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Mackintosh MJ, Hoischen D, Martin HD, Schapiro I, Gärtner W. Merocyanines form bacteriorhodopsins with strongly bathochromic absorption maxima. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2024; 23:31-53. [PMID: 38070056 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00496-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
There is a need to shift the absorbance of biomolecules to the optical transparency window of tissue for applications in optogenetics and photo-pharmacology. There are a few strategies to achieve the so-called red shift of the absorption maxima. Herein, a series of 11 merocyanine dyes were synthesized and employed as chromophores in place of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) to achieve a bathochromic shift of the absorption maxima relative to bR's [Formula: see text] of 568 nm. Assembly with the apoprotein bacterioopsin (bO) led to stable, covalently bound chromoproteins with strongly bathochromic absorbance bands, except for three compounds. Maximal red shifts were observed for molecules 9, 2, and 8 in bR where the [Formula: see text] was 766, 755, and 736 nm, respectively. While these three merocyanines have different end groups, they share a similar structural feature, namely, a methyl group which is located at the retinal equivalent position 13 of the polyene chain. The absorption and fluorescence data are also presented for the retinal derivatives in their aldehyde, Schiff base (SB), and protonated SB (PSB) forms in solution. According to their hemicyanine character, the PSBs and their analogue bRs exhibited fluorescence quantum yields (Φf) several orders of magnitude greater than native bR (Φf 0.02 to 0.18 versus 1.5 × 10-5 in bR) while also exhibiting much smaller Stokes shifts than bR (400 to 1000 cm-1 versus 4030 cm-1 in bR). The experimental results are complemented by quantum chemical calculations where excellent agreement between the experimental [Formula: see text] and the calculated [Formula: see text] was achieved with the second-order algebraic-diagrammatic construction [ADC(2)] method. In addition, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations were employed to shed light on the origin of the bathochromic shift of merocyanine 2 in bR compared with native bR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan J Mackintosh
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dorothee Hoischen
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- ISK Biosciences Europe N.V., 1831, Diegem, Belgium
| | - Hans-Dieter Martin
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Igor Schapiro
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Penzkofer A, Silapetere A, Hegemann P. Theoretical Investigation of the Photocycle Dynamics of the Archaerhodopsin 3 Based Fluorescent Voltage Sensor Archon2. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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de Grip WJ, Ganapathy S. Rhodopsins: An Excitingly Versatile Protein Species for Research, Development and Creative Engineering. Front Chem 2022; 10:879609. [PMID: 35815212 PMCID: PMC9257189 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.879609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The first member and eponym of the rhodopsin family was identified in the 1930s as the visual pigment of the rod photoreceptor cell in the animal retina. It was found to be a membrane protein, owing its photosensitivity to the presence of a covalently bound chromophoric group. This group, derived from vitamin A, was appropriately dubbed retinal. In the 1970s a microbial counterpart of this species was discovered in an archaeon, being a membrane protein also harbouring retinal as a chromophore, and named bacteriorhodopsin. Since their discovery a photogenic panorama unfolded, where up to date new members and subspecies with a variety of light-driven functionality have been added to this family. The animal branch, meanwhile categorized as type-2 rhodopsins, turned out to form a large subclass in the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors and are essential to multiple elements of light-dependent animal sensory physiology. The microbial branch, the type-1 rhodopsins, largely function as light-driven ion pumps or channels, but also contain sensory-active and enzyme-sustaining subspecies. In this review we will follow the development of this exciting membrane protein panorama in a representative number of highlights and will present a prospect of their extraordinary future potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem J. de Grip
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Department of Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Srividya Ganapathy
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
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Tsuneishi T, Takahashi M, Tsujimura M, Kojima K, Ishikita H, Takeuchi Y, Sudo Y. Exploring the Retinal Binding Cavity of Archaerhodopsin-3 by Replacing the Retinal Chromophore With a Dimethyl Phenylated Derivative. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:794948. [PMID: 34988122 PMCID: PMC8721008 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.794948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsins act as photoreceptors with their chromophore retinal (vitamin-A aldehyde) and they regulate light-dependent biological functions. Archaerhodopsin-3 (AR3) is an outward proton pump that has been widely utilized as a tool for optogenetics, a method for controlling cellular activity by light. To characterize the retinal binding cavity of AR3, we synthesized a dimethyl phenylated retinal derivative, (2E,4E,6E,8E)-9-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-3,7-dimethylnona-2,4,6,8-tetraenal (DMP-retinal). QM/MM calculations suggested that DMP-retinal can be incorporated into the opsin of AR3 (archaeopsin-3, AO3). Thus, we introduced DMP-retinal into AO3 to obtain the non-natural holoprotein (AO3-DMP) and compared some molecular properties with those of AO3 with the natural A1-retinal (AO3-A1) or AR3. Light-induced pH change measurements revealed that AO3-DMP maintained slow outward proton pumping. Noteworthy, AO3-DMP had several significant changes in its molecular properties compared with AO3-A1 as follows; 1) spectroscopic measurements revealed that the absorption maximum was shifted from 556 to 508 nm and QM/MM calculations showed that the blue-shift was due to the significant increase in the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of the chromophore with the contribution of some residues around the chromophore, 2) time-resolved spectroscopic measurements revealed the photocycling rate was significantly decreased, and 3) kinetical spectroscopic measurements revealed the sensitivity of the chromophore binding Schiff base to attack by hydroxylamine was significantly increased. The QM/MM calculations show that a cavity space is present at the aromatic ring moiety in the AO3-DMP structure whereas it is absent at the corresponding β-ionone ring moiety in the AO3-A1 structure. We discuss these alterations of the difference in interaction between the natural A1-retinal and the DMP-retinal with binding cavity residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taichi Tsuneishi
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masataka Takahashi
- Laboratory of Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masaki Tsujimura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishikita
- Department of Applied Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Takeuchi
- Laboratory of Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Laboratory of Biophysical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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Mei G, Cavini CM, Mamaeva N, Wang P, DeGrip WJ, Rothschild KJ. Optical Switching Between Long-lived States of Opsin Transmembrane Voltage Sensors. Photochem Photobiol 2021; 97:1001-1015. [PMID: 33817800 PMCID: PMC8596844 DOI: 10.1111/php.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Opsin-based transmembrane voltage sensors (OTVSs) are membrane proteins increasingly used in optogenetic applications to measure voltage changes across cellular membranes. In order to better understand the photophysical properties of OTVSs, we used a combination of UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence and FT-Raman spectroscopy to characterize QuasAr2 and NovArch, two closely related mutants derived from the proton pump archaerhodopsin-3 (AR3). We find both QuasAr2 and NovArch can be optically cycled repeatedly between O-like and M-like states using 5-min exposure to red (660 nm) and near-UV (405 nm) light. Longer red-light exposure resulted in the formation of a long-lived photoproduct similar to pink membrane, previously found to be a photoproduct of the BR O intermediate with a 9-cis retinylidene chromophore configuration. However, unlike QuasAr2 whose O-like state is stable in the dark, NovArch exhibits an O-like state which slowly partially decays in the dark to a stable M-like form with a deprotonated Schiff base and a 13-cis,15-anti retinylidene chromophore configuration. These results reveal a previously unknown complexity in the photochemistry of OTVSs including the ability to optically switch between different long-lived states. The possible molecular basis of these newly discovered properties along with potential optogenetic and biotechnological applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoxiang Mei
- Molecular Biophysics LaboratoryDepartment of PhysicsPhotonics CenterBoston UniversityBostonMA
| | - Cesar M. Cavini
- Molecular Biophysics LaboratoryDepartment of PhysicsPhotonics CenterBoston UniversityBostonMA
| | - Natalia Mamaeva
- Molecular Biophysics LaboratoryDepartment of PhysicsPhotonics CenterBoston UniversityBostonMA
| | | | - Willem J. DeGrip
- Department of Biophysical Organic ChemistryLeiden Institute of ChemistryLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of BiochemistryRadboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Kenneth J. Rothschild
- Molecular Biophysics LaboratoryDepartment of PhysicsPhotonics CenterBoston UniversityBostonMA
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