionic chromophore forms the basis of the large psamFP488 Stokes shift. When dumped to the ground state, the proton on neutral Glu is very rapidly shuttled back to the anionic chromophore in 110 fs. Proton shuttling in excited and ground states is a factor of 20-4000 faster than in GFP, which probably results from a favorable hydrogen-bonding geometry between the chromophore phenolic oxygen and the glutamate acceptor, possibly involving a short hydrogen bond. At any time in the reaction, the proton is localized on either the chromophore or Glu-167, which implies that most likely no low-barrier hydrogen bond exists between these molecular groups. This work supports the notion that proton transfer in biological systems, be it in an electronic excited or ground state, can be an intrinsically fast process that occurs on a 100 fs time scale. PsamFP488 represents an attractive model system that poses an ultrafast proton transfer regime in discrete steps. It constitutes a valuable model system in addition to wild type GFP, where proton transfer is relatively slow, and the S65T/H148D GFP mutant, where the effects of low-barrier hydrogen bonds dominate.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T M Kennis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLaB, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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Mandalari C, Losi A, Gärtner W. Distance-tree analysis, distribution and co-presence of bilin- and flavin-binding prokaryotic photoreceptors for visible light. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2013; 12:1144-57. [DOI: 10.1039/c3pp25404f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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24
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Kritsky MS, Telegina TA, Vechtomova YL, Buglak AA. Why flavins are not competitors of chlorophyll in the evolution of biological converters of solar energy. Int J Mol Sci 2012; 14:575-93. [PMID: 23271372 PMCID: PMC3565283 DOI: 10.3390/ijms14010575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Excited flavin molecules can photocatalyze reactions, leading to the accumulation of free energy in the products, and the data accumulated through biochemical experiments and by modeling prebiological processes suggest that flavins were available in the earliest stages of evolution. Furthermore, model experiments have shown that abiogenic flavin conjugated with a polyamino acid matrix, a pigment that photocatalyzes the phosphorylation of ADP to form ATP, could have been present in the prebiotic environment. Indeed, excited flavin molecules play key roles in many photoenzymes and regulatory photoreceptors, and the substantial structural differences between photoreceptor families indicate that evolution has repeatedly used flavins as chromophores for photoreceptor proteins. Some of these photoreceptors are equipped with a light-harvesting antenna, which transfers excitation energy to chemically reactive flavins in the reaction center. The sum of the available data suggests that evolution could have led to the formation of a flavin-based biological converter to convert light energy into energy in the form of ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail S. Kritsky
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, House 33, Building 2, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia; E-Mails: (T.A.T.); (Y.L.V.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Taisiya A. Telegina
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, House 33, Building 2, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia; E-Mails: (T.A.T.); (Y.L.V.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Yulia L. Vechtomova
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, House 33, Building 2, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia; E-Mails: (T.A.T.); (Y.L.V.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Andrey A. Buglak
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, House 33, Building 2, Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia; E-Mails: (T.A.T.); (Y.L.V.); (A.A.B.)
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25
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Mathes T, van Stokkum IHM, Stierl M, Kennis JTM. Redox modulation of flavin and tyrosine determines photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer and photoactivation of BLUF photoreceptors. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:31725-38. [PMID: 22833672 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.391896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoinduced electron transfer in biological systems, especially in proteins, is a highly intriguing matter. Its mechanistic details cannot be addressed by structural data obtained by crystallography alone because this provides only static information on a given redox system. In combination with transient spectroscopy and site-directed manipulation of the protein, however, a dynamic molecular picture of the ET process may be obtained. In BLUF (blue light sensors using FAD) photoreceptors, proton-coupled electron transfer between a tyrosine and the flavin cofactor is the key reaction to switch from a dark-adapted to a light-adapted state, which corresponds to the biological signaling state. Particularly puzzling is the fact that, although the various naturally occurring BLUF domains show little difference in the amino acid composition of the flavin binding pocket, the reaction rates of the forward reaction differ quite largely from a few ps up to several hundred ps. In this study, we modified the redox potential of the flavin/tyrosine redox pair by site-directed mutagenesis close to the flavin C2 carbonyl and fluorination of the tyrosine, respectively. We provide information on how changes in the redox potential of either reaction partner significantly influence photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer. The altered redox potentials allowed us furthermore to experimentally describe an excited state charge transfer intermediately prior to electron transfer in the BLUF photocycle. Additionally, we show that the electron transfer rate directly correlates with the quantum yield of signaling state formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Mathes
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081A, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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26
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Götze JP, Greco C, Mitrić R, Bonačić-Koutecký V, Saalfrank P. BLUF hydrogen network dynamics and UV/Vis spectra: a combined molecular dynamics and quantum chemical study. J Comput Chem 2012; 33:2233-42. [PMID: 22764067 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.23056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Blue light sensing using flavin (BLUF) protein photoreceptor domains change their hydrogen bond network after photoexcitation. To explore this phenomenon, BLUF domains from R. sphaeroides were simulated using Amber99 molecular dynamics (MD). Five starting configurations were considered, to study different BLUF proteins (AppA/BlrB), Trp conformations ("W(in)"/"W(out)"), structure determination (X-ray/NMR), and finally, His protonation states. We found dependencies of the hydrogen bonds on almost all parameters. Our data show an especially strong correlation of the Trp position and hydrogen bonds involving Gln63. The latter is in some contradiction to earlier results (Obanayama et al., Photochem. Photobiol. 2008, 84 10031010). Possible origins and implications are discussed. Our calculations support conjectures that Gln63 is more flexible with Trp104 in W(in) position. Using snapshots from MD and time-dependent density functional theory, UV/vis spectra for the chromophore were determined, which account for molecular motion of the protein under ambient conditions. In accord with experiment, it is found that the UV/vis spectra of BLUF bound flavin are red-shifted and thermally broadened for all calculated π → π* transitions, relative to gas phase flavin at T = 0 K. However, differences in the spectra between the various BLUF configurations cannot be resolved with the present approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan P Götze
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
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27
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Hsiao YW, Götze JP, Thiel W. The central role of Gln63 for the hydrogen bonding network and UV-visible spectrum of the AppA BLUF domain. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:8064-73. [PMID: 22694087 DOI: 10.1021/jp3028758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In blue-light sensing using flavin (BLUF) domains, the side-chain orientation of key residues close to the flavin chromophore is still under debate. We report quantum refinements of the wild-type AppA BLUF protein from Rhodobacter sphaeroides starting from two published X-ray structures (1YRX and 2IYG) with different arrangements of the residues around the chromophore. Quantum refinement uses the same experimental X-ray raw data as conventional refinement, but includes data from quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations as restraints, which is expected to be more reliable than the normally employed MM data. In addition to quantum refinement, pure QM/MM geometry optimizations are performed for the 1YRX and 2IYG structures and for five models derived therefrom. Vertical excitation energies are computed at the QM(DFT/MRCI)/MM level to assess the resulting structures. The experimental absorption maximum of the dark state of wild-type AppA is well reproduced for structures that contain the Gln63 residue in 1YRX-type orientation. The computed excitation energies are red-shifted for structures with a flipped Gln63 residue in 2IYG-type orientation. The calculated 1YRX- and 2IYG-type hydrogen-bonding networks are discussed in detail, particularly with regard to the orientation of the chromophore and the Gln63, Trp104, and Met106 residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Wen Hsiao
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, D-45470, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
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28
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Losi A, Gärtner W. The evolution of flavin-binding photoreceptors: an ancient chromophore serving trendy blue-light sensors. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2012; 63:49-72. [PMID: 22136567 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-042811-105538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Photoreceptor flavoproteins of the LOV, BLUF, and cryptochrome families are ubiquitous among the three domains of life and are configured as UVA/blue-light systems not only in plants-their original arena-but also in prokaryotes and microscopic algae. Here, we review these proteins' structure and function, their biological roles, and their evolution and impact in the living world, and underline their growing application in biotechnologies. We present novel developments such as the interplay of light and redox stimuli, emerging enzymatic and biological functions, lessons on evolution from picoalgae, metagenomics analysis, and optogenetics applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aba Losi
- Department of Physics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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