Biological Electron Transfer Reactions Research Articles

Single-Entity Bioelectrochemistry

Interfacing biological catalytic entities, such as whole cells or enzymes, with electrodes, has a wide range of applications, ranging from fundamental studies of the entities themselves to power generation, bioremediation, chemical synthesis, and biosensing. In all cases, the operation of these bioelectrocatalytic systems is based on electron transfer phenomena within protein molecules, whether isolated or residing inside cells or parts of cells, as well as between proteins and electronics. Typically, the electron transfer and catalytic properties of proteins are studied using ensemble averaging methods, which obscure any heterogeneity and dynamics of individual molecules. This information, however, is especially important for understanding electron transfer and catalytic processes within a living cell where only one or a few protein molecules are present. While single-entity electrochemical measurements are particularly useful for studying electron transfer reactions at the nanoscale level, they have limited applications for investigating biological entities due to the experimental challenges associated with direct measurements of small electrical currents. 1,2 Here we will discuss our recent progress in investigating biological electron transfer reactions at the single-entity level, from bacterial cells to single redox proteins, using nano-impact (collision) single-entity electrochemistry. 3 We demonstrate how advances in electrode fabrication methods and detection setups enable current detection in the fA range. When combined with the developed data processing algorithm based on unsupervised learning and template matching techniques, this enabled unprecedented insight into electron transfer processes at the nanoscale. We will talk about insights provided by the method in the study of several important bioelectrocatalytic systems: single E.coli cells with overexpressed Fe-Fe hydrogenases, single bilirubin oxidase molecules, and single catalase molecules. In addition, we will discuss models that we developed for understanding the single bioentity electrode interactions for diffusion-controlled enzymes when the product of the catalytic reaction is detected on the electrode, as well as systems based on direct electron transfer between the bioentity and the electrode. Overall, we show how single-entity bioelectrochemistry can shed light on biological electron transfer and catalysis processes and discuss the challenges it currently faces. Zhang, J.-H.; Zhou, Y.-G. Nano-Impact Electrochemistry: Analysis of Single Bioentities. TrAC Trends Anal. Chem. 2019, 115768.Davis, C.; Wang, S. X.; Sepunaru, L. What Can Electrochemistry Tell Us About Individual Enzymes? Curr. Opin. Electrochem. 2020, 100643.Sekretaryova, A. N.; Vagin, M. Yu.; Turner, A. P. F.; Eriksson, M. Electrocatalytic Currents from Single Enzyme Molecules. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138 (8), 2504–250

Proximal Methionine Amino Acid Residue Affects the Properties of Redox-Active Tryptophan in an Artificial Model Protein.

Redox-active amino acid residues are at the heart of biological electron-transfer reactions. They play important roles in natural protein functions and are implicated in disease states (e.g., oxidative-stress-associated disorders). Tryptophan (Trp) is one such redox-active amino acid residue, and it has long been known to serve a functional role in proteins. Broadly speaking, there is still much to learn about the local features that make some Trp redox active and others inactive. Herein, we describe a new protein model system where we investigate how a methionine (Met) residue proximal to a redox-active Trp affects its reactivity and spectroscopy. We use an artificial variant of azurin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa to produce these models. We employ a series of UV-visible spectroscopy, electrochemistry, electron paramagnetic resonance, and density functional theory experiments to demonstrate the effect that placing Met near Trp radicals has in the context of redox proteins. The introduction of Met proximal to Trp lowers its reduction potential by ca. 30 mV and causes clear shifts in the optical spectra of the corresponding radicals. While the effect may be small, it is significant enough to be a way for natural systems to tune Trp reactivity.

Recovering biological electron transfer reaction parameters from multiple protein film voltammetric techniques informed by Bayesian inference

Deciphering the mechanism, kinetics and energetics of biological electron-transfer reactions requires a robust, rapid and reproducible protein-film voltammetry information recovery process. Here we describe a semi-automated computational approach for inferring the chemical reaction parameters for a simple protein system, a bacterial cytochrome domain from Cellvibrio japonicus that displays reversible one-electron Fe2+/3+ redox chemistry. Despite the relative simplicity of the experimental system, developing a robust data analysis approach to find the global optimum in 13-dimensional parameter space is a challenging task because the Faradaic-to-background current ratio in such experiments is often low. We describe how a multiple-technique approach, whereby data from three voltammetry techniques (direct-current, pure sinusoidal and Fourier transform alternating current voltammetry) is combined, ultimately enables the automatic extraction of both (i) quantitative “best-fit” redox reaction parameter point values that are robust across multiple experiments performed on different protein-electrode films, and (ii) a statistical description of parameter correlation relationships, along with uncertainty in the individual parameter values, obtained using Bayesian inference. It is the latter achievement which is particularly important as it represents a method for visualising the possible limitations in the mathematical model of the experimental system. Our multi-voltammetry analysis approach enables such powerful insight because of the complementarity between the information content, simulation-speed and parameter sensitivity of the current–time data generated by the different techniques, illustrating the value of adding purely sinusoidal voltammetry to the bioelectrochemistry measurement toolkit.

Single-Electron Charging of Thioctic Acid Monolayer-Protected Gold Clusters.

There is great interest in the use of Monolayer-Protected Gold Clusters (AuMPCs) as nanoscale capacitors in aqueous media for nanobiotechnological applications, such as bioelectrocatalysts, biofuel cells, and biosensors. However, AuMPCs exhibiting subattofarad double-layer capacitance at room temperature, and the resolution of single-electron charging, has been mainly obtained in an organic medium with nonfunctional capping ligands. We report here the synthesis of Thioctic Acid Monolayer-Protected Au Clusters (TA-AuMPCs) showing electrochemical single electron quantized capacitance charging in organic and aqueous solutions and when immobilized onto different self-assembled monolayer-modified gold electrodes. The presence of functional carboxylic groups opens a simple strategy for interfacing a nanoparticle assembly to biomolecules for their use as electron donors or acceptors in biological electron transfer reactions.

Understanding the Key Roles of pH Buffer in Accelerating Lignin Degradation by Lignin Peroxidase.

pH buffer plays versatile roles in both biology and chemistry. In this study, we unravel the critical role of pH buffer in accelerating degradation of the lignin substrate in lignin peroxidase (LiP) using QM/MM MD simulations and the nonadiabatic electron transfer (ET) and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) theories. As a key enzyme involved in lignin degradation, LiP accomplishes the oxidation of lignin via two consecutive ET reactions and the subsequent C-C cleavage of the lignin cation radical. The first one involves ET from Trp171 to the active species of Compound I, while the second one involves ET from the lignin substrate to the Trp171 radical. Differing from the common view that pH = 3 may enhance the oxidizing power of Cpd I via protonation of the protein environment, our study shows that the intrinsic electric fields have minor effects on the first ET step. Instead, our study shows that the pH buffer of tartaric acid plays key roles during the second ET step. Our study shows that the pH buffer of tartaric acid can form a strong H-bond with Glu250, which can prevent the proton transfer from the Trp171-H•+ cation radical to Glu250, thereby stabilizing the Trp171-H•+ cation radical for the lignin oxidation. In addition, the pH buffer of tartaric acid can enhance the oxidizing power of the Trp171-H•+ cation radical via both the protonation of the proximal Asp264 and the second-sphere H-bond with Glu250. Such synergistic effects of pH buffer facilitate the thermodynamics of the second ET step and reduce the overall barrier of lignin degradation by ∼4.3 kcal/mol, which corresponds to a rate acceleration of 103-fold that agrees with experiments. These findings not only expand our understanding on pH-dependent redox reactions in both biology and chemistry but also provide valuable insights into tryptophan-mediated biological ET reactions.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer from the Tryptophan Triplet State in Zn-Azurin.

Tryptophan is one of few residues that participates in biological electron transfer reactions. Upon substitution of the native Cu2+ center with Zn2+ in the blue-copper protein azurin, a long-lived tryptophan neutral radical can be photogenerated. We report the following quantum yield values for Zn-substituted azurin in the presence of the electron acceptor Cu(II)-azurin: formation of the tryptophan neutral radical (Φrad), electron transfer (ΦET), fluorescence (Φfluo), and phosphorescence (Φphos), as well as the efficiency of proton transfer of the cation radical (ΦPT). Increasing the concentration of the electron acceptor increased Φrad and ΦET values and decreased Φphos without affecting Φfluo. At all concentrations of the acceptor, the value of ΦPT was nearly unity. These observations indicate that the phosphorescent triplet state is the parent state of electron transfer and that nearly all electron transfer events lead to proton loss. Similar results regarding the parent state were obtained with a different electron acceptor, [Co(NH3)5Cl]2+; however, Stern-Volmer graphs revealed that [Co(NH3)5Cl]2+ was a more effective phosphorescence quencher (K SV = 230 000 M-1) compared to Cu(II)-azurin (K SV = 88 000 M-1). Competition experiments in the presence of both [Co(NH3)5Cl]2+ and Cu(II)-azurin suggested that [Co(NH3)5Cl]2+ is the preferred electron acceptor. Implications of these results in terms of quenching mechanisms are discussed.

The aprotic electrochemistry of quinones

Quinones play important roles in biological electron transfer reactions in almost all organisms, with specific roles in many physiological processes and chemotherapy. Quinones participate in two-electron, two-proton reactions in aqueous solution at equilibrium near neutral pH, but protons often lag behind the electron transfers. The relevant reactions in proteins are often sequential one electron redox processes without involving protons. Here we report the aprotic electrochemistry of the two half-couples, Q/Q.- and Q.−/Q=, of 11 parent quinones and 118 substituted 1,4-benzoquinones, 91 1,4-naphthoquinones, and 107 9,10-anthraquinones. The measured redox potentials are fit quite well with the Hammett para sigma (σpara) parameter. Occasional exceptions can involve important groups, such as methoxy substituents in ubiquinone and hydroxy substituents in therapeutics. These can generally be explained by reasonable conjectures involving steric clashes and internal hydrogen bonds. We also provide data for 25 other quinones, 2 double quinones and 15 non-quinones, all measured under similar conditions.

Dynamics of diverse coherences in primary charge separation of bacterial reaction center at 77K revealed by wavelet analysis.

To uncover the mechanism behind the high photo-electronic conversion efficiency in natural photosynthetic complexes it is essential to trace the dynamics of electronic and vibrational quantum coherences. Here we apply wavelet analysis to two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy data for three purple bacterial reaction centers with mutations that produce drastically different rates of primary charge separation. From the frequency distribution and dynamic evolution features of the quantum beating, electronic coherence with a dephasing lifetime of ~50fs, vibronic coherence with a lifetime of ~150fs and vibrational/vibronic coherences with a lifetime of 450fs are distinguished. We find that they are responsible for, or couple to, different specific steps during the primary charge separation process, i.e., intradimer charge transfer inside the special bacteriochlorophyll pair followed by its relaxation and stabilization of the charge-transfer state. The results enlighten our understanding of how quantum coherences participate in, and contribute to, a biological electron transfer reaction.

Synthesis of redox-active fluorinated 5-hydroxytryptophans as molecular reporters for biological electron transfer.

Fluorinated 5-hydroxytryptophans (Fn-5HOWs) were synthesized in gram scale quantities and incorporated into a β-hairpin peptide and the protein azurin. The redox-active Fn-5HOWs exhibit unique radical spectroscopic signatures that expand the function of as probes for biological electron transfer.

Electrochemistry Investigation of Drugs Encapsulated in Cyclodextrins.

The biological electron transfer reactions play an important role in the bioactivity of drugs; thus, the knowledge of their electrochemical behavior is crucial. The formation of radicals during oxidation or reduction, the presence of short-living intermediates, the determination of reaction mechanisms involving electron and proton transfers, all contribute to the comprehension of drug activities and the determination of their mode of action and their metabolites. In addition, if a drug is encapsulated in the cyclodextrin cavity, its electrochemical properties can change compared to a free drug molecule. Here we describe the combination of cyclic voltammetry, UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry, GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, and HPLC-MS/MS as techniques for evaluating the oxidation mechanism of a drug encapsulated in the cavity of a cyclodextrin. The cavity of cyclodextrin plays a significant role in increasing the stability of the encapsulated products; therefore the identification of oxidation intermediates as semiquinone and benzofuranone derivatives of quercetin is possible in these conditions. The differences in oxidation potentials of the bioactive flavonol quercetin and its cyclodextrin complex relating to its antioxidant activity and the oxidation mechanism are herein discussed.

Electrochemical Zero-Mode Waveguide Studies of Single Enzyme Reactions.

Because electron transfer reactions are fundamental to life processes, such as respiration, vision, and energy catabolism, it is critically important to understand the relationship between functional states of individual redox enzymes and the macroscopically observed phenotype, which results from averaging over all copies of the same enzyme. To address this problem, we have developed a new technology, based on a bifunctional nanoelectrochemical-nanophotonic architecture - the electrochemical zero mode waveguide (E-ZMW) - that can couple biological electron transfer reactions to luminescence, making it possible to observe single electron transfer events in redox enzymes. Here we describe E-ZMW architectures capable of supporting potential-controlled redox reactions with single copies of the oxidoreductase enzyme, glutathione reductase, GR, and extend these capabilities to electron transfer events where reactive oxygen species are synthesized within the ~100 zL volume of the nanopore.

Monitoring Chemical and Biological Electron Transfer Reactions with a Fluorogenic Vitamin K Analogue Probe.

We report herein the design, synthesis, and characterization of a two-segment fluorogenic analogue of vitaminK, B-VKQ, prepared by coupling vitaminK3, also known as menadione (a quinone redox center), to a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophore (a lipophilic reporter segment). Oxidation-reduction reactions, spectroelectrochemical studies, and enzymatic assays conducted in the presence of DT-diaphorase illustrate that the new probe shows reversible redox behavior on par with that of vitaminK, provides a high-sensitivity fluorescence signal, and is compatible with biological conditions, opening the door to monitor remotely (i.e., via imaging) redox processes in real time. In its oxidized form, B-VKQ is non-emissive, while upon reduction to the hydroquinone form, B-VKQH2, BODIPY fluorescence is restored, with emission quantum yield values of ca. 0.54 in toluene. Density functional theory studies validate a photoinduced electron transfer intramolecular switching mechanism, active in the non-emissive quinone form and deactivated upon reduction to the emissive dihydroquinone form. Our results highlight the potential of B-VKQ as a fluorogenic probe to study electron transfer and transport in model systems and biological structures with optimal sensitivity and desirable chemical specificity. Use of such a probe may enable a better understanding of the role that vitaminK plays in biological redox reactions ubiquitous in key cellular processes, and help elucidate the mechanism and pathological significance of these reactions in biological systems.

Redox Signaling through DNA.

Biological electron transfer reactions between metal cofactors are critical to many essential processes within the cell. Duplex DNA is, moreover, capable of mediating the transport of charge through its π-stacked nitrogenous bases. Increasingly, [4Fe4S] clusters, generally redox-active cofactors, have been found to be associated with enzymes involved in DNA processing. DNA-binding enzymes containing [4Fe4S] clusters can thus utilize DNA charge transport (DNA CT) for redox signaling to coordinate reactions over long molecular distances. In particular, DNA CT signaling may represent the first step in the search for DNA lesions by proteins containing [4Fe4S] clusters that are involved in DNA repair. Here we describe research carried out to examine the chemical characteristics and biological consequences of DNA CT. We are finding that DNA CT among metalloproteins represents powerful chemistry for redox signaling at long range within the cell.

Mapping cellular Fe-S cluster uptake and exchange reactions - divergent pathways for iron-sulfur cluster delivery to human ferredoxins.

Ferredoxins are protein mediators of biological electron-transfer reactions and typically contain either [2Fe-2S] or [4Fe-4S] clusters. Two ferredoxin homologues have been identified in the human genome, Fdx1 and Fdx2, that share 43% identity and 69% similarity in protein sequence and both bind [2Fe-2S] clusters. Despite the high similarity, the two ferredoxins play very specific roles in distinct physiological pathways and cannot replace each other in function. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic ferredoxins and homologues have been reported to receive their Fe-S cluster from scaffold/delivery proteins such as IscU, Isa, glutaredoxins, and Nfu. However, the preferred and physiologically relevant pathway for receiving the [2Fe-2S] cluster by ferredoxins is subject to speculation and is not clearly identified. In this work, we report on in vitro UV-visible (UV-vis) circular dichroism studies of [2Fe-2S] cluster transfer to the ferredoxins from a variety of partners. The results reveal rapid and quantitative transfer to both ferredoxins from several donor proteins (IscU, Isa1, Grx2, and Grx3). Transfer from Isa1 to Fdx2 was also observed to be faster than that of IscU to Fdx2, suggesting that Fdx2 could receive its cluster from Isa1 instead of IscU. Several other transfer combinations were also investigated and the results suggest a complex, but kinetically detailed map for cellular cluster trafficking. This is the first step toward building a network map for all of the possible iron-sulfur cluster transfer pathways in the mitochondria and cytosol, providing insights on the most likely cellular pathways and possible redundancies in these pathways.

Enhancement of naphthalene tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the ferredoxin-like protein (ADI1) from rice

The ADI1 Arabidopsis plants enhanced tolerance and degradation efficiency to naphthalene and had great potential for phytoremediation of naphthalene in the plant material before composting or harvesting and removal. Naphthalene is a global environmental concern, because this substance is assumed to contribute considerably to human cancer risk. Cleaning up naphthalene contamination in the environment is crucial. Phytoremediation is an efficient technology to clean up contaminants. However, no gene that can efficiently degrade exogenous recalcitrant naphthalene in plants has yet been discovered. Ferredoxin (Fd) is a key player of biological electron transfer reaction in the PAH degradation process. The biochemical pathway for bacterial degradation of naphthalene has been well investigated. In this study, a rice gene, ADI1, which codes for a putative photosynthetic-type Fd, has been transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants enhanced tolerance and degradation efficiency of naphthalene. Compared with wild-type plants, transgenic plants assimilated naphthalene from the culture media faster and removed more of this substance. When taken together, our findings suggest that breeding plants with overexpressed ADI1 gene is an effective strategy to degrade naphthalene in the environment.

Recent Advances in the Theory and Molecular Simulation of Biological Electron Transfer Reactions.

Recent Advances in the Theory and Molecular Simulation of Biological Electron Transfer Reactions.

Moving protons and electrons in biomimetic systems.

An enormous variety of biological redox reactions are accompanied by changes in proton content at enzyme active sites, in their associated cofactors, in substrates and/or products, and between protein interfaces. Understanding this breadth of reactivity is an ongoing chemical challenge. A great many workers have developed and investigated biomimetic model complexes to build new ways of thinking about the mechanistic underpinnings of such complex biological proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions. Of particular importance are those model reactions that involve transfer of one proton (H(+)) and one electron (e(-)), which is equivalent to transfer of a hydrogen atom (H(•)). In this Current Topic, we review key concepts in PCET reactivity and describe important advances in biomimetic PCET chemistry, with a special emphasis on research that has enhanced efforts to understand biological PCET reactions.

Towards the free energy landscape for catalysis in mammalian nitric oxide synthases.

The general requirement for conformational sampling in biological electron transfer reactions catalysed by multi-domain redox systems has been emphasized in recent years. Crucially, we lack insight into the extent of the conformational space explored and the nature of the energy landscapes associated with these reactions. The nitric oxide synthases (NOS) produce the signalling molecule NO through a series of complex electron transfer reactions. There is accumulating evidence that protein domain dynamics and calmodulin binding are implicated in regulating electron flow from NADPH, through the FAD and FMN cofactors, to the haem oxygenase domain, where NO is generated. Simple models based on static crystal structures of the isolated reductase domain have suggested a role for large-scale motions of the FMN-binding domain in shuttling electrons from the reductase domain to the oxygenase domain. However, detailed insight into the higher-order domain architecture and dynamic structural transitions in NOS enzymes during enzyme turnover is lacking. In this review, we discuss the recent advances made towards mapping the catalytic free energy landscapes of NOS enzymes through integration of both structural techniques (e.g. cryo-electron microscopy) and biophysical techniques (e.g. pulsed-electron paramagnetic resonance). The general picture that emerges from these experiments is that NOS enzymes exist in an equilibrium of conformations, comprising a 'rugged' or 'frustrated' energy landscape, with a key regulatory role for calmodulin in driving vectorial electron transfer by altering the conformational equilibrium. A detailed understanding of these landscapes may provide new opportunities for discovery of isoform-specific inhibitors that bind at the dynamic interfaces of these multi-dimensional energy landscapes.

Distinct conformational behaviors of four mammalian dual-flavin reductases (cytochrome P450 reductase, methionine synthase reductase, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, endothelial nitric oxide synthase) determine their unique catalytic profiles.

Multidomain enzymes often rely on large conformational motions to function. However, the conformational setpoints, rates of domain motions and relationships between these parameters and catalytic activity are not well understood. To address this, we determined and compared the conformational setpoints and the rates of conformational switching between closed unreactive and open reactive states in four mammalian diflavin NADPH oxidoreductases that catalyze important biological electron transfer reactions: cytochrome P450 reductase, methionine synthase reductase and endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase. We used stopped-flow spectroscopy, single turnover methods and a kinetic model that relates electron flux through each enzyme to its conformational setpoint and its rates of conformational switching. The results show that the four flavoproteins, when fully-reduced, have a broad range of conformational setpoints (from 12% to 72% open state) and also vary 100-fold with respect to their rates of conformational switching between unreactive closed and reactive open states (cytochrome P450 reductase>neuronal nitric oxide synthase>methionine synthase reductase>endothelial nitric oxide synthase). Furthermore, simulations of the kinetic model could explain how each flavoprotein can support its given rate of electron flux (cytochromec reductase activity) based on its unique conformational setpoint and switching rates. The present study is the first to quantify these conformational parameters among the diflavin enzymes and suggests how the parameters might be manipulated to speed or slow biological electron flux.

Mechanisms for control of biological electron transfer reactions

Electron transfer (ET) through and between proteins is a fundamental biological process. The rates and mechanisms of these ET reactions are controlled by the proteins in which the redox centers that donate and accept electrons reside. The protein influences the magnitudes of the ET parameters, the electronic coupling and reorganization energy that are associated with the ET reaction. The protein can regulate the rates of the ET reaction by requiring reaction steps to optimize the system for ET, leading to kinetic mechanisms of gated or coupled ET. Amino acid residues in the segment of the protein through which long range ET occurs can also modulate the ET rate by serving as staging points for hopping mechanisms of ET. Specific examples are presented to illustrate these mechanisms by which proteins control rates of ET reactions.