1
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Huang X, Vasilev C, Swainsbury D, Hunter C. Excitation energy transfer in proteoliposomes reconstituted with LH2 and RC-LH1 complexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Biosci Rep 2024; 44:BSR20231302. [PMID: 38227291 PMCID: PMC10876425 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20231302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Light-harvesting 2 (LH2) and reaction-centre light-harvesting 1 (RC-LH1) complexes purified from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides were reconstituted into proteoliposomes either separately, or together at three different LH2:RC-LH1 ratios, for excitation energy transfer studies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the distribution and association of the complexes within the proteoliposome membranes. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra were similar for LH2 complexes in detergent and liposomes, indicating that reconstitution retains the structural and optical properties of the LH2 complexes. Analysis of fluorescence emission shows that when LH2 forms an extensive series of contacts with other such complexes, fluorescence is quenched by 52.6 ± 1.4%. In mixed proteoliposomes, specific excitation of carotenoids in LH2 donor complexes resulted in emission of fluorescence from acceptor RC-LH1 complexes engineered to assemble with no carotenoids. Extents of energy transfer were measured by fluorescence lifetime microscopy; the 0.72 ± 0.08 ns lifetime in LH2-only membranes decreases to 0.43 ± 0.04 ns with a ratio of 2:1 LH2 to RC-LH1, and to 0.35 ± 0.05 ns for a 1:1 ratio, corresponding to energy transfer efficiencies of 40 ± 14% and 51 ± 18%, respectively. No further improvement is seen with a 0.5:1 LH2 to RC-LH1 ratio. Thus, LH2 and RC-LH1 complexes perform their light harvesting and energy transfer roles when reconstituted into proteoliposomes, providing a way to integrate native, non-native, engineered and de novo designed light-harvesting complexes into functional photosynthetic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
- Jinan Guoke Medical Technology Development Co., Ltd, Jinan, Shandong 250101, China
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Cvetelin Vasilev
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - David J.K. Swainsbury
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
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2
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Varvelo L, Lynd JK, Citty B, Kühn O, Raccah DIGB. Formally Exact Simulations of Mesoscale Exciton Diffusion in a Light-Harvesting 2 Antenna Nanoarray. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:3077-3083. [PMID: 36947483 PMCID: PMC10069740 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The photosynthetic apparatus of plants and bacteria combine atomically precise pigment-protein complexes with dynamic membrane architectures to control energy transfer on the 10-100 nm length scales. Recently, synthetic materials have integrated photosynthetic antenna proteins to enhance exciton transport, though the influence of artificial packing on the excited-state dynamics in these biohybrid materials is not fully understood. Here, we use the adaptive hierarchy of pure states (adHOPS) to perform a formally exact simulation of excitation energy transfer within artificial aggregates of light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) with a range of packing densities. We find that LH2 aggregates support a remarkable exciton diffusion length ranging from 100 nm at a biological packing density to 300 nm at the densest packing previously suggested in an artificial aggregate. The unprecedented scale of these formally exact calculations also underscores the efficiency with which adHOPS simulates excited-state processes in molecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonel Varvelo
- Department
of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750314, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Jacob K. Lynd
- Department
of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750314, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Brian Citty
- Department
of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750314, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Oliver Kühn
- Institute
of Physics, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 23-24, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Doran I. G. B. Raccah
- Department
of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750314, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
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3
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Srivastava I, Moitra P, Sar D, Wang K, Alafeef M, Scott J, Pan D. Luminescence switching in polymerically confined carbon nanoparticles triggered by UV-light. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:16288-16295. [PMID: 34558578 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr02786g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Photo-caged carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) that are non-luminescent under typical microscopic illumination but can be activated by UV light have been synthesized in this work. Negatively charged "bare" CNPs with high luminescence can lose their photoluminescence (PL) when they are chemically crosslinked to a monomer and subsequently polymerized to form an intra-particulate "caged" network at the nanoscale surface. These caged particles could regain their PL emission upon UV irradiation for a sustained period (∼24 h) resulting in the photolytic cleavage of the polymer network, thus, freeing the nanoscale surface of CNPs, ultimately resulting in six-fold emission enhancement. This reversible "on-off-on" PL switching process was verified by spectroscopic techniques. We successfully demonstrated in this work that CNPs can be switched reversibly between fluorescent and non-fluorescent states by irradiation with light. These results further substantiate that the origin of PL in CNPs is a surface phenomenon and highly dependent on their nanoscale coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrajit Srivastava
- Departments of Bioengineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, and Carle Cancer Centre at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Parikshit Moitra
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Maryland Baltimore, Health Sciences Facility III, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA
| | - Dinabandhu Sar
- Departments of Bioengineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, and Carle Cancer Centre at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Kevin Wang
- Departments of Bioengineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, and Carle Cancer Centre at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Maha Alafeef
- Departments of Bioengineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, and Carle Cancer Centre at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Maryland Baltimore, Health Sciences Facility III, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Facility, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| | - John Scott
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Centre, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Dipanjan Pan
- Departments of Bioengineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, and Carle Cancer Centre at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Mills Breast Cancer Institute, Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Illinois Sustainable Technology Centre, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Maryland Baltimore, Health Sciences Facility III, 670 W Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, USA
- Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Facility, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland, 21250, USA
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4
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Meredith SA, Yoneda T, Hancock AM, Connell SD, Evans SD, Morigaki K, Adams PG. Model Lipid Membranes Assembled from Natural Plant Thylakoids into 2D Microarray Patterns as a Platform to Assess the Organization and Photophysics of Light-Harvesting Proteins. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2006608. [PMID: 33690933 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Natural photosynthetic "thylakoid" membranes found in green plants contain a large network of light-harvesting (LH) protein complexes. Rearrangement of this photosynthetic machinery, laterally within stacked membranes called "grana", alters protein-protein interactions leading to changes in the energy balance within the system. Preparation of an experimentally accessible model system that allows the detailed investigation of these complex interactions can be achieved by interfacing thylakoid membranes and synthetic lipids into a template comprised of polymerized lipids in a 2D microarray pattern on glass surfaces. This paper uses this system to interrogate the behavior of LH proteins at the micro- and nanoscale and assesses the efficacy of this model. A combination of fluorescence lifetime imaging and atomic force microscopy reveals the differences in photophysical state and lateral organization between native thylakoid and hybrid membranes, the mechanism of LH protein incorporation into the developing hybrid membranes, and the nanoscale structure of the system. The resulting model system within each corral is a high-quality supported lipid bilayer that incorporates laterally mobile LH proteins. Photosynthetic activity is assessed in the hybrid membranes versus proteoliposomes, revealing that commonly used photochemical assays to test the electron transfer activity of photosystem II may actually produce false-positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie A Meredith
- School of Physics and Astronomy and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Takuro Yoneda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science and Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University, Rokkodaicho 1-1, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Ashley M Hancock
- School of Physics and Astronomy and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Simon D Connell
- School of Physics and Astronomy and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Kenichi Morigaki
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science and Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University, Rokkodaicho 1-1, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan
| | - Peter G Adams
- School of Physics and Astronomy and The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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5
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Humenik M, Winkler A, Scheibel T. Patterning of protein-based materials. Biopolymers 2020; 112:e23412. [PMID: 33283876 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Micro- and nanopatterning of proteins on surfaces allows to develop for example high-throughput biosensors in biomedical diagnostics and in general advances the understanding of cell-material interactions in tissue engineering. Today, many techniques are available to generate protein pattern, ranging from technically simple ones, such as micro-contact printing, to highly tunable optical lithography or even technically sophisticated scanning probe lithography. Here, one focus is on the progress made in the development of protein-based materials as positive or negative photoresists allowing micro- to nanostructured scaffolds for biocompatible photonic, electronic and tissue engineering applications. The second one is on approaches, which allow a controlled spatiotemporal positioning of a single protein on surfaces, enabled by the recent developments in immobilization techniques coherent with the sensitive nature of proteins, defined protein orientation and maintenance of the protein activity at interfaces. The third one is on progress in photolithography-based methods, which allow to control the formation of protein-repellant/adhesive polymer brushes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Humenik
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Anika Winkler
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Thomas Scheibel
- Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Engineering Science, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Colloids and Interfaces (BZKG), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Molecular Biosciences (BZMB), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Material Science (BayMAT), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute (BPI), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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6
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Huang X, Vasilev C, Hunter CN. Excitation energy transfer between monomolecular layers of light harvesting LH2 and LH1-reaction centre complexes printed on a glass substrate. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2529-2538. [PMID: 32662473 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00156b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Light-harvesting 2 (LH2) and light-harvesting 1 - reaction centre (RCLH1) complexes purified from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides were cross-patterned on glass surfaces for energy transfer studies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of the RCLH1 and LH2 patterns show the deposition of monomolecular layers of complexes on the glass substrate. Spectral imaging and fluorescence life-time imaging microscopy (FLIM) revealed that RCLH1 and LH2 complexes, sealed under physiological conditions, retained their native light-harvesting and energy transfer functions. Measurements of the amplitude and lifetime decay of fluorescence emission from LH2 complexes, the energy transfer donors, and gain of fluorescence emission from acceptor RCLH1 complexes, provide evidence for excitation energy transfer from LH2 to RCLH1. Directional energy transfer on the glass substrate was unequivocally established by using LH2-carotenoid complexes and RCLH1 complexes with genetically removed carotenoids. Specific excitation of carotenoids in donor LH2 complexes elicited fluorescence emission from RCLH1 acceptors. To explore the longevity of this novel nanoprinted photosynthetic unit, RCLH1 and LH2 complexes were cross-patterned on a glass surface and sealed under a protective argon atmosphere. The results show that both complexes retained their individual and collective functions and are capable of directional excitation energy transfer for at least 60 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Huang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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7
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Hancock AM, Meredith SA, Connell SD, Jeuken LJC, Adams PG. Proteoliposomes as energy transferring nanomaterials: enhancing the spectral range of light-harvesting proteins using lipid-linked chromophores. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:16284-16292. [PMID: 31465048 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr04653d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bio-hybrid nanomaterials have great potential for combining the most desirable aspects of biomolecules and the contemporary concepts of nanotechnology to create highly efficient light-harvesting materials. Light-harvesting proteins are optimized to absorb and transfer solar energy with remarkable efficiency but have a spectral range that is limited by their natural pigment complement. Herein, we present the development of model membranes ("proteoliposomes") in which the absorption range of the membrane protein Light-Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) is effectively enhanced by the addition of lipid-tethered Texas Red (TR) chromophores. Energy transfer from TR to LHCII is observed with up to 94% efficiency and increased LHCII fluorescence of up to three-fold when excited in the region of lowest natural absorption. The new self-assembly procedure offers the modularity to control the concentrations incorporated of TR and LHCII, allowing energy transfer and fluorescence to be tuned. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy provides single-proteoliposome-level quantification of energy transfer efficiency and confirms that functionality is retained on surfaces. Designer proteoliposomes could act as a controllable light-harvesting nanomaterial and are a promising step in the development of bio-hybrid light-harvesting systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Hancock
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sophie A Meredith
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Simon D Connell
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Lars J C Jeuken
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK and School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Peter G Adams
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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8
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Adams PG, Vasilev C, Hunter CN, Johnson MP. Correlated fluorescence quenching and topographic mapping of Light-Harvesting Complex II within surface-assembled aggregates and lipid bilayers. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2018; 1859:1075-1085. [PMID: 29928860 PMCID: PMC6135645 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Light-Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) is a chlorophyll-protein antenna complex that efficiently absorbs solar energy and transfers electronic excited states to photosystems I and II. Under excess light intensity LHCII can adopt a photoprotective state in which excitation energy is safely dissipated as heat, a process known as Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ). In vivo NPQ is triggered by combinatorial factors including transmembrane ΔpH, PsbS protein and LHCII-bound zeaxanthin, leading to dramatically shortened LHCII fluorescence lifetimes. In vitro, LHCII in detergent solution or in proteoliposomes can reversibly adopt an NPQ-like state, via manipulation of detergent/protein ratio, lipid/protein ratio, pH or pressure. Previous spectroscopic investigations revealed changes in exciton dynamics and protein conformation that accompany quenching, however, LHCII-LHCII interactions have not been extensively studied. Here, we correlated fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) of trimeric LHCII adsorbed to mica substrates and manipulated the environment to cause varying degrees of quenching. AFM showed that LHCII self-assembled onto mica forming 2D-aggregates (25-150 nm width). FLIM determined that LHCII in these aggregates were in a quenched state, with much lower fluorescence lifetimes (~0.25 ns) compared to free LHCII in solution (2.2-3.9 ns). LHCII-LHCII interactions were disrupted by thylakoid lipids or phospholipids, leading to intermediate fluorescent lifetimes (0.6-0.9 ns). To our knowledge, this is the first in vitro correlation of nanoscale membrane imaging with LHCII quenching. Our findings suggest that lipids could play a key role in modulating the extent of LHCII-LHCII interactions within the thylakoid membrane and so the propensity for NPQ activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Adams
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Cvetelin Vasilev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - C Neil Hunter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Matthew P Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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9
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Repurposing a photosynthetic antenna protein as a super-resolution microscopy label. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16807. [PMID: 29196704 PMCID: PMC5711914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16834-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Techniques such as Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) and Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) have increased the achievable resolution of optical imaging, but few fluorescent proteins are suitable for super-resolution microscopy, particularly in the far-red and near-infrared emission range. Here we demonstrate the applicability of CpcA, a subunit of the photosynthetic antenna complex in cyanobacteria, for STORM and SIM imaging. The periodicity and width of fabricated nanoarrays of CpcA, with a covalently attached phycoerythrobilin (PEB) or phycocyanobilin (PCB) chromophore, matched the lines in reconstructed STORM images. SIM and STORM reconstructions of Escherichia coli cells harbouring CpcA-labelled cytochrome bd 1 ubiquinol oxidase in the cytoplasmic membrane show that CpcA-PEB and CpcA-PCB are suitable for super-resolution imaging in vivo. The stability, ease of production, small size and brightness of CpcA-PEB and CpcA-PCB demonstrate the potential of this largely unexplored protein family as novel probes for super-resolution microscopy.
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10
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El Zubir O, Xia S, Ducker RE, Wang L, Mullin N, Cartron ML, Cadby AJ, Hobbs JK, Hunter CN, Leggett GJ. From Monochrome to Technicolor: Simple Generic Approaches to Multicomponent Protein Nanopatterning Using Siloxanes with Photoremovable Protein-Resistant Protecting Groups. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:8829-8837. [PMID: 28551995 PMCID: PMC5588097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b01255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We show that sequential protein deposition is possible by photodeprotection of films formed from a tetraethylene-glycol functionalized nitrophenylethoxycarbonyl-protected aminopropyltriethoxysilane (NPEOC-APTES). Exposure to near-UV irradiation removes the protein-resistant protecting group, and allows protein adsorption onto the resulting aminated surface. The protein resistance was tested using proteins with fluorescent labels and microspectroscopy of two-component structures formed by micro- and nanopatterning and deposition of yellow and green fluorescent proteins (YFP/GFP). Nonspecific adsorption onto regions where the protecting group remained intact was negligible. Multiple component patterns were also formed by near-field methods. Because reading and writing can be decoupled in a near-field microscope, it is possible to carry out sequential patterning steps at a single location involving different proteins. Up to four different proteins were formed into geometric patterns using near-field lithography. Interferometric lithography facilitates the organization of proteins over square cm areas. Two-component patterns consisting of 150 nm streptavidin dots formed within an orthogonal grid of bars of GFP at a period of ca. 500 nm could just be resolved by fluorescence microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama El Zubir
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United
Kingdom
| | - Sijing Xia
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United
Kingdom
| | - Robert E. Ducker
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United
Kingdom
| | - Lin Wang
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Nic Mullin
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Michaël L. Cartron
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley J. Cadby
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie K. Hobbs
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J. Leggett
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United
Kingdom
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11
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Swainsbury DJK, Martin EC, Vasilev C, Parkes-Loach PS, Loach PA, Neil Hunter C. Engineering of a calcium-ion binding site into the RC-LH1-PufX complex of Rhodobacter sphaeroides to enable ion-dependent spectral red-shifting. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2017; 1858:927-938. [PMID: 28826909 PMCID: PMC5604489 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The reaction centre-light harvesting 1 (RC-LH1) complex of Thermochromatium (Tch.) tepidum has a unique calcium-ion binding site that enhances thermal stability and red-shifts the absorption of LH1 from 880nm to 915nm in the presence of calcium-ions. The LH1 antenna of mesophilic species of phototrophic bacteria such as Rhodobacter (Rba.) sphaeroides does not possess such properties. We have engineered calcium-ion binding into the LH1 antenna of Rba. sphaeroides by progressively modifying the native LH1 polypeptides with sequences from Tch. tepidum. We show that acquisition of the C-terminal domains from LH1 α and β of Tch. tepidum is sufficient to activate calcium-ion binding and the extent of red-shifting increases with the proportion of Tch. tepidum sequence incorporated. However, full exchange of the LH1 polypeptides with those of Tch. tepidum results in misassembled core complexes. Isolated α and β polypeptides from our most successful mutant were reconstituted in vitro with BChl a to form an LH1-type complex, which was stabilised 3-fold by calcium-ions. Additionally, carotenoid specificity was changed from spheroidene found in Rba. sphaeroides to spirilloxanthin found in Tch. tepidum, with the latter enhancing in vitro formation of LH1. These data show that the C-terminal LH1 α/β domains of Tch. tepidum behave autonomously, and are able to transmit calcium-ion induced conformational changes to BChls bound to the rest of a foreign antenna complex. Thus, elements of foreign antenna complexes, such as calcium-ion binding and blue/red switching of absorption, can be ported into Rhodobacter sphaeroides using careful design processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J K Swainsbury
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
| | - Elizabeth C Martin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Cvetelin Vasilev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela S Parkes-Loach
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Hogan 2100, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| | - Paul A Loach
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Hogan 2100, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| | - C Neil Hunter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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12
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Sener M, Strumpfer J, Singharoy A, Hunter CN, Schulten K. Overall energy conversion efficiency of a photosynthetic vesicle. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27564854 PMCID: PMC5001839 DOI: 10.7554/elife.09541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromatophore of purple bacteria is an intracellular spherical vesicle that exists in numerous copies in the cell and that efficiently converts sunlight into ATP synthesis, operating typically under low light conditions. Building on an atomic-level structural model of a low-light-adapted chromatophore vesicle from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we investigate the cooperation between more than a hundred protein complexes in the vesicle. The steady-state ATP production rate as a function of incident light intensity is determined after identifying quinol turnover at the cytochrome bc1 complex (cytbc1) as rate limiting and assuming that the quinone/quinol pool of about 900 molecules acts in a quasi-stationary state. For an illumination condition equivalent to 1% of full sunlight, the vesicle exhibits an ATP production rate of 82 ATP molecules/s. The energy conversion efficiency of ATP synthesis at illuminations corresponding to 1%–5% of full sunlight is calculated to be 0.12–0.04, respectively. The vesicle stoichiometry, evolutionarily adapted to the low light intensities in the habitat of purple bacteria, is suboptimal for steady-state ATP turnover for the benefit of protection against over-illumination. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09541.001 Photosynthesis, or the conversion of light energy into chemical energy, is a process that powers almost all life on Earth. Plants and certain bacteria share similar processes to perform photosynthesis, though the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides uses a photosynthetic system that is much less complex than that in plants. Light harvesting inside the bacterium takes place in up to hundreds of compartments called chromatophores. Each chromatophore in turn contains hundreds of cooperating proteins that together absorb the energy of sunlight and convert and store it in molecules of ATP, the universal energy currency of all cells. The chromatophore of primitive purple bacteria provides a model for more complex photosynthetic systems in plants. Though researchers had characterized its individual components over the years, less was known about the overall architecture of the chromatophore and how its many components work together to harvest light energy efficiently and robustly. This knowledge would provide insight into the evolutionary pressures that shaped the chromatophore and its ability to work efficiently at different light intensities. Sener et al. now present a highly detailed structural model of the chromatophore of purple bacteria based on the findings of earlier studies. The model features the position of every atom of the constituent proteins and is used to examine how energy is transferred and converted. Sener et al. describe the sequence of energy conversion steps and calculate the overall energy conversion efficiency, namely how much of the light energy arriving at the microorganism is stored as ATP. These calculations show that the chromatophore is optimized to produce chemical energy at low light levels typical of purple bacterial habitats, and dissipate excess energy to avoid being damaged under brighter light. The chromatophore’s architecture also displays robustness against perturbations of its components. In the future, the approach used by Sener et al. to describe light harvesting in this bacterial compartment can be applied to more complex systems, such as those in plants. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09541.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Melih Sener
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Johan Strumpfer
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - C Neil Hunter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Schulten
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
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13
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Xia S, Cartron M, Morby J, Bryant D, Hunter CN, Leggett GJ. Fabrication of Nanometer- and Micrometer-Scale Protein Structures by Site-Specific Immobilization of Histidine-Tagged Proteins to Aminosiloxane Films with Photoremovable Protein-Resistant Protecting Groups. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:1818-27. [PMID: 26820378 PMCID: PMC4848731 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b04368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The site-specific immobilization of histidine-tagged proteins to patterns formed by far-field and near-field exposure of films of aminosilanes with protein-resistant photolabile protecting groups is demonstrated. After deprotection of the aminosilane, either through a mask or using a scanning near-field optical microscope, the amine terminal groups are derivatized first with glutaraldehyde and then with N-(5-amino-1-carboxypentyl)iminodiacetic acid to yield a nitrilo-triacetic-acid-terminated surface. After complexation with Ni(2+), this surface binds histidine-tagged GFP and CpcA-PEB in a site-specific fashion. The chemistry is simple and reliable and leads to extensive surface functionalization. Bright fluorescence is observed in fluorescence microscopy images of micrometer- and nanometer-scale patterns. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to study quantitatively the efficiency of photodeprotection and the reactivity of the modified surfaces. The efficiency of the protein binding process is investigated quantitatively by ellipsometry and by fluorescence microscopy. We find that regions of the surface not exposed to UV light bind negligible amounts of His-tagged proteins, indicating that the oligo(ethylene glycol) adduct on the nitrophenyl protecting group confers excellent protein resistance; in contrast, exposed regions bind His-GFP very effectively, yielding strong fluorescence that is almost completely removed on treatment of the surface with imidazole, confirming a degree of site-specific binding in excess of 90%. This simple strategy offers a versatile generic route to the spatially selective site-specific immobilization of proteins at surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijing Xia
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, United Kingdom
| | - Michaël Cartron
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - James Morby
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Donald
A. Bryant
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State
University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, United
States
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Department
of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J. Leggett
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, United Kingdom
- E-mail:
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14
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Patole S, Vasilev C, El-Zubir O, Wang L, Johnson MP, Cadby AJ, Leggett GJ, Hunter CN. Interference lithographic nanopatterning of plant and bacterial light-harvesting complexes on gold substrates. Interface Focus 2015; 5:20150005. [PMID: 26464784 PMCID: PMC4590419 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2015.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a facile approach for nanopatterning of photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes over macroscopic areas, and use optical spectroscopy to demonstrate retention of native properties by both site-specifically and non-specifically attached photosynthetic membrane proteins. A Lloyd's mirror dual-beam interferometer was used to expose self-assembled monolayers of amine-terminated alkylthiolates on gold to laser irradiation. Following exposure, photo-oxidized adsorbates were replaced by oligo(ethylene glycol) terminated thiols, and the remaining intact amine-functionalized regions were used for attachment of the major light-harvesting chlorophyll-protein complex from plants, LHCII. These amine patterns could be derivatized with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), so that polyhistidine-tagged bacteriochlorophyll-protein complexes from phototrophic bacteria could be attached with a defined surface orientation. By varying parameters such as the angle between the interfering beams and the laser irradiation dose, it was possible to vary the period and widths of NTA and amine-functionalized lines on the surfaces; periods varied from 1200 to 240 nm and linewidths as small as 60 nm (λ/4) were achieved. This level of control over the surface chemistry was reflected in the surface topology of the protein nanostructures imaged by atomic force microscopy; fluorescence imaging and spectral measurements demonstrated that the surface-attached proteins had retained their native functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson Patole
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Cvetelin Vasilev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Osama El-Zubir
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, UK
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
| | - Matthew P. Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ashley J. Cadby
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK
| | - Graham J. Leggett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, UK
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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