Low-frequency mode activity of heme: femtosecond coherence spectroscopy of iron porphine halides and nitrophorin

The low-frequency mode activity of metalloporphyrins has been studied for iron porphine-halides (Fe(P)(X), X = Cl, Br) and nitrophorin 4 (NP4) using femtosecond coherence spectroscopy (FCS) in combination with polarized resonance Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT). It is confirmed that the mode symmetry selection rules for FCS are the same as for Raman scattering and that both Franck-Condon and Jahn-Teller mode activities are observed for Fe(P)(X) under Soret resonance conditions. The DFT-calculated low-frequency (20-400 cm (-1)) modes, and their frequency shifts upon halide substitution, are in good agreement with experimental Raman and coherence data, so that mode assignments can be made. The doming mode is located at approximately 80 cm (-1) for Fe(P)(Cl) and at approximately 60 cm (-1) for Fe(P)(Br). NP4 is also studied with coherence techniques, and the NO-bound species of ferric and ferrous NP4 display a mode at approximately 30-40 cm (-1) that is associated with transient heme doming motion following NO photolysis. The coherence spectra of three ferric derivatives of NP4 with different degrees of heme ruffling distortion are also investigated. We find a mode at approximately 60 cm (-1) whose relative intensity in the coherence spectra depends quadratically on the magnitude of the ruffling distortion. To quantitatively account for this correlation, a new "distortion-induced" Raman enhancement mechanism is presented. This mechanism is unique to low-frequency "soft modes" of the molecular framework that can be distorted by environmental forces. These results demonstrate the potential of FCS as a sensitive probe of dynamic and functionally important nonplanar heme vibrational excitations that are induced by the protein environmental forces or by the chemical reactions in the aqueous phase.     

Vibrational coherence spectroscopy of the heme domain in the CO-sensing transcriptional activator CooA

Femtosecond vibrational coherence spectroscopy was used to investigate the low-frequency vibrational dynamics of the heme in the carbon monoxide oxidation activator protein (CooA) from the thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans (Ch-CooA). Low frequency vibrational modes are important because they are excited by the ambient thermal bath (k(B)T = 200 cm(-1)) and participate in thermally activated barrier crossing events. However, such modes are nearly impossible to detect in the aqueous phase using traditional spectroscopic methods. Here, we present the low frequency coherence spectra of the ferric, ferrous, and CO-bound forms of Ch-CooA in order to compare the protein-induced heme distortions in its active and inactive states. Distortions take place predominantly along the coordinates of low-frequency modes because of their weak force constants, and such distortions are reflected in the intensity of the vibrational coherence signals. A strong mode near ~90 cm(-1) in the ferrous form of Ch-CooA is suggested to contain a large component of heme ruffling, consistent with the imidazole-bound ferrous heme crystal structure, which shows a significant protein-induced heme distortion along this coordinate. A mode observed at ~228 cm(-1) in the six-coordinate ferrous state is proposed to be the ν(Fe-His) stretching vibration. The observation of the Fe-His mode indicates that photolysis of the N-terminal α-amino axial ligand takes place. This is followed by a rapid (~8.5 ps) transient absorption recovery, analogous to methionine rebinding in photolyzed ferrous cytochrome c. We have also studied CO photolysis in CooA, which revealed very strong photoproduct state coherent oscillations. The observation of heme-CO photoproduct oscillations is unusual because most other heme systems have CO rebinding kinetics that are too slow to make the measurement possible. The low frequency coherence spectrum of the CO-bound form of Ch-CooA shows a strong vibration at ~230 cm(-1) that is broadened and up-shifted compared to the ν(Fe-His) of Rr-CooA (216 cm(-1)). We propose that the stronger Fe-His bond is related to the enhanced thermal stability of Ch-CooA and that there is a smaller (time dependent) tilt of the histidine ring with respect to the heme plane in Ch-CooA. The appearance of strong modes at ~48 cm(-1) in both the ferrous and CO-bound forms of Ch-CooA is consistent with coupling of the heme doming distortion to the photolysis reaction in both samples. Upon CO binding and protein activation, a heme mode near 112 ± 5 cm(-1) disappears, probably indicating a decreased heme saddling distortion. This reflects changes in the heme environment and geometry that must be associated with the conformational transition activating the DNA-binding domain. Protein-specific DNA binding to the CO-bound form of Ch-CooA was also investigated, and although the CO rebinding kinetics are significantly perturbed, there are negligible changes in the low-frequency vibrational spectrum of the heme.     

Characterization of temperature-dependent iron-imidazole vibrational modes in far infrared

The active site of several oxygen binding proteins can be mimicked with the ferric iron protoporphyrin IX derivative hemin, coordinating two imidazole molecules and embedded in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles; the detergent simulates the hydrophobic cavity of heme proteins. We studied the low-frequency vibrational modes of the porphyrin-iron-imidazole bonding in infrared absorbance spectra. Assignment of the metal-ligand vibrations to signals at 396, 387, and 378 cm(-1) was performed by isotope labeling of the imidazole ligand. These modes were also found to be temperature-dependent and to display a linear increase of signal intensity between 25 and 150 K and, with a different slope, between 150 and 300 K. The modes at 396 and 399 cm(-1) show for 25 K an up-shift about 4 cm(-1) and the signal at 378 cm(-1) a small downshift, indicating the involvement of antisymmetric stretching modes and, in the latter, of bending motions. Anharmonic couplings to doming modes are discussed, and the doming mode and hydrogen-bonding signature spectral range between 300 and 100 cm(-1) is presented.     

Raman spectra from very concentrated aqueous NaOH and from wet and dry, solid, and anhydrous molten, LiOH, NaOH, and KOH

High-temperature, high-pressure Raman spectra were obtained from aqueous NaOH solutions up to 2NaOHH2O, with X(NaOH)=0.667 at 480 K. The spectra corresponding to the highest compositions, X(NaOH)> or =0.5, are dominated by H3O2-. An IR xi-function dispersion curve for aqueous NaOH, at 473 K and 1 kbar, calculated from the data of Franck and Charuel indicates that the OH- ion forms H3O2- by preferential H bonding with nonhydrogen-bonded OH groups. Raman spectra from wet to anhydrous, solid LiOH, NaOH, and KOH yield sharp, symmetric OH- stretching peaks at 3664, 3633, and 3596 cm(-1), respectively, plus water-related, i.e., H3O2-, peaks near LiOH, 3562 cm(-1), NaOH, 3596 cm(-1), and, KOH, 3500 cm(-1). Absence of H3O2- peaks from the solid assures that the corresponding melt is anhydrous. Raman spectra from the anhydrous melts yield OH- stretching peak frequencies: LiOH, 3614+/-4 cm(-1), 873 K; NaOH, 3610+/-2 cm(-1), 975 K; and, KOH, 3607+/-2 cm(-1), 773 K, but low-frequency asymmetry due to ion-pair interactions is present which is centered near 3550 cm(-1). The ion-pair-related asymmetry corresponds to the sole IR maximum near 3550 cm(-1) from anhydrous molten NaOH, at 623 K. Bose-Einstein correction of published low-frequency Raman data from molten LiOH revealed an acoustic phonon, near 205 cm(-1), related to restricted translation of OH- versus Li+, and an optical phonon, at 625 cm(-1) and tau approximately 0.05 ps, due to protonic precession and/or pendular motion. Strong H bonding between water and the O atom of OH- forms H3O2-, but the proton of OH- does not bond with H significantly. Large Raman bandwidths (aqueous solutions) are explained in terms of inhomogeneous broadening due to proton transfer in a double well. Vibrational assignments are presented for H3O2-.     

Effects of equilibrium H-bond distance and angle changes on Raman intensities from water

The H-bond energy dispersion over the inhomogeneously broadened OD stretching contour from dilute HDO in H(2)O was determined from absolute Raman intensities; it displays a large minimum near omega=2440 cm(-1) from short, strong H bonds (in agreement with the peak omega from lda ice) and a large maximum near 2650-2675 cm(-1) due to extremely weak or broken H bonds (in agreement with the peak omega from dense, supercritical HDO in H(2)O, 0.9 g/cm(3), 673 K). The difference between extrema is the maximum H-bond DeltaE, 5100+/-500 cal/mol, in excellent agreement with Pauling's limiting value. A pressure of 1500 bars yields an additional maximum and shoulder between the two dispersion extrema from pure water; saturated NaCl in water shows the additional maximum. The maxima near 3350 cm(-1) (1500 bar) or near 3360 cm(-1) (NaCl-H(2)O) arise from bent H bonds; 3350 cm(-1) (1500 bar) corresponding to an angle of approximately 170 degrees in the joint frequency/bend, probability of Lawrence and Skinner. Rising omega refers to a higher probability of larger O-O distances, bent H bonds, and H-bond weakening and breakage. A approximately 50-80 cm(-1) difference between the 2727 cm(-1) OD peak from HDO in steam, and the 2650-2675 cm(-1) dispersion maximum is explained via the very broad approximately 60 cm(-1) liquid peak observed at 342 degrees C and 2000 bar.     

Probing the interaction between prostacyclin synthase and prostaglandin H2 analogues or inhibitors via a combination of resonance Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation approaches

In an aim to probe the structure-function relationship of prostacyclin synthase (PGIS), resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation approaches have been exploited to characterize the heme conformation and heme-protein matrix interactions for human PGIS (hPGIS) and zebrafish PGIS (zPGIS) in the presence and absence of ligands. The high-frequency RR (1300-1700 cm(-1)) indicates that the heme group is in the ferric, six-coordinate, low-spin state for both resting and ligand-bound hPGIS/zPGIS. The low-frequency RR (300-500 cm(-1)) and MD simulation reveal a salient difference in propionate-protein matrix interactions between hPGIS and zPGIS, as evident by a predominant propionate bending vibration at 386 cm(-1) in resting hPGIS, but two vibrations near 370 and 387 cm(-1) in resting zPGIS. Upon binding of a substrate analogue (U46619, U51605, or U44069), both hPGIS and zPGIS induce a distinctive perturbation of the propionate-protein matrix interactions, resulting in similar Raman shifts to ~381 cm(-1). On the contrary, the bending vibration remains unchanged upon binding of inhibitor/ligand (minoxidil, clotrimazole, or miconazole), indicating that these inhibitors/ligands do not interfere with the propionate-protein matrix interactions. These results, together with subtle changes in vinyl bending modes, demonstrate drastically different RR shifts with heme conformational changes in both hPGIS and zPGIS upon different ligand bindings, suggesting that PGIS exhibits a ligand-specific heme conformational change to accommodate the substrate binding. This substrate-induced modulation of the heme conformation may confer high product fidelity upon PGIS catalysis.     

Direct determination of the complete set of iron normal modes in a porphyrin-imidazole model for carbonmonoxy-heme proteins: [Fe(TPP)(CO)(1-MeIm)

Detailed Fe vibrational spectra have been obtained for the heme model complex [Fe(TPP)(CO)(1-MeIm)] using a new, highly selective and quantitative technique, Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS). This spectroscopy measures the complete vibrational density of states for iron atoms, from which normal modes can be calculated via refinement of the force constants. These data and mode assignments can reveal previously undetected vibrations and are useful for validating predictions based on optical spectroscopies and density functional theory, for example. Vibrational modes of the iron porphyrin-imidazole compound [Fe(TPP)(CO)(1-MeIm)] have been determined by refining normal mode calculations to NRVS data obtained at an X-ray synchrotron source. Iron dynamics of this compound, which serves as a useful model for the active site in the six-coordinate heme protein, carbonmonoxy-myoglobin, are discussed in relation to recently determined dynamics of a five-coordinate deoxy-myoglobin model, [Fe(TPP)(2-MeHIm)]. For the first time in a six-coordinate heme system, the iron-imidazole stretch mode has been observed, at 226 cm(-)(1). The heme in-plane modes with large contributions from the nu(42), nu(49), nu(50), and nu(53) modes of the core porphyrin are identified. In general, the iron modes can be attributed to coupling with the porphyrin core, the CO ligand, the imidazole ring, and/or the phenyl rings. Other significant findings are the observation that the porphyrin ring peripheral substituents are strongly coupled to the iron doming mode and that the Fe-C-O tilting and bending modes are related by a negative interaction force constant.     

氨基吡啶修饰碳纳米管的制备及其与辣根过氧化酶的相互作用

用重铬酸钾氧化法获得了表面羧基化的碳纳米管(MWCNT-COOH), 进一步通过酰胺化反应合成了2-氨基吡啶修饰的碳纳米管(MWCNT-AP). 利用傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱、核磁共振氢谱(¹H NMR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等对合成的碳纳米管进行了表征. 透射电镜(TEM)结果表明MWCNT-COOH在乙醇等极性溶剂中易于簇集, 而MWCNT-AP 溶液具有良好的分散性和稳定性. 辣根过氧化酶(HRP)可通过物理作用吸附于MWCNT-AP 和MWCNT-COOH表面, 负载量分别为187.5 和153.0 μg·mg^-1. HRP被吸附后, 其Soret 带明显红移, 说明HRP 与MWCNT-AP 或MWCNT-COOH 的结合位点位于血红素辅基的附近. 圆二色谱结果表明MWCNT-AP 对HRP的二级结构也有一定影响. 酶动力学实验结果表明MWCNT-AP 能有效地吸附HRP及其底物3,3',5,5'-四甲基联苯胺(TMB), 并使HRP的酶催化反应最大速率(V_max)显著提高.     

Hydroperoxynaphthalimide Derivative-mediated Oxidation of Heme Proteins on Photoirradiation: Horseradish Peroxidase

Abstract— Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was photoirradiated in the presence of organic peroxide (1, hydroperoxynaphthalimide derivative) at around 353 nm and 0°C. This compound bound to a heme pocket of HRP as shown by its inhibitory effect on catalysis by HRP ( K _i= 5.5 times 10⁻⁵ M) and subsequently it formed an intermediate in the same way as H202. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) suggested cleavage of the peptide chain of HRP on photoirradiation with 1. From CD spectra and SDS-PAGE, it was presumed that the destruction of both secondary structure and heme of the enzyme occurred to some extent upon photoirradiation, which resulted in a decrease in the catalytic activity. The absorption spectra also suggested that the heme group of the enzyme was destroyed, and the fluorescence spectra showed that the Trp residue in the photoirradiated HRP was oxidized to N -formylkynurenine by a hydroxyl radical generated from 1. Energy transfer from the excited naphthalimide moiety or hydrogen abstraction also seemed to make some contribution to the alteration of the heme group.     

Spectroscopic characterization of hydroxide and aqua complexes of Fe(II)-protoheme, structural models for the axial coordination of the atypical heme of membrane cytochrome b6f complexes

Electronic absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for hydroxide and aqua complexes of iron(II)-protoporphyrin IX (Fe(II)PP) respectively formed in alkaline and neutral aqueous solutions. These compounds with weak axial ligand(s) represent a biomimetic approach of the unusual coordination of the atypical heme c(i) of membrane cytochrome b6f complexes. Absorption spectra and spectrophotometric titrations show that Fe(II)PP in alkaline aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) binds one hydroxide ion, forming a five-coordinated high-spin (HS) complex. In alkaline aqueous ethanol, we confirm the formation of a dihydroxy complex of Fe(II)PP. In the RR spectra of Fe(II)PP dissolved in neutral aqueous CTABr, a mixture of a four-coordinated intermediate spin form with an HS monoaqua complex (Fe(II)PP(H2O)) was observed. The spectroscopic information obtained for Fe(II)PP(OH-), Fe(II)PP(H2O), and Fe(II)PP(OH-)2 was compared with that previously reported for the 2-methylimidazole and 2-methylimidazolate complexes of Fe(II)PP, representative of the most common axial ligation in HS heme proteins. This investigation reveals a very remarkable analogy in the spectral properties of, in one hand, the Fe(II)PP(H2O) and mono-2-methylimidazole complexes and, in the other hand, the Fe(II)PP(OH-) and mono-2-methylimidazolate complexes. The comparisons of the absorption and RR spectra of Fe(II)PP(OH-) and Fe(II)PP(OH-)2 clearly establish that both a redshift of the pi-pi electronic transitions and an upshift of the v8 RR frequency are spectral parameters indicative of porphyrin doming in HS ferrous complexes. Based upon isotopic substitutions (16OH-,16OD-, and 18OH-), stretching modes of the Fe-OH bond(s) of a ferrous porphyrin were assigned for the first time, i.e., at 435 cm(-1) for Fe(II)PP(OH-) (nu(Fe(II)-OH-)) and at 421 cm(-1) for Fe(II)PP(OH-)2 (nu(s)(Fe(II)-(OH-)2). The spectroscopic and redox properties of Fe(II)PP(H2O), Fe(II)PP(OH-), and heme c(i) were discussed and favor a water coordination for the heme c(i) iron.     

Vibrational analysis of excited and ground electronic states of all-trans retinal protonated Schiff-bases

We report on vibrational coherence dynamics in excited and ground electronic states of all-trans retinal protonated Schiff-bases (RPSB), investigated by time-resolved Degenerate Four-Wave-Mixing (DFWM). The results show that wave packet dynamics in the excited state of RPSB consist of only low-frequency (<800 cm(-1)) modes. Such low-frequency wave packet motion is observed over a broad range of detection wavelengths ranging from excited state absorption (～500 nm) to stimulated emission (>600 nm). Our results indicate that low-frequency coherences in the excited state are not activated directly by laser excitation but rather by internal vibrational energy redistribution. This is supported by the observation that similar coherence dynamics are not observed in the electronic ground state. Challenging previous experimental results, we show that the formation of low-frequency coherence dynamics in RPSB does not require significant excess vibrational energy deposition in the excited state vibrational manifolds. Concerning ground state wave packet dynamics, we observe a set of high-frequency (>800 cm(-1)) modes, reflecting mainly single and double bond stretching motion in the retinal polyene-chain. Dephasing of these high-frequency coherences is mode-dependent and partially differs from analogous vibrational dephasing of the all-trans retinal chromophore in a protein environment (bacteriorhodopsin).     

Anti-stokes Raman study of vibrational cooling dynamics in the primary photochemistry of rhodopsin

Picosecond Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman spectra are used to probe the structural dynamics and reactive energy flow in the primary cis-to-trans isomerization reaction of rhodopsin. The appearance of characteristic ethylenic, hydrogen out-of-plane (HOOP), and low-wavenumber photoproduct bands in the Raman spectra is instrument-response-limited, consistent with a subpicosecond product appearance time. Intense high and low-frequency anti-Stokes peaks demonstrate that the all-trans photoproduct is produced vibrationally hot on the ground-state surface. Specifically, the low-frequency modes at 282, 350, and 477 cm(-1) are highly vibrationally excited (T > 2000 K) immediately following isomerization, revealing that these low-frequency motions directly participate in the reactive curve-crossing process. The anti-Stokes modes are characterized by a approximately 2.5 ps temporal decay that coincides with the conversion of photorhodopsin to bathorhodopsin. This correspondence shows that the photo-to-batho transition is a ground-state cooling process and that energy storage in the primary visual photoproduct is complete on the picosecond time scale. Finally, unique Stokes vibrations at 290, 992, 1254, 1290, and 1569 cm(-1) arising from the excited state of rhodopsin are observed only at 0 ps delay.     

Spectroscopy and electrochemistry of cytochrome P450 BM3-surfactant film assemblies

We report analyses of electrochemical and spectroscopic measurements on cytochrome P450 BM3 (BM3) in didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) surfactant films. Electronic absorption spectra of BM3-DDAB films on silica slides reveal the characteristic low-spin FeIII heme absorption maximum at 418 nm. A prominent peak in the absorption spectrum of BM3 FeII-CO in a DDAB dispersion is at 448 nm; in spectra of aged samples, a shoulder at approximately 420 nm is present. Infrared absorption spectra of the BM3 FeII-CO complex in DDAB dispersions feature a time-dependent shift of the carbonyl stretching frequency from 1950 to 2080 cm(-1). Voltammetry of BM3-DDAB films on graphite electrodes gave the following results: FeIII/II E(1/2) at -260 mV (vs SCE), approximately 300 mV positive of the value measured in solution; DeltaS degrees (rc), DeltaS degrees , and DeltaH degrees values for water-ligated BM3 in DDAB are -98 J mol(-1) K(-1), -163 J mol(-1) K(-1), and -47 kJ mol(-1), respectively; values for the imidazole-ligated enzyme are -8 J mol(-1) K(-1), -73 J mol(-1) K(-1), and -21 kJ mol(-1). Taken together, the data suggest that BM3 adopts a compact conformation within DDAB that in turn strengthens hydrogen bonding interactions with the heme axial cysteine, producing a P420-like species with decreased electron density around the metal center.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of horseradish peroxidase in alpha-zirconium phosphate nanosheet film

Alpha-zirconium phosphate nanosheets (ZrPNS) derived via the delamination of layered alpha-zirconium phosphate (alpha-ZrP) have been proven to be efficient support matrixes for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) results revealed that ZrPNS in HRP-ZrPNS film remained unorderly structured for the effect of HRP. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra results revealed that HRP remained the secondary structure in HRP-ZrPNS film. The direct electrochemistry of HRP was realized in HRP-ZrPNS film on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), showing a pair of well-defined, nearly reversible cyclic voltammetry (CV) peaks for the HRP heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple. The average surface concentration (Gamma(*)) of electroactive HRP in HRP-ZrPNS film was estimated to be 1.35x10(-10) mol cm(-2), which indicated a high loading of enzyme molecules in HRP-ZrPNS film. Based on these, a third generation reagentless biosensor was constructed for the determination of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). The response time of the biosensor was less than 3 s, and the linear response range of the biosensor for H(2)O(2) was from 1.3x10(-6) to 1.6x10(-2) M with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997.     

The importance of vibronic perturbations in ferrocytochrome c spectra: a reevaluation of spectral properties based on low-temperature optical absorption, resonance Raman, and molecular-dynamics simulations

We have measured and analyzed the low-temperature (T=10 K) absorption spectrum of reduced horse heart and yeast cytochrome c. Both spectra show split and asymmetric Q(0) and Q(upsilon) bands. The spectra were first decomposed into the individual split vibronic sidebands assignable to B(1g) (nu15) and A(2g) (nu19, nu21, and nu22) Herzberg-Teller active modes due to their strong intensity in resonance Raman spectra acquired with Q(0) and Q(upsilon) excitations. The measured band splittings and asymmetries cannot be rationalized solely in terms of electronic perturbations of the heme macrocycle. On the contrary, they clearly point to the importance of considering not only electronic perturbations but vibronic perturbations as well. The former are most likely due to the heterogeneity of the electric field produced by charged side chains in the protein environment, whereas the latter reflect a perturbation potential due to multiple heme-protein interactions, which deform the heme structure in the ground and excited states. Additional information about vibronic perturbations and the associated ground-state deformations are inferred from the depolarization ratios of resonance Raman bands. The results of our analysis indicate that the heme group in yeast cytochrome c is more nonplanar and more distorted along a B(2g) coordinate than in horse heart cytochrome c. This conclusion is supported by normal structural decomposition calculations performed on the heme extracted from molecular-dynamic simulations of the two investigated proteins. Interestingly, the latter are somewhat different from the respective deformations obtained from the x-ray structures.     

Laser-induced fluorescence and single vibronic level emission spectroscopy of chiral (R)-1-aminoindan and some of its clusters in a supersonic jet

Two low energy conformers of the chiral (R)-1-aminoindan molecule are identified in supersonic jet and their ground and excited states vibrational spectroscopy has been investigated by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) excitation and single vibronic level (SVL) emission spectroscopy. Ab initio calculations confirm the existence of two lowest-energy structures, where the amino group is in equatorial position with its lone pair directed opposite to the aromatic electron cloud. Harmonic frequencies have been calculated for these two conformers at the DFT level with B3LYP functional. A low-frequency progression of 118 cm(-1) and 114 cm(-1), respectively, appears in the fluorescence excitation spectrum of the two conformers, with its ground state counterpart at approximately 147 cm(-1). It has been assigned to the puckering motion coupled with the ring flapping mode. The other calculated low-frequency mode corresponds to the puckering motion coupled with the ring twisting mode and its ground state frequency has been observed at 119 cm(-1) and 111 cm(-1) from SVL spectra. Both conformers form similar 1 : 1 water clusters, whose 0-0 transitions are shifted to the blue by 41 cm(-1) and 44 cm(-1), respectively, and whose SVL spectra are similar. Interestingly, one of the conformers seems to preferentially make complexes with (S)-methyllactate, while the other one shows selective complexation to (R)-methyllactate.     

Formation and characterization of carbon monoxide adducts of iron "twin coronet" porphyrins. Extremely low CO affinity and a strong negative polar effect on bound CO

The carbon monoxide (CO) adducts of iron "twin coronet" porphyrins (TCPs) are characterized by UV-vis, resonance Raman (RR), IR, and 13C NMR spectroscopies. A superstructured porphyrin, designated as TCP, was used as a common framework for the four different types of iron complexes. TCP bears two binaphthalene bridges on each side and creates two hydrophobic pockets surrounded by the bulky aromatic rings. In the CO-binding cavities, the hydroxyl groups are oriented toward the center above the heme. The iron complexes investigated are as follows: TCP (which is without a covalently linked axial ligand), TCP-PY (which has a linked pyridine ligand), and TCP-TB and TCP-TG (both of which have a linked thiolate ligand). These complexes were synthesized as ferric forms and identified by the various spectroscopic methods. The UV-vis spectra of TCP-CO and TCP-PY-CO exhibit lambda(max) at 432, 546 and 428, 541 nm, respectively. On the other hand, the CO adducts of TCP-TB and TCP-TG show typical hyperporphyrin spectra for a thiolate-ligated iron(II) porphyrin-CO complex. In the RR spectra, the nu(Fe-CO) bands were observed at 506, 489 cm(-1) (TCP), 465 cm(-1) (TCP-PY), 458, 437 cm(-1) (TCP-TG) and 429 cm(-1) (TCP-TB). Compared with the reported nu(Fe-CO) frequencies of hemoproteins and their model systems, these observed values are unusually low. Further, abnormally high nu(C-O) bands are observed at 1990 cm(-1) (TCP-CO) and 2008 cm(-1) (TCP-PY-CO) in IR spectra. The lower nu(Fe-CO) and the higher nu(C-O) frequencies can be ascribed to the strong negative polar effect caused by the vicinal hydroxyl groups in the cavity. This prediction is further supported by the observation of significant 13C shieldings exhibited by TCP-CO (delta = 202.6 ppm) and TCP-PY-CO (delta = 202.3 ppm), in comparison to hemoproteins and other heme models. The CO affinity of TCP-PY (P1/2CO = 0.017 Torr at 25 C) is unusually lower than other heme models. The unique behavior of these CO adducts is discussed in context of the TCP structures.     

Prosthetic heme modification during halide ion oxidation. Demonstration of chloride oxidation by horseradish peroxidase

Myeloperoxidase (MPO), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO), and chloroperoxidase can oxidize iodide, bromide, and chloride, but most peroxidases, including the prototypical horseradish peroxidase (HRP), reportedly only oxidize iodide and, in some cases, bromide. We report here that incubation of HRP with Br(-) and H(2)O(2) at acidic pH results in both bromination of monochlorodimedone and modification of the heme group. Mass spectrometry indicates that the heme 2- and 4-vinyl groups are modified by either replacement of a vinyl hydrogen by a bromide or addition of HOBr to give a bromohydrin. These reactions do not occur if protein-free heme and Br(-) are co-incubated with H(2)O(2) or if the HRP reaction is carried out at pH 7. Surprisingly, similar prosthetic heme modifications occur in incubations of HRP with H(2)O(2) and Cl(-). A mechanism is proposed involving oxidation of Br(-) or Cl(-) to give HOBr or HOCl, respectively, followed by addition to a vinyl group. In the reaction with Cl(-), a meso-chloro heme adduct is also formed. This first demonstration of Cl(-) oxidation by HRP, and the finding that prosthetic heme modification occurs when Br(-) or Cl(-) is oxidized in the absence of a cosubstrate, show that only modest tuning is required to achieve the unique chloride oxidation activity of MPO and EPO. The results raise the question of how the prosthetic hemes of MPO and EPO, whose function is to produce oxidized halide species, escape modification.     

A surfactant–heme–sulfonyl imidazole system as a nano-artificial enzyme

The heme–imidazole–sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) ternary complex has been designed as a peroxidase-like nano-artificial enzyme, in which the imidazole moiety functions like the histidine ligand in the native horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and increases the reactivity and catalytic efficiency of the designed artificial enzyme by promoting the heterolytic cleavage of hydrogen peroxide. In the present study, three different ligands were used as the imidazole-based ligands in the heme–ligand–SDS ternary system: (1) 1-methylsulfonyl-1H-imidazole, (2) 1-(benzensulfonyl)-1H-imidazole, and (3) 1-tosyl-1H-imidazole (TsIm). The three different ligands gave variable reactivity in the system studied, and the enzymatic activation parameters, using spectrophotometric measurements, showed that the TsIm ligand had a higher catalytic efficiency at 26.38 % of the native HRP efficiency. To investigate the increase in catalytic activity, its mechanism was explored based on the original mechanism of HRP and the structure of its first catalytic intermediate (compound I). Based on the mechanism of HRP and the structure of compound I, a suggested mechanism for Tslm is as follows: the TsIm cation radical makes up part of the compound I structure, which is stabilized in the enzymatic process by charge distribution that is induced via phenyl and methyl groups. Suicide inactivation of heme–TsIm–SDS and heme–imidazole–SDS models was also compared to each other. Suicide inactivation was less exhibited in the presence of TsIm than imidazole in this system unless high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were used.     

Intramolecular energy transfer between oriented chromophores: high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of HCl trimer

Detailed dynamical and structural information has been obtained for hydrogen-bonded (HCl)(3) clusters via high-resolution IR laser absorption spectroscopy in a supersonic slit expansion. Multiple rovibrational bands in an approximately 3000 cm(-1) HCl stretch region have been assigned and analyzed for H (35)Cl/H (37)Cl isotopomeric contributions, corresponding to excitation of (i) the degenerate antisymmetric HCl stretch in isotopically pure (H (35)Cl)(3), (ii) high- and low-frequency components of the nearly degenerate HCl stretch in H (37)Cl (H (35)Cl)(2), (iii) the low-frequency component of the corresponding HCl stretch in (H (37)Cl)(2) H (35)Cl. The isotopically pure (H (35)Cl)(3) results are in good agreement with earlier diode-laser efforts. A simple exciton model for vibrational coupling between HCl subunits is presented that indicates rapid intramolecular energy flow (beta approximately -1.89 cm(-1), tau approximately 2.8 ps) in the trimer ring, which is in good agreement with vibrationally mediated tunneling rates observed in the HCl dimer. Spectral analysis at slit jet resolution indicates a Deltanu approximately 120 MHz homogeneous line broadening and an excited-state lifetime of approximately 1.3 ns. The data is consistent with intramolecular vibrational redistribution-induced opening of the trimer followed by true predissociation to either (HCl)(2)+HCl or 3HCl on a longer time scale.