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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Salvadori G, Mazzeo P, Accomasso D, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. Deciphering Photoreceptors Through Atomistic Modeling from Light Absorption to Conformational Response. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168358. [PMID: 37944793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the successes and challenges of the atomistic modeling of photoreceptors. Throughout our presentation, we integrate explanations of the primary methodological approaches, ranging from quantum mechanical descriptions to classical enhanced sampling methods, all while providing illustrative examples of their practical application to specific systems. To enhance the effectiveness of our analysis, our primary focus has been directed towards the examination of applications across three distinct photoreceptors. These include an example of Blue Light-Using Flavin (BLUF) domains, a bacteriophytochrome, and the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) employed by cyanobacteria for photoprotection. Particular emphasis will be placed on the pivotal role played by the protein matrix in fine-tuning the initial photochemical event within the embedded chromophore. Furthermore, we will investigate how this localized perturbation initiates a cascade of events propagating from the binding pocket throughout the entire protein structure, thanks to the intricate network of interactions between the chromophore and the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Salvadori
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Mazzeo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Accomasso
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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3
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Zhou Y, Tang S, Chen Z, Zhou Z, Huang J, Kang XW, Zou S, Wang B, Zhang T, Ding B, Zhong D. Origin of the multi-phasic quenching dynamics in the BLUF domains across the species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:623. [PMID: 38245518 PMCID: PMC10799861 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44565-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Blue light using flavin (BLUF) photoreceptors respond to light via one of nature's smallest photo-switching domains. Upon photo-activation, the flavin cofactor in the BLUF domain exhibits multi-phasic dynamics, quenched by a proton-coupled electron transfer reaction involving the conserved Tyr and Gln. The dynamic behavior varies drastically across different species, the origin of which remains controversial. Here, we incorporate site-specific fluorinated Trp into three BLUF proteins, i.e., AppA, OaPAC and SyPixD, and characterize the percentages for the Wout, WinNHin and WinNHout conformations using 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Using femtosecond spectroscopy, we identify that one key WinNHin conformation can introduce a branching one-step proton transfer in AppA and a two-step proton transfer in OaPAC and SyPixD. Correlating the flavin quenching dynamics with the active-site structural heterogeneity, we conclude that the quenching rate is determined by the percentage of WinNHin, which encodes a Tyr-Gln configuration that is not conducive to proton transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Jiulong Huang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiu-Wen Kang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Shuhua Zou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Bingyao Wang
- 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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4
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Yu Z, Zhang W, Yang H, Chou SH, Galperin MY, He J. Gas and light: triggers of c-di-GMP-mediated regulation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad034. [PMID: 37339911 PMCID: PMC10505747 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP is responsible for regulating many important physiological functions such as biofilm formation, motility, cell differentiation, and virulence. The synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP in bacterial cells depend, respectively, on diguanylate cyclases and c-di-GMP-specific phosphodiesterases. Since c-di-GMP metabolic enzymes (CMEs) are often fused to sensory domains, their activities are likely controlled by environmental signals, thereby altering cellular c-di-GMP levels and regulating bacterial adaptive behaviors. Previous studies on c-di-GMP-mediated regulation mainly focused on downstream signaling pathways, including the identification of CMEs, cellular c-di-GMP receptors, and c-di-GMP-regulated processes. The mechanisms of CME regulation by upstream signaling modules received less attention, resulting in a limited understanding of the c-di-GMP regulatory networks. We review here the diversity of sensory domains related to bacterial CME regulation. We specifically discuss those domains that are capable of sensing gaseous or light signals and the mechanisms they use for regulating cellular c-di-GMP levels. It is hoped that this review would help refine the complete c-di-GMP regulatory networks and improve our understanding of bacterial behaviors in changing environments. In practical terms, this may eventually provide a way to control c-di-GMP-mediated bacterial biofilm formation and pathogenesis in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoqing Yu
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
- Institute of Agro-Product Processing, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, PR China
| | - Wei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - He Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
| | - Michael Y Galperin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Jin He
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China
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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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Demchenko AP. Proton transfer reactions: from photochemistry to biochemistry and bioenergetics. BBA ADVANCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2023.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
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7
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Chen Z, Kang XW, Zhou Y, Zhou Z, Tang S, Zou S, Wang K, Huang J, Ding B, Zhong D. Dissecting the Ultrafast Stepwise Bidirectional Proton Relay in a Blue-Light Photoreceptor. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3394-3400. [PMID: 36722850 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Proton relays through H-bond networks are essential in realizing the functionality of protein machines such as in photosynthesis and photoreceptors. It has been challenging to dissect the rates and energetics of individual proton-transfer steps during the proton relay. Here, we have designed a proton rocking blue light using a flavin (BLUF) domain with the flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-glutamic acid (E)-tryptophan (W) triad and have resolved the four individual proton-transfer steps kinetically using ultrafast spectroscopy. We have found that after the photo-induced charge separation forming FMN·-/E-COOH/WH·+, the proton first rapidly jumps from the bridging E-COOH to FMN- (τfPT2 = 3.8 ps; KIE = 1.0), followed by a second proton transfer from WH·+ to E-COO- (τfPT1 = 336 ps; KIE = 2.6) which immediately rocks back to W· (τrPT1 = 85 ps; KIE = 6.7), followed by a proton return from FMNH· to E-COO- (τrPT2 = 34 ps; KIE = 3.3) with the final charge recombination between FMN·- and WH·+ to close the reaction cycle. Our results revisited the Grotthuss mechanism on the ultrafast timescale using the BLUF domain as a paradigm protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Chen
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Xiu-Wen Kang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Yalin Zhou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Zhongneng Zhou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Siwei Tang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Shuhua Zou
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Kailin Wang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Jiulong Huang
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Bei Ding
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
| | - Dongping Zhong
- Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China.,Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Programs of Biophysics, Chemical Physics, and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio43210, United States.,School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200240, China
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8
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Mazzeo P, Hashem S, Lipparini F, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. Fast Method for Excited-State Dynamics in Complex Systems and Its Application to the Photoactivation of a Blue Light Using Flavin Photoreceptor. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1222-1229. [PMID: 36716231 PMCID: PMC9923743 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The excited-state dynamics of molecules embedded in complex (bio)matrices is still a challenging goal for quantum chemical models. Hybrid QM/MM models have proven to be an effective strategy, but an optimal combination of accuracy and computational cost still has to be found. Here, we present a method which combines the accuracy of a polarizable embedding QM/MM approach with the computational efficiency of an excited-state self-consistent field method. The newly implemented method is applied to the photoactivation of the blue-light-using flavin (BLUF) domain of the AppA protein. We show that the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process suggested for other BLUF proteins is still valid also for AppA.
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9
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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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10
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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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11
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Crocker LB, Lee JH, Mital S, Mills GC, Schack S, Bistrović-Popov A, Franck CO, Mela I, Kaminski CF, Christie G, Fruk L. Tuning riboflavin derivatives for photodynamic inactivation of pathogens. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6580. [PMID: 35449377 PMCID: PMC9022420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10394-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of effective pathogen reduction strategies is required due to the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and zoonotic viral pandemics. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of bacteria and viruses is a potent reduction strategy that bypasses typical resistance mechanisms. Naturally occurring riboflavin has been widely used in PDI applications due to efficient light-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) release. By rational design of its core structure to alter (photo)physical properties, we obtained derivatives capable of outperforming riboflavin's visible light-induced PDI against E. coli and a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate, revealing functional group dependency for each pathogen. Bacterial PDI was influenced mainly by guanidino substitution, whereas viral PDI increased through bromination of the flavin. These observations were related to enhanced uptake and ROS-specific nucleic acid cleavage mechanisms. Trends in the derivatives' toxicity towards human fibroblast cells were also investigated to assess viable therapeutic derivatives and help guide further design of PDI agents to combat pathogenic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander B Crocker
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Ju Hyun Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Suraj Mital
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Gabrielle C Mills
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Sina Schack
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Andrea Bistrović-Popov
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Christoph O Franck
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Ioanna Mela
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Clemens F Kaminski
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Graham Christie
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Ljiljana Fruk
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge, CB3 0AS, UK.
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12
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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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13
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Abstract
Light is a ubiquitous energy source and environmental signal that broadly impacts the lifestyle of a large number of photosynthetic/nonphotosynthetic microorganisms living in the euphotic layer. However, the responses of deep-sea microbes to light are largely unknown, even though blue light is proposed to be distributed in the deep ocean. Here, we successfully cultured a novel bacterial species, named Spongiibacter nanhainus CSC3.9, from deep-sea cold seep samples by a blue light induction approach. The growth of strain CSC3.9 was obviously promoted by the illumination of blue light. We next determined BLUF (a typical blue light photoreceptor) was the most essential factor directing light sensing of strain CSC3.9 through a combined proteomic and genetic method. The function of light sensing mediated by BLUF was further confirmed by the in vitro-synthesized protein. Notably, homologs of BLUF widely existed across the marine microorganisms (containing Spongiibacter species) derived from different environments, including cold seeps. This strongly indicates that the distribution of light utilization by the nonphototrophic bacteria living in the ocean is broad and has been substantially underestimated. IMPORTANCE Extensive studies have been conducted to explore the mechanisms of light sensing and utilization by microorganisms that live in the photic zone. Strikingly, accumulated evidence shows that light is distributed in the deep biosphere. However, the existence and process of light sensing and utilization by microbes inhabiting the deep ocean have been seldom reported. In the present study, a novel bacterial strain, Spongiibacter nanhainus CSC3.9, was enriched and purified from a deep-sea cold seep sample through a blue light induction method. Combined with genomic, proteomic, genetic, and biochemical approaches, the mechanism of this novel strain sensing blue light through a BLUF-dependent pathway was detailed. Our study provides a good model to study the mechanisms of light sensing mediated by deep-sea nonphototrophic bacteria.
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14
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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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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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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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17
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Timsit Y, Grégoire SP. Towards the Idea of Molecular Brains. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111868. [PMID: 34769300 PMCID: PMC8584932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
How can single cells without nervous systems perform complex behaviours such as habituation, associative learning and decision making, which are considered the hallmark of animals with a brain? Are there molecular systems that underlie cognitive properties equivalent to those of the brain? This review follows the development of the idea of molecular brains from Darwin’s “root brain hypothesis”, through bacterial chemotaxis, to the recent discovery of neuron-like r-protein networks in the ribosome. By combining a structural biology view with a Bayesian brain approach, this review explores the evolutionary labyrinth of information processing systems across scales. Ribosomal protein networks open a window into what were probably the earliest signalling systems to emerge before the radiation of the three kingdoms. While ribosomal networks are characterised by long-lasting interactions between their protein nodes, cell signalling networks are essentially based on transient interactions. As a corollary, while signals propagated in persistent networks may be ephemeral, networks whose interactions are transient constrain signals diffusing into the cytoplasm to be durable in time, such as post-translational modifications of proteins or second messenger synthesis. The duration and nature of the signals, in turn, implies different mechanisms for the integration of multiple signals and decision making. Evolution then reinvented networks with persistent interactions with the development of nervous systems in metazoans. Ribosomal protein networks and simple nervous systems display architectural and functional analogies whose comparison could suggest scale invariance in information processing. At the molecular level, the significant complexification of eukaryotic ribosomal protein networks is associated with a burst in the acquisition of new conserved aromatic amino acids. Knowing that aromatic residues play a critical role in allosteric receptors and channels, this observation suggests a general role of π systems and their interactions with charged amino acids in multiple signal integration and information processing. We think that these findings may provide the molecular basis for designing future computers with organic processors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youri Timsit
- Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM110, 13288 Marseille, France
- Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara GOSEE, 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75016 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Sergeant-Perthuis Grégoire
- Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu—Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG), UMR 7586, CNRS-Université Paris Diderot, 75013 Paris, France;
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18
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Bioluminescence and Photoreception in Unicellular Organisms: Light-Signalling in a Bio-Communication Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111311. [PMID: 34768741 PMCID: PMC8582858 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence, the emission of light catalysed by luciferases, has evolved in many taxa from bacteria to vertebrates and is predominant in the marine environment. It is now well established that in animals possessing a nervous system capable of integrating light stimuli, bioluminescence triggers various behavioural responses and plays a role in intra- or interspecific visual communication. The function of light emission in unicellular organisms is less clear and it is currently thought that it has evolved in an ecological framework, to be perceived by visual animals. For example, while it is thought that bioluminescence allows bacteria to be ingested by zooplankton or fish, providing them with favourable conditions for growth and dispersal, the luminous flashes emitted by dinoflagellates may have evolved as an anti-predation system against copepods. In this short review, we re-examine this paradigm in light of recent findings in microorganism photoreception, signal integration and complex behaviours. Numerous studies show that on the one hand, bacteria and protists, whether autotrophs or heterotrophs, possess a variety of photoreceptors capable of perceiving and integrating light stimuli of different wavelengths. Single-cell light-perception produces responses ranging from phototaxis to more complex behaviours. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that unicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotes can perform complex tasks ranging from habituation and decision-making to associative learning, despite lacking a nervous system. Here, we focus our analysis on two taxa, bacteria and dinoflagellates, whose bioluminescence is well studied. We propose the hypothesis that similar to visual animals, the interplay between light-emission and reception could play multiple roles in intra- and interspecific communication and participate in complex behaviour in the unicellular world.
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19
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Maia RNA, Ehrenberg D, Oldemeyer S, Knieps-Grünhagen E, Krauss U, Heberle J. Real-Time Tracking of Proton Transfer from the Reactive Cysteine to the Flavin Chromophore of a Photosensing Light Oxygen Voltage Protein. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:12535-12542. [PMID: 34347468 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c03409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
LOV (light oxygen voltage) proteins are photosensors ubiquitous to all domains of life. A variant of the short LOV protein from Dinoroseobacter shibae (DsLOV) exhibits an exceptionally fast photocycle. We performed time-resolved molecular spectroscopy on DsLOV-M49S and characterized the formation of the thio-adduct state with a covalent bond between the reactive cysteine (C72) and C4a of the FMN. By use of a tunable quantum cascade laser, the weak absorption change of the vibrational band of S-H stretching vibration of C57 was resolved with a time resolution of 10 ns. Deprotonation of C72 proceeded with a time constant of 12 μs which tallies the rise of the thio-adduct state. These results provide valuable information for the mechanistic interpretation of light-induced structural changes in LOV domains, which involves the choreographed sequence of proton transfers, changes in electron density distributions, spin alterations of the latter, and transient bond formation and breakage. Such molecular insight will help develop new optogenetic tools based on flavin photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raiza N A Maia
- Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Ehrenberg
- Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Oldemeyer
- Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Esther Knieps-Grünhagen
- Institut für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52426 Jülich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Krauss
- Institut für Molekulare Enzymtechnologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52426 Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1): Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52426 Jülich, Germany
| | - Joachim Heberle
- Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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20
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Yee EF, Oldemeyer S, Böhm E, Ganguly A, York DM, Kottke T, Crane BR. Peripheral Methionine Residues Impact Flavin Photoreduction and Protonation in an Engineered LOV Domain Light Sensor. Biochemistry 2021; 60:1148-1164. [PMID: 33787242 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Proton-coupled electron transfer reactions play critical roles in many aspects of sensory phototransduction. In the case of flavoprotein light sensors, reductive quenching of flavin excited states initiates chemical and conformational changes that ultimately transmit light signals to downstream targets. These reactions generally require neighboring aromatic residues and proton-donating side chains for rapid and coordinated electron and proton transfer to flavin. Although photoreduction of flavoproteins can produce either the anionic (ASQ) or neutral semiquinone (NSQ), the factors that favor one over the other are not well understood. Here we employ a biologically active variant of the light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain protein VVD devoid of the adduct-forming Cys residue (VVD-III) to probe the mechanism of flavin photoreduction and protonation. A series of isosteric and conservative residue replacements studied by rate measurements, fluorescence quantum yields, FTIR difference spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that tyrosine residues facilitate charge recombination reactions that limit sustained flavin reduction, whereas methionine residues facilitate radical propagation and quenching and also gate solvent access for flavin protonation. Replacement of a single surface Met residue with Leu favors formation of the ASQ over the NSQ and desensitizes photoreduction to oxidants. In contrast, increasing site hydrophilicity by Gln substitution promotes rapid NSQ formation and weakens the influence of the redox environment. Overall, the photoreactivity of VVD-III can be understood in terms of redundant electron donors, internal hole quenching, and coupled proton transfer reactions that all depend upon protein conformation, dynamics, and solvent penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estella F Yee
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Sabine Oldemeyer
- Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Elena Böhm
- Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Abir Ganguly
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8076, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8076, United States
| | - Darrin M York
- Laboratory for Biomolecular Simulation Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8076, United States.,Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8076, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Tilman Kottke
- Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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21
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Macaluso V, Salvadori G, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. The structural changes in the signaling mechanism of bacteriophytochromes in solution revealed by a multiscale computational investigation. Chem Sci 2021; 12:5555-5565. [PMID: 34168792 PMCID: PMC8179611 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc00186h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytochromes are red-light sensing proteins, with important light-regulatory roles in different organisms, which are capturing an increasing interest in bioimaging and optogenetics. Upon absorption of light by the embedded bilin chromophore, they undergo structural changes that extend from the chromophore to the protein and finally drive the biological function. Up to now, the underlying mechanism still has to be characterized fully. Here we investigate the Pfr activated form of a bacterial phytochrome, by combining extensive molecular dynamics simulations with a polarizable QM/MM description of the spectroscopic properties, revealing a large structure relaxation in solution, compared to the crystal structure, both in the chromophore-binding pocket and in the overall structure of the phytochrome. Our results indicate that the final opening of the dimeric structure is preceded by an important internal reorganization of the phytochrome specific (PHY) domain involving a bend of the helical spine connecting the PHY domain with the chromophore-binding domain, opening the way to a new understanding of the activation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Macaluso
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Giacomo Salvadori
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa 56124 Pisa Italy
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22
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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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23
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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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24
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Deconvoluting Wavelengths Leading to Fluorescent Light Induced Inflammation and Cellular Stress in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Sci Rep 2020; 10:3321. [PMID: 32094353 PMCID: PMC7039929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59502-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent light (FL) has been shown to induce a cellular immune and inflammatory response that is conserved over 450 MY of evolutionary divergence and among vertebrates having drastically different lifestyles such as Mus musculus, Danio rerio, Oryzias latipes and Xiphophorus maculatus. This surprising finding of an inflammation and immune response to FL not only holds for direct light receiving organs (skin) but is also observed within internal organs (brain and liver). Light responsive genetic circuitry initiated by the IL1B regulator induces a highly conserved acute phase response in each organ assessed for all of biological models surveyed to date; however, the specific light wavelengths triggering this response have yet to be determined so investigation of mechanisms and/or light specific molecule(s) leading to this response are difficult to assess. To understand how specific light wavelengths are received in both external and internal organs, zebrafish were exposed to specific 50 nm light wavebands spanning the visible spectrum from 300–600 nm and the genetic responses to each waveband exposure were assessed. Surprisingly, the induced cellular stress response previously observed following FL exposure is not triggered by the lower “damaging” wavelengths of light (UVB and UVA from 300–400 nm) but instead is maximally induced by higher wavelengths ranging from 450–500 nm in skin to 500–600 nm in both brain and liver).
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25
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Macaluso V, Cupellini L, Salvadori G, Lipparini F, Mennucci B. Elucidating the role of structural fluctuations, and intermolecular and vibronic interactions in the spectroscopic response of a bacteriophytochrome. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:8585-8594. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cp00372g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics and a multiscale polarizable QM/MM strategy allow reproducing absorption, circular dichroism, and resonance Raman spectra of a bacteriophytochrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Macaluso
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- University of Pisa
- Pisa
- Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- University of Pisa
- Pisa
- Italy
| | - Giacomo Salvadori
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- University of Pisa
- Pisa
- Italy
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- University of Pisa
- Pisa
- Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
- University of Pisa
- Pisa
- Italy
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26
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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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27
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Yee EF, Dzikovski B, Crane BR. Tuning Radical Relay Residues by Proton Management Rescues Protein Electron Hopping. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:17571-17587. [PMID: 31603693 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b05715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Transient tyrosine and tryptophan radicals play key roles in the electron transfer (ET) reactions of photosystem (PS) II, ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), photolyase, and many other proteins. However, Tyr and Trp are not functionally interchangeable, and the factors controlling their reactivity are often unclear. Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) employs a Trp191•+ radical to oxidize reduced cytochrome c (Cc). Although a Tyr191 replacement also forms a stable radical, it does not support rapid ET from Cc. Here we probe the redox properties of CcP Y191 by non-natural amino acid substitution, altering the ET driving force and manipulating the protic environment of Y191. Higher potential fluorotyrosine residues increase ET rates marginally, but only addition of a hydrogen bond donor to Tyr191• (via Leu232His or Glu) substantially alters activity by increasing the ET rate by nearly 30-fold. ESR and ESEEM spectroscopies, crystallography, and pH-dependent ET kinetics provide strong evidence for hydrogen bond formation to Y191• by His232/Glu232. Rate measurements and rapid freeze quench ESR spectroscopy further reveal differences in radical propagation and Cc oxidation that support an increased Y191• formal potential of ∼200 mV in the presence of E232. Hence, Y191 inactivity results from a potential drop owing to Y191•+ deprotonation. Incorporation of a well-positioned base to accept and donate back a hydrogen bond upshifts the Tyr• potential into a range where it can effectively oxidize Cc. These findings have implications for the YZ/YD radicals of PS II, hole-hopping in RNR and cryptochrome, and engineering proteins for long-range ET reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estella F Yee
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
| | - Boris Dzikovski
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States.,National Biomedical Center for Advanced ESR Technologies (ACERT) , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14850 , United States
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , Cornell University , Ithaca , New York 14853 , United States
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28
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Modular Diversity of the BLUF Proteins and Their Potential for the Development of Diverse Optogenetic Tools. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9183924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Organisms can respond to varying light conditions using a wide range of sensory photoreceptors. These photoreceptors can be standalone proteins or represent a module in multidomain proteins, where one or more modules sense light as an input signal which is converted into an output response via structural rearrangements in these receptors. The output signals are utilized downstream by effector proteins or multiprotein clusters to modulate their activity, which could further affect specific interactions, gene regulation or enzymatic catalysis. The blue-light using flavin (BLUF) photosensory module is an autonomous unit that is naturally distributed among functionally distinct proteins. In this study, we identified 34 BLUF photoreceptors of prokaryotic and eukaryotic origin from available bioinformatics sequence databases. Interestingly, our analysis shows diverse BLUF-effector arrangements with a functional association that was previously unknown or thought to be rare among the BLUF class of sensory proteins, such as endonucleases, tet repressor family (tetR), regulators of G-protein signaling, GAL4 transcription family and several other previously unidentified effectors, such as RhoGEF, Phosphatidyl-Ethanolamine Binding protein (PBP), ankyrin and leucine-rich repeats. Interaction studies and the indexing of BLUF domains further show the diversity of BLUF-effector combinations. These diverse modular architectures highlight how the organism’s behaviour, cellular processes, and distinct cellular outputs are regulated by integrating BLUF sensing modules in combination with a plethora of diverse signatures. Our analysis highlights the modular diversity of BLUF containing proteins and opens the possibility of creating a rational design of novel functional chimeras using a BLUF architecture with relevant cellular effectors. Thus, the BLUF domain could be a potential candidate for the development of powerful novel optogenetic tools for its application in modulating diverse cell signaling.
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29
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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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30
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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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31
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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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32
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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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33
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Walter RB, Boswell M, Chang J, Boswell WT, Lu Y, Navarro K, Walter SM, Walter DJ, Salinas R, Savage M. Waveband specific transcriptional control of select genetic pathways in vertebrate skin (Xiphophorus maculatus). BMC Genomics 2018; 19:355. [PMID: 29747585 PMCID: PMC5946439 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4735-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Evolution occurred exclusively under the full spectrum of sunlight. Conscription of narrow regions of the solar spectrum by specific photoreceptors suggests a common strategy for regulation of genetic pathways. Fluorescent light (FL) does not possess the complexity of the solar spectrum and has only been in service for about 60 years. If vertebrates evolved specific genetic responses regulated by light wavelengths representing the entire solar spectrum, there may be genetic consequences to reducing the spectral complexity of light. Results We utilized RNA-Seq to assess changes in the transcriptional profiles of Xiphophorus maculatus skin after exposure to FL (“cool white”), or narrow wavelength regions of light between 350 and 600 nm (i.e., 50 nm or 10 nm regions, herein termed “wavebands”). Exposure to each 50 nm waveband identified sets of genes representing discrete pathways that showed waveband specific transcriptional modulation. For example, 350–400 or 450–500 nm waveband exposures resulted in opposite regulation of gene sets marking necrosis and apoptosis (i.e., 350–400 nm; necrosis suppression, apoptosis activation, while 450–500 nm; apoptosis suppression, necrosis activation). Further investigation of specific transcriptional modulation employing successive 10 nm waveband exposures between 500 and 550 nm showed; (a) greater numbers of genes may be transcriptionally modulated after 10 nm exposures, than observed for 50 nm or FL exposures, (b) the 10 nm wavebands induced gene sets showing greater functional specificity than 50 nm or FL exposures, and (c) the genetic effects of FL are primarily due to 30 nm between 500 and 530 nm. Interestingly, many genetic pathways exhibited completely opposite transcriptional effects after different waveband exposures. For example, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) pathway exhibits transcriptional suppression after FL exposure, becomes highly active after 450–500 nm waveband exposure, and again, exhibits strong transcriptional suppression after exposure to the 520–530 nm waveband. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggest one may manipulate transcription of specific genetic pathways in skin by exposure of the intact animal to specific wavebands of light. In addition, we identify genes transcriptionally modulated in a predictable manner by specific waveband exposures. Such genes, and their regulatory elements, may represent valuable tools for genetic engineering and gene therapy protocols. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4735-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald B Walter
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Mikki Boswell
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Jordan Chang
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - William T Boswell
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Yuan Lu
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Kaela Navarro
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Sean M Walter
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Dylan J Walter
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Raquel Salinas
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Markita Savage
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Molecular Biosciences Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, 419 Centennial Hall, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
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34
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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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35
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Kroth PG, Wilhelm C, Kottke T. An update on aureochromes: Phylogeny - mechanism - function. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 217:20-26. [PMID: 28797596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Light is important for algae, as it warrants metabolic independence via photosynthesis. In addition to the absorption of light by the photosystems, algae possess a variety of specific photoreceptors that allow the quantification of the light fluxes as well as the assessment of light qualities. About a decade ago, aureochromes have been described in the xanthophyte alga Vaucheria frigida. These proteins represent a new type of blue light photoreceptor as they possess both a light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain for light reception as well as a basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) domain for DNA binding, indicating that they represent light-driven transcription factors. Aureochromes so far have been detected only in a single group of algae, photosynthetic stramenopiles, but not in any other prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms. Recent biophysical work on aureochromes in the absence and the presence of DNA revealed the mechanism of allosteric communication between the sensor and effector domains despite their unusual inversed arrangement. Different molecular models have been proposed to describe the effect of light on DNA binding. Functional characterization of mutants of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, in which the aureochrome genes have been silenced or deleted, indicate that different aureochromes may have different functions, being involved in central processes like light acclimation and regulation of the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G Kroth
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Christian Wilhelm
- Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tilman Kottke
- Department of Chemistry, Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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36
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Berlin S, Isacoff EY. Synapses in the spotlight with synthetic optogenetics. EMBO Rep 2017; 18:677-692. [PMID: 28396573 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201744010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane receptors and ion channels respond to various stimuli and relay that information across the plasma membrane by triggering specific and timed processes. These include activation of second messengers, allowing ion permeation, and changing cellular excitability, to name a few. Gaining control over equivalent processes is essential to understand neuronal physiology and pathophysiology. Recently, new optical techniques have emerged proffering new remote means to control various functions of defined neuronal populations by light, dubbed optogenetics. Still, optogenetic tools do not typically address the activity of receptors and channels native to neurons (or of neuronal origin), nor gain access to their signaling mechanisms. A related method-synthetic optogenetics-bridges this gap by endowing light sensitivity to endogenous neuronal receptors and channels by the appending of synthetic, light-receptive molecules, or photoswitches. This provides the means to photoregulate neuronal receptors and channels and tap into their native signaling mechanisms in select regions of the neurons, such as the synapse. This review discusses the development of synthetic optogenetics as a means to study neuronal receptors and channels remotely, in their natural environment, with unprecedented spatial and temporal precision, and provides an overview of tool design, mode of action, potential clinical applications and insights and achievements gained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Berlin
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ehud Y Isacoff
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Physical Bioscience Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
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37
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Role of active site conformational changes in photocycle activation of the AppA BLUF photoreceptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:1480-1485. [PMID: 28137837 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1621393114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue light using flavin adenine dinucleotide (BLUF) proteins are essential for the light regulation of a variety of physiologically important processes and serve as a prototype for photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). Free-energy simulations elucidate the active site conformations in the AppA (activation of photopigment and puc expression) BLUF domain before and following photoexcitation. The free-energy profile for interconversion between conformations with either Trp104 or Met106 closer to the flavin, denoted Trpin/Metout and Trpout/Metin, reveals that both conformations are sampled on the ground state, with the former thermodynamically favorable by ∼3 kcal/mol. These results are consistent with the experimental observation of both conformations. To analyze the proton relay from Tyr21 to the flavin via Gln63, the free-energy profiles for Gln63 rotation were calculated on the ground state, the locally excited state of the flavin, and the charge-transfer state associated with electron transfer from Tyr21 to the flavin. For the Trpin/Metout conformation, the hydrogen-bonding pattern conducive to the proton relay is not thermodynamically favorable on the ground state but becomes more favorable, corresponding to approximately half of the configurations sampled, on the locally excited state. The calculated energy gaps between the locally excited and charge-transfer states suggest that electron transfer from Tyr21 to the flavin is more facile for configurations conducive to proton transfer. When the active site conformation is not conducive to PCET from Tyr21, Trp104 can directly compete with Tyr21 for electron transfer to the flavin through a nonproductive pathway, impeding the signaling efficiency.
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38
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Abstract
Photoreceptors are found in all kingdoms of life and mediate crucial responses to environmental challenges. Nature has evolved various types of photoresponsive protein structures with different chromophores and signaling concepts for their given purpose. The abundance of these signaling proteins as found nowadays by (meta-)genomic screens enriched the palette of optogenetic tools significantly. In addition, molecular insights into signal transduction mechanisms and design principles from biophysical studies and from structural and mechanistic comparison of homologous proteins opened seemingly unlimited possibilities for customizing the naturally occurring proteins for a given optogenetic task. Here, a brief overview on the photoreceptor concepts already established as optogenetic tools in natural or engineered form, their photochemistry and their signaling/design principles is given. Finally, so far not regarded photosensitive modules and protein architectures with potential for optogenetic application are described.
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39
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Nguyen LQ, Knowles RR. Catalytic C–N Bond-Forming Reactions Enabled by Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Activation of Amide N–H Bonds. ACS Catal 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.6b00486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Q. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Robert R. Knowles
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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40
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Mukhopadhyay S, Gärtner W, Cahen D, Pecht I, Sheves M. Electron transport via a soluble photochromic photoreceptor. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:25671-25675. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05011e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Electron transport properties via a photochromic biological photoreceptor have been studied in junctions of monolayer assemblies in solid-state configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Materials and Interfaces
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
- Department of Organic Chemistry
- Weizmann Institute of Science
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
- 45470 Mülheim a.d. Ruhr
- Germany
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
| | - Israel Pecht
- Department of Immunology
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Organic Chemistry
- Weizmann Institute of Science
- Israel
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41
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Mehlhorn J, Lindtner T, Richter F, Glass K, Steinocher H, Beck S, Hegemann P, Kennis JTM, Mathes T. Light-Induced Rearrangement of the β5 Strand in the BLUF Photoreceptor SyPixD (Slr1694). J Phys Chem Lett 2015; 6:4749-4753. [PMID: 26631358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b02245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The structural changes that facilitate signal transduction in blue light sensors using FAD (BLUF) photoreceptors and confer the stability of the rearranged hydrogen bond network between flavin and protein in the signaling state are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate a semiconserved Trp residue in SyPixD (Slr1694) by isotope-edited vibrational spectroscopy and site-directed mutagenesis. In the signaling state, a β-sheet structure involving the backbone of W91 is formed without apparent change of environment of the W91 indole side chain. Mutation of W91, however, significantly influences the stability of the light-adapted state, suggesting that backbone rigidity rather than discrete side-chain conformations govern the stability of the light-adapted state. On the basis of computational and crystallographic models, we interpret these changes as a +1 register shift of the β2/β5 interaction with an unaffected indole side-chain conformation, rather than a +2 register shift accompanied by an indole side-chain flip that was previously proposed on the basis of X-ray structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Mehlhorn
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tom Lindtner
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Richter
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kathrin Glass
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Helena Steinocher
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Beck
- Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - John T M Kennis
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Biophysics Section, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Department of Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin , Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Biophysics Section, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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42
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Mathes T, Götze JP. A proposal for a dipole-generated BLUF domain mechanism. Front Mol Biosci 2015; 2:62. [PMID: 26579529 PMCID: PMC4630285 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The resting and signaling structures of the blue-light sensing using flavin (BLUF) photoreceptor domains are still controversially debated due to differences in the molecular models obtained by crystal and NMR structures. Photocycles for the given preferred structural framework have been established, but a unifying picture combining experiment and theory remains elusive. We summarize present work on the AppA BLUF domain from both experiment and theory. We focus on IR and UV/vis spectra, and to what extent theory was able to reproduce experimental data and predict the structural changes upon formation of the signaling state. We find that the experimental observables can be theoretically reproduced employing any structural model, as long as the orientation of the signaling essential Gln63 and its tautomer state are a choice of the modeler. We also observe that few approaches are comparative, e.g., by considering all structures in the same context. Based on recent experimental findings and a few basic calculations, we suggest the possibility for a BLUF activation mechanism that only relies on electron transfer and its effect on the local electrostatics, not requiring an associated proton transfer. In this regard, we investigate the impact of dispersion correction on the interaction energies arising from weakly bound amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Mathes
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands ; Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan P Götze
- School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews St Andrews, UK
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43
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Ritter E, Puskar L, Bartl FJ, Aziz EF, Hegemann P, Schade U. Time-resolved infrared spectroscopic techniques as applied to channelrhodopsin. Front Mol Biosci 2015. [PMID: 26217670 PMCID: PMC4493399 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2015.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Among optogenetic tools, channelrhodopsins, the light gated ion channels of the plasma membrane from green algae, play the most important role. Properties like channel selectivity, timing parameters or color can be influenced by the exchange of selected amino acids. Although widely used, in the field of neurosciences for example, there is still little known about their photocycles and the mechanism of ion channel gating and conductance. One of the preferred methods for these studies is infrared spectroscopy since it allows observation of proteins and their function at a molecular level and in near-native environment. The absorption of a photon in channelrhodopsin leads to retinal isomerization within femtoseconds, the conductive states are reached in the microsecond time scale and the return into the fully dark-adapted state may take more than minutes. To be able to cover all these time regimes, a range of different spectroscopical approaches are necessary. This mini-review focuses on time-resolved applications of the infrared technique to study channelrhodopsins and other light triggered proteins. We will discuss the approaches with respect to their suitability to the investigation of channelrhodopsin and related proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eglof Ritter
- Experimentelle Biophysik, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Ljiljana Puskar
- Methods for Material Development, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie GmbH Berlin, Germany
| | - Franz J Bartl
- Institut für medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Emad F Aziz
- Methods for Material Development, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie GmbH Berlin, Germany ; Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Experimentelle Biophysik, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schade
- Methods for Material Development, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie GmbH Berlin, Germany
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Fudim R, Mehlhorn J, Berthold T, Weber S, Schleicher E, Kennis JTM, Mathes T. Photoinduced formation of flavin radicals in BLUF domains lacking the central glutamine. FEBS J 2015; 282:3161-74. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roman Fudim
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Jennifer Mehlhorn
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - Thomas Berthold
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS); Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory; University of Oxford; UK
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Biophysics Section; Department of Physics and Astronomy; Faculty of Sciences; VU University; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Institut für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik; Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; Berlin Germany
- Biophysics Section; Department of Physics and Astronomy; Faculty of Sciences; VU University; Amsterdam The Netherlands
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Stierl M, Penzkofer A, Kennis JTM, Hegemann P, Mathes T. Key Residues for the Light Regulation of the Blue Light-Activated Adenylyl Cyclase from Beggiatoa sp. Biochemistry 2014; 53:5121-30. [DOI: 10.1021/bi500479v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Stierl
- Institut
für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alfons Penzkofer
- Fakultät
für Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - John T. M. Kennis
- Department
of Exact Sciences/Biophysics, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081A, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Hegemann
- Institut
für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tilo Mathes
- Institut
für Biologie/Experimentelle Biophysik, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstrasse 42, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
- Department
of Exact Sciences/Biophysics, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081A, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Migliore A, Polizzi NF, Therien M, Beratan DN. Biochemistry and theory of proton-coupled electron transfer. Chem Rev 2014; 114:3381-465. [PMID: 24684625 PMCID: PMC4317057 DOI: 10.1021/cr4006654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 345] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Agostino Migliore
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Nicholas F. Polizzi
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Michael
J. Therien
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - David N. Beratan
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, and Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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From Plant Infectivity to Growth Patterns: The Role of Blue-Light Sensing in the Prokaryotic World. PLANTS 2014; 3:70-94. [PMID: 27135492 PMCID: PMC4844311 DOI: 10.3390/plants3010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Flavin-based photoreceptor proteins of the LOV (Light, Oxygen, and Voltage) and BLUF (Blue Light sensing Using Flavins) superfamilies are ubiquitous among the three life domains and are essential blue-light sensing systems, not only in plants and algae, but also in prokaryotes. Here we review their biological roles in the prokaryotic world and their evolution pathways. An unexpected large number of bacterial species possess flavin-based photosensors, amongst which are important human and plant pathogens. Still, few cases are reported where the activity of blue-light sensors could be correlated to infectivity and/or has been shown to be involved in the activation of specific genes, resulting in selective growth patterns. Metagenomics and bio-informatic analysis have only recently been initiated, but signatures are beginning to emerge that allow definition of a bona fide LOV or BLUF domain, aiming at better selection criteria for novel blue-light sensors. We also present here, for the first time, the phylogenetic tree for archaeal LOV domains that have reached a statistically significant number but have not at all been investigated thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fraser A. Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK
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