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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Chretien A, Nagel MF, Botha S, de Wijn R, Brings L, Dörner K, Han H, Koliyadu JCP, Letrun R, Round A, Sato T, Schmidt C, Secareanu RC, von Stetten D, Vakili M, Wrona A, Bean R, Mancuso A, Schulz J, Pearson AR, Kottke T, Lorenzen K, Schubert R. Light-induced Trp in/Met out Switching During BLUF Domain Activation in ATP-bound Photoactivatable Adenylate Cyclase OaPAC. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168439. [PMID: 38185322 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The understanding of signal transduction mechanisms in photoreceptor proteins is essential for elucidating how living organisms respond to light as environmental stimuli. In this study, we investigated the ATP binding, photoactivation and signal transduction process in the photoactivatable adenylate cyclase from Oscillatoria acuminata (OaPAC) upon blue light excitation. Structural models with ATP bound in the active site of native OaPAC at cryogenic as well as room temperature are presented. ATP is found in one conformation at cryogenic- and in two conformations at ambient-temperature, and is bound in an energetically unfavorable conformation for the conversion to cAMP. However, FTIR spectroscopic experiments confirm that this conformation is the native binding mode in dark state OaPAC and that transition to a productive conformation for ATP turnover only occurs after light activation. A combination of time-resolved crystallography experiments at synchrotron and X-ray Free Electron Lasers sheds light on the early events around the Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD) chromophore in the light-sensitive BLUF domain of OaPAC. Early changes involve the highly conserved amino acids Tyr6, Gln48 and Met92. Crucially, the Gln48 side chain performs a 180° rotation during activation, leading to the stabilization of the FAD chromophore. Cryo-trapping experiments allowed us to investigate a late light-activated state of the reaction and revealed significant conformational changes in the BLUF domain around the FAD chromophore. In particular, a Trpin/Metout transition upon illumination is observed for the first time in the BLUF domain and its role in signal transmission via α-helix 3 and 4 in the linker region between sensor and effector domain is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Chretien
- European XFEL GmbH, Schenefeld, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marius F Nagel
- Department of Chemistry and Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sabine Botha
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1504, USA; Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David von Stetten
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Arwen R Pearson
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid-State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tilman Kottke
- Department of Chemistry and Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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3
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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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4
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González-Viegas M, Kar RK, Miller AF, Mroginski MA. Non-covalent interactions that tune the reactivities of the flavins in bifurcating electron transferring flavoprotein. J Biol Chem 2023:104762. [PMID: 37119850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bifurcating electron transferring flavoproteins (Bf-ETFs) tune chemically identical flavins to two contrasting roles. To understand how, we used hybrid quantum mechanical molecular mechanical calculations to characterize non-covalent interactions applied to each flavin by the protein. Our computations replicated the differences between the reactivities of the flavins: the electron transferring flavin (ETflavin) was calculated to stabilize anionic semiquinone (ASQ) as needed to execute its single-electron transfers, whereas the Bf flavin (Bfflavin) was found to disfavor the ASQ state more than does free flavin and to be less susceptible to reduction. The stability of ETflavin ASQ was attributed in part to H-bond donation to the flavin O2 from a nearby His side chain, via comparison of models employing different tautomers of His. This H-bond between O2 and the ET site was uniquely strong in the ASQ state, whereas reduction of ETflavin to the anionic hydroquinone (AHQ) was associated with side chain reorientation, backbone displacement and reorganization of its H-bond network including a Tyr from the other domain and subunit of the ETF. The Bf site was less responsive overall, but formation of the Bfflavin AHQ allowed a nearby Arg side chain to adopt an alternative rotamer that can H-bond to the Bfflavin O4. This would stabilize the anionic Bfflavin and rationalize effects of mutation at this position. Thus, our computations provide insights on states and conformations that have not been possible to characterize experimentally, offering explanations for observed residue conservation and raising possibilities that can now be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- María González-Viegas
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität - Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rajiv K Kar
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität - Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne-Frances Miller
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität - Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, U.S.A..
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5
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Hammes-Schiffer S. Exploring Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer at Multiple Scales. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 3:291-300. [PMID: 37577057 PMCID: PMC10416817 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-023-00422-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The coupling of electron and proton transfer is critical for chemical and biological processes spanning a wide range of length and time scales and often occurring in complex environments. Thus, diverse modeling strategies, including analytical theories, quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, and kinetic modeling, are essential for a comprehensive understanding of such proton-coupled electron transfer reactions. Each of these computational methods provides one piece of the puzzle, and all these pieces must be viewed together to produce the full picture.
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6
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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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7
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The nature of proton-coupled electron transfer in a blue light using flavin domain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2203996119. [PMID: 35737837 PMCID: PMC9245699 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203996119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is key to the activation of the blue light using flavin (BLUF) domain photoreceptors. Here, to elucidate the photocycle of the central FMN-Gln-Tyr motif in the BLUF domain of OaPAC, we eliminated the intrinsic interfering W90 in the mutant design. We integrated the stretched exponential function into the target analysis to account for the dynamic heterogeneity arising from the active-site solvation relaxation and the flexible H-bonding network as shown in the molecular dynamics simulation results, facilitating a simplified expression of the kinetics model. We find that, in both the functional wild-type (WT) and the nonfunctional Q48E and Q48A, forward PCET happens in the range of 105 ps to 344 ps, with a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) measured to be ∼1.8 to 2.4, suggesting that the nature of the forward PCET is concerted. Remarkably, only WT proceeds with an ultrafast reverse PCET process (31 ps, KIE = 4.0), characterized by an inverted kinetics of the intermediate FMNH˙. Our results reveal that the reverse PCET is driven by proton transfer via an intervening imidic Gln.
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8
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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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9
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Understanding flavin electronic structure and spectra. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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10
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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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11
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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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12
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Shibata K, Nakasone Y, Terazima M. Selective Photoinduced Dimerization and Slow Recovery of a BLUF Domain of EB1. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1024-1033. [PMID: 35089048 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The EAL-BLUF fragment from Magnetococcus marinus BldP1 (EB1) light-dependently hydrolyzes c-di-GMP. Herein, the photoreaction of the BLUF domain of EB1 (eBLUF) is studied. It is found for the first time that a monomeric BLUF domain forms a dimer upon illumination and its dark recovery is very slow. The dimer of light- and dark-state protomers (LD-dimer) is much more stable than that of two light-state protomers (LL-dimer), and the dark recovery of the LD-dimer is approximately 20 times slower than that of the LL-dimer, which is suitable for optogenetic tools. The secondary structure of the L-monomer is different from those of the D-monomer and the LD-dimer. The transient grating measurements reveal that this conformational change occurs simultaneously with dimerization. Although the W91A mutant exhibits a spectral red shift, it forms a heterodimer with the L-monomer of wild-type eBLUF with similar stability to the LD-dimer. This suggests that the conformation of the dimerization site of W91A is similar to that of the dark state (dark-mimic mutant); that is, the light-induced structural changes in the chromophore cavity are not transferred to the other part of the protein. The selective photoinduced dimerization of eBLUF is potentially useful to control interprotein interactions between two different effector domains bound to these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosei Shibata
- 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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13
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Kang X, Chen Z, Zhou Z, Zhou Y, Tang S, Zhang Y, Zhang T, Ding B, Zhong D. Direct Observation of Ultrafast Proton Rocking in the BLUF Domain. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202114423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiu‐Wen Kang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Zijing Chen
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Zhongneng Zhou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Yalin Zhou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Siwei Tang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Yifei Zhang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Tianyi Zhang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai 200240 China
| | - Bei Ding
- 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 Chemical Physics, and Biochemistry The Ohio State University Columbus OH 43210 USA
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14
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Lorenz-Fonfria VA, Yagi K, Ito S, Kandori H. Retinal Vibrations in Bacteriorhodopsin are Mechanically Harmonic but Electrically Anharmonic: Evidence From Overtone and Combination Bands. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:749261. [PMID: 34977154 PMCID: PMC8718751 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.749261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Fundamental vibrations of the chromophore in the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a protonated Schiff base retinal, have been studied for decades, both by resonance Raman and by infrared (IR) difference spectroscopy. Such studies started comparing vibrational changes between the initial BR state (all-trans retinal) and the K intermediate (13-cis retinal), being later extended to the rest of intermediates. They contributed to our understanding of the proton-pumping mechanism of BR by exploiting the sensitivity of fundamental vibrational transitions of the retinal to its conformation. Here, we report on new bands in the 2,500 to 1,800 cm−1 region of the K-BR difference FT-IR spectrum. We show that the bands between 2,500 and 2,300 cm−1 originate from overtone and combination transitions from C-C stretches of the retinal. We assigned bands below 2,300 cm−1 to the combination of retinal C-C stretches with methyl rocks and with hydrogen-out-of-plane vibrations. Remarkably, experimental C-C overtone bands appeared at roughly twice the wavenumber of their fundamentals, with anharmonic mechanical constants ≤3.5 cm−1, and in some cases of ∼1 cm−1. Comparison of combination and fundamental bands indicates that most of the mechanical coupling constants are also very small. Despite the mechanical quasi-harmonicity of the C-C stretches, the area of their overtone bands was only ∼50 to ∼100 times smaller than of their fundamental bands. We concluded that electrical anharmonicity, the second mechanism giving intensity to overtone bands, must be particularly high for the retinal C-C stretches. We corroborated the assignments of negative bands in the K-BR difference FT-IR spectrum by ab initio anharmonic vibrational calculations of all-trans retinal in BR using a quantum-mechanics/molecular mechanics approach, reproducing reasonably well the small experimental anharmonic and coupling mechanical constants. Yet, and in spite accounting for both mechanical and electrical anharmonicities, the intensity of overtone C-C transitions was underestimated by a factor of 4–20, indicating room for improvement in state-of-the-art anharmonic vibrational calculations. The relatively intense overtone and combination bands of the retinal might open the possibility to detect retinal conformational changes too subtle to significantly affect fundamental transitions but leaving a footprint in overtone and combination transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kiyoshi Yagi
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shota Ito
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan.,OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
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15
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Ding B, Kang XW, Chen Z, Zhou Z, Zhou Y, Tang S, Zhang Y, Zhang T, Zhong D. Direct Observation of Ultrafast Proton Rocking in the BLUF Domain. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 61:e202114423. [PMID: 34927328 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202114423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We present direct observation of ultrafast proton rocking in the central motif of a BLUF domain protein scaffold. The mutant design has taken considerations of modulating the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) driving forces by replacing Tyr in the original motif with Trp, as well as of removing the interference of a competing electron transfer pathway. Using femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy and detailed kinetics analysis, we resolved an electron-transfer-coupled Grotthuss-type forward and reversed proton rocking along the FMN-Gln-Trp proton relay chain. The rates of forward and reversed proton transfer are determined to be very close, namely 51 ps vs 52 ps. The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) constants associated with the forward and reversed proton transfer are 3.9 and 5.3, respectively. The observation of ultrafast proton rocking is not only a crucial step towards revealing the nature of proton relay in BLUF domain, but also provides a new paradigm of proton transfer in proteins for theoretical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Ding
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, Shanghai, CHINA
| | - Xiu-Wen Kang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Zijing Chen
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Zhongneng Zhou
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Yalin Zhou
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Siwei Tang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Yifei Zhang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Tianyi Zhang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Dongping Zhong
- The Ohio State University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, CHINA
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16
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Kar RK, Chasen S, Mroginski MA, Miller AF. Tuning the Quantum Chemical Properties of Flavins via Modification at C8. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:12654-12669. [PMID: 34784473 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Flavins are central to countless enzymes but display different reactivities depending on their environments. This is understood to reflect modulation of the flavin electronic structure. To understand changes in orbital natures, energies, and correlation over the ring system, we begin by comparing seven flavin variants differing at C8, exploiting their different electronic spectra to validate quantum chemical calculations. Ground state calculations replicate a Hammett trend and reveal the significance of the flavin π-system. Comparison of higher-level theories establishes CC2 and ACD(2) as methods of choice for characterization of electronic transitions. Charge transfer character and electron correlation prove responsive to the identity of the substituent at C8. Indeed, bond length alternation analysis demonstrates extensive conjugation and delocalization from the C8 position throughout the ring system. Moreover, we succeed in replicating a particularly challenging UV/Vis spectrum by implementing hybrid QM/MM in explicit solvents. Our calculations reveal that the presence of nonbonding lone pairs correlates with the change in the UV/Vis spectrum observed when the 8-methyl is replaced by NH2, OH, or SH. Thus, our computations offer routes to understanding the spectra of flavins with different modifications. This is a first step toward understanding how the same is accomplished by different binding environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv K Kar
- Faculty II-Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sam Chasen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Maria-Andrea Mroginski
- Faculty II-Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne-Frances Miller
- Faculty II-Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Technische Universität Berlin, Sekr. PC 14, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
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17
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Fujisawa T, Masuda S, Takeuchi S, Tahara T. Femtosecond Time-Resolved Absorption Study of Signaling State of a BLUF Protein PixD from the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis: Hydrogen-Bond Rearrangement Completes during Forward Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:12154-12165. [PMID: 34726926 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Femtosecond time-resolved absorption measurements were carried out for the dark and signaling states of a BLUF (Blue Light Using FAD) protein, PixD, from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis. When the dark state was excited, FAD semiquinone radical (FADH•) was produced from the S1 state, and FADH• led to the signaling state. On the other hand, photoexcitation of the signaling state generated FADH• and FAD anion radical (FAD•-), and they decayed back to the original signaling state. In both cases, FADH• was formed and decayed with a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) via the hydrogen-bond network that involves FAD, Gln50, and Tyr8, and hence the kinetics of FADH• directly reflects the hydrogen-bond structure in the FAD-binding sites. It was found that the formation rate of FADH• was significantly different between the dark and signaling states, whereas the decay rate was the same. This indicates that the hydrogen-bond network of FAD-Gln50-Tyr8 in the dark and signaling states is initially different but it becomes indistinguishable after FADH• is formed, implying that the FAD-Gln50-Tyr8 hydrogen-bond network is rearranged during the PCET to generate FADH•. The present results best agree with the model in which the Gln tautomerizes without rotation in the signaling-state formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotsumi Fujisawa
- Molecular Spectroscopy Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shinji Masuda
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8501, 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
| | - 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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18
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Hashem S, Macaluso V, Nottoli M, Lipparini F, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. From crystallographic data to the solution structure of photoreceptors: the case of the AppA BLUF domain. Chem Sci 2021; 12:13331-13342. [PMID: 34777752 PMCID: PMC8528011 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc03000k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor proteins bind a chromophore, which, upon light absorption, modifies its geometry or its interactions with the protein, finally inducing the structural change needed to switch the protein from an inactive to an active or signaling state. In the Blue Light-Using Flavin (BLUF) family of photoreceptors, the chromophore is a flavin and the changes have been connected with a rearrangement of the hydrogen bond network around it on the basis of spectroscopic changes measured for the dark-to-light conversion. However, the exact conformational change triggered by the photoexcitation is still elusive mainly because a clear consensus on the identity not only of the light activated state but also of the dark one has not been achieved. Here, we present an integrated investigation that combines microsecond MD simulations starting from the two conflicting crystal structures available for the AppA BLUF domain with calculations of NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectra using a polarizable QM/MM approach. Thanks to such a combined analysis of the three different spectroscopic responses, a robust characterization of the structure of the dark state in solution is given together with the uncovering of important flaws of the most popular molecular mechanisms present in the literature for the dark-to-light activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaima Hashem
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Veronica Macaluso
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Michele Nottoli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
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19
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Macaluso V, Hashem S, Nottoli M, Lipparini F, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. Ultrafast Transient Infrared Spectroscopy of Photoreceptors with Polarizable QM/MM Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:10282-10292. [PMID: 34476939 PMCID: PMC8450903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Ultrafast transient infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy is widely used to measure the excitation-induced structural changes of protein-bound chromophores. Here, we design a novel and general strategy to compute TRIR spectra of photoreceptors by combining μs-long MM molecular dynamics with ps-long QM/AMOEBA Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) trajectories for both ground and excited electronic states. As a proof of concept, the strategy is here applied to AppA, a blue-light-utilizing flavin (BLUF) protein, found in bacteria. We first analyzed the short-time evolution of the embedded flavin upon excitation revealing that its dynamic Stokes shift is ultrafast and mainly driven by the internal reorganization of the chromophore. A different normal-mode representation was needed to describe ground- and excited-state IR spectra. In this way, we could assign all of the bands observed in the measured transient spectrum. In particular, we could characterize the flavin isoalloxazine-ring region of the spectrum, for which a full and clear description was missing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michele Nottoli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e
Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e
Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e
Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e
Chimica Industriale, University of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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20
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Green D, Roy P, Hall CR, Iuliano JN, Jones GA, Lukacs A, Tonge PJ, Meech SR. Excited State Resonance Raman of Flavin Mononucleotide: Comparison of Theory and Experiment. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:6171-6179. [PMID: 34240863 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c04063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Blue light absorbing flavoproteins play important roles in a variety of photobiological processes. Consequently, there have been numerous investigations of their excited state structure and dynamics, in particular by time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy. The isoalloxazine chromophore of the flavoprotein cofactors has been studied in detail by time-resolved Raman, lending it a benchmark status for mode assignments in excited electronic states of large molecules. However, detailed comparisons of calculated and measured spectra have proven challenging, as there are many more modes calculated than are observed, and the role of resonance enhancement is difficult to characterize in excited electronic states. Here we employ a recently developed approach due to Elles and co-workers ( J. Phys. Chem. A 2018, 122, 8308-8319) for the calculation of resonance-enhanced Raman spectra of excited states and apply it to the lowest singlet and triplet excited states of the isoalloxazine chromophore. There is generally good agreement between calculated and observed enhancements, which allows assignment of vibrational bands of the flavoprotein cofactors to be refined. However, some prominently enhanced bands are found to be absent from the calculations, suggesting the need for further development of the theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale Green
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Palas Roy
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | | | - James N Iuliano
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Garth A Jones
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Szigeti ut 12, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - 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 NR4 7TJ, U.K
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21
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Kolesov DV, Sokolinskaya EL, Lukyanov KA, Bogdanov AM. Molecular Tools for Targeted Control of Nerve Cell Electrical Activity. Part I. Acta Naturae 2021; 13:52-64. [PMID: 34707897 PMCID: PMC8526180 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In modern life sciences, the issue of a specific, exogenously directed manipulation of a cell's biochemistry is a highly topical one. In the case of electrically excitable cells, the aim of the manipulation is to control the cells' electrical activity, with the result being either excitation with subsequent generation of an action potential or inhibition and suppression of the excitatory currents. The techniques of electrical activity stimulation are of particular significance in tackling the most challenging basic problem: figuring out how the nervous system of higher multicellular organisms functions. At this juncture, when neuroscience is gradually abandoning the reductionist approach in favor of the direct investigation of complex neuronal systems, minimally invasive methods for brain tissue stimulation are becoming the basic element in the toolbox of those involved in the field. In this review, we describe three approaches that are based on the delivery of exogenous, genetically encoded molecules sensitive to external stimuli into the nervous tissue. These approaches include optogenetics (Part I) as well as chemogenetics and thermogenetics (Part II), which are significantly different not only in the nature of the stimuli and structure of the appropriate effector proteins, but also in the details of experimental applications. The latter circumstance is an indication that these are rather complementary than competing techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. V. Kolesov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - E. L. Sokolinskaya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - K. A. Lukyanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
| | - A. M. Bogdanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 117997 Russia
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22
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Andrikopoulos PC, Chaudhari AS, Liu Y, Konold PE, Kennis JTM, Schneider B, Fuertes G. QM calculations predict the energetics and infrared spectra of transient glutamine isomers in LOV photoreceptors. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:13934-13950. [PMID: 34142688 PMCID: PMC8246142 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp00447f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Photosensory receptors containing the flavin-binding light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain are modular proteins that fulfil a variety of biological functions ranging from gene expression to phototropism. The LOV photocycle is initiated by blue-light and involves a cascade of intermediate species, including an electronically excited triplet state, that leads to covalent bond formation between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) chromophore and a nearby cysteine residue. Subsequent conformational changes in the polypeptide chain arise due to the remodelling of the hydrogen bond network in the cofactor binding pocket, whereby a conserved glutamine residue plays a key role in coupling FMN photochemistry with LOV photobiology. Although the dark-to-light transition of LOV photosensors has been previously addressed by spectroscopy and computational approaches, the mechanistic basis of the underlying reactions is still not well understood. Here we present a detailed computational study of three distinct LOV domains: EL222 from Erythrobacter litoralis, AsLOV2 from the second LOV domain of Avena sativa phototropin 1, and RsLOV from Rhodobacter sphaeroides LOV protein. Extended protein-chromophore models containing all known crucial residues involved in the initial steps (femtosecond-to-microsecond) of the photocycle were employed. Energies and rotational barriers were calculated for possible rotamers and tautomers of the critical glutamine side chain, which allowed us to postulate the most energetically favoured glutamine orientation for each LOV domain along the assumed reaction path. In turn, for each evolving species, infrared difference spectra were constructed and compared to experimental EL222 and AsLOV2 transient infrared spectra, the former from original work presented here and the latter from the literature. The good agreement between theory and experiment permitted the assignment of the majority of observed bands, notably the ∼1635 cm-1 transient of the adduct state to the carbonyl of the glutamine side chain after rotation. Moreover, both the energetic and spectroscopic approaches converge in suggesting a facile glutamine flip at the adduct intermediate for EL222 and more so for AsLOV2, while for RsLOV the glutamine keeps its initial configuration. Additionally, the computed infrared shifts of the glutamine and interacting residues could guide experimental research addressing early events of signal transduction in LOV proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prokopis C Andrikopoulos
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czechia.
| | - Aditya S Chaudhari
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czechia.
| | - Yingliang Liu
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czechia.
| | - Patrick E Konold
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 De Boelelaan, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John T M Kennis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, 1081 De Boelelaan, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bohdan Schneider
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czechia.
| | - Gustavo Fuertes
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czechia.
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23
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Pinto SMV, Tasinato N, Barone V, Zanetti-Polzi L, Daidone I. A computational insight into the relationship between side chain IR line shapes and local environment in fibril-like structures. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:084105. [PMID: 33639764 DOI: 10.1063/5.0038913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Infrared spectroscopy is a widely used technique to characterize protein structures and protein mediated processes. While the amide I band provides information on proteins' secondary structure, amino acid side chains are used as infrared probes for the investigation of protein reactions and local properties. In this paper, we use a hybrid quantum mechanical/classical molecular dynamical approach based on the perturbed matrix method to compute the infrared band due to the C=O stretching mode of amide-containing side chains. We calculate, at first, the infrared band of zwitterionic glutamine in water and obtain results in very good agreement with the experimental data. Then, we compute the signal arising from glutamine side chains in a microcrystal of the yeast prion Sup35-derived peptide, GNNQQNY, with a fibrillar structure. The infrared bands obtained by selective isotopic labeling of the two glutamine residues, Q4 and Q5, of each peptide were experimentally used to investigate the local hydration in the fibrillar microcrystal. The experimental spectra of the two glutamine residues, which experience different hydration environments, feature different spectral signals that are well reproduced by the corresponding calculated spectra. In addition, the analysis of the simulated spectra clarifies the molecular origin of the experimentally observed spectroscopic differences that arise from the different local electric field experienced by the two glutamine residues, which is, in turn, determined by a different hydrogen bonding pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M V Pinto
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Tasinato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Isabella Daidone
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy
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24
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Khrenova MG, Kulakova AM, Nemukhin AV. Light-Induced Change of Arginine Conformation Modulates the Rate of Adenosine Triphosphate to Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Conversion in the Optogenetic System Containing Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclase. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1215-1225. [PMID: 33677973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We report the first computational characterization of an optogenetic system composed of two photosensing BLUF (blue light sensor using flavin adenine dinucleotide) domains and two catalytic adenylyl cyclase (AC) domains. Conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the reaction products, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and pyrophosphate (PPi), catalyzed by ACs initiated by excitation in photosensing domains has emerged in the focus of modern optogenetic applications because of the request in photoregulated enzymes that modulate cellular concentrations of signaling messengers. The photoactivated AC from the soil bacterium Beggiatoa sp. (bPAC) is an important model showing a considerable increase in the ATP to cAMP conversion rate in the catalytic domain after the illumination of the BLUF domain. The 1 μs classical molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the activation of the BLUF domain leading to tautomerization of Gln49 in the chromophore-binding pocket results in switching of the position of the side chain of Arg278 in the active site of AC. Allosteric signal transmission pathways between Gln49 from BLUF and Arg278 from AC were revealed by the dynamical network analysis. The Gibbs energy profiles of the ATP → cAMP + PPi reaction computed using QM(DFT(ωB97X-D3/6-31G**))/MM(CHARMM) molecular dynamics simulations for both Arg278 conformations in AC clarify the reaction mechanism. In the light-activated system, the corresponding arginine conformation stabilizes the pentacoordinated phosphorus of the α-phosphate group in the transition state, thus lowering the activation energy. Simulations of the bPAC system with the Tyr7Phe replacement in the BLUF demonstrate occurrence of both arginine conformations in an equal ratio, explaining the experimentally observed intermediate catalytic activity of the bPAC-Y7F variant as compared with the dark and light states of the wild-type bPAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Khrenova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation.,Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Centre "Fundamentals of Biotechnology", Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071 Russian Federation
| | - Anna M Kulakova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander V Nemukhin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation.,Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russian Federation
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25
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Photoreaction Mechanisms of Flavoprotein Photoreceptors and Their Applications. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1293:189-206. [PMID: 33398814 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Three classes of flavoprotein photoreceptors, cryptochromes (CRYs), light-oxygen-voltage (LOV)-domain proteins, and blue light using FAD (BLUF)-domain proteins, have been identified that control various physiological processes in multiple organisms. Accordingly, signaling activities of photoreceptors have been intensively studied and the related mechanisms have been exploited in numerous optogenetic tools. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of photoactivation mechanisms of the flavoprotein photoreceptors and review their applications.
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26
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Hashem S, Cupellini L, Lipparini F, Mennucci B. A polarisable QM/MM description of NMR chemical shifts of a photoreceptor protein. Mol Phys 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2020.1771449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shaima Hashem
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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27
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Chitrakar I, Iuliano JN, He Y, Woroniecka HA, Collado JT, Wint J, Walker SG, Tonge PJ, French JB. Structural Basis for the Regulation of Biofilm Formation and Iron Uptake in A. baumannii by the Blue-Light-Using Photoreceptor, BlsA. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2592-2603. [PMID: 32926768 PMCID: PMC10035076 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The opportunistic human pathogen, A. baumannii, senses and responds to light using the blue light sensing A (BlsA) photoreceptor protein. BlsA is a blue-light-using flavin adenine dinucleotide (BLUF) protein that is known to regulate a wide variety of cellular functions through interactions with different binding partners. Using immunoprecipitation of tagged BlsA in A. baumannii lysates, we observed a number of proteins that interact with BlsA, including several transcription factors. In addition to a known binding partner, the iron uptake regulator Fur, we identified the biofilm response regulator BfmR as a putative BlsA-binding partner. Using microscale thermophoresis, we determined that both BfmR and Fur bind to BlsA with nanomolar binding constants. To better understand how BlsA interacts with and regulates these transcription factors, we solved the X-ray crystal structures of BlsA in both a ground (dark) state and a photoactivated light state. Comparison of the light- and dark-state structures revealed that, upon photoactivation, the two α-helices comprising the variable domain of BlsA undergo a distinct conformational change. The flavin-binding site, however, remains largely unchanged from dark to light. These structures, along with docking studies of BlsA and Fur, reveal key mechanistic details about how BlsA propagates the photoactivation signal between protein domains and on to its binding partner. Taken together, our structural and biophysical data provide important insights into how BlsA controls signal transduction in A. baumannii and provides a likely mechanism for blue-light-dependent modulation of biofilm formation and iron uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Chitrakar
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | - James N. Iuliano
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | - YongLe He
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | | | | | - Jinelle Wint
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | - Stephen G. Walker
- Department of Oral Biology and Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | - Peter J. Tonge
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
| | - Jarrod B. French
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA, 11790
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, 55912
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Jarrod B. French: ; (507)437-9637
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28
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Formation of an unusual glutamine tautomer in a blue light using flavin photocycle characterizes the light-adapted state. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26626-26632. [PMID: 33037153 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016719117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Blue light using flavin (BLUF) photoreceptor proteins are critical for many light-activated biological processes and are promising candidates for optogenetics because of their modular nature and long-range signaling capabilities. Although the photocycle of the Slr1694 BLUF domain has been characterized experimentally, the identity of the light-adapted state following photoexcitation of the bound flavin remains elusive. Herein hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulations of this photocycle provide a nonequilibrium dynamical picture of a possible mechanism for the formation of the light-adapted state. Photoexcitation of the flavin induces a forward proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process that leads to the formation of an imidic acid tautomer of Gln50. The calculations herein show that the subsequent rotation of Gln50 allows a reverse PCET process that retains this tautomeric form. In the resulting purported light-adapted state, the glutamine tautomer forms a hydrogen bond with the flavin carbonyl group. Additional ensemble-averaged QM/MM calculations of the dark-adapted and purported light-adapted states demonstrate that the light-adapted state with the imidic acid glutamine tautomer reproduces the experimentally observed spectroscopic signatures. Specifically, the calculations reproduce the red shifts in the flavin electronic absorption and carbonyl stretch infrared spectra in the light-adapted state. Further hydrogen-bonding analyses suggest the formation of hydrogen-bonding interactions between the flavin and Arg65 in the light-adapted state, providing a plausible explanation for the experimental observation of faster photoinduced PCET in this state. These characteristics of the light-adapted state may also be essential for the long-range signaling capabilities of this photoreceptor protein.
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29
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Kandori H. Structure/Function Study of Photoreceptive Proteins by FTIR Spectroscopy. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2020. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20200109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry & OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8555, Japan
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30
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Grigorenko BL, Nemukhin AV. Theoretical Vibrational Spectra of Reaction Intermediates in the Active Site of Guanosine Triphosphate Binding Proteins. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY A 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s0036024420050088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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31
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Abstract
Infrared difference spectroscopy probes vibrational changes of proteins upon their perturbation. Compared with other spectroscopic methods, it stands out by its sensitivity to the protonation state, H-bonding, and the conformation of different groups in proteins, including the peptide backbone, amino acid side chains, internal water molecules, or cofactors. In particular, the detection of protonation and H-bonding changes in a time-resolved manner, not easily obtained by other techniques, is one of the most successful applications of IR difference spectroscopy. The present review deals with the use of perturbations designed to specifically change the protein between two (or more) functionally relevant states, a strategy often referred to as reaction-induced IR difference spectroscopy. In the first half of this contribution, I review the technique of reaction-induced IR difference spectroscopy of proteins, with special emphasis given to the preparation of suitable samples and their characterization, strategies for the perturbation of proteins, and methodologies for time-resolved measurements (from nanoseconds to minutes). The second half of this contribution focuses on the spectral interpretation. It starts by reviewing how changes in H-bonding, medium polarity, and vibrational coupling affect vibrational frequencies, intensities, and bandwidths. It is followed by band assignments, a crucial aspect mostly performed with the help of isotopic labeling and site-directed mutagenesis, and complemented by integration and interpretation of the results in the context of the studied protein, an aspect increasingly supported by spectral calculations. Selected examples from the literature, predominately but not exclusively from retinal proteins, are used to illustrate the topics covered in this review.
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32
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Karadi K, Kapetanaki SM, Raics K, Pecsi I, Kapronczai R, Fekete Z, Iuliano JN, Collado JT, Gil AA, Orban J, Nyitrai M, Greetham GM, Vos MH, Tonge PJ, Meech SR, Lukacs A. Functional dynamics of a single tryptophan residue in a BLUF protein revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2061. [PMID: 32029866 PMCID: PMC7005313 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59073-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue Light Using Flavin (BLUF) domains are increasingly being adopted for use in optogenetic constructs. Despite this, much remains to be resolved on the mechanism of their activation. The advent of unnatural amino acid mutagenesis opens up a new toolbox for the study of protein structural dynamics. The tryptophan analogue, 7-aza-Trp (7AW) was incorporated in the BLUF domain of the Activation of Photopigment and pucA (AppA) photoreceptor in order to investigate the functional dynamics of the crucial W104 residue during photoactivation of the protein. The 7-aza modification to Trp makes selective excitation possible using 310 nm excitation and 380 nm emission, separating the signals of interest from other Trp and Tyr residues. We used Förster energy transfer (FRET) between 7AW and the flavin to estimate the distance between Trp and flavin in both the light- and dark-adapted states in solution. Nanosecond fluorescence anisotropy decay and picosecond fluorescence lifetime measurements for the flavin revealed a rather dynamic picture for the tryptophan residue. In the dark-adapted state, the major population of W104 is pointing away from the flavin and can move freely, in contrast to previous results reported in the literature. Upon blue-light excitation, the dominant tryptophan population is reorganized, moves closer to the flavin occupying a rigidly bound state participating in the hydrogen-bond network around the flavin molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristof Karadi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.,Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Sofia M Kapetanaki
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.,Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Katalin Raics
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ildiko Pecsi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Robert Kapronczai
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Fekete
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - James N Iuliano
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400, USA
| | | | - Agnieszka A Gil
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400, USA
| | - Jozsef Orban
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Miklos Nyitrai
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.,Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Greg M Greetham
- Central Laser Facility, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Marten H Vos
- LOB, CNRS, INSERM, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, Cedex, France
| | - Peter J Tonge
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400, USA
| | - Stephen R Meech
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary. .,Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
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33
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Andrikopoulos PC, Liu Y, Picchiotti A, Lenngren N, Kloz M, Chaudhari AS, Precek M, Rebarz M, Andreasson J, Hajdu J, Schneider B, Fuertes G. Femtosecond-to-nanosecond dynamics of flavin mononucleotide monitored by stimulated Raman spectroscopy and simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:6538-6552. [PMID: 31994556 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04918e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) belongs to the large family of flavins, ubiquitous yellow-coloured biological chromophores that contain an isoalloxazine ring system. As a cofactor in flavoproteins, it is found in various enzymes and photosensory receptors, like those featuring the light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain. The photocycle of FMN is triggered by blue light and proceeds via a cascade of intermediate states. In this work, we have studied isolated FMN in an aqueous solution in order to elucidate the intrinsic electronic and vibrational changes of the chromophore upon excitation. The ultrafast transitions of excited FMN were monitored through the joint use of femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) and transient absorption spectroscopy encompassing a time window between 0 ps and 6 ns with 50 fs time resolution. Global analysis of the obtained transient visible absorption and transient Raman spectra in combination with extensive quantum chemistry calculations identified unambiguously the singlet and triplet FMN populations and addressed solvent dynamics effects. The good agreement between the experimental and theoretical spectra facilitated the assignment of electronic transitions and vibrations. Our results represent the first steps towards more complex experiments aimed at tracking structural changes of FMN embedded in light-inducible proteins upon photoexcitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prokopis C Andrikopoulos
- Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, CZ-252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic.
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34
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Goings JJ, Hammes-Schiffer S. Early Photocycle of Slr1694 Blue-Light Using Flavin Photoreceptor Unraveled through Adiabatic Excited-State Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical Dynamics. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:20470-20479. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b11196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- 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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35
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Hall CR, Tolentino Collado J, Iuliano JN, Gil AA, Adamczyk K, Lukacs A, Greetham GM, Sazanovich I, Tonge PJ, Meech SR. Site-Specific Protein Dynamics Probed by Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy of a Noncanonical Amino Acid. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:9592-9597. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b09425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James N. Iuliano
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Agnieszka A. Gil
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3400, United States
| | - Katrin Adamczyk
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Andras Lukacs
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pecs, Szigeti ut 12, 7624 Pecs, Hungary
| | - Gregory M. Greetham
- Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - Igor Sazanovich
- Central Laser Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, U.K
| | - 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 NR4 7TJ, U.K
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36
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Nemukhin AV, Grigorenko BL, Khrenova MG, Krylov AI. Computational Challenges in Modeling of Representative Bioimaging Proteins: GFP-Like Proteins, Flavoproteins, and Phytochromes. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:6133-6149. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b00591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V. Nemukhin
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Bella L. Grigorenko
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Maria G. Khrenova
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russian
| | - Anna I. Krylov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0482, United States
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37
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38
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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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39
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Kar RK, Borin VA, Ding Y, Matysik J, Schapiro I. Spectroscopic Properties of Lumiflavin: A Quantum Chemical Study. Photochem Photobiol 2018; 95:662-674. [DOI: 10.1111/php.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Kumar Kar
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research Institute of Chemistry Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Veniamin A. Borin
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research Institute of Chemistry Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
| | - Yonghong Ding
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry University of Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Jörg Matysik
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry University of Leipzig Leipzig Germany
| | - Igor Schapiro
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research Institute of Chemistry Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
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40
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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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41
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Goings JJ, Reinhardt CR, Hammes-Schiffer S. Propensity for Proton Relay and Electrostatic Impact of Protein Reorganization in Slr1694 BLUF Photoreceptor. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:15241-15251. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b07456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J. Goings
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 225 Prospect Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Clorice R. Reinhardt
- 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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42
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Grigorenko BL, Khrenova MG, Nemukhin AV. Amide-imide tautomerization in the glutamine side chain in enzymatic and photochemical reactions in proteins. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:23827-23836. [PMID: 30202846 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp04817g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Amide-imide tautomerization presents a pervasive class of chemical transformations in organic chemistry of natural compounds. In this Perspective, we describe two distinctively different protein systems, in which the amide-imide tautomerization in the glutamine side chain takes place in enzymatic or photochemical reactions. First, hydrolysis of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) catalyzed by the Ras-GAP protein complex suggests the occurrence of the imide tautomer of glutamine in reaction intermediates. Second, photoexcitation of flavin-binding protein domains (BLUFs) initiates a chain of reactions in the chromophore-binding pocket, including amide-imide tautomerization of glutamine. Mechanisms of these reactions at the atomic level have been revealed in quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations. To reinforce conclusions on the critical role of amide-imide tautomerization of glutamine in these reactions we describe results of new quantum chemistry and QM/MM calculations for relevant molecular model systems. We reexamine results of the recent IR spectroscopy studies of BLUF domains, which provide experimental evidences of Gln tautomerization in proteins. We also propose to validate the glutamine-assisted mechanism of enzymatic GTP hydrolysis by using IR spectroscopy in a proper range of wavenumbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bella L Grigorenko
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1/3, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation.
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43
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Iwata T, Nagai T, Ito S, Osoegawa S, Iseki M, Watanabe M, Unno M, Kitagawa S, Kandori H. Hydrogen Bonding Environments in the Photocycle Process around the Flavin Chromophore of the AppA-BLUF domain. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:11982-11991. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b05123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Iwata
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagai
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Shota Ito
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Osoegawa
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Mineo Iseki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Watanabe
- The Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu 431-1202, Japan
| | - Masashi Unno
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Shinya Kitagawa
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
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44
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Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors underpin light-dependent adaptations of organismal physiology, development, and behavior in nature. Adapted for optogenetics, sensory photoreceptors become genetically encoded actuators and reporters to enable the noninvasive, spatiotemporally accurate and reversible control by light of cellular processes. Rooted in a mechanistic understanding of natural photoreceptors, artificial photoreceptors with customized light-gated function have been engineered that greatly expand the scope of optogenetics beyond the original application of light-controlled ion flow. As we survey presently, UV/blue-light-sensitive photoreceptors have particularly allowed optogenetics to transcend its initial neuroscience applications by unlocking numerous additional cellular processes and parameters for optogenetic intervention, including gene expression, DNA recombination, subcellular localization, cytoskeleton dynamics, intracellular protein stability, signal transduction cascades, apoptosis, and enzyme activity. The engineering of novel photoreceptors benefits from powerful and reusable design strategies, most importantly light-dependent protein association and (un)folding reactions. Additionally, modified versions of these same sensory photoreceptors serve as fluorescent proteins and generators of singlet oxygen, thereby further enriching the optogenetic toolkit. The available and upcoming UV/blue-light-sensitive actuators and reporters enable the detailed and quantitative interrogation of cellular signal networks and processes in increasingly more precise and illuminating manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aba Losi
- Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences , University of Parma , Parco Area delle Scienze 7/A-43124 Parma , Italy
| | - Kevin H Gardner
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center , New York , New York 10031 , United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York , New York , New York 10031 , United States.,Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Biology , The Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , New York 10016 , United States
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany.,Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany.,Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology , Universität Bayreuth , 95447 Bayreuth , Germany
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45
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Abstract
The first stage in biological signaling is based on changes in the functional state of a receptor protein triggered by interaction of the receptor with its ligand(s). The light-triggered nature of photoreceptors allows studies on the mechanism of such changes in receptor proteins using a wide range of biophysical methods and with superb time resolution. Here, we critically evaluate current understanding of proton and electron transfer in photosensory proteins and their involvement both in primary photochemistry and subsequent processes that lead to the formation of the signaling state. An insight emerging from multiple families of photoreceptors is that ultrafast primary photochemistry is followed by slower proton transfer steps that contribute to triggering large protein conformational changes during signaling state formation. We discuss themes and principles for light sensing shared by the six photoreceptor families: rhodopsins, phytochromes, photoactive yellow proteins, light-oxygen-voltage proteins, blue-light sensors using flavin, and cryptochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilman Kottke
- Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Aihua Xie
- Department of Physics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Delmar S. Larsen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Wouter D. Hoff
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
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46
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Domratcheva T, Schlichting I. Spiers Memorial Lecture. Introductory lecture: the impact of structure on photoinduced processes in nucleic acids and proteins. Faraday Discuss 2018; 207:9-26. [PMID: 29583144 DOI: 10.1039/c8fd00058a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Light is an important environmental variable and most organisms have evolved means to sense, exploit or avoid it and to repair detrimental effects on their genome. In general, light absorption is the task of specific chromophores, however other biomolecules such as oligonucleotides also do so which can result in undesired outcomes such as mutations and cancer. Given the biological importance of light-induced processes and applications for imaging, optogenetics, photodynamic therapy or photovoltaics, there is a great interest in understanding the detailed molecular mechanisms of photoinduced processes in proteins and nucleic acids. The processes are typically characterized by time-resolved spectroscopic approaches or computation, inferring structural information on transient species from stable ground state structures. Recently, however, structure determination of excited states or other short-lived species has become possible with the advent of X-ray free-electron lasers. This review gives an overview of the impact of structure on the understanding of photoinduced processes in macromolecules, focusing on systems presented at this Faraday Discussion meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Domratcheva
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr. 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ilme Schlichting
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr. 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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47
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Nakajima T, Kuroi K, Nakasone Y, Okajima K, Ikeuchi M, Tokutomi S, Terazima M. Anomalous pressure effects on the photoreaction of a light-sensor protein from Synechocystis, PixD (Slr1694), and the compressibility change of its intermediates. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 18:25915-25925. [PMID: 27711633 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05091c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
SyPixD (Slr1694) is a blue-light receptor that contains a BLUF (blue-light sensor using a flavin chromophore) domain for the function of phototaxis. The key reaction of this protein is a light-induced conformational change and subsequent dissociation reaction from the decamer to the dimer. In this study, anomalous effects of pressure on this reaction were discovered, and changes in the compressibility of its short-lived intermediates were investigated. While the absorption spectra of the dark and light states are not sensitive to pressure, the formation yield of the first intermediate decreases with pressure to about 40% at 150 MPa. Upon blue-light illumination with a sufficiently strong intensity, the transient grating signal, which represents the dissociation of the SyPixD decamer, was observed at 0.1 MPa, and the signal intensity significantly decreased with increasing pressure. This behavior shows that the dissociation of the decamer from the second intermediate state is suppressed by pressure. However, while the decamer undergoes no dissociation upon excitation of one monomer unit at 0.1 MPa, dissociation is gradually induced with increasing pressure. For solving this strange behavior, the compressibility changes of the intermediates were measured as a function of pressure at weak light intensity. Interestingly, the compressibility change was negative at low pressure, but became positive with increasing pressure. Because the compressibility is related to the volume fluctuation, this observation suggests that the driving force for this reaction is fluctuation of the protein. The relationship between the cavities at the interfaces of the monomer units and the reactivity was also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsubasa Nakajima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Kunisato Kuroi
- 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.
| | - Koji Okajima
- Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Masahiko Ikeuchi
- Department of Life Sciences (Biology), Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Satoru Tokutomi
- Research Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Masahide Terazima
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
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48
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Schroeder L, Oldemeyer S, Kottke T. Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy on Plant Cryptochrome—Relevance of Proton Transfer and ATP Binding for Signaling. J Phys Chem A 2017; 122:140-147. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b10249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lea Schroeder
- Physical and Biophysical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße
25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sabine Oldemeyer
- Physical and Biophysical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße
25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Tilman Kottke
- Physical and Biophysical
Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße
25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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49
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Fujisawa T, Masuda S. Light-induced chromophore and protein responses and mechanical signal transduction of BLUF proteins. Biophys Rev 2017; 10:327-337. [PMID: 29235080 PMCID: PMC5899715 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0355-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor proteins have been used to study how protein conformational changes are induced by alterations in their environments and how their signals are transmitted to downstream factors to dictate physiological responses. These proteins are attractive models because their signal transduction aspects and structural changes can be precisely regulated in vivo and in vitro based on light intensity. Among the known photoreceptors, members of the blue light–using flavin (BLUF) protein family have been well characterized with regard to how they control various light-dependent physiological responses in several microorganisms. Herein, we summarize our current understanding of their photoactivation and signal-transduction mechanisms. For signal transduction, we review recent studies concerning how the BLUF protein, PixD, transmits a light-induced signal to its downstream factor, PixE, to modulate phototaxis of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotsumi Fujisawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga, 840-8502 Japan
| | - Shinji Masuda
- Center for Biological Resources & Informatics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, 226-8501 Japan
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50
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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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