Reaction pathways, proton transfer, and proton pumping in ba3 class cytochrome c oxidase: perspectives from DFT quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics

After drawing comparisons between the reaction pathways of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO, Complex 4) and the preceding complex cytochrome bc1 (Complex 3), both being proton pumping complexes along the electron transport chain, we provide an analysis of the reaction pathways in bacterial ba3 class CcO, comparing spectroscopic results and kinetics observations with results from DFT calculations. For an important arc of the catalytic cycle in CcO, we can trace the energy pathways for the chemical protons and show how these pathways drive proton pumping of the vectorial protons. We then explore the proton loading network above the Fe heme a3-CuB catalytic center, showing how protons are loaded in and then released by combining DFT-based reaction energies with molecular dynamics simulations over states of that cycle. We also propose some additional reaction pathways for the chemical and vector protons based on our recent work with spectroscopic support.

Mössbauer Property Calculations on Fea33+∙∙∙H2O∙∙∙CuB2+ Dinuclear Center Models of the Resting Oxidized as-Isolated Cytochrome c Oxidase

Mössbauer isomer shift and quadrupole splitting properties have been calculated using the OLYP‐D3(BJ) density functional method on previously obtained (W.‐G. Han Du, et al., Inorg Chem. 2020, 59, 8906–8915) geometry optimized Fe_a3³⁺−H₂O−Cu_B²⁺ dinuclear center (DNC) clusters of the resting oxidized (O state) “as‐isolated” cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). The calculated results are highly consistent with the available experimental observations. The calculations have also shown that the structural heterogeneities of the O state DNCs implicated by the Mössbauer experiments are likely consequences of various factors, particularly the variable positions of the central H₂O molecule between the Fe_a3³⁺ and Cu_B²⁺ sites in different DNCs, whether or not this central H₂O molecule has H‐bonding interaction with another H₂O molecule, the different spin states having similar energies for the Fe_a3³⁺ sites, and whether the Fe_a3³⁺ and Cu_B²⁺ sites are ferromagnetically or antiferromagnetically spin‐coupled.

Stereoelectronic effects in stabilizing protein-N-glycan interactions revealed by experiment and machine learning

The energetics of protein-carbohydrate interactions, central to many life processes, cannot yet be manipulated predictably. This is mostly due to an incomplete quantitative understanding of the enthalpic and entropic basis of these interactions in aqueous solution. Here, we show that stereoelectronic effects contribute to stabilizing protein-N-glycan interactions in the context of a cooperatively folding protein. Double-mutant cycle analyses of the folding data from 52 electronically varied N-glycoproteins demonstrate an enthalpy-entropy compensation depending on the electronics of the interacting side chains. Linear and nonlinear models obtained using quantum mechanical calculations and machine learning explain up to 79% and 97% of the experimental interaction energy variability, as inferred from the R² value of the respective models. Notably, the protein-carbohydrate interaction energies strongly correlate with the molecular orbital energy gaps of the interacting substructures. This suggests that stereoelectronic effects must be given a greater weight than previously thought for accurately modelling the short-range dispersive van der Waals interactions between the N-glycan and the protein.

Stereoelectronic effects in stabilizing protein-N-glycan interactions revealed by experiment and machine learning

The energetics of protein-carbohydrate interactions, central to many life processes, cannot yet be manipulated predictably. This is mostly due to an incomplete quantitative understanding of the enthalpic and entropic basis of these interactions in aqueous solution. Here, we show that stereoelectronic effects contribute to stabilizing protein-N-glycan interactions in the context of a cooperatively folding protein. Double-mutant cycle analyses of the folding data from 52 electronically varied N-glycoproteins demonstrate an enthalpy-entropy compensation depending on the electronics of the interacting side chains. Linear and nonlinear models obtained using quantum mechanical calculations and machine learning explain up to 79% and 97% of the experimental interaction energy variability, as inferred from the R² value of the respective models. Notably, the protein-carbohydrate interaction energies strongly correlate with the molecular orbital energy gaps of the interacting substructures. This suggests that stereoelectronic effects must be given a greater weight than previously thought for accurately modelling the short-range dispersive van der Waals interactions between the N-glycan and the protein.

Sulfur [18F]Fluoride Exchange Click Chemistry Enabled Ultrafast Late-Stage Radiosynthesis

The lack of efficient [¹⁸F]fluorination processes and target-specific organofluorine chemotypes remains the major challenge of fluorine-18 positron emission tomography (PET). We report here an ultrafast isotopic exchange method for the radiosynthesis of novel PET agent aryl [¹⁸F]fluorosulfate enabled by the emerging sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry. The method has been applied to the fully automated ¹⁸F-radiolabeling of 25 structurally and functionally diverse aryl fluorosulfates with excellent radiochemical yield (83-100%, median 98%) and high molar activity (280 GBq μmol^-1) at room temperature in 30 s. The purification of radiotracers requires no time-consuming HPLC but rather a simple cartridge filtration. We further demonstrate the imaging application of a rationally designed poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-targeting aryl [¹⁸F]fluorosulfate by probing subcutaneous tumors in vivo.

Coupled transport of electrons and protons in a bacterial cytochrome c oxidase-DFT calculated properties compared to structures and spectroscopies

After a general introduction to the features and mechanisms of cytochrome c oxidases (CcOs) in mitochondria and aerobic bacteria, we present DFT calculated physical and spectroscopic properties for the catalytic reaction cycle compared with experimental observations in bacterial ba3 type CcO, also with comparisons/contrasts to aa3 type CcOs. The Dinuclear Complex (DNC) is the active catalytic reaction center, containing a heme a3 Fe center and a near lying Cu center (called CuB) where by successive reduction and protonation, molecular O2 is transformed to two H2O molecules, and protons are pumped from an inner region across the membrane to an outer region by transit through the CcO integral membrane protein. Structures, energies and vibrational frequencies for Fe-O and O-O modes are calculated by DFT over the catalytic cycle. The calculated DFT frequencies in the DNC of CcO are compared with measured frequencies from Resonance Raman spectroscopy to clarify the composition, geometry, and electronic structures of different intermediates through the reaction cycle, and to trace reaction pathways. X-ray structures of the resting oxidized state are analyzed with reference to the known experimental reaction chemistry and using DFT calculated structures in fitting observed electron density maps. Our calculations lead to a new proposed reaction pathway for coupling the PR → F → OH (ferryl-oxo → ferric-hydroxo) pathway to proton pumping by a water shift mechanism. Through this arc of the catalytic cycle, major shifts in pKa's of the special tyrosine and a histidine near the upper water pool activate proton transfer. Additional mechanisms for proton pumping are explored, and the role of the CuB+ (cuprous state) in controlling access to the dinuclear reaction site is proposed.

A Water Molecule Residing in the Fea33+···CuB2+ Dinuclear Center of the Resting Oxidized as-Isolated Cytochrome c Oxidase: A Density Functional Study

Although the dinuclear center (DNC) of the resting oxidized "as-isolated" cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is not a catalytically active state, its detailed structure, especially the nature of the bridging species between the Fea33+ and CuB2+ metal sites, is still both relevant and unsolved. Recent crystallographic work has shown an extended electron density for a peroxide type dioxygen species (O1-O2) bridging the Fea3 and CuB centers. In this paper, our density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the observed peroxide type electron density between the two metal centers is most likely a mistaken analysis due to overlap of the electron density of a water molecule located at different positions between apparent O1 and O2 sites in DNCs of different CcO molecules with almost the same energy. Because the diffraction pattern and the resulting electron density map represent the effective long-range order averaged over many molecules and unit cells in the X-ray structure, this averaging can lead to an apparent observed superposition of different water positions between the Fea33+ and CuB2+ metal sites.

DFT Fea3-O/O-O Vibrational Frequency Calculations over Catalytic Reaction Cycle States in the Dinuclear Center of Cytochrome c Oxidase

Density functional vibrational frequency calculations have been performed on eight geometry optimized cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) dinuclear center (DNC) reaction cycle intermediates and on the oxymyoglobin (oxyMb) active site. The calculated Fe-O and O-O stretching modes and their frequency shifts along the reaction cycle have been compared with the available resonance Raman (rR) measurements. The calculations support the proposal that in state A[Fea33+-O2-•···CuB+] of CcO, O2 binds with Fea32+ in a similar bent end-on geometry to that in oxyMb. The calculations show that the observed 20 cm-1 shift of the Fea3-O stretching mode from the PR to F state is caused by the protonation of the OH- ligand on CuB2+ (PR[Fea34+═O2-···HO--CuB2+] → F[Fea34+═O2-···H2O-CuB2+]), and that the H2O ligand is still on the CuB2+ site in the rR identified F[Fea34+═O2-···H2O-CuB2+] state. Further, the observed rR band at 356 cm-1 between states PR and F is likely an O-Fea3-porphyrin bending mode. The observed 450 cm-1 low Fea3-O frequency mode for the OH active oxidized state has been reproduced by our calculations on a nearly symmetrically bridged Fea33+-OH-CuB2+ structure with a relatively long Fea3-O distance near 2 Å. Based on Badger's rule, the calculated Fea3-O distances correlate well with the calculated νFe-O-2/3 (νFe-O is the Fea3-O stretching frequency) with correlation coefficient R = 0.973.

The cytochrome b lysine 329 residue is critical for ubihydroquinone oxidation and proton release at the Qo site of bacterial cytochrome bc1

The ubihydroquinone:cytochrome (cyt) c oxidoreductase (or cyt bc₁) is an important enzyme for photosynthesis and respiration. In bacteria like Rhodobacter capsulatus, this membrane complex has three subunits, the iron‑sulfur protein (ISP) with its Fe₂S₂ cluster, cyt c₁ and cyt b, forming two catalytic domains, the Q_o (hydroquinone (QH₂) oxidation) and Q_i (quinone (Q) reduction) sites. At the Q_o site, the electron transfer pathways originating from QH₂ oxidation are known, but their associated proton release routes are less well defined. Earlier, we demonstrated that the His291 of cyt b is important for this latter process. In this work, using the bacterial cyt bc₁ and site directed mutagenesis, we show that Lys329 of cyt b is also critical for electron and proton transfer at the Q_o site. Of the mutants examined, Lys329Arg was photosynthesis proficient and had quasi-wild type cyt bc₁ activity. In contrast, the Lys329Ala and Lys329Asp were photosynthesis-impaired and contained defective but assembled cyt bc₁. In particular, the bifurcated electron transfer and associated proton(s) release reactions occurring during QH₂ oxidation were drastically impaired in Lys329Asp mutant. Furthermore, in silico docking studies showed that in this mutant the location and the H-bonding network around the Fe₂S₂ cluster of ISP on cyt b surface was different than the wild type enzyme. Based on these experimental findings and theoretical considerations, we propose that the presence of a positive charge at position 329 of cyt b is critical for efficient electron transfer and proton release for QH₂ oxidation at the Q_o site of cyt bc₁.

A Water Dimer Shift Activates a Proton Pumping Pathway in the PR → F Transition of ba3 Cytochrome c Oxidase

Broken-symmetry density functional calculations have been performed on the [Fe_a3⁴⁺,Cu_B²⁺] state of the dinuclear center (DNC) for the P_R → F part of the catalytic cycle of ba₃ cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Thermus thermophilus (Tt), using the OLYP-D3-BJ functional. The calculations show that the movement of the H₂O molecules in the DNC affects the pK_a values of the residue side chains of Tyr237 and His376⁺, which are crucial for proton transfer/pumping in ba₃ CcO from Tt. The calculated lowest energy structure of the DNC in the [Fe_a3⁴⁺,Cu_B²⁺] state (state F) is of the form Fe_a3⁴⁺═O^2-···Cu_B²⁺, in which the H₂O ligand that resulted from protonation of the OH^- ligand in the P_R state is dissociated from the Cu_B²⁺ site. The calculated Fe_a3⁴⁺═O^2- distance in F (1.68 Å) is 0.03 Å longer than that in P_R (1.65 Å), which can explain the different Fe_a3⁴⁺═O^2- stretching modes in P (804 cm^-1) and F (785 cm^-1) identified by resonance Raman experiments. In this F state, the Cu_B²⁺···O^2- (ferryl-oxygen) distance is only around 2.4 Å. Hence, the subsequent O_H state [Fe_a3³⁺-OH^--Cu_B²⁺] with a μ-hydroxo bridge can be easily formed, as shown by our calculations.

Water exit pathways and proton pumping mechanism in B-type cytochrome c oxidase from molecular dynamics simulations

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is a vital enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of molecular oxygen to water and pumps protons across mitochondrial and bacterial membranes. While proton uptake channels as well as water exit channels have been identified for A-type CcOs, the means by which water and protons exit B-type CcOs remain unclear. In this work, we investigate potential mechanisms for proton transport above the dinuclear center (DNC) in ba3-type CcO of Thermus thermophilus. Using long-time scale, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for several relevant protonation states, we identify a potential mechanism for proton transport that involves propionate A of the active site heme a3 and residues Asp372, His376 and Glu126(II), with residue His376 acting as the proton-loading site. The proposed proton transport process involves a rotation of residue His376 and is in line with experimental findings. We also demonstrate how the strength of the salt bridge between residues Arg225 and Asp287 depends on the protonation state and that this salt bridge is unlikely to act as a simple electrostatic gate that prevents proton backflow. We identify two water exit pathways that connect the water pool above the DNC to the outer P-side of the membrane, which can potentially also act as proton exit transport pathways. Importantly, these water exit pathways can be blocked by narrowing the entrance channel between residues Gln151(II) and Arg449/Arg450 or by obstructing the entrance through a conformational change of residue Tyr136, respectively, both of which seem to be affected by protonation of residue His376.

Data for molecular dynamics simulations of B-type cytochrome c oxidase with the Amber force field

Cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) is a vital enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of molecular oxygen to water and pumps protons across mitochondrial and bacterial membranes. This article presents parameters for the cofactors of ba₃-type CcO that are compatible with the all-atom Amber ff12SB and ff14SB force fields. Specifically, parameters were developed for the Cu_A pair, heme b, and the dinuclear center that consists of heme a₃ and Cu_B bridged by a hydroperoxo group. The data includes geometries in XYZ coordinate format for cluster models that were employed to compute proton transfer energies and derive bond parameters and point charges for the force field using density functional theory. Also included are the final parameter files that can be employed with the Amber leap program to generate input files for molecular dynamics simulations with the Amber software package. Based on the high resolution (1.8 Å) X-ray crystal structure of the ba₃-type CcO from Thermus thermophilus (Protein Data Bank ID number PDB: 3S8F), we built a model that is embedded in a POPC lipid bilayer membrane and solvated with TIP3P water molecules and counterions. We provide PDB data files of the initial model and the equilibrated model that can be used for further studies.

A broken-symmetry density functional study of structures, energies, and protonation states along the catalytic O-O bond cleavage pathway in ba3 cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus

Broken-symmetry density functional calculations have been performed on the [Fea3, CuB] dinuclear center (DNC) of ba3 cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus in the states of [Fea3(3+)-(HO2)(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237(-)] and [Fea3(4+)[double bond, length as m-dash]O(2-), OH(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237˙], using both PW91-D3 and OLYP-D3 functionals. Tyr237 is a special tyrosine cross-linked to His233, a ligand of CuB. The calculations have shown that the DNC in these states strongly favors the protonation of His376, which is above propionate-A, but not of the carboxylate group of propionate-A. The energies of the structures obtained by constrained geometry optimizations along the O-O bond cleavage pathway between [Fea3(3+)-(O-OH)(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237(-)] and [Fea3(4+)[double bond, length as m-dash]O(2-)HO(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237˙] have also been calculated. The transition of [Fea3(3+)-(O-OH)(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237(-)] → [Fea3(4+)[double bond, length as m-dash]O(2-)HO(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237˙] shows a very small barrier, which is less than 3.0/2.0 kcal mol(-1) in PW91-D3/OLYP-D3 calculations. The protonation state of His376 does not affect this O-O cleavage barrier. The rate limiting step of the transition from state A (in which O2 binds to Fea3(2+)) to state PM ([Fea3(4+)[double bond, length as m-dash]O(2-), OH(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237˙], where the O-O bond is cleaved) in the catalytic cycle is, therefore, the proton transfer originating from Tyr237 to O-O to form the hydroperoxo [Fea3(3+)-(O-OH)(-)-CuB(2+), Tyr237(-)] state. The importance of His376 in proton uptake and the function of propionate-A/neutral-Asp372 as a gate to prevent the proton from back-flowing to the DNC are also shown.

The Mössbauer Parameters of the Proximal Cluster of Membrane-Bound Hydrogenase Revisited: A Density Functional Theory Study

An unprecedented [4Fe-3S] cluster proximal to the regular [NiFe] active site has recently been found to be responsible for the ability of membrane-bound hydrogenases (MBHs) to oxidize dihydrogen in the presence of ambient levels of oxygen. Starting from proximal cluster models of a recent DFT study on the redox-dependent structural transformation of the [4Fe-3S] cluster, ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer parameters (electric field gradients, isomer shifts, and nuclear hyperfine couplings) were calculated using DFT. Our results revise the previously reported correspondence of Mössbauer signals and iron centers in the [4Fe-3S]³⁺ reduced-state proximal cluster. Similar conflicting assignments are also resolved for the [4Fe-3S]⁵⁺ superoxidized state with particular regard to spin-coupling in the broken-symmetry DFT calculations. Calculated ⁵⁷Fe hyperfine coupling (HFC) tensors expose discrepancies in the experimental set of HFC tensors and substantiate the need for additional experimental work on the magnetic properties of the MBH proximal cluster in its reduced and superoxidized redox states.

Broken Symmetry DFT Calculations/Analysis for Oxidized and Reduced Dinuclear Center in Cytochrome c Oxidase: Relating Structures, Protonation States, Energies, and Mössbauer Properties in ba3 Thermus thermophilus

The Fea3(3+)···CuB(2+) dinuclear center (DNC) structure of the as-isolated oxidized ba3 cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Thermus thermophilus (Tt) is still not fully understood. When the proteins are initially crystallized in the oxidized state, they typically become radiolyticly reduced through X-ray irradiation. Several X-ray crystal structures of reduced ba3 CcO from Tt are available. However, depending on whether the crystals were prepared in a lipidic cubic phase environment or in detergent micelles, and whether the CcO's were chemically or radiolyticly reduced, the X-ray diffraction analysis of the crystals showed different Fea3(2+)···CuB(+) DNC structures. On the other hand, Mössbauer spectroscopic experiments on reduced and oxidized ba3 CcOs from Tt (Zimmermann et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1988, 85, 5779-5783) revealed multiple (57)Fea3(2+) and (57)Fea3(3+) components. Moreover, one of the (57)Fea3(3+) components observed at 4.2 K transformed from a proposed "low-spin" state to a different high-spin species when the temperature was increased above 190 K, whereas the other high-spin (57)Fea3(3+) component remained unchanged. In the current Article, in order to understand the heterogeneities of the DNC in both Mössbauer spectra and X-ray crystal structures, the spin crossover of one of the (57)Fea3(3+) components, and how the coordination and spin states of the Fea3(3+/2+) and Cu(2+/1+) sites relate to the heterogeneity of the DNC structures, we have applied density functional OLYP calculations to the DNC clusters established based on the different X-ray crystal structures of ba3 CcO from Tt. As a result, specific oxidized and reduced DNC structures related to the observed Mössbauer spectra and to spectral changes with temperature have been proposed. Our calculations also show that, in certain intermediate states, the His233 and His283 ligand side chains may dissociate from the CuB(+) site, and they may become potential proton loading sites during the catalytic cycle.

Broken-Symmetry DFT Computations for the Reaction Pathway of IspH, an Iron-Sulfur Enzyme in Pathogenic Bacteria

The recently discovered methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway provides new targets for the development of antibacterial and antimalarial drugs. In the final step of the MEP pathway, the [4Fe-4S] IspH protein catalyzes the 2e(-)/2H(+) reductive dehydroxylation of (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl diphosphate (HMBPP) to afford the isoprenoid precursors isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). Recent experiments have attempted to elucidate the IspH catalytic mechanism to drive inhibitor development. Two competing mechanisms have recently emerged, differentiated by their proposed HMBPP binding modes upon 1e(-) reduction of the [4Fe-4S] cluster: (1) a Birch reduction mechanism, in which HMBPP remains bound to the [4Fe-4S] cluster through its terminal C4-OH group (ROH-bound) until the -OH is cleaved as water; and (2) an organometallic mechanism, in which the C4-OH group rotates away from the [4Fe-4S] cluster, allowing the HMBPP olefin group to form a metallacycle complex with the apical iron (η(2)-bound). We perform broken-symmetry density functional theory computations to assess the energies and reduction potentials associated with the ROH- and η(2)-bound states implicated by these competing mechanisms. Reduction potentials obtained for ROH-bound states are more negative (-1.4 to -1.0 V) than what is typically expected of [4Fe-4S] ferredoxin proteins. Instead, we find that η(2)-bound states are lower in energy than ROH-bound states when the [4Fe-4S] cluster is 1e(-) reduced. Furthermore, η(2)-bound states can already be generated in the oxidized state, yielding reduction potentials of ca. -700 mV when electron addition occurs after rotation of the HMBPP C4-OH group. We demonstrate that such η(2)-bound states are kinetically accessible both when the IspH [4Fe-4S] cluster is oxidized and 1e(-) reduced. The energetically preferred pathway gives 1e(-) reduction of the cluster after substrate conformational change, generating the 1e(-) reduced intermediate proposed in the organometallic mechanism.

A fluorogenic aryl fluorosulfate for intraorganellar transthyretin imaging in living cells and in Caenorhabditis elegans

Fluorogenic probes, due to their often greater spatial and temporal sensitivity in comparison to permanently fluorescent small molecules, represent powerful tools to study protein localization and function in the context of living systems. Herein, we report fluorogenic probe 4, a 1,3,4-oxadiazole designed to bind selectively to transthyretin (TTR). Probe 4 comprises a fluorosulfate group not previously used in an environment-sensitive fluorophore. The fluorosulfate functional group does not react covalently with TTR on the time scale required for cellular imaging, but does red shift the emission maximum of probe 4 in comparison to its nonfluorosulfated analogue. We demonstrate that probe 4 is dark in aqueous buffers, whereas the TTR·4 complex exhibits a fluorescence emission maximum at 481 nm. The addition of probe 4 to living HEK293T cells allows efficient binding to and imaging of exogenous TTR within intracellular organelles, including the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, live Caenorhabditis elegans expressing human TTR transgenically and treated with probe 4 display TTR·4 fluorescence in macrophage-like coelomocytes. An analogue of fluorosulfate probe 4 does react selectively with TTR without labeling the remainder of the cellular proteome. Studies on this analogue suggest that certain aryl fluorosulfates, due to their cell and organelle permeability and activatable reactivity, could be considered for the development of protein-selective covalent probes.

Use of Broken-Symmetry Density Functional Theory To Characterize the IspH Oxidized State: Implications for IspH Mechanism and Inhibition

With current therapies becoming less efficacious due to increased drug resistance, new inhibitors of both bacterial and malarial targets are desperately needed. The recently discovered methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway for isoprenoid synthesis provides novel targets for the development of such drugs. Particular attention has focused on the IspH protein, the final enzyme in the MEP pathway, which uses its [4Fe-4S] cluster to catalyze the formation of the isoprenoid precursors IPP and DMAPP from HMBPP. IspH catalysis is achieved via a 2e-/2H+ reductive dehydroxylation of HMBPP; the mechanism by which catalysis is achieved, however, is highly controversial. The work presented herein provides the first step in assessing different routes to catalysis by using computational methods. By performing broken-symmetry density functional theory (BS-DFT) calculations that employ both the conductor-like screening solvation model (DFT/COSMO) and a finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann self-consistent reaction field methodology (DFT/SCRF), we evaluate geometries, energies, and Mössbauer signatures of the different protonation states that may exist in the oxidized state of the IspH catalytic cycle. From DFT/SCRF computations performed on the oxidized state, we find a state where the substrate, HMBPP, coordinates the apical iron in the [4Fe-4S] cluster as an alcohol group (ROH) to be one of two, isoenergetic, lowest-energy states. In this state, the HMBPP pyrophosphate moiety and an adjacent glutamate residue (E126) are both fully deprotonated, making the active site highly anionic. Our findings that this low-energy state also matches the experimental geometry of the active site and that its computed isomer shifts agree with experiment validate the use of the DFT/SCRF method to assess relative energies along the IspH reaction pathway. Additional studies of IspH catalytic intermediates are currently being pursued.

Linking chemical electron-proton transfer to proton pumping in cytochrome c oxidase: broken-symmetry DFT exploration of intermediates along the catalytic reaction pathway of the iron-copper dinuclear complex

After a summary of the problem of coupling electron and proton transfer to proton pumping in cytochrome c oxidase, we present the results of our earlier and recent density functional theory calculations for the dinuclear Fe-a3-CuB reaction center in this enzyme. A specific catalytic reaction wheel diagram is constructed from the calculations, based on the structures and relative energies of the intermediate states of the reaction cycle. A larger family of tautomers/protonation states is generated compared to our earlier work, and a new lowest-energy pathway is proposed. The entire reaction cycle is calculated for the new smaller model (about 185-190 atoms), and two selected arcs of the wheel are chosen for calculations using a larger model (about 205 atoms). We compare the structural and redox energetics and protonation calculations with available experimental data. The reaction cycle map that we have built is positioned for further improvement and testing against experiment.

EXAFS simulation refinement based on broken-symmetry DFT geometries for the Mn(IV)-Fe(III) center of class I RNR from Chlamydia trachomatis

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the reduction of ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides necessary for DNA biosynthesis. Unlike the conventional class Ia RNRs which use a diiron cofactor in their subunit R2, the active site of the RNR-R2 from Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) contains a Mn/Fe cofactor. The detailed structure of the Mn/Fe core has yet to be established. In this paper we evaluate six different structural models of the Ct RNR active site in the Mn(iv)/Fe(iii) state by using Mössbauer parameter calculations and simulations of Mn/Fe extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and we identify a structure similar to a previously proposed DFT-optimized model that shows quantitative agreement with both EXAFS and Mössbauer spectroscopic data.

Density functional study for the bridged dinuclear center based on a high-resolution X-ray crystal structure of ba3 cytochrome c oxidase from Thermus thermophilus

Strong electron density for a peroxide type dioxygen species bridging the Fea3 and CuB dinuclear center (DNC) was observed in the high-resolution (1.8 Å) X-ray crystal structures (PDB entries 3S8G and 3S8F) of ba3 cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Thermus thermophilus. The crystals represent the as-isolated X-ray photoreduced CcO structures. The bridging peroxide was proposed to arise from the recombination of two radiation-produced HO(•) radicals formed either very near to or even in the space between the two metals of the DNC. It is unclear whether this peroxide species is in the O2(2-), O2(•)(-), HO2(-), or the H2O2 form and what is the detailed electronic structure and binding geometry including the DNC. In order to answer what form of this dioxygen species was observed in the DNC of the 1.8 Å X-ray CcO crystal structure (3S8G), we have applied broken-symmetry density functional theory (BS-DFT) geometric and energetic calculations (using OLYP potential) on large DNC cluster models with different Fea3-CuB oxidation and spin states and with O2(2-), O2(•)(-), HO2(-), or H2O2 in the bridging position. By comparing the DFT optimized geometries with the X-ray crystal structure (3S8G), we propose that the bridging peroxide is HO2(-). The X-ray crystal structure is likely to represent the superposition of the Fea3(2+)-(HO2(-))-CuB(+) DNC's in different states (Fe(2+) in low spin (LS), intermediate spin (IS), or high spin (HS)) with the majority species having the proton of the HO2(-) residing on the oxygen atom (O1) which is closer to the Fea3(2+) site in the Fea3(2+)-(HO-O)(-)-CuB(+) conformation. Our calculations show that the side chain of Tyr237 is likely trapped in the deprotonated Tyr237(-) anion form in the 3S8G X-ray crystal structure.

Calibration of DFT Functionals for the Prediction of Fe Mössbauer Spectral Parameters in Iron-Nitrosyl and Iron-Sulfur Complexes: Accurate Geometries Prove Essential

Six popular density functionals in conjunction with the conductor-like screening (COSMO) solvation model have been used to obtain linear Mössbauer isomer shift (IS) and quadrupole splitting (QS) parameters for a test set of 20 complexes (with 24 sites) comprised of nonheme nitrosyls (Fe-NO) and non-nitrosyl (Fe-S) complexes. For the first time in an IS analysis, the Fe electron density was calculated both directly at the nucleus, ρ(0)(N), which is the typical procedure, and on a small sphere surrounding the nucleus, ρ(0)(S), which is the new standard algorithm implemented in the ADF software package. We find that both methods yield (near) identical slopes from each linear regression analysis but are shifted with respect to ρ(0) along the x-axis. Therefore, the calculation of the Fe electron density with either method gives calibration fits with equal predictive value. Calibration parameters obtained from the complete test set for OLYP, OPBE, PW91, and BP86 yield correlation coefficients (r(2)) of approximately 0.90, indicating that the calibration fit is of good quality. However, fits obtained from B3LYP and B3LYP* with both Slater-type and Gaussian-type orbitals are generally found to be of poorer quality. For several of the complexes examined in this study, we find that B3LYP and B3LYP* give geometries that possess significantly larger deviations from the experimental structures than OLYP, OPBE, PW91 or BP86. This phenomenon is particularly true for the di- and tetranuclear Fe complexes examined in this study. Previous Mössbauer calibration fit studies using these functionals have usually included mononuclear Fe complexes alone, where these discrepancies are less pronounced. An examination of spin expectation values reveals B3LYP and B3LYP* approach the weak-coupling limit more closely than the GGA exchange-correlation functionals. The high degree of variability in our calculated S(2) values for the Fe-NO complexes highlights their challenging electronic structure. Significant improvements to the isomer shift calibrations are obtained for B3LYP and B3LYP* when geometries obtained with the OLYP functional are used. In addition, greatly improved performance of these functionals is found if the complete test set is grouped separately into Fe-NO and Fe-S complexes. Calibration fits including only Fe-NO complexes are found to be excellent, while those containing the non-nitrosyl Fe-S complexes alone are found to demonstrate less accurate correlations. Similar trends are also found with OLYP, OPBE, PW91, and BP86. Correlations between experimental and calculated QSs were also investigated. Generally, universal and separate Fe-NO and Fe-S fit parameters obtained to determine QSs are found to be of good to excellent quality for every density functional examined, especially if [Fe(4)(NO)(4)(μ(3)-S)(4)](-) is removed from the test set.

Mössbauer properties of the diferric cluster and the differential iron(II)-binding affinity of the iron sites in protein R2 of class Ia Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase: a DFT/electrostatics study

The R2 subunit of class-Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from Escherichia coli (E. coli) contains a diiron active site. Starting from the apo-protein and Fe(II) in solution at low Fe(II)/apoR2 ratios, mononuclear Fe(II) binding is observed indicating possible different Fe(II) binding affinities for the two alternative sites. Further, based on their Mössbauer spectroscopy and two-iron-isotope reaction experiments, Bollinger et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1997, 119, 5976-5977) proposed that the site Fe1, which bonds to Asp84, should be associated with the higher observed (57)Fe Mössbauer quadrupole splitting (2.41 mm s(-1)) and lower isomer shift (0.45 mm s(-1)) in the Fe(III)Fe(III) state, site Fe2, which is further from Tyr122, should have a greater affinity for Fe(II) binding than site Fe1, and Fe(IV) in the intermediate X state should reside at site Fe2. In this paper, using density functional theory (DFT) incorporated with the conductor-like screening (COSMO) solvation model and with the finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann self-consistent reaction field (PB-SCRF) methodologies, we have demonstrated that the observed large quadrupole splitting for the diferric state R2 does come from site Fe1(III) and it is mainly caused by the binding position of the carboxylate group of the Asp84 sidechain. Further, a series of active site clusters with mononuclear Fe(II) binding at either site Fe1 or Fe2 have been studied, which show that with a single dielectric medium outside the active site quantum region, there is no energetic preference for Fe(II) binding at one site over another. However, when including the explicit extended protein environment in the PB-SCRF model, the reaction field favors the Fe(II) binding at site Fe2 rather than at site Fe1 by ~9 kcal mol(-1). Therefore our calculations support the proposal of the previous Mössbauer spectroscopy and two-iron-isotope reaction experiments by Bollinger et al.

Geometric and electrostatic study of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase from broken symmetry density functional calculations and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

Adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase (APSR) is an iron-sulfur protein that catalyzes the reduction of adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (APS) to sulfite. APSR coordinates to a [4Fe-4S] cluster via a conserved CC-X(~80)-CXXC motif, and the cluster is essential for catalysis. Despite extensive functional, structural, and spectroscopic studies, the exact role of the iron-sulfur cluster in APS reduction remains unknown. To gain an understanding into the role of the cluster, density functional theory (DFT) analysis and extended X-ray fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) have been performed to reveal insights into the coordination, geometry, and electrostatics of the [4Fe-4S] cluster. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) data confirms that the cluster is in the [4Fe-4S](2+) state in both native and substrate-bound APSR while EXAFS data recorded at ~0.1 Å resolution indicates that there is no significant change in the structure of the [4Fe-4S] cluster between the native and substrate-bound forms of the protein. On the other hand, DFT calculations provide an insight into the subtle differences between the geometry of the cluster in the native and APS-bound forms of APSR. A comparison between models with and without the tandem cysteine pair coordination of the cluster suggests a role for the unique coordination in facilitating a compact geometric structure and "fine-tuning" the electronic structure to prevent reduction of the cluster. Further, calculations using models in which residue Lys144 is mutated to Ala confirm the finding that Lys144 serves as a crucial link in the interactions involving the [4Fe-4S] cluster and APS.

DFT calculations for intermediate and active states of the diiron center with a tryptophan or tyrosine radical in Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase

Class Ia ribonucleotide reductase subunit R2 contains a diiron active site. In this paper, active-site models for the intermediate X-Trp48(•+) and X-Tyr122(•), the active Fe(III)Fe(III)-Tyr122(•), and the met Fe(III)Fe(III) states of Escherichia coli R2 are studied, using broken-symmetry density functional theory incorporated with the conductor-like screening solvation model. Different structural isomers and different protonation states have been explored. Calculated geometric, energetic, Mössbauer, hyperfine, and redox properties are compared with available experimental data. Feasible detailed structures of these intermediate and active states are proposed. Asp84 and Trp48 are most likely the main contributing residues to the result that the transient Fe(IV)Fe(IV) state is not observed in wild-type class Ia E. coli R2. Asp84 is proposed to serve as a proton-transfer conduit between the diiron cluster and Tyr122 in both the tyrosine radical activation pathway and the first steps of the catalytic proton-coupled electron-transfer pathway. Proton-coupled and simple redox potential calculations show that the kinetic control of proton transfer to Tyr122(•) plays a critical role in preventing reduction from the active Fe(III)Fe(III)-Tyr122(•) state to the met state, which is potentially the reason why Tyr122(•) in the active state can be stable over a very long period.

Modeling the MoFe nitrogenase system with broken symmetry density functional theory

Density functional theory (DFT) represents a unified framework for gaining molecular level insight into molybdenum-iron (MoFe) nitrogenase. However, accurately describing the electronic structure of the spin-polarized and spin-coupled iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) where N(2) reduction occurs within MoFe nitrogenase is challenging. Therefore, the enhancement of DFT to include broken symmetry (BS-DFT) plus approximate spin projection has proven valuable because it provides a procedure to compute reliable geometries, energies, redox potentials, and quantities relevant to Mössbauer and ENDOR spectroscopies. After describing the theoretical tools necessary to obtain this information, we show by way of examples how BS-DFT is a very powerful partner to experiment. We expect that quantitative quantum chemical theory of this type will play an ever-increasing role in helping to decipher complex bioinorganic systems like those found in MoFe nitrogenase.

Spin coupling in Roussin's red and black salts

Although DFT calculations have provided a first-order electronic-structural description for Roussin's red and black salts, a detailed study of spin coupling in these species has yet to be reported. Such an analysis is presented here for the first time, based on broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT, chiefly OLYP/STO-TZP) calculations. Both the Noodleman and Yamaguchi formulas were used to evaluate the Heisenberg coupling constants (J). Three nitrosylated binuclear clusters were studied: [Fe(2)(NO)(2)(Et-HPTB)(O(2)CPh)](2+) (1; Et-HPTB=N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-(N-ethyl-2-benzimidazolylmethyl)-2-hydroxy-1,3-diaminopropane), [Fe(NO)(2){Fe(NO)(NS(3))}-S,S'] (2), and Roussin's red salt anion [Fe(2)(NO)(4)(μ-S)(2)](2-) (3). Although the Heisenberg J for 1 is small (≈10(2) cm(-1)), 2 and 3 exhibit J values that are at least an order of magnitude higher (≈10(3) cm(-1)), where the J values refer to the following Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian: ℋ=JS(A)⋅S(B). For Roussin's black salt anion, [Fe(4)(NO)(7)(μ(3)-S)(3)](-) (4), the Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian describing spin coupling between the {FeNO}(7) unit (S(A)=3/2) and the three {Fe(NO)(2)}(9) units (S(B)=S(C)=S(D)=1/2) in [Fe(4)(NO)(7)(μ(3)-S)(3)](-) was assumed to have the form: ℋ=J(12)(S(A)⋅S(B)+S(A)⋅S(C)+S(A)⋅S(D))+J(22)(S(B)⋅S(C)+S(B)⋅S(D)+S(C)⋅S(D)), in which J(12) corresponds to the interaction between the apical iron and a basal iron, and J(22) refers to that between any two basal iron centers. Although the basal-basal coupling constant J(22) was found to be small (≈10(2) cm(-1)), the apical-basal coupling constant J(12) is some forty times higher (≈4000 cm(-1)). Thus, the nitrosylated iron-sulfur clusters feature some exceptionally high J values relative to the non-nitrosylated {2Fe2S} and {4Fe4S} clusters. An analysis of spin-dependent bonding energies shed light on this curious feature. In essence, the energy difference between the high-spin (i.e., ferromagnetically coupled iron sites) and low-spin (i.e., maximum spin coupling) states of Roussin's salts are indeed rather similar to those of analogous non-nitrosylated iron-sulfur clusters. However, the individual Fe(NO)(x) (x=1, 2) site spins are lower in the nitrosylated systems, resulting in a smaller denominator in both the Noodleman and Yamaguchi formulas for J, which in turn translates into the very high J values.

Density functional theory analysis of structure, energetics, and spectroscopy for the Mn-Fe active site of Chlamydia trachomatis ribonucleotide reductase in four oxidation states

Models for the Mn-Fe active site structure of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from pathogenic bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) in different oxidation states have been studied in this paper, using broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT) incorporated with the conductor like screening (COSMO) solvation model and also with finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann self-consistent reaction field (PB-SCRF) calculations. The detailed structures for the reduced Mn(II)-Fe(II), the met Mn(III)-Fe(III), the oxidized Mn(IV)-Fe(III) and the superoxidized Mn(IV)-Fe(IV) states are predicted. The calculated properties, including geometries, (57)Fe Mossbauer isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings, and (57)Fe and (55)Mn electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) hyperfine coupling constants, are compared with the available experimental data. The Mössbauer and energetic calculations show that the (mu-oxo, mu-hydroxo) models better represent the structure of the Mn(IV)-Fe(III) state than the di-mu-oxo models. The predicted Mn(IV)-Fe(III) distances (2.95 and 2.98 A) in the (mu-oxo, mu-hydroxo) models are in agreement with the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experimental value of 2.92 A (Younker et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 15022-15027). The effect of the protein and solvent environment on the assignment of the Mn metal position is examined by comparing the relative energies of alternative mono-Mn(II) active site structures. It is proposed that if the Mn(II)-Fe(II) protein is prepared with prior addition of Mn(II) or with Mn(II) richer than Fe(II), Mn is likely positioned at metal site 2, which is further from Phe127.

Density functional theory calculations on Mössbauer parameters of nonheme iron nitrosyls

Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on transition metal nitrosyls often reveal unusual spin density profiles, involving substantial spatial separation of majority and minority spin densities. Against this context, there is a significant lack of studies where DFT calculations have been quantitatively calibrated against experimental spectroscopic properties. Reported herein are DFT calculations of Mössbauer isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings for 21 nonheme iron complexes (26 distinct iron sites) including 9 iron nitrosyls. Low- (S = 1/2) and high-spin (S = 3/2) {FeNO}(7) complexes, S = 1/2 {Fe(NO)(2)}(9) species, and polynuclear iron nitrosyls are all represented within the set of compounds examined. The general conclusion with respect to isomer shifts is that DFT (OLYP/STO-TZP) performs comparably well for iron nitrosyls and for iron complexes in general. However, quadrupole splittings are less accurately reproduced for nitrosyl complexes.

DFT calculations of comparative energetics and ENDOR/Mössbauer properties for two protonation states of the iron dimer cluster of ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X

Two models (I and II) for the active site structure of class-I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) intermediate X in subunit R2 have been studied in this paper, using broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT) incorporated with the conductor like screening (COSMO) solvation model and with the finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann self-consistent reaction field (PB-SCRF) calculations. Only one of the bridging groups between the two iron centers is different between model-I and model-II. Model-I contains two mu-oxo bridges, while model-II has one bridging oxo and one bridging hydroxo. These are large active site models including up to the fourth coordination shell H-bonding residues. Mössbauer and ENDOR hyperfine property calculations show that model-I is more likely to represent the active site structure of RNR-X. However, energetically our pK(a) calculations at first highly favored the bridging oxo and hydroxo (in model-II) structure of the diiron center rather than having the di-oxo bridge (in model-I). Since the Arg236 and the nearby Lys42, which are very close to the diiron center, are on the protein surface of RNR-R2, it is highly feasible that one or two anion groups in solution would interact with the positively charged side chains of Arg236 and Lys42. The anion group(s) can be a reductant, phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, and other negatively charged groups existing in biological environments or in the buffer of the experiment. Since sulfate ions certainly exist in the buffer of the ENDOR experiment, we have examined the effect of the sulfate (SO(4)(2-), surrounded by explicit water molecules) H-bonding to the side chain of Arg236. We find that when sulfate interacts with Arg236, the carboxylate group of Asp237 tends to be protonated, and once Asp237 is protonated, the Fe(iii)Fe(iv) center in X favors the di-oxo bridge (model-I). This would explain that the ENDOR observed RNR-X active site structure is likely to be represented by model-I rather than model-II.

Quantum cluster size and solvent polarity effects on the geometries and Mössbauer properties of the active site model for ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X: a density functional theory study

In studying the properties of metalloproteins using ab initio quantum mechanical methods, one has to focus on the calculations on the active site. The bulk protein and solvent environment is often neglected, or is treated as a continuum dielectric medium with a certain dielectric constant. The size of the quantum cluster of the active site chosen for calculations can vary by including only the first-shell ligands which are directly bound to the metal centers, or including also the second-shell residues which are adjacent to and normally have H-bonding interactions with the first-shell ligands, or by including also further hydrogen bonding residues. It is not well understood how the size of the quantum cluster and the value of the dielectric constant chosen for the calculations will influence the calculated properties. In this paper, we have studied three models (A, B, and C) of different sizes for the active site of the ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X, using density functional theory (DFT) OPBE functional with broken-symmetry methodology. Each model is studied in gas-phase and in the conductor-like screening (COSMO) solvation model with different dielectric constants ε = 4, 10, 20, and 80, respectively. All the calculated Fe-ligand geometries, Heisenberg J coupling constants, and the Mössbauer isomer shifts, quadrupole splittings, and the (57)Fe, (1)H, and (17)O hyperfine tensors are compared. We find that the calculated isomer shifts are very stable. They are virtually unchanged with respect to the size of the cluster and the dielectric constant of the environment. On the other hand, certain Fe-ligand distances are sensitive to both the size of the cluster and the value of ε. ε = 4, which is normally used for the protein environment, appears too small when studying the diiron active site geometry with only the first-shell ligands as seen by comparisons with larger models.

Toward a chemical mechanism of proton pumping by the B-type cytochrome c oxidases: application of density functional theory to cytochrome ba3 of Thermus thermophilus

A mechanism for proton pumping by the B-type cytochrome c oxidases is presented in which one proton is pumped in conjunction with the weakly exergonic, two-electron reduction of Fe-bound O 2 to the Fe-Cu bridging peroxodianion and three protons are pumped in conjunction with the highly exergonic, two-electron reduction of Fe(III)- (-)O-O (-)-Cu(II) to form water and the active oxidized enzyme, Fe(III)- (-)OH,Cu(II). The scheme is based on the active-site structure of cytochrome ba 3 from Thermus thermophilus, which is considered to be both necessary and sufficient for coupled O 2 reduction and proton pumping when appropriate gates are in place (not included in the model). Fourteen detailed structures obtained from density functional theory (DFT) geometry optimization are presented that are reasonably thought to occur during the four-electron reduction of O 2. Each proton-pumping step takes place when a proton resides on the imidazole ring of I-His376 and the large active-site cluster has a net charge of +1 due to an uncompensated, positive charge formally associated with Cu B. Four types of DFT were applied to determine the energy of each intermediate, and standard thermochemical approaches were used to obtain the reaction free energies for each step in the catalytic cycle. This application of DFT generally conforms with previously suggested criteria for a valid model (Siegbahn, P. E. M.; Blomberg, M. A. R. Chem. Rev. 2000, 100, 421-437) and shows how the chemistry of O 2 reduction in the heme a 3 -Cu B dinuclear center can be harnessed to generate an electrochemical proton gradient across the lipid bilayer.

Ligand-bound S = 1/2 FeMo-cofactor of nitrogenase: hyperfine interaction analysis and implication for the central ligand X identity

Broken symmetry density functional theory (BS-DFT) has been used to address the hyperfine parameters of the single atom ligand X, proposed to be coordinated by six iron ions in the center of the paramagnetic FeMo-cofactor (FeMoco) of nitrogenase. Using the X = N alternative, we recently found that any hyperfine signal from X would be small (calculated A(iso)(X = (14)N) = 0.3 MHz) due to both structural and electronic symmetry properties of the [Mo-7Fe-9S- X] FeMoco core in its resting S = 3/2 state. Here, we extend our BS-DFT approach to the 2e(-) reduced S = 1/2 FeMoco state. Alternative substrates coordinated to this FeMoco state effectively perturb the electronic and/or structural symmetry properties of the cofactor. Using an example of an allyl alcohol (H2C=CH-CH2-OH) product ligand, we consider three different binding modes at single iron site and three different BS-DFT spin state structures and show that this binding would enhance the key hyperfine signal A(iso)(X) by at least 1 order of magnitude (3.8 < or = A(iso)(X = (14)N) < or = 14.7 MHz), and this result should not depend strongly on the exact identity of X (nitrogen, carbon, or oxygen). The interstitial atom, when the nucleus has a nonzero magnetic moment, should therefore be observable by ESR methods for some ligand-bound FeMoco states. In addition, our results illustrate structural details and likely spin-coupling patterns for models for early intermediates in the catalytic cycle.

Structural Model Studies for the High-Valent Intermediate Q of Methane Monooxygenase from Broken-Symmetry Density Functional Calculations

Mössbauer isomer shift parameters have been obtained for both density functional theory (DFT) OPBE and OLYP functionals by linear regressions between the measured isomer shifts and calculated electron densities at Fe nuclei for a number of Fe(2+,2.5+) and Fe(2.5+,3+,3.5+,4+) complexes grouped separately. The calculated isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings on the sample Fe complexes from OPBE and OLYP functionals are similar to those of PW91 calculations (J. Comput. Chem. 27 (2006) 1292), however the fit parameters from the linear regressions differ between PW91 and OPBE, OLYP. Four models for the active site structure of the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase (MMOH) have been studied, using three DFT functionals OPBE, OLYP, and PW91, incorporated with broken-symmetry methodology and the conductor-like screening (COSMO) solvation model. The calculated properties, including optimized geometries, electronic energies, pK(a)'s, Fe net spin populations, and Mössbauer isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings, have been reported and compared with available experimental values. The high-spin antiferromagnetically (AF) coupled Fe(4+) sites are correctly predicted by OPBE and OLYP methods for all active site models. PW91 potential overestimates the Fe-ligand covalencies for some of the models because of spin crossover. Our calculations and data analysis support the structure (our current model II shown in Figure 8) proposed by Friesner and Lippard's group (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123 (2001) 3836-3837), which contains an Fe(4+)(μ-O)(2)Fe(4+) center, one axial water which also H-bonds to both side chains of Glu243 and Glu114, and one bidentate carboxylate group from the side chain of Glu144, which is likely to represent the active site of MMOH-Q. A new model structure (model IV shown in Figure 9), which has a terminal hydroxo and a protonated His147 which is dissociated from a nearby Fe, is more asymmetric in its Fe(μ-O)(2)Fe diamond core, and is another very good candidate for intermediate Q.

Density functional theory study of Fe(IV) d-d optical transitions in active-site models of class I ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X with vertical self-consistent reaction field methods

The Fe(IV) d-d transition energies for four active-site structural models of class I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) intermediate X have been calculated using broken-symmetry density functional theory incorporated with the Slater transition state vertical self-consistent reaction field methodology. Our model I (Figure 1), which contains two mu-oxo bridges, one terminal water, and one bidentate carboxylate group, yields the best Fe(IV) d-d transition energies compared with experiment. Our previous study (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 15778-15790) also shows that most of the other calculated properties of model I in both native and mutant Y122F forms, including geometries, spin states, pKa's, 57Fe, 1H, and 17O hyperfine tensors, and 57Fe Mössbauer isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings, are also the best in agreement with the available experimental data. This model is likely to represent the active-site structure of the intermediate state X of RNR.

Experimental and DFT studies: novel structural modifications greatly enhance the solvent sensitivity of live cell imaging dyes

Structural modifications of previously reported merocyanine dyes (Toutchkine, A.; Kraynov, V.; Hahn, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 4132-4145) were found to greatly enhance the solvent dependence of their absorbance and fluorescence emission maxima. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to understand the differences in optical properties between the new and previously synthesized dyes. Absorption and emission energies were calculated for several new dyes using DFT vertical self-consistent reaction field (VSCRF) methods. Geometries of ground and excited states were optimized with a conductor-like screening model (COSMO) and self-consistent field (SCF) methods. The new dyes have enhanced zwitterionic character in the ground state and much lower polarity in the excited state, as shown by the DFT-VSCRF calculations. Consistently, the position of the absorption bands are strongly blue-shifted in more polar solvent (methanol compared to benzene), as predicted by the DFT spectral calculations. Inclusion of explicit H-bonding solvent molecules within the quantum model further enhances the predicted shifts and is consistent with the observed spectral broadening. Smaller but significant spectral shifts in polar versus nonpolar solvent are predicted and observed for emission bands. The new dyes show large fluorescence quantum yields in polar hydrogen-bonding solvents; qualitatively, the longest bonds along the conjugated chain at the excited S1 state minimum are shorter in the more polar solvent, inhibiting photoisomerization. The loss of photostability of the dyes is a consequence of the reaction with and electron transfer to singlet oxygen, starting oxidative dye cleavage. The calculated vertical ionization potentials of three dyes I-SO, AI-SO(4), and AI-BA(4) in benzene and methanol are consistent with their relative photobleaching rates; the charge distributions along the conjugated chains for the three dyes are similarly predictive of higher reaction rates for AI-SO(4) and AI-BA(4) than for I-SO. Time-dependent DFT calculations were also performed on AI-BA(4); these were less accurate than the VSCRF method in predicting the absorption energy shift from benzene to methanol.

Structure, redox, pK a, spin. A golden tetrad for understanding metalloenzyme energetics and reaction pathways

After a review of the current status of density functional theory (DFT) for spin-polarized and spin-coupled systems, we focus on the resting states and intermediates of redox-active metalloenzymes and electron transfer proteins, showing how comparisons of DFT-calculated spectroscopic parameters with experiment and evaluation of related energies and geometries provide important information. The topics we examine include (1) models for the active-site structure of methane monooxygenase intermediate Q and ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X; (2) the coupling of electron transfer to proton transfer in manganese superoxide dismutase, with implications for reaction kinetics; (3) redox, pK(a), and electronic structure issues in the Rieske iron-sulfur protein, including their connection to coupled electron/proton transfer, and an analysis of how partial electron delocalization strongly alters the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum; (4) the connection between protein-induced structural distortion and the electronic structure of oxidized high-potential 4Fe4S proteins with implications for cluster reactivity; (5) an analysis of cluster assembly and central-atom insertion into the FeMo cofactor center of nitrogenase based on DFT structural and redox potential calculations.

Seven clues to the origin and structure of class-I ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X

Class-I ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are aerobic enzymes that catalyze the reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides providing the required building blocks for DNA replication and repair. These ribonucleotide-to-deoxyribonucleotide reactions occur by a long range radical (or proton-coupled-electron-transfer) propagation mechanism initiated by a fairly stable tyrosine radical ("the pilot light"). When this pilot light goes out, the tyrosine radical is regenerated by a high-oxidation-state enzyme intermediate, called X. The active site of class-I RNR-X has been recognized as a spin coupled Fe(III)Fe(IV) center with S(total)=1/2 ground state. Although several clues have been obtained from Mössbauer, (57)Fe, (1)H, (17)O(2), and H(2)(17)O ENDOR (electron-nuclear double resonance), EXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure), and MCD (magnetic circular dichroism) experiments, the detailed structure of the intermediate X is still unknown. In the past three years, we have been studying the properties of a set of model clusters for RNR-X using broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT), and have compared them with the available experimental results. Based on the detailed analysis and comparisons, we have proposed a definite form for the active site structure of class-I RNR intermediate X. The puzzle is now set: can you find any flaws in the argument or evidence? Can you add anything further to the current experimental picture? The argument is formulated from seven experimental clues with associated calculations and models.

Active site structure of class I ribonucleotide reductase intermediate X: a density functional theory analysis of structure, energetics, and spectroscopy

Several models for the active site structure of class I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) intermediate X have been studied in the work described in this paper, using broken-symmetry density functional theory (DFT) incorporated with the conductor-like screening (COSMO) solvation model. The calculated properties, including geometries, spin states, 57Fe, 1H, and 17O hyperfine tensors, Mössbauer isomer shifts, and quadrupole splittings, and the estimation of the Fe(IV) d-d transition energies have been compared with the available experimental values. On the basis of the detailed analysis and comparisons, we propose a definite form for the active site structure of class I RNR intermediate X, which contains an Fe1(III)Fe2(IV) center (where Fe1 is the iron site closer to Tyr122, and the two iron sites are high-spin antiferromagnetically coupled to give a total 1/2 net spin), two mu-oxo bridges, one terminal water which binds to Fe1(III) and also H-bonds to both side chains of Asp84 and Glu238, and one bidentate carboxylate group from the side chain of Glu115.

DFT calculations of57Fe Mössbauer isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings for iron complexes in polar dielectric media: Applications to methane monooxygenase and ribonucleotide reductase

To predict the isomer shifts of Fe complexes in different oxidation and spin states more accurately, we have performed linear regression between the measured isomer shifts (delta(exp)) and DFT (PW91 potential with all-electron triple-zeta plus polarization basis sets) calculated electron densities at Fe nuclei [rho(0)] for the Fe(2+,2.5+) and Fe(2.5+,3+,3.5+,4+) complexes separately. The geometries and electronic structures of all complexes in the training sets are optimized within the conductor like screening (COSMO) solvation model. Based on the linear correlation equation delta(exp) = alpha[rho(0) - 11884.0] + C, the best fitting for 17 Fe(2+,2.5+) complexes (totally 31 Fe sites) yields alpha = -0.405 +/- 0.042 and C = 0.735 +/- 0.047 mm s(-1). The correlation coefficient is r = -0.876 with a standard deviation of SD = 0.075 mm s(-1). In contrast, the linear fitting for 19 Fe(2.5+,3+,3.5+,4+) complexes (totally 30 Fe sites) yields alpha = -0.393 +/- 0.030 and C = 0.435 +/- 0.014 mm s(-1), with the correlation coefficient r = -0.929 and a standard deviation SD = 0.077 mm s(-1). We provide a physical rationale for separating the Fe(2+,2.5+) fit from the Fe(2.5+,3+,3.5+,4+) fit, which also is clearly justified on a statistical empirical basis. Quadrupole splittings have also been calculated for these systems. The correlation between the calculated (DeltaE(Q(cal))) and experimental (DeltaE(Q(exp))) quadrupole splittings based on |DeltaE(Q(exp))| = A |DeltaE(Q(cal))| + B yields slope A, which is almost the ideal value 1.0 (A = 1.002 +/- 0.030) and intercept B almost zero (B = 0.033 +/- 0.068 mm s(-1)). Further calculations on the reduced diferrous and oxidized diferric active sites of class-I ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) and the hydroxylase component of methane monooxygenase (MMOH), and on a mixed-valent [(tpb)Fe3+(mu-O)(mu-CH3CO2)Fe4+(Me3[9]aneN3)]2+ (S = 3/2) complex and its corresponding diferric state have been performed. Calculated results are in very good agreement with the experimental data.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Azoles. DFT Study Predicts Unprecedented Reactivity and Intermediates

Huisgen's 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions become nonconcerted when copper(I) acetylides react with azides and nitrile oxides, providing ready access to 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles and 3,4-disubstituted isoxazoles, respectively. The process is highly reliable and exhibits an unusually wide scope with respect to both components. Computational studies revealed a stepwise mechanism involving unprecedented metallacycle intermediates, which appear to be common for a variety of dipoles.

On the role of the conserved aspartate in the hydrolysis of the phosphocysteine intermediate of the low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatase

The usual rate-determining step in the catalytic mechanism of the low molecular weight tyrosine phosphatases involves the hydrolysis of a phosphocysteine intermediate. To explain this hydrolysis, general base-catalyzed attack of water by the anion of a conserved aspartic acid has sometimes been invoked. However, experimental measurements of solvent deuterium kinetic isotope effects for this enzyme do not reveal a rate-limiting proton transfer accompanying dephosphorylation. Moreover, base activation of water is difficult to reconcile with the known gas-phase proton affinities and solution phase pK(a)'s of aspartic acid and water. Alternatively, hydrolysis could proceed by a direct nucleophilic attack by a water molecule. To understand the hydrolysis mechanism, we have used high-level density functional methods of quantum chemistry combined with continuum electrostatics models of the protein and the solvent. Our calculations do not support a catalytic activation of water by the aspartate. Instead, they indicate that the water oxygen directly attacks the phosphorus, with the aspartate residue acting as a H-bond acceptor. In the transition state, the water protons are still bound to the oxygen. Beyond the transition state, the barrier to proton transfer to the base is greatly diminished; the aspartate can abstract a proton only after the transition state, a result consistent with experimental solvent isotope effects for this enzyme and with established precedents for phosphomonoester hydrolysis.