Real light emitter in the bioluminescence of the calcium-activated photoproteins aequorin and obelin: light emission from the singlet-excited state of coelenteramide phenolate anion in a contact ion pair

Fluorescence of the phenolate anion (3(O)⁻) and the amide anion (5(N)⁻) of coelenteramide analogues in ion pairs with various counter cations was systematically investigated to elucidate the ionic structure of the light emitter in the bioluminescence of the calcium-activated photoproteins aequorin and obelin. The fluorescent properties of 3(O)⁻ in an ion pair with a conjugate acid of an organic base (BASE-H⁺) were varied depending on the structural variation of the ion pair and the solvent polarity. In particular, the fluorescence of 3(O)⁻ in the ion pair with the conjugate acid of n-butylamine (NBA-H⁺) indicates that the singlet-excited state of 3(O)⁻ (¹3(O)^−∗) and NBA-H⁺ make a contact ion pair in which the fluorescence emission maxima of 3(O)⁻ is sensitive to the solvent polarity and the fluorescence quantum yields of 3(O)⁻ increase in a less polar solvent. The results also confirm that ¹3(O)^−∗ is a twisted intramolecular charge transfer state. By contrast, the fluorescence of 5(N)⁻ in an ion pair depends little on the BASE-H⁺ or the solvent polarity. Based on these results, we conclude that the light emitter in aequorin and obelin bioluminescences is the singlet-excited state of coelenteramide phenolate anion 2(O)⁻ (¹2(O)^−∗) in a contact ion pair with an imidazolium side chain of a histidine residue, which is located at the less polar active sites of the photoproteins. We also propose a mechanism for the bioluminescence reaction, including the chemiexcitation process to give ¹2(O)^−∗.     

QM/MM Investigations on the Bioluminescent Decomposition of Coelenterazine Dioxetanone in Obelin

The bioluminescent mechanism of colenterazine dioxetanone(CZD) in the photoprotein of Obelia(obelin) was investigated by the combined quantum and molecular mechanics(QM/MM) method at TD-DFT level, which involved the real protein environment in decomposition of 1,2-dioxetanones. The anionic decomposition of CZD in (CZD+H₂O)^- model can go through a charge transfer(CT) catalyzed asynchronous-concerted process, which can be elucidated by the gradual reversible CT initiated luminescence(GRCTIL) mechanism. The neutral CZD in (CZDH+H₂O) decomposes through an uncatalyzed non-CT biradical process. The anionic decomposition catalyzed by CT, in which the S₀/S₁ surface "double crossing" hence has ability to provide high quantum yield of singlet chemiexcitation is thus more possible in bioluminescence of photoprotein.