Flavin-photosensitized oxidation of reduced c-type cytochromes. Reaction mechanism and comparison with photoreduction of oxidized cytochromes by flavin semiquinones

Intramolecular electron transfer in yeast flavocytochrome b2 upon one-electron photooxidation of the fully reduced enzyme: evidence for redox state control of heme-flavin communication

Flavocytochrome b2, which has been fully reduced using L-lactate, can be rapidly oxidized by 1 equiv using the laser-generated triplet state of 5-deazariboflavin. Parallel photoinduced oxidation occurs at the reduced heme and at the fully reduced FMN (FMNH2) prosthetic groups of different enzyme monomers, producing the anion semiquinone of FMN and a ferric heme. Following the initial oxidation reaction, rapid intramolecular reduction of the ferric heme occurs with concomitant oxidation of FMNH2, generating the neutral FMN semiquinone. The observed rate constant for this intramolecular electron transfer is 2200 s-1, which is 1 order of magnitude larger than the turnover number under these conditions. A slower reduction of the heme prosthetic group also occurs with an observed rate constant of approximately 10 s-1, perhaps due to intersubunit electron transfer from reduced FMN to heme. The rapid intramolecular electron transfer between the FMNH2 and ferric heme is eliminated upon addition of excess pyruvate (Ki = 3.8 mM). This latter result indicates that pyruvate inhibition of catalytic turnover apparently can occur at the FMNH2-->heme electron transfer step. These results markedly differ from those previously obtained (Walker, M. C., & Tollin, G. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 5546-5555) and confirmed here for electron transfer within the one-electron reduced enzyme and for the effect of pyruvate binding, suggesting that intramolecular communication between the heme and flavin prosthetic groups can be controlled by the redox state of the enzyme and by ligand binding to the active site.

Direct measurement by laser flash photolysis of intramolecular electron transfer in the three-electron reduced form of ascorbate oxidase from zucchini

Ascorbate oxidase, which has been fully reduced by its substrate, can rapidly transfer a single electron to the laser-generated triplet state of 5-deazariboflavin. Subsequent to this, intramolecular electron transfer occurs resulting in the oxidation of the blue type I copper center. This latter process proceeds via biphasic kinetics, with observed rate constants of 9500 s-1 and 1400 s-1, both of which are protein concentration independent. This indicates that the initial oxidation reaction involves the type II, III trinuclear center, probably occurring via parallel reactions of two of the three copper atoms. The rate constants for intramolecular electron transfer in the three-electron reduced enzyme are one to two orders of magnitude larger than previously observed for the one-electron reduced enzyme, indicating a dramatic effect of the redox state of the enzyme on the intramolecular communication between the copper centers.

Use of laser flash photolysis time-resolved spectrophotometry to investigate interprotein and intraprotein electron transfer mechanisms

A description is given of the methodology developed in our laboratory for the application of laser flash photolysis to the elucidation of the kinetics and mechanism of electron transfer processes which occur intermolecularly between two protein molecules within a collisional complex, or intramolecularly between two redox centers within a single multisubunit or multidomain protein. This involves the use of flavin analogs, excited to their lowest triplet state by a laser flash, to initiate electron transfer, either by oxidation of a sacrificial donor followed by redox protein reduction via the flavin semiquinone, or by direct oxidation of a reduced redox protein by the flavin triplet. Time-resolved spectrophotometry is used to follow the course of the sequence of electron transfer events initiated by the laser flash. The application of this methodology to the following systems is described: cytochrome c/cytochrome c peroxidase; ferredoxin/ferredoxin NADP+ reductase; cytochrome c/plastocyanin; flavocytochrome b2; and sulfite oxidase.

Synechocystis 6803 plastocyanin isolated from both the cyanobacterium and E. coli transformed cells are identical

Native plastocyanin from Synechocystis 6803 has been isolated and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The corresponding gene (petE) has been cloned and expressed in E. coli, thus leading to a protein completely identical to plastocyanin purified from the cyanobacterial cells. The petE gene product is correctly processed in E. coli as deduced from the N-terminal amino acid sequences. These results, along with the identical physicochemical and kinetic properties of the two protein preparations, confirm that expression of petE in E. coli is an adequate tool to address the study of Synechocystis plastocyanin by site-directed mutagenesis.

Transient kinetics of flavin-photosensitized oxidation of reduced redox proteins. Comparison of c-type cytochromes and plastocyanins

We have used laser flash photolysis to investigate the kinetics of oxidation of reduced plastocyanins obtained from spinach and the green alga Monoraphidium braunii by the triplet states of lumiflavin, riboflavin and FMN. We have compared the results of these experiments with the kinetics of reduction of the oxidized forms of these proteins by the corresponding flavin semiquinones, as well as with the kinetics of flavin oxidation and reduction of cytochrome c552 (Class I c-type cytochrome, generic name c553) from Monoraphidium. In all cases, the rate constants for oxidation were one or two orders of magnitude larger than for reduction, consistent with the greater thermodynamic driving force for the oxidation reaction. Similar steric and electrostatic effects were observed for both reactions with all proteins, suggesting that the same (or closely adjacent) sites were being utilized for electron removal and entry. The two algal proteins were quite similar to one another in their redox properties, consistent with their physiological role of being able to substitute for one another in photosynthetic electron transport. In contrast, the algal plastocyanin was more reactive than the spinach protein in both oxidation and reduction, suggesting differences in their steric properties at the site of electron transfer.

Photochemical initiation of electron transfer reactions

It is quite apparent that the use of photoinitiated electron transfer has become a powerful, if not dominating, technique in the study of biological electron transfer. It provides a means to measure directly very fast processes and, through the choice of approach (flavin semiquinones or related, metal substitution in hemes or modification with ruthenium) and experimental conditions, provides the ability to probe different features of the electron transfer mechanism. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to fully understand biological electron transfer. The use of photoinitiated electron transfer has clearly established a role for a number of factors involved in controlling the kinetics of electron transfer, including driving force, distance, intervening media, dynamics (conformational gating) and orientation of redox centers. However, we have only scratched the surface in regard to understanding in molecular terms the details of electron transfer in physiologically relevant systems. Thus, even relatively simple and well characterized systems like cytochrome c-cytochrome c peroxidase remain obscure in terms of the through-protein electron paths (intervening media) and the role of protein dynamics in controlling electron transfer kinetics. Indeed, it is the through-protein paths and conformational gating that are unique to biological systems and provide nature with the capability of modulating electron transfer kinetics to optimize biological function. Of the techniques described here, the use of flavin semiquinones is clearly the least invasive in that there is no evidence that flavin semiquinones bind to or perturb physiologically relevant systems. However, this approach is constrained in that precise distances and orientations are not always known, and the range of driving forces available is limited. In contrast, metal substitution and ruthenation allow the positions of interacting redox centers to be reasonably well defined and can provide a very large range of driving force. This latter point is particularly important since it provides a means to discriminate between rate limiting electron transfer and conformational gating. Nevertheless, chemically modifying redox proteins runs the risk of structural and electrostatic alterations which can be difficult to detect but have profound effects on the redox kinetics. Moreover, the intrinsic protein dynamics can be affected, resulting, in the worst case, in changes in conformational gating which cannot be resolved from rate limiting electron transfer. Given the early stage of development of photo-initiated electron transfer, substantial progress can be expected in the next few years. No doubt new approaches will be developed and existing approaches further refined. Especially important, the theoretical basis for interpreting and understanding electron transfer will continue to evolve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)