Structural Volume Changes in Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions. Laser-Induced Optoacoustic Studies of Speciation during the Quenching Reaction of Excited Ru(bpy)32+ by Fe(III) in Aqueous Solutions

Interaction of singlet oxygen with bovine serum albumin and the role of the protein nano-compartmentalization

Singlet molecular oxygen ((1)O2) contributes to protein damage triggering biophysical and biochemical changes that can be related with aging and oxidative stress. Serum albumins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), are abundant proteins in blood plasma with different biological functions. This paper presents a kinetic and spectroscopic study of the (1)O2-mediated oxidation of BSA using the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) cation [Ru(bpy)3](2+) as sensitizer. BSA quenches efficiently (1)O2 with a total (chemical+physical interaction) rate constant kt(BSA)=7.3(±0.4)×10(8)M(-1)s(-1), where the chemical pathway represented 37% of the interaction. This efficient quenching by BSA indicates the participation of several reactive residues. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of intact BSA confirmed that after oxidation by (1)O2, the mass protein increased the equivalent of 13 oxygen atoms. Time-resolved emission spectra analysis of BSA established that Trp residues were oxidized to N'-formylkynurenine, being the solvent-accessible W134 preferentially oxidized by (1)O2 as compared with the buried W213. MS confirmed oxidation of at least two Tyr residues to form dihydroxyphenylalanine, with a global reactivity towards (1)O2 six-times lower than for Trp residues. Despite the lack of MS evidences, kinetic and chemical analysis also suggested that residues other than Trp and Tyr, e.g. Met, must react with (1)O2. Modeling of the 3D-structure of BSA indicated that the oxidation pattern involves a random distribution of (1)O2 into BSA; allowing also the interaction of (1)O2 with buried residues by its diffusion from the bulk solvent through interconnected internal hydrophilic and hydrophobic grooves.

Fast structural changes (200-900ns) may prepare the photosynthetic manganese complex for oxidation by the adjacent tyrosine radical

The Mn complex of photosystem II (PSII) cycles through 4 semi-stable states (S(0) to S(3)). Laser-flash excitation of PSII in the S(2) or S(3) state induces processes with time constants around 350ns, which have been assigned previously to energetic relaxation of the oxidized tyrosine (Y(Z)(ox)). Herein we report monitoring of these processes in the time domain of hundreds of nanoseconds by photoacoustic (or 'optoacoustic') experiments involving pressure-wave detection after excitation of PSII membrane particles by ns-laser flashes. We find that specifically for excitation of PSII in the S(2) state, nuclear rearrangements are induced which amount to a contraction of PSII by at least 30Å(3) (time constant of 350ns at 25°C; activation energy of 285+/-50meV). In the S(3) state, the 350-ns-contraction is about 5 times smaller whereas in S(0) and S(1), no volume changes are detectable in this time domain. It is proposed that the classical S(2)=>S(3) transition of the Mn complex is a multi-step process. The first step after Y(Z)(ox) formation involves a fast nuclear rearrangement of the Mn complex and its protein-water environment (~350ns), which may serve a dual role: (1) The Mn- complex entity is prepared for the subsequent proton removal and electron transfer by formation of an intermediate state of specific (but still unknown) atomic structure. (2) Formation of the structural intermediate is associated (necessarily) with energetic relaxation and thus stabilization of Y(Z)(ox) so that energy losses by charge recombination with the Q(A)(-) anion radical are minimized. The intermediate formed within about 350ns after Y(Z)(ox) formation in the S(2)-state is discussed in the context of two recent models of the S(2)=>S(3) transition of the water oxidation cycle. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: From Natural to Artificial.

Time-resolved photothermal methods: accessing time-resolved thermodynamics of photoinduced processes in chemistry and biology

Photothermal methods are currently being employed in a variety of research areas, ranging from materials science to environmental monitoring. Despite the common term which they are collected under, the implementations of these techniques are as diverse as the fields of application. In this review, we concentrate on the recent applications of time-resolved methods in photochemistry and photobiology.

Application of photoacoustic calorimetry to the determination of volume changes in reactions involving radical anions in aqueous solutions

The particular features of the application of photoacoustic calorimetry to the determination of volume changes in reactions involving radical anions in aqueous solutions are addressed. Analysis of recent literature data on volume changes of redox pairs, including our previous results on the couples NO2(-)/NO2 and SO4(2-)/(SO4)*-, together with known values of molal volume changes for ionization reactions, allow us to derive an empirical correlation for these categories of reactions. Finally, the pertinence of describing the volume changes of complex processes as a simple sum of separable terms is critically examined.

Thermodynamic changes associated with the formation of the hydrated electron after photoionization of inorganic anions: a time-resolved photoacoustic study

The enthalpy and volume changes, deltaH and deltaV, associated with the 266 nm laser-induced photoionization reactions of aqueous ferrocyanide and iodide ions, to yield the hydrated electron, e(-)aq, and oxidized products were determined by temperature-dependent time-resolved photoacoustics. The photoionization quantum yield as function of temperature (9-30 degrees C) was determined by laser flash photolysis actinometry. The obtained values were used for the calculation of thermodynamic parameters associated with the formation of e(-)aq, such as the apparent partial molar volume, V(o)e = 26 cm3 mol(-1), and the standard formation enthalpy and entropy changes, deltaH(o)f,e = 31 kJ mol(-1) and TdeltaS(o)f,e = 338 kJ mol(-1). These results indicate that the formation of the aqueous excess electron solution is governed by the increase in entropy in the three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network of water.