An optimal acquisition scheme for Q-band EPR distance measurements using Cu2+-based protein labels

Determining and controlling conformational information from orientationally selective light-induced triplet-triplet electron resonance spectroscopy for a set of bis-porphyrin rulers

We recently reported a new technique, light-induced triplet-triplet electron resonance (LITTER) spectroscopy, which allows quantification of the dipolar interaction between the photogenerated triplet states of two chromophores. Here we carry out a systematic LITTER study, considering orientation selection by the detection pulses, of a series of bis-porphyrin model peptides with different porphyrin-porphyrin distances and relative orientations. Orientation-dependent analysis of the dipolar datasets yields conformational information of the molecules in frozen solution which is in good agreement with density functional theory predictions. Additionally, a fast partial orientational-averaging treatment produces distance distributions with minimized orientational artefacts. Finally, by direct comparison of LITTER data to double electron-electron resonance (DEER) measured on a system with Cu(II) coordinated into the porphyrins, we demonstrate the advantages of the LITTER technique over the standard DEER methodology. This is due to the remarkable spectroscopic properties of the photogenerated porphyrin triplet state. This work sets the basis for the use of LITTER in structural investigations of unmodified complex biological macromolecules, which could be combined with Förster resonance energy transfer and microscopy inside cells.

Differentiating between Label and Protein Conformers in Pulsed Dipolar EPR Spectroscopy with the dHis-Cu2+ (NTA) Motif

Pulsed dipolar EPR spectroscopy (PDS) in combination with site-directed spin labeling is a powerful tool in structural biology. However, the commonly used spin labels are conjugated to biomolecules via rather long and flexible linkers, which hampers the translation of distance distributions into biomolecular conformations. In contrast, the spin label copper(II)-nitrilotriacetic acid [Cu2+ (NTA)] bound to two histidines (dHis) is rigid and yields narrow distance distributions, which can be more easily translated into biomolecular conformations. Here, we use this label on the 71 kDa Yersinia outer protein O (YopO) to decipher whether a previously experimentally observed bimodal distance distribution is due to two conformations of the biomolecule or of the flexible spin labels. Two different PDS experiments, that is, pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR aka DEER) and relaxation-induced dipolar modulation enhancement (RIDME), yield unimodal distance distribution with the dHis-Cu2+ (NTA) motif; this result suggests that the α-helical backbone of YopO adopts a single conformation in frozen solution. In addition, we show that the Cu2+ (NTA) label preferentially binds to the target double histidine (dHis) sites even in the presence of 22 competing native histidine residues. Our results therefore suggest that the generation of a His-null background is not required for this spin labeling methodology. Together these results highlight the value of the dHis-Cu2+ (NTA) motif in PDS experiments.

Direct observation of negative cooperativity in a detoxification enzyme at the atomic level by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy and simulation

The catalytic activity of human glutathione S-transferase A1-1 (hGSTA1-1), a homodimeric detoxification enzyme, is dependent on the conformational dynamics of a key C-terminal helix α9 in each monomer. However, the structural details of how the two monomers interact upon binding of substrates is not well understood and the structure of the ligand-free state of the hGSTA1-1 homodimer has not been resolved. Here, we used a combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) distance measurements and weighted ensemble (WE) simulations to characterize the conformational ensemble of the ligand-free state at the atomic level. EPR measurements reveal a broad distance distribution between a pair of Cu(II) labels in the ligand-free state that gradually shifts and narrows as a function of increasing ligand concentration. These shifts suggest changes in the relative positioning of the two α9 helices upon ligand binding. WE simulations generated unbiased pathways for the seconds-timescale transition between alternate states of the enzyme, leading to the generation of atomically detailed structures of the ligand-free state. Notably, the simulations provide direct observations of negative cooperativity between the monomers of hGSTA1-1, which involve the mutually exclusive docking of α9 in each monomer as a lid over the active site. We identify key interactions between residues that lead to this negative cooperativity. Negative cooperativity may be essential for interaction of hGSTA1-1 with a wide variety of toxic substrates and their subsequent neutralization. More broadly, this work demonstrates the power of integrating EPR distances with WE rare-events sampling strategy to gain mechanistic information on protein function at the atomic level.

"Store-bought is fine": Sensitivity considerations using shaped pulses for DEER measurements on Cu(II) labels

The narrow excitation bandwidth of monochromic pulses is a sensitivity limitation for pulsed dipolar spectroscopy on Cu(II)-based measurements. In response, frequency-swept pulses with large excitation bandwidths have been adopted to probe a greater range of the EPR spectrum. However, much of the work utilizing frequency-swept pulses in Cu(II) distance measurements has been carried out on home-built spectrometers and equipment. Herein, we carry out systematic Cu(II) based distance measurements to demonstrate the capability of chirp pulses on commercial instrumentation. More importantly we delineate sensitivity considerations under acquisition schemes that are necessary for robust distance measurements using Cu(II) labels for proteins. We show that a 200 MHz sweeping bandwidth chirp pulse can improve the sensitivity of long-range distance measurements by factors of three to four. The sensitivity of short-range distances only increases slightly due to special considerations for the chirp pulse duration relative to the period length of the modulated dipolar signal. Enhancements in sensitivity also dramatically reduce measurement collection times enabling rapid collection of orientationally averaged Cu(II) distance measurements in under two hours.

Efficient sampling of molecular orientations for Cu(II)-based DEER on protein labels

Combining rigid Cu(II) labels and pulsed-EPR techniques enables distance constraint measurements that are incisive probes of protein structure and dynamics. However, the labels can lead to a dipolar signal that is biased by the relative orientation of the two spins, which is typically unknown a priori in a bilabeled protein. This effect, dubbed orientational selectivity, becomes a bottleneck in measuring distances. This phenomenon also applies to other pulsed-EPR techniques that probe electron-nucleus interactions. In this work, we dissect orientational selectivity by generating an in silico sample of Cu(II)-labeled proteins to evaluate pulse excitation in the context of double electron-electron resonance (DEER) at Q-band frequencies. This approach enables the observation of the contribution of each protein orientation to the dipolar signal, which provides direct insights into optimizing acquisition schemes to mitigate orientational effects. Furthermore, we incorporate the excitation profile of realistic pulses to identify the excited spins. With this method, we show that rectangular pulses, despite their imperfect inversion capability, can sample similar spin orientations as other sophisticated pulses with the same bandwidth. Additionally, we reveal that the efficiency of exciting spin-pairs in DEER depends on the frequency offset of two pulses used in the experiment and the relative orientation of the two spins. Therefore, we systematically examine the frequency offset of the two pulses used in this double resonance experiment to determine the optimal frequency offset for optimal distance measurements. This procedure leads to a protocol where two measurements are sufficient to acquire orientational-independent DEER at Q-band. Notably, this procedure is feasible with any commercial pulsed-EPR spectrometer. Furthermore, we experimentally validate the computational results using DEER experiments on two different proteins. Finally, we show that increasing the amplitude of the rectangular pulse can increase the efficiency of DEER experiments by almost threefold. Overall, this work provides an attractive new approach for analyzing pulsed-EPR spectroscopy to obtain microscopic nuances that cannot be easily discerned from analytical or numerical calculations.

The use of EPR spectroscopy to study transcription mechanisms

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has become a promising structural biology tool to resolve complex and dynamic biological mechanisms in-vitro and in-cell. Here, we focus on the advantages of continuous wave (CW) and pulsed EPR distance measurements to resolve transcription processes and protein-DNA interaction. The wide range of spin-labeling approaches that can be used to follow structural changes in both protein and DNA render EPR a powerful method to study protein-DNA interactions and structure-function relationships in other macromolecular complexes. EPR-derived data goes well beyond static structural information and thus serves as the method of choice if dynamic insight is needed. Herein, we describe the conceptual details of the theory and the methodology and illustrate the use of EPR to study the protein-DNA interaction of the copper-sensitive transcription factor, CueR.

EPR Spectroscopy Provides New Insights into Complex Biological Reaction Mechanisms

In the last 20 years, the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has made a pronounced and lasting impact in the field of structural biology. The advantage of EPR spectroscopy over other structural techniques is its ability to target even minor conformational changes in any biomolecule or macromolecular complex, independent of its size or complexity, or whether it is in solution or in the cell during a biological or chemical reaction. Here, we focus on the use of EPR spectroscopy to study transmembrane transport and transcription mechanisms. We discuss experimental and analytical concerns when referring to studies of two biological reaction mechanisms, namely, transfer of copper ions by the human copper transporter hCtr1 and the mechanism of action of the Escherichia coli copper-dependent transcription factor CueR. Last, we elaborate on future avenues in the field of EPR structural biology.

Beyond structure: Deciphering site-specific dynamics in proteins from double histidine-based EPR measurements

Site-specific dynamics in proteins are at the heart of protein function. While electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has potential to measure dynamics in large protein complexes, the reliance on flexible nitroxide labels is limitating especially for the accurate measurement of site-specific β-sheet dynamics. Here, we employed EPR spectroscopy to measure site-specific dynamics across the surface of a protein, GB1. Through the use of the double Histidine (dHis) motif, which enables labeling with a Cu(II) - nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) complex, dynamics information was obtained for both α-helical and β-sheet sites. Spectral simulations of the resulting CW-EPR report unique site-specific fluctuations across the surface of GB1. Additionally, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to complement the EPR data. The dynamics observed from MD agree with the EPR results. Furthermore, we observe small changes in gǁ values for different sites, which may be due to small differences in coordination geometry and/or local electrostatics of the site. Taken together, this work expands the utility of Cu(II)NTA-based EPR measurements to probe information beyond distance constraints.