EPR Titration Research Articles

Efficiency NiCu/t-zirconia catalysts for methanol steam reforming: Experimental and DFT insights

The development of copper-based catalysts with superior stability, activity, and reduced CO selectivity has been a prominent subject of research in the domain of hydrogen production via methanol steam reforming. In this paper, the bimetallic Ni–Cu catalysts supported by t-ZrO2 were synthesized, with varying concentrations of copper phase being considered. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, BET, ICP, FESEM, TEM, H2-TPR, EPR and N2O titration, and the results showed that appropriate copper phase concentration and nickel doping obviously decreased the crystal size and promoted the development of pore structure. With the condition of W/M = 3 and LHSV = 5.6 h−1, the catalytic activity revealed the methanol conversion and H2 yield of CNZs were evaluated. The CNZ-4 exhibited optimal performance and stability in the MSR process, with a methanol conversion rate of 100 % and H2 yield of 311 mmol g−1 h−1 at a temperature of 533 K. Given the results that in-situ DRIFTS tests showed, the generation of methyl formate as an intermediate was evaluated. Moreover, further DFT insights pointed out that the ternary surface model showed the best surface adsorption and reaction performance, which provided evidence for the high activity of CNZ catalyst at the molecular level.

Disclosing the Molecular Mechanism of Iron Incorporation in Listeria innocua Dps by EPR Spectroscopy

Bacteria overexpress, under condition of starvation or oxidative stress, Dps (DNA-binding proteins from starved cells), hollow sphere formed by 12 identical subunits endowed with ferritin-like activity. The iron oxidation and incorporation in Dps take place using H2O2 produced under starvation as preferred iron oxidant, thereby protecting bacteria from oxidative damage. Even if the role of Dps is well known, the mechanism of iron oxidation and incorporation remain to be elucidated. Here, we have used the EPR technique to shed light on the Fe(II) binding and oxidation mechanism at the ferroxidase center using both the wild-type (wt) protein and mutants of the iron ligands (H31G, H43G and H31G-H43G-D58A). The EPR titration of wt Dps and the H31G mutant with Fe(II) upon H2O2 addition shows that Fe(II) is oxidized with the increase of the signal at g = 4.3, reaching a maximum for 12 Fe(II)/subunit. The EPR signal becomes negligible when the titration is carried out on the triple mutant. These experiments indicate that the iron firstly occupied the A site at the ferroxidase center and confirm that the residues H31, H43 and D58 have a key role in the iron oxidation and incorporation process. Moreover, the data indicate that the ferroxidase center, upon mutation of H31 or H43 to Gly, changes the mode of iron binding. Finally, we demonstrate here that, when the iron micelle forms, the EPR signal at g = 4.3 disappears indicating that iron leaves the ferroxidase center to reach the inner cavity.

Synthesis and Characterisation of a Paramagnetic [2]Rotaxane Based on a Crown Ether-Like Wheel Incorporating a Nitroxide Motif.

The synthesis of the new nitroxide crown ether 8 and its use as the wheel in a bistable [2]rotaxane, containing dialkylammonium and 4,4'-bipyridinium recognition sites, is reported. The synthesis of 8 was achieved by the sequential addition of substituted phenyl groups to a nitrone derivatives leading to the preferential formation of the cis stereoisomer. Due to charge-dipole interactions between the nitroxide unit and the bipyridinium moiety, it was possible to probe the movement of the macrocycle between the two molecular stations of the [2]rotaxane after addition of a base by measuring the nitrogen hyperfine splitting in the corresponding EPR spectra. The equilibrium constant for the complexation of dibenzyl viologen by the macrocycle 8 was also determined by EPR titration.

Simultaneous sorption and catalytic oxidation of trivalent antimony by Canna indica derived biochars

The simultaneous sorption and oxidation of Sb(III) on biochars were investigated using batch experiments. The biochars were derived from Canna indica at different pyrolysis temperatures (300–600 °C, referred as CIB300-CIB600), and characterized by FTIR, BET, XRD, SEM-EDS, EPR and Boehm titration. The Sb(III) sorption data could be well fitted by both the Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the pseudo-second order model is best for describing the kinetic data. The maximum Sb(III) sorption capacity of CIB300 was 16.1 mg g−1, which was greater than that of other biochars. Inner-sphere complexation with oxygen-containing functional groups and coordination with π electrons are the possible sorption mechanisms. It is worthwhile to note that 4.7–32.3% of Sb(III) was oxidized to Sb(V) after sorption equilibration, demonstrating the occurrence of Sb(III) oxidation during the sorption process. Further study of oxidation under anoxic condition confirmed the catalytic role of biochar for Sb(III) oxidation, and free radicals in biochars were crucial for electron transfer. CIB400 exhibited the highest catalytic oxidative ability for Sb(III), which could be ascribe to its reserve of more electroactive polyphenolic macromolecule and less electroinactive cellulose. These results imply that biochars have good potential as a green effective sorbent for remediation of Sb(III) contaminated water, and simultaneously reduce the toxicity of Sb(III) by catalytic oxidation.

Characterization of KCNE1 inside Lipodisq Nanoparticles for EPR Spectroscopic Studies of Membrane Proteins.

EPR spectroscopic studies of membrane proteins in a physiologically relevant native membrane-bound state are extremely challenging due to the complexity observed in inhomogeneity sample preparation and dynamic motion of the spin-label. Traditionally, detergent micelles are the most widely used membrane mimetics for membrane proteins due to their smaller size and homogeneity, providing high-resolution structure analysis by solution NMR spectroscopy. However, it is often difficult to examine whether the protein structure in a micelle environment is the same as that of the respective membrane-bound state. Recently, lipodisq nanoparticles have been introduced as a potentially good membrane mimetic system for structural studies of membrane proteins. However, a detailed characterization of a spin-labeled membrane protein incorporated into lipodisq nanoparticles is still lacking. In this work, lipodisq nanoparticles were used as a membrane mimic system for probing the structural and dynamic properties of the integral membrane protein KCNE1 using site-directed spin labeling EPR spectroscopy. The characterization of spin-labeled KCNE1 incorporated into lipodisq nanoparticles was carried out using CW-EPR titration experiments for the EPR spectral line shape analysis and pulsed EPR titration experiment for the phase memory time (Tm) measurements. The CW-EPR titration experiment indicated an increase in spectral line broadening with the addition of the SMA polymer which approaches close to the rigid limit at a lipid to polymer weight ratio of 1:1, providing a clear solubilization of the protein-lipid complex. Similarly, the Tm titration experiment indicated an increase in Tm values with the addition of SMA polymer and approaches ∼2 μs at a lipid to polymer weight ratio of 1:2. Additionally, CW-EPR spectral line shape analysis was performed on six inside and six outside the membrane spin-label probes of KCNE1 in lipodisq nanoparticles. The results indicated significant differences in EPR spectral line broadening and a corresponding inverse central line width between spin-labeled KCNE1 residues located inside and outside of the membrane for lipodisq nanoparticle samples when compared to lipid vesicle samples. These results are consistent with the solution NMR structure of KCNE1. This study will be beneficial for researchers working on studying the structural and dynamic properties of membrane proteins.

EPR and XANES studies of anaerobic photolysis of iso-propilpyridinecobaloxime: Elucidation of the reactivity of the Co(II) primary product

Anaerobic photolysis of iso-propilpyridinecobaloxime was monitored by EPR and X-ray Absorption Near Edge spectroscopy (XANES). The spectra of the cobalt(II) photolysis products were analyzed and compared with those obtained for parent cobalt(II) dimethylglyoximato complexes in order to rationalize the involvement of photolysis primary products in further reactions in solution.The results obtained upon photolysis in frozen matrix, confirm that the photolysis primary product is the five coordinate cobalt(II) complex, [Co(DH)2py], and that this species is only observable in frozen solution. As the matrix is relaxed to room temperature the five coordinate species evolves to give rise to a six coordinate cobalt(II) complex, [Co(DH)2py2], that persists at room temperature and that is observable in EPR upon re-cooling to frozen solution. When monitoring the warming up of the irradiated frozen solution we observe an EPR signal which is assigned to a square planar species, [Co(DH)2], providing evidence for the source of pyridine molecules to originate the compound with two bound pyridine molecules. Since the latter signal is lost upon warming we hypothesize that the four coordinate species polymerizes or packs into diamagnetic forms at room temperature. The supposition is corroborated by comparison of the values of the magnetic moments of compounds [Co(DH)2py2], [Co(DH)2py] and [Co(DH)2] as powders and in solution. EPR titration of compound [Co(DH)2] with pyridine substantiates the latter results and shows that the complex with two bound pyridine molecules is the predominant species from a 1:1 M ratio.The XANES profiles of powder and solution samples of compound [Co(DH)2] are meaningfully different and indicative that substantial axial interactions are present in solution while the powder's profile is closely related with those described for square planar complexes. The presence of two solvent molecules bound to [Co(DH)2] in solution is confirmed by the values of the spin-Hamiltonian parameters obtained for the same sample.The use of XANES spectroscopy was particularly valuable to provide independent evidence that the structure of [Co(DH)2] and [Co(DH)2py] is different in powder and in solution and to monitor the change in oxidation state and geometry during the progression of the photolysis process.

Surface Electrostatics and Peptide Binding to Lipid Bilayer of Defined Curvature

Many proteins are known to have strong binding preferences for curved lipid bilayer surfaces. This property of proteins to sense membrane curvature has a number of implications in cellular processes including endocytosis, exocytosis, and vesicle trafficking as well as pathogenic processes associated with viral infections or protein aggregation disorders. Here we employ small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) that are sized by extrusion through nanoporous filters as a model of convex membranes with accessible outer surface. For concave structures we developed nanopore-confined tubular lipid bilayers with tunable curvature radii ranging from ca. 40 to 250 nm. The nanotubular bilayers are formed by lipid self-assembly inside cylindrical nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO). These systems impose essentially no restrictions on the lipid composition and have the inner surface of negative curvature accessible for solute molecules and peptide binding. Using these model structures we show that the surface electrostatic potential of lipid bilayers is affected by the curvature to a rather large degree. For example, for SUVs composed of negatively charged lipids the magnitude of the surface potential increased with bilayer bending from ca. −106 mV for 100 nm SUV to −166 mV for 30 nm SUVs. These measurements were carried out by spin probe EPR method using recently synthesized lipids having pH-reporting nitroxides covalently tethered to the lipid polar head. EPR titration experiments were followed by the measurement of the lipid vesicle electrophoretic mobility and peptide binding. Overall, the data indicate that the bilayer bending affects the local electrostatic potential in a rather large degree providing a likely biophysical mechanism for affecting protein binding to lipid membranes without adjusting lipid composition. Supported by U.S. DOE Contract DE-FG02-02ER15354.

Spin-Labeled pH-Sensitive Phospholipids for Interfacial pKa Determination: Synthesis and Characterization in Aqueous and Micellar Solutions

The synthesis and characterization of spin-labeled phospholipids (SLP)--derivatives of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphothioethanol (PTE)--with pH-reporting nitroxides that are covalently attached to the lipid's polar headgroup are being reported. Two lipids were synthesized by reactions of PTE with thiol-specific, pH-sensitive methanethiosulfonate spin labels methanethiosulfonic acid S-(1-oxyl-2,2,3,5,5-pentamethylimidazolidin-4-ylmethyl) ester (IMTSL) and S-4-(4-(dimethylamino)-2-ethyl-5,5-dimethyl-1-oxyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzyl methanethiosulfonate (IKMTSL). The pKa values of the IMTSL-PTE lipid measured by EPR titration in aqueous buffer/isopropyl alcohol solutions of various compositions were found to be essentially the same (pKa approximately 2.35), indicating that in mixed aqueous/organic solvents, the amphiphilic lipid molecules could be shielded from changing bulk conditions by a local shell of solvent molecules. To overcome this problem, the spin-labeled lipids were modeled by synthesizing IMTSL- and IKMTSL-2-mercaptoethanol adducts. These model compounds yielded the intrinsic pKa0's for IMTSL-PTE and IKMTSL-PTE in aqueous buffers as 3.33 +/- 0.03 and 5.98 +/- 0.03, respectively. A series of EPR titrations of IMTSL-PTE in mixed water/isopropyl alcohol solution allowed for calibrating the polarity-induced pKa shifts, deltapKapol, vs bulk solvent dielectric permittivity. These calibration data allowed for estimating the local dielectric constant, epsilon(eff), experienced by the reporter nitroxide of the IMTSL-PTE lipid incorporated into the nonionic Triton X-100 micelles as 60 +/- 5 and 57 +/- 5 at 23 and 48 degrees C, respectively. For micelles formed from an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) the electrostatic-induced pKa shift, deltapKael = 2.06 +/- 0.04 units of pH, was obtained by subtracting the polarity-induced contribution. This shift yields psi = -121 mV electric potential of the SDS micelle surface.

Vanadium-binding protein in a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensissamea: CW and pulsed EPR studies.

Some of the ascidians belonging to the suborder Phlebobranchia accumulate vanadium ion efficiently from seawater. Clarification of the mechanism of this surprisingly efficient metal-accumulation system is desirable. Two mutually similar vanadium-binding proteins (vanabin1 and vanabin2) have recently been isolated from a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensis samea. In this study, the vanadium-binding properties of vanabin2 have been investigated by X-band CW EPR and pulsed EPR spectroscopy. CW EPR spectra of samples containing various ratios of VO2+ and vanabin2 invariably exhibited a usual mononuclear-type VO2+ EPR signal with the intensity dependent on the ratio [vanabin]/[V]. EPR titration has shown that vanabin2 can bind up to approximately 23.9 vanadium ions per one molecule, almost all of which ( approximately 84%) are in a mononuclear VO2+ state as estimated by EPR quantitation. Electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra of VO-vanabin2 exhibited reasonably intense peaks attributable to amine nitrogen. This is consistent with the fact that vanabin2 is a lysine-rich protein (14 lysines out of 91 amino acids). The present study reveals the uniqueness of vanabin2, which can bind a large number of metal ions in a mononuclear fashion in contrast to the situation for ferritin and metallothionein.

Computational studies of Cu(II)[peptide] binding motifs: Cu[HGGG] and Cu[HG] as models for Cu(II) binding to the prion protein octarepeat region.

The binding of Cu(II) to the prion protein is investigated by computations at the B3LYP level of theory on models of the octarepeat domain of the prion protein. The models incorporate the functionality of the glycine (G) and histidine (H) residues which occur in the octarepeat domain, PHGGGWGQ. The copper complexes are designated Cu[HG] and Cu[HGGG]. Coordination to the metal via the imidazole ring of the histidine, the amide carbonyl groups, and the backbone nitrogen atom of the amide groups were examined, as well as several protonation/deprotonation states of each structure. EPR and CD titration experiments suggest that the octarepeat segments of the unstructured N-terminal domain of prion protein can bind Cu(II) in a 1:1 Cu-to-octarepeat ratio. The results identify the extent to which the Cu(II) facilitates peptide backbone deprotonation, and the propensity of binding in the forward (toward the C-terminus) direction from the anchoring histidine residue. A plausible mechanism is suggested for changing from amide O-atom to deprotonated amide N-atom coordination, and for assembly of the observed species in solutions of Cu[PrP] and truncated models of it. A structure is proposed which has the N2O2 coordination pattern for the minor component observed experimentally by EPR spectroscopy for the Cu[HGGG] model. The most stable neutral Cu[HGGG] structure found, with coordination environment N3O1, corresponds to that observed for Cu[HGGGW] and Cu[HGGG] both in the solid state and as the major component in solution at neutral pH.

Identification of the Cu2+ binding sites in the N-terminal domain of the prion protein by EPR and CD spectroscopy.

Recent evidence indicates that the prion protein (PrP) plays a role in copper metabolism in the central nervous system. The N-terminal region of human PrP contains four sequential copies of the highly conserved octarepeat sequence PHGGGWGQ spanning residues 60-91. This region selectively binds divalent copper ions (Cu(2+)) in vivo. To elucidate the specific mode and site of binding, we have studied a series of Cu(2+)-peptide complexes composed of 1-, 2-, and 4-octarepeats and several sub-octarepeat peptides, by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR, conventional X-band and low-frequency S-band) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. At pH 7.45, two EPR active binding modes are observed where the dominant mode appears to involve coordination of three nitrogens and one oxygen to the copper ion, while in the minor mode two nitrogens and two oxygens coordinate. ESEEM spectra demonstrate that the histidine imidazole contributes one of these nitrogens. The truncated sequence HGGGW gives EPR and CD that are indistinguishable from the dominant binding mode observed for the multi-octarepeat sequences and may therefore comprise the fundamental Cu(2+) binding unit. Both EPR and CD titration experiments demonstrate rigorously a 1:1 Cu(2+)/octarepeat binding stoichiometry regardless of the number of octarepeats in a given peptide sequence. Detailed spin integration of the EPR signals demonstrates that all of the bound Cu(2+) is detected thereby ruling out strong exchange coupling that is often found when there is imidazolate bridging between paramagnetic metal centers. A model consistent with these data is proposed in which Cu(2+) is bound to the nitrogen of the histidine imidazole side chain and to two nitrogens from sequential glycine backbone amides.

Conversion of an Engineered Potassium-binding Site into a Calcium-selective Site in Cytochrome c Peroxidase

We have previously shown that the K(+) site found in ascorbate peroxidase can be successfully engineered into the closely homologous peroxidase, cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) (Bonagura, C. A. , Sundaramoorthy, M., Pappa, H. S., Patterson, W. R., and Poulos, T. L. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 6107-6115; Bonagura, C. A., Sundaramoorthy, M., Bhaskar, B., and Poulos, T. L. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 5538-5545). All other peroxidases bind Ca(2+) rather than K(+). Using the K(+)-binding CCP mutant (CCPK2) as a template protein, together with observations from structural modeling, mutants were designed that should bind Ca(2+) selectively. The crystal structure of the first generation mutant, CCPCA1, showed that a smaller cation, perhaps Na(+), is bound instead of Ca(2+). This is probably because the full eight-ligand coordination sphere did not form owing to a local disordering of one of the essential cation ligands. Based on these observations, a second mutant, CCPCA2, was designed. The crystal structure showed Ca(2+) binding in the CCPCA2 mutant and a well ordered cation-binding loop with the full complement of eight protein to cation ligands. Because cation binding to the engineered loop results in diminished CCP activity and destabilization of the essential Trp(191) radical as measured by EPR spectroscopy, these measurements can be used as sensitive methods for determining cation-binding selectivity. Both activity and EPR titration studies show that CCPCA2 binds Ca(2+) more effectively than K(+), demonstrating that an iterative protein engineering-based approach is important in switching protein cation selectivity.

Stoichiometric CO reductive titrations of acetyl-CoA synthase (Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase) from Clostridium thermoaceticum.

Acetyl-CoA synthase (carbon monoxide dehydrogenase) from Clostridium thermoaceticum was stoichiometrically titrated under CO(2) with CO and thionin. Resulting EPR titration curves were simulated assuming different redox descriptions of the enzyme. Samples began slightly reduced, with approximately 20% of the C-cluster reduced to the C(red1) state. With increasing CO intensities, the intensity of C(red1) increased to a maximum, and then declined as the intensities of C(red2), B(red), and A(red)-CO increased and plateaued. Simulations revealed that only a fraction of the A-, B-, and C-centers in the enzyme were redox-active and that, within the probed potentials (-0.2 to -0.45 V), there are probably no other redox sites in the enzyme. Oxidative processes occurred at higher potentials, but they are catalytically irrelevant. Additional low-potential redox sites may be present, but this could not be assessed from the titrations. Best-fit E degrees (C)()ox(/C)()red1 = -0.12 +/- 0.04 V, 0.1 V less negative than under Ar. Titrated samples accepted from 3.5 to 5.0 equiv/alphabeta in accordance with the intensity of the sample's EPR signals. A similar titration under Ar revealed a different pattern of reduction. The intensity of B(red) increased first; then C(red1) converted to C(red2), and then A(red)-CO developed. The sample accepted approximately 4 equiv/alphabeta. The heterogeneity in the enzyme is summarized as follows. About forty percent of A(ox) can be reduced by one electron and bound with CO, yielding A(red)-CO. The remaining A(ox) cannot be reduced. All B(ox) can be reduced, most ( approximately 65%) to the S = (1)/(2) state and the remainder to the S = (3)/(2) state. About 40% of C(ox) are reduced by one electron to C(red1) and then by two more electrons to C(red2). The remaining C(ox) clusters are reduced by one electron to an S = (3)/(2) form. Possible origins of this heterogeneity are discussed.

EPR Spectroscopic Reinvestigation of the Activation of Iron Complexes of PMAH as a Bleomycin Model

The structure and reactivity of iron complexes of PMAH, which contains ligands that mimic the metal binding domain of iron bleomycin (FeBLM), have been studied using EPR spectroscopy. It had been reported [Guajardo, R. J.; Hudson, S. E.; Brown, S. J.; Mascharak, P. K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 7971] that iron complexes of PMAH can be activated to a ferric hydroperoxide, a structural analog by activated BLM, by various routes, including reaction of [FeIIIPMA]2+ with iodosylbenzene (PhIO), methanol, and base. We show that with or without PhIO, the latter reaction produces the methoxide complex of FeIIIPMA, and not the hydroperoxide, contrary to the previous report. Thus, O−O bond formation through generation of a ferric hydroperoxide does not occur. The same methoxide complex (g = 2.28, 2.18, 1.93) is generated by the addition of organic base and CH3OH, or LiOCH3, to [FeIIIPMA]2+. The formation of this [CH3O−FeIIIPMA]+ complex is confirmed by EPR titration of [FeIIIPMA]2+ with -OCH3 and by electrospray m...

Effect of metal-ligand mutations on phosphoryl transfer reactions catalyzed by Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) converts glutamate to glutamine in the presence of ATP and ammonia and requires two divalent metal ions, designated n1 and n2, for catalysis. The first intermediate, gamma-glutamyl phosphate, is formed during catalysis by the transfer of the gamma-phosphate of ATP to the gamma-carboxylate of glutamate. Efficient phosphoryl transfer between these two negatively charged moieties is thought to be mediated by the n2 metal. To explore the role of the n2 metal in catalysis, histidine 269, a ligand to the n2 metal, was changed to aspartate, asparagine, glutamate, and glutamine by site-directed mutagenesis. All of the mutants bind two manganese ions as determined by EPR titration. The mutations had little effect on the substrate Km's except in the case of H269E which exhibited a Km Glu = 92 mM, a 1000-fold increase compared to that for WT (Km Glu = 70 microM). The ability of these mutants to catalyze phosphoryl transfer to glutamate or to the inhibitor phosphinothricin was examined by rapid quench kinetic experiments. Phosphorylated phosphinothricin was detected by 31P NMR and shown to be produced by both mutants and WT. The rate of phosphoryl transfer to PPT for H269E is reduced 100-fold (0.030 s-1) compared to WT (8 s-1). The extra negative charge around the n2 metal ion contributed by glutamate 269 severely reduces the ability of the n2 metal to mediate efficient glutamate binding in the presence of negatively charged ATP and weakens the interactions between metal ion and the reactants in the transition state, thus resulting in a lower rate of phosphoryl transfer.

Axial coordination and reduction potentials of the sixteen hemes in high-molecular-mass cytochrome c from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough).

A spectroelectrochemical study is described of the sixteen hemes in the high-molecular-mass, monomeric cytochrome c (Hmc) from the periplasmic space of Desulfovibrio vulgaris, strain Hildenborough. One of the hemes has special properties. In the oxidized state at pH 7 it is predominantly high-spin, S = 5/2, with a g perpendicular value of less than 6 indicative of quantum-mechanical mixing with a low-lying (800 cm-1) S = 3/2 state; the balance is probably a low-spin derivative. The high-spin heme has an Em.7.5 value of +61 mV. The fifteen other hemes are low-spin bis-histidine coordinated with Em.7.5 values of approximately -0.20 V. Two of these hemes exhibit very anisotropic EPR spectra with a g1 value of 3.65 characteristic for strained bis-histidine coordination. A previous proposal, namely that methionine is coordinated to one of the hemes [Pollock, W.B.R., Loufti, M. Bruschi, M. Rapp-Giles, B.J., Wall, J. & Voordouw, G. (1991) J. Bacteriol. 173, 220] is disproved using spectroscopic evidence. Contrasting electrochemical data sets from two previous studies [Tan, J. & Cowan, J.A. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 4886; Bruschi, M., Bertrand, P., More, C., Leroy, G., Bonicel, J., Haladjian, J., Chottard, G., Pollock, W.B.R. & Voordouw, G. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 3281] are not consistent with our EPR titration results and are not reproducible. Hmc can be reduced by D. vulgaris Fe-hydrogenase in the presence of molecular hydrogen.

Nature of the low activity of S-methyl-coenzyme M reductase as determined by active site titrations.

Purified S-methyl-coenzyme M reductase (methylreductase) exhibits a very low fraction of its in vivo activity, suggesting either enzyme inactivation during cell lysis and chromatographic purification or the lack of an activating component in assay mixtures. Evidence that all methylreductase molecules in the purified protein can catalyze slow substrate turnover is found in a study of turnover-dependent in vitro incorporation of radiolabeled HS-CoM at the enzyme active site (Hartzell, P. L., Donnelly, M. I., and Wolfe, R. S. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 5581-5586). We have conducted active site titrations of purified methylreductase and of a highly active partially purified preparation (Rospert, S., Bocher, R., Albracht, S. P. J., and Thauer, R. K. (1991) FEBS Lett. 291, 371-375) using the reversible competitive inhibitor bromopropanesulfonate (K(i) = 0.05 microM). Curve fitting the data based on an equilibrium binding model shows that 0.1-1.4% of purified methylreductase has functional inhibitor binding sites while up to 25% of a highly active preparation binds the inhibitor. An EPR titration of highly active methylreductase with this inhibitor is consistent with this result, showing that the MCR-red1 and -red2 EPR signals (Albracht, S. P. J., Ankel-Fuchs, D., Bocher, R., Ellermann, J., Moll, J., van der Zwann, J. W., and Thauer, R. K. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 955, 86-102) are titrated in parallel with this active fraction. Attempts to observe turnover-dependent uptake of radiolabel from [thio-35S]2-methylthioethane-sulfonate by methylreductase were unsuccessful. These results suggest that the low activity of purified methylreductase is due primarily to low percentages of catalytically competent enzyme.

Structural studies on the active site of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. 1. Interaction of metals on the i and i + 1 sites

The two substrates between which an internucleotide bond is formed in RNA synthesis occupy two subsites, i and i + 1, on the active site of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, and each subsite is associated with a metal ion. These ions are therefore useful as probes of substrate interaction during RNA synthesis. We have studied interactions between the metals by EPR spectroscopy. The Zn(II) in the i site and the Mg(II) in the i + 1 site were substituted separately or jointly by Mn(II). The proximity of the metals was established by EPR monitoring of the titration at 5.5 K of the enzyme containing Mn(II) in i with Mn(II) going into the i + 1 site, and the 1:1 ratio of the metals in the two sites was confirmed in this way. The distance between the two metals was determined by EPR titration at room temperature of both the enzyme containing Zn(II) in i and Mn(II) in i with Mn(II) going into the i + 1 site, making use of the fact that EPR spectra are affected by dipolar interactions between the metals. The distances calculated in the presence of enzyme alone, in the presence of enzyme and two ATP substrates, and when poly(dAdT).poly(dAdT) was added to the latter system ranged from 5.2 to 6.7 A.

A spectroelectrochemical cell designed for low temperature electron paramagnetic resonance titration of oxygen-sensitive proteins

In this paper we describe an anaerobic titrator made virtually from glass with a small amount of high vacuum epoxy mounted directly to a quartz EPR tube. A complete titration may be carried out with as little as 600 μl of sample. This cell features the anaerobic manipulation of an electrochemically poised solution from an electrochemical pouch to an EPR tube. The cell uses a gold foil working electrode and Ag AgCl reference and counter electrodes. The reference and counter electrodes are isolated from the sample by leached Vycor glass. In the work reported here, we used this cell to determine the equilibrium redox potential of methyl viologen in an EPR titration. With methyl viologen as an indicator we found that the cell has a residual oxygen level of 1.5 μ m with a leak rate of 0.005 nmol/min. After moving the solution into the EPR tube, freezing, performing EPR, and thawing, the potential of the methyl viologen solution drifted only 2 mV. During the titration, the poised potentials were stable, drifting only 1 mV/min. Formal potentials as low as −630 mV in a vitamin B 12-type protein have been determined with this cell (S. R. Harder, W.-P. Lu, B. A. Feinberg, and S. W. Ragsdale (1989) Biochemistry, in press) .

Binding to tubulin of an allocolchicine spin probe: interaction with the essential SH groups and other active sites

EPR titration of tubulin with an allocolchicine spin probe showed more than one binding site: one high-affinity binding site ( K d = 8 μM), consistent with the K 1 found for competition with colchicine, and one or more low-affinity site(s) ( K d higher than 50 μM). No disturbance of the EPR signal of the tubulin-bound allocolchicine spin probe could be observed at room temperature in the presence of other paramagnetic probes: Mn(II) for the binding site of Mg(II), Co(II) for the Zn(II) binding site and Cr(III)GTP for the binding site of the exchangeable GTP. Labelling of tubulin with both the allocolchine and a SH-group spin probe also showed lack of interaction. The colchicine-binding site is thus sterically isolated from the binding sites for GTP, Mg(II), Zn(II) and the two essential SH-groups. In the tubulin-colchicin complex, all SH-groups could still be labelled with an excess of the SH-reagent, N-ethylmaleimide. Furthermore, colchicine binding was only minimally influenced by the blocking of the two essential SH-groups. However, the rate constant of the reaction of two equivalents of the SH-reagent, a maleimide spin probe, with the tubulin-colchicine complex was only 50% of the rate constant found with uncomplexed tubulin. As direct steric interaction of the essential SH-groups with the colchicine-binding site can be excluded, we can now definitively decide that binding of colchicine to tubulin induces a conformational change, which affects the accessibility of the most reactive SH-groups.