Effects of Substitutions D73E, D73N, D103N and V106M on Signaling and pH Titration of Sensory Rhodopsin II

Abstract— Several mutations in the repellent phototaxis receptor sensory rhodopsin II (SRII), in residues homologous to residues important in the related proton pump bacteriorhodopsin, were expressed in Pho81Wr^–, a Halobacterium salinarum strain deficient in production of SRII and its transducer protein HtrII. The lack of production of SRII and HtrII is shown to be due to insertion of an ISH2 transposon into the promoter region upstream of the htrII - sopH gene pair. Near wild-type phototaxis responses are rescued in Pho81Wr^– by expression of HtrII with D73E, D103N or V106M receptors. Partial responses are restored by the HtrII-D73N pair. From absorption spectroscopy of his-tag-purified receptor protein from mutants D73N and D73E we conclude that Asp73 is the primary counterion to the protonated Schiff base in SRII, like the corresponding Asp85 in bacteriorhodopsin. The absorption maximum of SRII (487 nm) is shifted to 514 nm in mutant D73N, a 1080 cm⁻¹ shift identical to that caused by D85N in bacteriorhodopsin. Acid titration of SRII also induces the red shift with a pK of 3.0 in wild type. The absorption shift and the pK are nearly the same in V106M and D103N, but the pK is raised to 5.1 in D73E, confirming that Asp73 is the residue responsible for this spectral transition.     

Direct test of the Gaussian-chain model for treating residual charge-charge interactions in the unfolded state of proteins

The Gaussian-chain model for treating residual charge-charge interactions was critically tested by recent experimental pK(a) results for individual Asp, Glu, and His residues in the unfolded drkN SH3 domain. Predicted pK(a)'s were in good agreement with experiment. The clustering of Asp and Glu residues along the sequence was suggested to limit pK(a) shifts and contribute to the folding stability by destabilizing the unfolded state.     

Conformational relaxation and water penetration coupled to ionization of internal groups in proteins

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine the effects of ionization of internal groups on the structures of eighteen variants of staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) with internal Lys, Asp, or Glu. In most cases the RMSD values of internal ionizable side chains were larger when the ionizable moieties were charged than when they were neutral. Calculations of solvent-accessible surface area showed that the internal ionizable side chains were buried in the protein interior when they were neutral and moved toward crevices and toward the protein-water interface when they were charged. The only exceptions are Lys-36, Lys-62, and Lys-103, which remained buried even after charging. With the exception of Lys-38, the number of internal water molecules surrounding the ionizable group increased upon charging: the average number of water oxygen atoms within the first hydration shell increased by 1.7 for Lys residues, by 5.2 for Asp residues, and by 3.2 for Glu residues. The polarity of the microenvironment of the ionizable group also increased when the groups were charged: the average number of polar atoms of any kind within the first hydration shell increased by 2.7 for Lys residues, by 4.8 for Asp residues, and by 4.0 for Glu residues. An unexpected correlation was observed between the absolute value of the shifts in pK(a) values measured experimentally, and several parameters of structural relaxation: the net difference in the polarity of the microenvironment of the charged and neutral forms of the ionizable groups, the net difference in hydration of the charged and neutral forms of the ionizable groups, and the difference in RMSD values of the charged and neutral forms of the ionizable groups. The effects of ionization of internal groups on the conformation of the backbone were noticeable but mostly small and localized to the area immediately next to the internal ionizable moiety. Some variants did exhibit local unfolding.     

Direct NMR observation and pKa determination of the Asp102 side chain in a serine protease

The pK(a) value of aspartic acid in the catalytic triad of serine proteases has been a pivotal element in essentially every mechanism proposed for these enzymes over the past 40 years, but has, until now, eluded direct determination. Here, we have used the multinuclear 3D-NMR pulse programs HCACO and HCCH-TOCSY to directly identify and study the side-chain resonances of the aspartate and glutamate residues in uniformly (13)C-labeled α-lytic protease. Resonances from four of the six residues were detected and assigned, including that of Asp(102), which is notably the weakest of the four. pH titrations have shown all of the carboxylate (13)C signals to have unusually low pK(a) values: 2.0, 3.2, and 1.7 for Glu(129), Glu(174), and Glu(229), respectively, and an upper limit of 1.5 for Asp(102). The multiple H-bonds to Asp(102), long known from X-ray crystal studies, probably account for its unusually low pK(a) value through preferential stabilization of its anionic form. These H-bonds probably also contribute to the weakness of the NMR resonances of Asp(102) by restricting its mobility. The Asp(102)(13)C(γ) atom responds to the ionization of His(57) in the resting enzyme and to the inhibitor-derived oxyanion in a chloromethyl ketone complex, observations that strongly support the assignment. The low pK(a) value of Asp(102) would appear to be incompatible with mechanisms involving strong Asp(102)-His(57) H-bonds or high pK(a) values, but is compatible with mechanisms involving normal Asp(102)-His(57) H-bonds and moving His(57) imidazole rings, such as the reaction-driven ring flip.     

The high dielectric constant of staphylococcal nuclease is encoded in its structural architecture

The pK(a) values of Lys-66, Glu-66, and Asp-66 buried in the interior of the staphylococcal nuclease Δ+PHS variant were reported to be shifted by as much as 5 pK(a) units from their normal values. Reproducing the pK(a) of these buried ionizable residues using continuum electrostatic calculations required the use of a high protein dielectric constant of 10 or higher. The apparent high dielectric constant has been rationalized as a consequence of a local structural reorganization or increased fluctuations in the microenvironment of the mutation site (Chimenti, M. S., et al. J. Mol. Biol. 2011, 405, 361-377). We have calculated the dielectric constant of Δ+PHS and the Lys-66, Asp-66, and Glu-66 mutants from first principles using the Kirkwood-Fr?hlich equation and discovered that staphylococcal nuclease has a naturally high dielectric constant ranging from 20 to 30. This high dielectric constant does not change significantly with the mutation of residue 66 or with the ionization of the mutated residues. Calculation of the spatial dependence of the dielectric constant for the microenvironment of residue-66 produces a value of about 10, which matches well with the apparent dielectric constant needed to reproduce pK(a) values from continuum electrostatic calculations. Our results suggest an alternative explanation that the high dielectric constant of staphylococcal nuclease is a property resulting from the intrinsic backbone fluctuations originating from its structural architecture.     

EPR and optical spectroscopic studies of Met80X mutants of yeast ferricytochrome c. Models for intermediates in the alkaline transition

The ferric forms of Met80X mutants of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (X = Ala, Ser, Asp, and Glu) display EPR and optical spectra that are strongly pH dependent. At low pH values (pH approximately 5) the sixth coordination sites are filled by H(2)O that, on elevating the pH, is replaced by OH(-) in the cases of Met80Ala and -Ser (pK approximately 5.6 and 5.9, respectively) and by a lysine amino group in the cases of Met80Asp and -Glu (pK approximately 9.3 and 11.6, respectively). The ligand sets and the pK values of the transitions are rationalized in terms of the structure of the heme pocket, and a possible mechanism of the "trigger" in the alkaline transition of the native protein is suggested.     

Site-directed mutagenesis of squalene-hopene cyclase: altered substrate specificity and product distribution

BACKGROUND: Two regions of squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) were examined to define roles for motifs posited to be responsible for initiation and termination of the enzyme-catalyzed polyolefinic cyclizations. Specifically, we first examined the triple mutant of the DDTAVV motif, a region deeply buried in the catalytic cavity and thought to be responsible for the initiation of squalene cyclization. Next, four mutants were prepared for Glu45, a residue close to the substrate entrance channel proposed to be involved in the termination of the cyclization of squalene. RESULTS: The DDTAVV motif in SHC was changed to DCTAEA, the corresponding conserved region of eukaryotic oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC), by the triple mutation of D377C/V380E/V381A; selected single mutants were also examined. The triple mutant showed no detectable cyclization of squalene, but effectively cyclized 2,3-oxidosqualene to give mono- and pentacyclic triterpene products. Of the Glu45 mutants, E45A and E45D showed reduced activity, E45Q showed slightly increased activity, and E45K was inactive. A normal yield of pentacyclic products was produced, but the ratio of hopene 2 to hopanol 3 was significantly changed in the less active mutants. CONCLUSIONS: Initiation and substrate selectivity may be determined by the interaction of the DDTAVV motif with the isopropylidene of squalene (for SHC) and of the DCTAEA motif with the epoxide of oxidosqualene (for OSC). This is the first report of a substrate switch determined by a central catalytic motif in a triterpenoid cyclase. At the termination of cyclization, the product ratio may be largely controlled by Glu45 at the entrance channel to the active site.     

Effects of pH on protein association: modification of the proton-linkage model and experimental verification of the modified model in the case of cytochrome c and plastocyanin.

Effects of pH on protein association are not well understood. To understand them better, we combine kinetic experiments, calculations of electrostatic properties, and a new theoretical treatment of pH effects. The familiar proton-linkage model, when used to analyze the dependence of the association constant K on pH, reveals little about the individual proteins. We modified this model to allow determination not only of the numbers of the H+ ions involved in the association but also of the pK(a) values, in both the separate and the associated proteins, of the side chains that are responsible for the dependence of K on pH. Some of these side chains have very similar pK(a) values, and we treat them as a group having a composite pK(a) value. Use of these composite pK(a) values greatly reduces the number of parameters and allows meaningful interpretation of the experimental results. We experimentally determined the variation of K in the interval 5.4 < or = pH < or = 9.0 for four diprotein complexes, those that the wild-type cytochrome c forms with the wild-type plastocyanin and its mutants Asp42Asn, Glu59Gln, and Glu60Gln. The excellent fittings of the experimental results to the modified model verified this model and revealed some unexpected and important properties of these prototypical redox metalloproteins. Protein association causes a decrease in the pK(a) values of the acidic side chains and an increase in the pK(a) values of the basic side chains. Upon association, three carboxylic side chains in wild-type plastocyanin each release a H+ ion. These side chains in free plastocyanin have an anomalously high composite pK(a) value, approximately 6.3. Upon association, five or six side chains in cytochrome c, likely those of lysine, each take up a H+ ion. Some of these side chains have anomalously low pK(a) values, less than 7.0. The unusual pK(a) values of the residues in the recognition patches of plastocyanin and cytochrome c may be significant for the biological functions of these proteins. Although each mutation in plastocyanin markedly, and differently, changed the dependence of K on pH, the model consistently gave excellent fittings. They showed decreased numbers of H+ ions released or taken up upon protein association and altered composite pK(a) values of the relevant side chains. Comparisons of the fitted composite pK(a) values with the theoretically calculated pK(a) values for plastocyanin indicated that Glu59 and Asp61 in the wild-type plastocyanin each release a H+ ion upon association with cytochrome c. Information of this kind cannot readily be obtained by spectroscopic methods. Our modification of the proton-linkage model is a general one, applicable also to ligands other than H+ ion and to processes other than association.     

New insights into the reaction mechanism catalyzed by the glutamate racemase enzyme: pH titration curves and classical molecular dynamics simulations

The mechanism of the reactions catalyzed by the pyridoxal-phosphate-independent amino acid racemases and epimerases faces the difficult task of deprotonating a relatively low acidicity proton, the amino acid's alpha-hydrogen, with a relatively poor base, a cysteine. In this work, we propose a mechanism for one of these enzymes, glutamate racemase (MurI), about which many controversies exist, and the roles that its active site residues may play. The titration curves and the pK1/2 values of all of the ionizable residues for different structures leading from reactants to products have been analyzed. From these results a concerted mechanism has been proposed in which the Cys70 residue would deprotonate the alpha-hydrogen of the substrate while, at the same time, being deprotonated by the Asp7 residue. To study the consistency of this mechanism classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out along with pK1/2 calculations on the MD-generated structures.     

Linear-scaling molecular orbital calculations for the pKa values of ionizable residues in proteins

In this report, we present a computational methodology for the pKa prediction of proteins, based on linear-scaling molecular orbital calculations for their solution-conformations obtained from NMR measurements. The method is used to predict the pKa values of five carboxylic acids (Asp7, Glu10, Glu19, Asp27, and Glu43) in turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3), and six aspartates residues (Asp 22, Asp 44, Asp 54, Asp 75, Asp 83, and Asp 93) in barnase. For OMTKY3, all the predicted pKa values are within 1 pH units from the available experimental ones, except for the case of Glu 43. For barnase, the root-mean-square deviation from experiment is 1.46 pH units. As a result, the proposed pKa calculation method correctly reproduces the relative order of the pKa values among the carboxylic acids located in different sites of the proteins. The calculated pKa values are decomposed into the contributions of short- and long-range structural difference effects. The results indicate that in both proteins the pKa value of the given carboxylic acid is partially influenced by long-range interactions with distant charged residues, which significantly contribute to determining the relative order of the pKa values. The current methodology based on LSMO provides us useful information about the titration behavior in a protein.     

Titration curves of polypeptide chains by combined isoelectric focusing-electrophoresis in 8 M urea

Titration curves of reduced and alkylated polypeptide chains can be successfully performed in 8 M urea-polyacrylamide gel plates by electrophoresis perpendicular to a stationary stack of focused carrier ampholytes. All buffers and thiol reagents with pK values in the range pH 3--10 should be removed, since their pH-dependent ionization affects the migration and apparent pI values of the protein chains. No blurring of the patterns below pH 4.5 is observed, as usually found in titration curves in the absence of urea, thus allowing the direct titration of Glu and Asp residues. It is not possible by the present technique to titrate any group below pH ca. 3 and above pH ca. 10, due to the lack of suitable carrier ampholytes and to a "flooding" phenomenon, with concomitant identical electrophoretic mobility for all protein species, irrespective of their relative pI values and amino acid composition. The "electrophoretic titration curves" thus obtained were well correlated with the overall amino acid composition of the polypeptide chains analyzed.     

Helical hairpin structure of influenza hemagglutinin fusion peptide stabilized by charge-dipole interactions between the N-terminal amino group and the second helix

The fusion domain of the influenza coat protein hemagglutinin HA2, bound to dodecyl phosphocholine micelles, was recently shown to adopt a structure consisting of two antiparallel α-helices, packed in an exceptionally tight hairpin configuration. Four interhelical H(α) to C═O aliphatic H-bonds were identified as factors stabilizing this fold. Here, we report evidence for an additional stabilizing force: a strong charge-dipole interaction between the N-terminal Gly(1) amino group and the dipole moment of helix 2. pH titration of the amino-terminal (15)N resonance, using a methylene-TROSY-based 3D NMR experiment, and observation of Gly(1 13)C' show a strongly elevated pK = 8.8, considerably higher than expected for an N-terminal amino group in a lipophilic environment. Chemical shifts of three C-terminal carbonyl carbons of helix 2 titrate with the protonation state of Gly(1)-N, indicative of a close proximity between the N-terminal amino group and the axis of helix 2, providing an optimal charge-dipole stabilization of the antiparallel hairpin fold. pK values of the side-chain carboxylate groups of Glu(11) and Asp(19) are higher by about 1 and 0.5 unit, respectively, than commonly seen for solvent-exposed side chains in water-soluble proteins, indicative of dielectric constants of ε = ～30 (Glu(11)) and ～60 (Asp(19)), placing these groups in the headgroup region of the phospholipid micelle.     

Interaction specific binding hotspots in Endonuclease colicin-immunity protein complex from MD simulations

The binding of Endonuclease colicin 9 (E9) by Immunity protein 9 (Im9) was found to involve some hotspots from helix III of Im9 on protein-protein interface that contribute the dominant binding energy to the complex.In the current work,MD simulations of the WT and three hotspot mutants (D51A,Y54A and Y55A of Im9) of the E9-Im9 complexes were carried out to investigate specific interaction mechanisms of these three hotspot residues.The changes of binding energy between the WT and mutants of the complex were computed by the MM/PBSA method using a polarized force field and were in excellent agreement with experiment values,verifying that these three residues were indeed hotspots of the binding complex.Energy decomposition analysis revealed that binding by D51 to E9 was dominated by electrostatic interaction due to the presence of the carboxyl group of Asp51 which hydrogen bonds to K89.For binding by hotspots Y54 and Y55,van der Waals interaction from the aromatic side chain of tyrosine provided the dominant interaction.For comparison,calculation by using the standard (nonpolarizable) AMBER99SB force field produced binding energy changes from these mutations in opposite direction to the experimental observation.Dynamic hydrogen bond analysis showed that conformations sampled from MD simulation in the standard AMBER force field were distorted from the native state and they disrupted the inter-protein hydrogen bond network of the protein-protein complex.The current work further demonstrated that electrostatic polarization plays a critical role in modulating protein-protein binding.     

A DFT/CDM Study of metal-carboxylate interactions in metalloproteins: factors governing the maximum number of metal-bound carboxylates

The number of negatively charged metal-bound Asp/Glu residues determines the net charge of the carboxylate-rich metal-binding site, which has been found to play a role in enhancing the affinity and/or selectivity of a protein cavity for a given metal cofactor. Therefore, it is of interest to know the maximum number of carboxylates that could bind to a given metal (M(q)()(+)) of charge q and the key factors determining this upper limit in protein cavities, which are usually relatively buried. Using density functional theory combined with the continuum dielectric method to compute the H(2)O --> CH(3)COO(-) exchange free energies, the maximum number of carboxylates bound to M(q)()(+) in a relatively buried metal-binding site is found to depend on (i) the metal charge, q, (ii) the carboxylate-binding mode, and (iii) the first-shell carboxylate-second-shell ligand interactions. The maximum number of carboxylates bound to M(q)()(+) in a fully/partially solvent inaccessible protein cavity would not likely exceed q + 2 if (a) the metal-bound Asp/Glu side chains are hydrogen bonded to a Lys/Arg side chain or several peptide backbone amides/Asn/Gln side chains in the metal's second coordination shell or (b) at least one acidic residue binds bidentately, as opposed to monodentately, to the metal cofactor. This number is reduced to q + 1 in the absence of stabilizing interactions from outer-shell ligand(s) and if all the carboxylates are bound monodentately to the metal cofactor in a buried cavity. The computational results are consistent with findings from a PDB survey of uni-, di-, and trivalent metal-binding sites containing Asp/Glu residues.     

表面带负电荷氨基酸残基的突变对细胞色素b5与细胞色素c结合和识别的影响

利用核磁共振方法研究表面带不同负电荷氨基酸残基突变后的细胞色素b₅与细胞色素c的结合与识别.结果表明,静电作用在细胞色素b₅与细胞色素c的结合过程中有着重要的贡献,而且这些静电贡献在一定程度上具有累加性,E48的贡献略大于E44.同时还证明Browniandynamicssimulations优化出的Glu48-Lys13,Glu56-Lys₈₇,Asp60-Lys86和heme6-propionate-Tml₇₂(细胞色素b₅的残基排在前面)的结合方式在溶液中的确存在.细胞色素b₅突变体(E48,E56/A,D60/A)及[Cr(oxalate)₃]^3-对细胞色素c的表面结合竞争实验表明,细胞色素c表面结合区Site仍然同细胞色素b₅突变体(E48,E56/A,D60/A)有结合作用,只是结合强度上相对于野生细胞色素b₅同细胞色素c的结合有所降低.这表明除上述的Brownian dynamics simulations模型外,尚有其它如Salemme模型等的结合方式,这也揭示出细胞色素b₅和细胞色素c之间的结合是比较动态的.     

Stereospecific capillary electrophoresis assays using pentapeptide substrates for the study of Aspergillus nidulans methionine sulfoxide reductase A and mutant enzymes

Stereospecific capillary electrophoresis‐based methods for the analysis of methionine sulfoxide [Met(O)]‐containing pentapeptides were developed in order to investigate the reduction of Met(O)‐containing peptide substrates by recombinant Aspergillus nidulans methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) as well as enzymes carrying mutations in position Glu99 and Asp134. The separation of the diastereomers of the N‐acetylated, C‐terminally 2,4‐dinitrophenyl (Dnp)‐labeled pentapeptides ac‐Lys‐Phe‐Met(O)‐Lys‐Lys‐Dnp, ac‐Lys‐Asp‐Met(O)‐Asn‐Lys‐Dnp and ac‐Lys‐Asn‐Met(O)‐Asp‐Lys‐Dnp was achieved in 50 mM Tris‐HCl buffers containing sulfated β‐CD in fused‐silica capillaries, while the diastereomer separation of ac‐Lys‐Asp‐Met(O)‐Asp‐Lys‐Dnp was achieved by sulfated β‐CD‐mediated MEKC. The methods were validated with regard to range, linearity, accuracy, limits of detection and quantitation as well as precision. Subsequently, the substrates were incubated with wild‐type MsrA and three mutants in the presence of dithiothreitol as reductant. Wild‐type MsrA displayed the highest activity towards all substrates compared to the mutants. Substitution of Glu99 by Gln resulted in the mutant with the lowest activity towards all substrates except for ac‐Lys‐Asn‐Met(O)‐Asp‐Lys‐Dnp, while replacement Asn for Asp134 lead to a higher activity towards ac‐Lys‐Asp‐Met(O)‐Asn‐Lys‐Dnp compared with the Glu99 mutant. The mutant with Glu instead of Asp134 was the most active among the mutant enzymes. Molecular modeling indicated that the conserved Glu99 residue is buried in the Met‐S‐(O) groove, which might contribute to the correct placing of substrates and, consequently, to the catalytic activity of MsrA, while Asp134 did not form hydrogen bonds with the substrates but only within the enzyme.     

Computing Alchemical Free Energy Differences with Hamiltonian Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics (H-REMD) Simulations

Alchemical free energy calculations play a very important role in the field of molecular modeling. Efforts have been made to improve the accuracy and precision of those calculations. One of the efforts is to employ a Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics (H-REMD) method to enhance conformational sampling. In this paper, we demonstrated that HREMD method not only improves convergence in alchemical free energy calculations but also can be used to compute free energy differences directly via the Free Energy Perturbation (FEP)algorithm. We show a direct mapping between the H-REMD and the usual FEP equations, which are then used directly to compute free energies. The H-REMD alchemical free energy calculation (Replica exchange Free Energy Perturbation, REFEP) was tested on predicting the pK(a) value of the buried Asp26 in thioredoxin. We compare the results of REFEP with TI and regular FEP simulations. REFEP calculations converged faster than those from TI and regular FEP simulations. The final predicted pK(a) value from the H-REMD simulation was also very accurate, only 0.4 pK(a) unit above the experimental value. Utilizing the REFEP algorithm significantly improves conformational sampling, and this in turn improves the convergence of alchemical free energy simulations.     

Proton storage site in bacteriorhodopsin: new insights from quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations of microscopic pK(a) and infrared spectra

Identifying the group that acts as the proton storage/loading site is a challenging but important problem for understanding the mechanism of proton pumping in biomolecular proton pumps, such as bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and cytochrome c oxidase. Recent experimental studies of bR propelled the idea that the proton storage/release group (PRG) in bR is not an amino acid but a water cluster embedded in the protein. We argue that this idea is at odds with our knowledge of protein electrostatics, since invoking the water cluster as the PRG would require the protein to raise the pK(a) of a hydronium by almost 11 pK(a) units, which is difficult considering known cases of pK(a) shifts in proteins. Our recent quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations suggested an alternative "intermolecular proton bond" model in which the stored proton is shared between two conserved Glu residues (194 and 204). Here we show that this model leads to microscopic pK(a) values consistent with available experimental data and the functional requirement of a PRG. Extensive QM/MM simulations also show that, independent of a number of technical issues, such as the influence of QM region size, starting X-ray structure, and nuclear quantum effects, the "intermolecular proton bond" model is qualitatively consistent with available spectroscopic data. Potential of mean force calculations show explicitly that the stored proton strongly prefers the pair of Glu residues over the water cluster. The results and analyses help highlight the importance of considering protein electrostatics and provide arguments for why the "intermolecular proton bond" model is likely applicable to the PRG in biomolecular proton pumps in general.     

Mn(II) and Zn(II) interactions with peptide fragments from Parkinson's disease genes

Two peptide sequences from PARK9 Parkinson's disease gene, ProAspGluLysHisGluLeu, (P(1)D(2)E(3)K(4)H(5)E(6)L(7)) (1) and PheCysGlyAspGlyAlaAsnAspCysGly (F(1)C(2)G(3)D(4)G(5)A(6)N(7)D(8)C(9)G(10)) (2) were tested for Mn(II), Zn(II) and Ca(II) binding. The fragments are located from residues 1165 to 1171 and 1184 to 1193 in the PARK9 encoded protein. This protein can protect cells from poisoning of manganese, which is an environmental risk factor for a Parkinson's disease-like syndrome. Mono- and bi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy has been used to understand the details of metal binding sites at different pH values and at different ligand to metal molar ratios. Mn(II) and Zn(II) coordination with peptide (1) involves imidazole N(ε) or N(δ) of His(5) and carboxyl γ-O of Asp(2), Glu(3) and Glu(6) residues. Six donor atoms participate in Mn(II) binding resulting in a distorted octahedral geometry, possibly involving bidentate interaction of carboxyl groups; four donor atoms participate in Zn(II) binding resulting in a tetracoordinate geometry. Mn(II) and Zn(II) coordination involves the two cysteine residues with peptide (2); Mn(II) accepts additional ligand bonds from the carboxyl γ-O of Asp(4) and Asp(8) to complete the coordination sphere; the unoccupied sites may contain solvent molecules. The failure of Ca(II) ions to bind to either peptide (1) or (2) appears to result, under our conditions, from the absence of chelating properties in the chosen fragments.     

Intricate role of water in proton transport through cytochrome c oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase (CytcO), the final electron acceptor in the respiratory chain, catalyzes the reduction of O(2) to H(2)O while simultaneously pumping protons across the inner mitochondrial or bacterial membrane to maintain a transmembrane electrochemical gradient that drives, for example, ATP synthesis. In this work mutations that were predicted to alter proton translocation and enzyme activity in preliminary computational studies are characterized with extensive experimental and computational analysis. The mutations were introduced in the D pathway, one of two proton-uptake pathways, in CytcO from Rhodobacter sphaeroides . Serine residues 200 and 201, which are hydrogen-bonded to crystallographically resolved water molecules halfway up the D pathway, were replaced by more bulky hydrophobic residues (Ser200Ile, Ser200Val/Ser201Val, and Ser200Val/Ser201Tyr) to query the effects of changing the local structure on enzyme activity as well as proton uptake, release, and intermediate transitions. In addition, the effects of these mutations on internal proton transfer were investigated by blocking proton uptake at the pathway entrance (Asp132Asn replacement in addition to the above-mentioned mutations). Even though the overall activities of all mutant CytcO's were lowered, both the Ser200Ile and Ser200Val/Ser201Val variants maintained the ability to pump protons. The lowered activities were shown to be due to slowed oxidation kinetics during the P(R) → F and F → O transitions (P(R) is the "peroxy" intermediate formed at the catalytic site upon reaction of the four-electron-reduced CytcO with O(2), F is the oxoferryl intermediate, and O is the fully oxidized CytcO). Furthermore, the P(R) → F transition is shown to be essentially pH independent up to pH 12 (i.e., the apparent pK(a) of Glu286 is increased from 9.4 by at least 3 pK(a) units) in the Ser200Val/Ser201Val mutant. Explicit simulations of proton transport in the mutated enzymes revealed that the solvation dynamics can cause intriguing energetic consequences and hence provide mechanistic insights that would never be detected in static structures or simulations of the system with fixed protonation states (i.e., lacking explicit proton transport). The results are discussed in terms of the proton-pumping mechanism of CytcO.