Redox Equivalents Research Articles

(Invited) Tetrapyrrole-Based Metal Complexes Designed for Bio-Inspired Catalysis and Solar Fuel Production

Light-induced substrate transformations in artificial photosynthetic devices and functional enzyme model systems strongly depend on the feasibility of multielectron transfer catalysis [1,2]. The crucial advantage of coupling multiple redox equivalents and proton transfer steps in photocatalysis is to avoid free radical reaction pathways and energetic constraints due to charge accumulation, as these processes can decrease both the long-term stability and the efficiency of the corresponding systems. In this context, certain coordination compounds including tetrapyrrole-based derivatives such as porphyrin, corrole and phthalocyanine complexes have been shown to achieve an efficient fusion of the complementary functions of a light-harvester, a photoredox interface, a substrate recognition site and a mediator for chemical reactions [3-6]. To further improve the performance of such systems, the design of long-term stable processes for artificial photosynthetic energy storage and green synthetic chemistry using artificial (photo)enzymes has to be achieved with sustainable, environmentally benign and earth-abundant bulding blocks. Another crucial aspect in the context of solar chemistry and catalysis is not only the requirement for using visible light, but also to shift the threshold wavelength of the photosensitizers as far as possible to the red and NIR-spectral regions. Some of our recent developments in this direction will be presented in this contribution. [1] G. Knör, Chem. Eur. J. 2009, 15, 568 [2] G. Knör, Coord. Chem. Rev. 2015, 304-305, 102 [3] M. Hajimohammadi, C. Schwarzinger, G. Knör, RSC Advances 2012, 2, 3257 [4] C. Uslan, K. T. Oppelt, L. M. Reith, B. Ş. Sesalan, G. Knör, Chem. Commun. 2013, 49, 8108 [5] K. T. Oppelt, E. Wöß, M. Stiftinger, W. Schöfberger, W. Buchberger, G. Knör, Inorg. Chem. 2013, 52, 11910 [6] M. Ertl, E. Wöß, G. Knör, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2015, 14, 1826

Promotion Effect of Electrodeposition Parameters on the Performances of MnO2 Thin Films Used As Photoelectrocatalysts for Water Oxidation

The development of alternative energy sources, especially green energy sources for traditional fossile fuels is a major challenge that humankind is currently facing. The conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels is a promising method. Inspired by photosynthesis taking place in the green plants, artificial photosynthesis was proposed. The targeted reaction is as follows: 2 H2O (l) → 2 H2 (g) + O2 (g) Theoretically, the half redox equation related to water oxidation, also called oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is a key step for water splitting, needs a high potential bias, as a consequence of the very slow kinetics of this reaction. This latter could be improved by employing a catalyst in order to make it energetically less expensive. Catalysts based on metal oxides have shown bright prospects for this application [1]. As a consequence of the determination of the fine structure of photosystem II in charge of this redox process in plants, it was revealed that the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) was a Mn4CaO5 entity resembling strongly the one that can be found in manganese oxides. These latter attracted consequently a considerable attention of scientists over the last years as possible OER photoelectrocatalysts. After comparison with traditional catalysts based on precious metals, manganese oxides, and mainly MnO2, have the advantages of being abundant on Earth, and therefore inexpensive, and also environmentally friendly. In particular, many investigations reported in literature showed in a rather convincing manner that MnO2 is a promising candidate as OER photoelectrocatalysis. In a work published in 2011, T. F. Jaramillo et al. showed that birnessite-type MnO2 could be a good solar water splitting catalyst [2], whereas S.S. Stahl et al. found that the OER activity of manganese oxides depends on their crystalline structure [3]. D.G. Nocera and co-workers investigated the nucleation and growth mechanism of MnOx thin films electrodeposited in potentiostatic conditions using a potential value selected inside a narrow potential range [4]. Few studies were thus focused on large variations of the potential used during the electrodeposition of MnO2thin films in potentiostatic conditions, and on the corresponding performances of these films towards photoelectrocatalysis of water oxidation. In this work, manganese dioxide (MnO2) thin films with different morphologies were prepared by one-step potentiostatic deposition using an aqueous electrolyte containing MnSO4 and NaClO4 in a traditional three-electrode cell. Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates were used as working electrodes, and a platinum grid and a K2SO4 saturated Hg/Hg2SO4 electrode (SSE) were used as counter- and reference electrodes, respectively. The same setup was used during the OER tests except that a 0.1 M KOH Hg/HgO reference electrode (MOE) and a 0.1 M NaOH electrolyte were used instead of SSE and NaClO4respectively. Our results show that the value of the electrodeposition potential has a strong influence on the morphology and crystallinity of resulting MnO2 thin films, as evidenced by SEM-FEG and XRD characterisations. The birnessite type crystalline structure was obtained only for films electrodeposited at potential values close to the peak potential related to MnO2 electrodeposition, whereas MnO2thin layers electrodeposited at potential values situated far beyond this peak potential value and before the foot of the anodic wall related to water oxidation were found to be amorphous, which clearly promoted their activity towards OER, by comparison with those of the birnessite variety. In the course of our investigations, chronoamperometry experiments were carried out for all the samples. They allowed us to find out that the stability of the electrocatalytic behaviour, as well as the adherence on the underlying substrate, were both better for amorphous films. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experiments were also carried out to develop a better understanding of their electrochemical properties in the course of water oxidation experiments. Moreover, their semi-conductor behaviour was evidenced using water oxidation experiments in the presence of a solar simulator, and deeply investigated with the help of Incident Photon to electron Conversion Efficiency (IPCE), UV-visible spectrophotometry and Current Sensing Atomic Force Microscopy (CS-AFM).

Photo-Isomerization of Prolycopene in Chloroplast Occurs through the Triplet State: Implications on Carotenoid Biosynthesis

The carotenoid lycopene in photosynthetic organisms forms the critical precursor to the biosynthesis of reaction center carotenoids beta-carotene and lutein. In plants and cyanobacteria, a redox-controlled flavoenzyme carotenoid isomerase (CRTISO) catalyzes the four-step geometric isomerization of 7,9,9′,7′-tetra-cis-lycopene (prolycopene) to all-trans-lycopene. In chloroplasts, the functional loss of CRTISO has been shown to be rescued by a light-mediated isomerization pathway. In order to address the chloroplast-specificity and compare the efficiency of the photoisomerization reaction against redox-controlled enzyme catalysis, we need to track the excited state dynamics of prolycopene, and evaluate the nature of electronic states that lead to the photoisomerization. Using broadband femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, we observe ∼610 fs rise of the triplet state from the photoexcited S2 with a quantum yield of ∼0.19. The triplet state mediates the first C=C bond isomerization at symmetric 9 or 9′ position on the tetra-cis backbone to yield the tri-cis-lycopene with 15% quantum yield. However, direct sensitization of the photoreactive triplet state via meso-tetraphenyl porphyrin sensitizer under steady state illumination leads to all-trans-lycopene with 58% quantum efficiency. Our work implies that long-lived chlorophyll triplets activate the efficient isomerization of prolycopene in chloroplasts in absence of CRTISO activity. In presence of CRTISO, the role of redox equivalents in dark isomerization of prolycopene, and the light induced signaling mechanisms for the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis will be discussed.

Artificial Photosynthesis: Hybrid Systems.

Oxidoreductases are promising catalysts for organic synthesis. To sustain their catalytic cycles they require efficient supply with redox equivalents. Today classical biomimetic approaches utilizing natural electron supply chains prevail but artificial regeneration approaches bear the promise of simpler and more robust reaction schemes. Utilizing visible light can accelerate such artificial electron transport chains and even enable thermodynamically unfeasible reactions such as the use of water as reductant.This contribution critically summarizes the current state of the art in photoredoxbiocatalysis (i.e. light-driven biocatalytic oxidation and reduction reactions).

Stabilising the lowest energy charge-separated state in a {metal chromophore - fullerene} assembly: a tuneable panchromatic absorbing donor-acceptor triad.

Photoreduction of fullerene and the consequent stabilisation of a charge-separated state in a donor-acceptor assembly have been achieved, overcoming the common problem of a fullerene-based triplet state being an energy sink that prevents charge-separation. A route to incorporate a C60-fullerene electron acceptor moiety into a catecholate-Pt(ii)-diimine photoactive dyad, which contains an unusually strong electron donor, 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate, has been developed. The synthetic methodology is based on the formation of the aldehyde functionalised bipyridine-Pt(ii)-3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol dyad which is then added to the fullerene cage via a Prato cycloaddition reaction. The resultant product is the first example of a fullerene-diimine-Pt-catecholate donor-acceptor triad, C60bpy-Pt-cat. The triad exhibits an intense solvatochromic absorption band in the visible region due to catechol-to-diimine charge-transfer, which, together with fullerene-based transitions, provides efficient and tuneable light harvesting of the majority of the UV/visible spectral range. Cyclic voltammetry, EPR and UV/vis/IR spectroelectrochemistry reveal redox behaviour with a wealth of reversible reduction and oxidation processes forming multiply charged species and storing multiple redox equivalents. Ultrafast transient absorption and time resolved infrared spectroscopy, supported by molecular modelling, reveal the formation of a charge-separated state [C60˙-bpy-Pt-cat˙+] with a lifetime of ∼890 ps. The formation of cat˙+ in the excited state is evidenced directly by characteristic absorption bands in the 400-500 nm region, while the formation of C60˙- was confirmed directly by time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, TRIR. An IR-spectroelectrochemical study of the mono-reduced building block (C60-bpy)PtCl2, revealed a characteristic C60˙- vibrational feature at 1530 cm-1, which was also detected in the TRIR spectra. This combination of experiments offers the first direct IR-identification of C60˙- species in solution, and paves the way towards the application of transient infrared spectroscopy to the study of light-induced charge-separation in C60-containing assemblies, as well as fullerene films and fullerene/polymer blends in various OPV devices. Identification of the unique vibrational signature of a C60-anion provides a new way to follow photoinduced processes in fullerene-containing assemblies by means of time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy, as demonstrated for the fullerene-transition metal chromophore assembly with the lowest energy charge-separated excited state.

Spectroelectrochemical determination of the redox equivalent of magnesium porphine in the course of its electrooxidation

The spectroelectrochemical method has been applied for studying the electropolymerization of magnesium porphine with the aim to determine the number of electrons consumed per monomer molecule, which allows one to find out the number of bonds between the units in the resulting polymer. Based on the results, a conclusion has been made about the structure of macrochains of the basic representative of a new family of electroactive materials, magnesium porphine

Maps for when the living gets tough: Maneuvering through a hostile energy landscape

With genome sequencing of thousands of organisms, a scaffold has become available for data integration: molecular information can now be organized by attaching it to the genes and their gene-expression products. It is however, the genome that is selfish not the gene, making it necessary to organize the information into maps that enable functional interpretation of the fitness of the genome. Using flux balance analysis one can calculate the theoretical capabilities of the living organism. Here we examine whether according to this genome organized information, organisms such as the ones present when life on Earth began, are able to assimilate the Gibbs energy and carbon that life needs for its reproduction and maintenance, from a relatively poor Gibbs-energy environment. We shall address how Clostridium ljungdahlii may use at least two special features and one special pathway to this end: gear-shifting, electron bifurcation and the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Additionally, we examined whether the C. ljungdahlii map can also help solve the problem of waste management. We find that there is a definite effect of the choices of redox equivalents in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and the hydrogenase on the yield of interesting products like hydroxybutyrate. We provide a drawing of a subset of the metabolic network that may be utilized to project flux distributions onto by the community in future works. Furthermore, we make all the code leading to the results discussed here publicly available for the benefit of future work.

Sodium as Coupling Cation in Respiratory Energy Conversion.

Among the alkali cations, Na(+) has an extraordinary role in living cells since it is used to charge the battery of life. To this end, sophisticated protein complexes in biological membranes convert chemical energy obtained from oxidation of NADH, or hydrolysis of ATP, into an electrochemical gradient of sodium ions. Cells use this so-called sodium-motive force stored in energy-converting membranes for important processes like uptake of nutrients, motility, or expulsion of toxic compounds. The Na(+) pumps act in concert with other enzymes embedded in the lipid membrane, and together they form the respiratory chain which achieves the oxidation of NADH derived from nutrients under formation of an electrochemical sodium (or proton) gradient. We explain why Na(+) pumps are important model systems for the homologous, proton-translocating complexes, and hope to convince the reader that studying the Na(+)-translocating ATP synthase from the unimpressive bacterium Ilyobacter tartaricus had a big impact on our understanding of energy conversion by human ATP synthase. The Na(+)-translocating systems described here are either driven by the oxidation of NADH, the carrier of redox equivalents of cells, or by the hydrolysis of adenosine 5'-triphosphate, the universal high-energy compound of cells. The electrochemical energy provided by these respiratory Na(+) pumps, the NADH dehydrogenase or the ATPase, drives other Na(+) transport systems like the bacterial flagellum discussed in the last part of this chapter. The flagellar motor does not represent a Na(+) pump, but like ATPase, it operates by a rotational mechanism. By comparing these two Na(+) -translocating, rotary machines, we obtain new insight into the possible mechanisms of Na(+) transport through the stator proteins of the flagellar motor. Na(+) pumps are widespread in pathogenic bacteria where they play an important role in metabolism, making them novel targets for antibiotics.

Synthesis, crystal structure, redox behavior and DNA-binding properties of a series of copper(II) complexes with two new carboxamide derivatives

Four mononuclear copper(II) complexes of two new carboxamide derivatives formulated as [Cu(L1)2](ClO4)2 (1a), [Cu(L1)2](NO3)2 (1b), [Cu(L2)2(H2O)2](ClO4)2 (2a), and [Cu(L2)2(H2O)](NO3)2 (2b) have been isolated in pure form from the reaction of L1 and L2 [where L1 = N-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-2-pyridinecarboxamide and L2 = N-(thiophen-2-ylmethyl)-2-pyridinecarboxamide] with copper(II) salts of perchlorate and nitrate. All the complexes were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic tools along with single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The structural analyses showed that 1 is monomeric of square planar geometry with copper(II) chelated by two L1 ligands. Complex 2 differs in coordination geometry, being octahedral and distorted square pyramidal. Two L2 ligands occupy the equatorial positions of the octahedral 2a and the basal sites of the pyramidal 2b, with water molecules that complete the coordination sphere in each case. Electrochemical studies using cyclic voltammetry showed a reversible redox behavior of the copper(II) in 1 and 2. The electronic spectroscopic behavior and the trend of one electron equivalent redox potential corresponding to a CuII/CuI couple have also been confirmed by density functional theory calculations. The spectroscopic and viscosity measurement study in tris–HCl buffer suggested an intercalative interaction of 1a and 2 with calf thymus DNA likely due to the stacking between the non-coordinated furan and thiophene chromophore with the base pairs of DNA.

Reductive dechlorination in water: Interplay of sorption and reactivity

Trichloroethene (TCE) dechlorination by nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) in aqueous suspension was investigated in absence and presence of microscale activated carbon (AC). The TCE adsorbed within the AC micropores is available to dechlorination, although a direct contact between sorbed TCE and nZVI is ruled out. The AC functions as a mediator of redox equivalents between the external reductant and the internal sorbate. Therefore, AC plays the role of an adsorbent as well as a dechlorination catalyst driven by the reductive power of nZVI. The dechlorination product patterns in the AC–nZVI mixture and the AC-free slurry are similar, yielding ethane, ethene and ethyne as primary products. One can interpret this as spillover-like transport of mobile reactive species from the iron surface via the carbon matrix to the sorbate. In order to distinguish between transported electrons or hydrogen species, electrochemical experiments with and without the generation of nascent hydrogen (H*) were conducted. They prove the significant role of reactive hydrogen in the nZVI–AC system and favour the spillover mechanism. Ethyne and cis-DCE are the dominant products from TCE in the absence of H* species, whereas total dechlorination and hydrogenation occurred in the presence of H*, yielding ethane and ethene as the dominant primary products. The observed interplay between sorptive enrichment and chemical degradation of pollutants inside the AC pores may offer options for improved iron-carbon composite materials and reactor designs.

Metabolic energy-based modelling explains product yielding in anaerobic mixed culture fermentations.

The fermentation of glucose using microbial mixed cultures is of great interest given its potential to convert wastes into valuable products at low cost, however, the difficulties associated with the control of the process still pose important challenges for its industrial implementation. A deeper understanding of the fermentation process involving metabolic and biochemical principles is very necessary to overcome these difficulties. In this work a novel metabolic energy based model is presented that accurately predicts for the first time the experimentally observed changes in product spectrum with pH. The model predicts the observed shift towards formate production at high pH, accompanied with ethanol and acetate production. Acetate (accompanied with a more reduced product) and butyrate are predicted main products at low pH. The production of propionate between pH 6 and 8 is also predicted. These results are mechanistically explained for the first time considering the impact that variable proton motive potential and active transport energy costs have in terms of energy harvest over different products yielding. The model results, in line with numerous reported experiments, validate the mechanistic and bioenergetics hypotheses that fermentative mixed cultures products yielding appears to be controlled by the principle of maximum energy harvest and the necessity of balancing the redox equivalents in absence of external electron acceptors.

Algae after dark: mechanisms to cope with anoxic/hypoxic conditions.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular, soil-dwelling (and aquatic) green alga that has significant metabolic flexibility for balancing redox equivalents and generating ATP when it experiences hypoxic/anoxic conditions. The diversity of pathways available to ferment sugars is often revealed in mutants in which the activities of specific branches of fermentative metabolism have been eliminated; compensatory pathways that have little activity in parental strains under standard laboratory fermentative conditions are often activated. The ways in which these pathways are regulated and integrated have not been extensively explored. In this review, we primarily discuss the intricacies of dark anoxic metabolism in Chlamydomonas, but also discuss aspects of dark oxic metabolism, the utilization of acetate, and the relatively uncharacterized but critical interactions that link chloroplastic and mitochondrial metabolic networks.

Substituted quinoline quinones as surrogates for the PQQ cofactor: an electrochemical and computational study.

Pyrroloquinoline quinones (PQQ) are important cofactors that shuttle redox equivalents in diverse metalloproteins. Quinoline 7,8-quinones have been synthesized and characterized as surrogates for PQQ to elucidate redox energetics within metalloenzyme active sites. The quinoline 7,8-quinones were accessed using polymer-supported iodoxybenzoic acid and the compounds evaluated using solution electrochemistry. Together with a family of quinones, the products were evaluated computationally and used to generate a predictive correlation between a computed ΔG and the experimental reduction potentials.

Photoinduced Charge Accumulation in Molecular Systems.

Fuel-forming reactions such as CO2 reduction or water splitting require multiple redox equivalents. When aiming at light-driven production of energy-rich chemicals, nowadays often referred to as solar fuels, it therefore becomes important to master the photoinduced accumulation of electrons or holes on individual molecular components. Featured in this short review are some of the key molecular systems explored in this emerging field of research. This includes for example a trinuclear Ru(II)-Rh(III)-Ru(III) complex or an Ir(III)-sensitized polyoxotungstate hybrid, but also several systems in which electron or hole collection occurs at organic moieties such as perylenebis(dicarboximide), quinone-containing or oligotriarylamine-based units. In many cases the photodriven accumulation of charge requires the use of sacrificial electron donors, but there exist also a handful of studies in which redox equivalents can be accumulated without the use of such additives.

Ultrafast dynamics in multifunctional Ru(II)-loaded polymers for solar energy conversion.

The use of sunlight to make chemical fuels (i.e., solar fuels) is an attractive approach in the quest to develop sustainable energy sources. Using nature as a guide, assemblies for artificial photosynthesis will need to perform multiple functions. They will need to be able to harvest light across a broad region of the solar spectrum, transport excited-state energy to charge-separation sites, and then transport and store redox equivalents for use in the catalytic reactions that produce chemical fuels. This multifunctional behavior will require the assimilation of multiple components into a single macromolecular system. A wide variety of different architectures including porphyrin arrays, peptides, dendrimers, and polymers have been explored, with each design posing unique challenges. Polymer assemblies are attractive due to their relative ease of production and facile synthetic modification. However, their disordered nature gives rise to stochastic dynamics not present in more ordered assemblies. The rational design of assemblies requires a detailed understanding of the energy and electron transfer events that follow light absorption, which can occur on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to hundreds of microseconds, necessitating the use of sophisticated techniques. We have used a combination of time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopies with observation times that span 9 orders of magnitude to follow the excited-state evolution within polymer-based molecular assemblies. We complement experimental observations with molecular dynamics simulations to develop a microscopic view of these dynamics. This Account provides an overview of our work on polymers decorated with pendant Ru(II) chromophores, both in solution and on surfaces. We have examined site-to-site energy transport among the Ru(II) complexes, and in systems incorporating π-conjugated polymers, we have observed ultrafast formation of a long-lived charge-separated state. When attached to TiO2, these assemblies exhibit multifunctional behavior in which photon absorption is followed by energy transport to the surface and electron injection to produce an oxidized metal complex. The oxidizing equivalent is then transferred to the conjugated polymer, giving rise to a long-lived charge-separated state.

Artificial metalloenzymes for the diastereoselective reduction of NAD(+) to NAD(2)H.

Stereoselectively labelled isotopomers of NAD(P)H are highly relevant for mechanistic studies of enzymes which utilize them as redox equivalents. Whereas several methods are firmly established for their generation in high diastereomeric purity by enzymatic methods, alternative methods have so far not been investigated. The article presents the stereoselective deuteration of NAD(+) at the 4-position (90% de) of the pyridinium-ring by means of an artificial metalloenzyme. The artificial metalloenzyme consists of a biotinylated iridium cofactor embedded in streptavidin isoforms and the resulting constructs have been previously shown to be compatible with natural enzymes. Alternative methods for stereoselective NAD(P)(+) reduction are expected to be of high interest for the mechanistic study of enzymes that accept NAD(P)H mimics and for the synthesis of structurally related fine chemicals.

Photosystem II like water oxidation mechanism in a bioinspired tetranuclear manganese complex.

The synthesis of Mn-based catalysts to mimic the structural and catalytic properties of the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II is a long-standing goal for researchers. An interesting result in this field came with the synthesis of a Mn complex that enables water oxidation driven by the mild single-electron oxidant [Ru(bpy)3](3+). On the basis of hybrid density functional calculations, we herein propose a water oxidation mechanism for this bioinspired Mn catalyst, where the crucial O-O bond formation proceeds from the formal Mn4(IV,IV,IV,V) state by direct coupling of a Mn(IV)-bound terminal oxyl radical and a di-Mn bridging oxo group, a mechanism quite similar to the presently leading suggestion for the natural system. Of importance here is that the designed ligand is shown to be redox-active and can therefore store redox equivalents during the catalytic transitions, thereby alleviating the redox processes at the Mn centers.

Hsp90 at the Hub of Metabolic Homeostasis in Malignant B Cells

Abstract Reprogramming of tumor cell metabolism contributes to disease aggressiveness and chemoresistance, but how this process is regulated on the molecular levels is unclear. Hsp90 regulates diverse cellular processes through its interaction with co-chaperones and client proteins. Although basally expressed, Hsp90 is almost universally overexpressed in malignant cells due to increased levels of internal (oxidants, genomic instability, unfolded proteins) and external (hypoxia, nutrients limitation, drugs) stressors. Indeed, Hsp90 is starting to be acknowledged also for its role as an integrator of nutrient sensing, tumor bioenergetics and metabolic stress response (Chae et al, Cancer Cell, 2012). Here we report that active cytosolic Hsp90 binds and stabilizes enzymes regulating central metabolic processes in DLBCL, and provides an actionable target for this disease. Despite its overexpression, not all DLBCL are equally responsive to Hsp90 inhibitors. Using a panel of 10 DLBCL cell lines we found that those with higher glycolytic activity were more likely to respond to the Hsp90 inhibitors 17-DMAG and PU-H71. Global metabolomics profiling (GC-MS and UPLC-MS) of Hsp90-dependent (OCI-Ly7, OCI-Ly1, SU-DHL6, OCI-Ly10) vs. Hsp90-independent (Karpas422) cells identified “purine metabolism” (p=0.000027) and “pyrimidine metabolism” (p=0.0017) as upregulated, whereas “TCA cycle” was downregulated (p=0.000027). We validated these findings by short-term (6 h) exposure of OCI-Ly1 and OCI-Ly7 cells with non-cytotoxic doses of PU-H71 and found a highly reduced oxygen consumption rate (OCR) as well as glycolytic rate (ECAR). This was accompanied by a sharp decrease in glucose consumption and lactate production and by only a slight reduction in glutamine consumption. Unexpectedly, the drop in glycolysis and respiration in OCI-Ly1 and OCI-Ly7 did not lead to a significant decrease either in ATP or reducing power, suggesting that actually both the production and the utilization of ATP and redox equivalents are shut down when Hsp90 activity (an ATP-hydrolyzing enzyme) is inhibited. To identify the molecular basis for these differences, we characterized the active Hsp90-associated proteome in DLBCL by using chemical affinity purification followed by MS in cytosolic fractions of two Hsp90-dependent DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly1 and OCI-Ly7) in duplicates. This method pulls down only active Hsp90 multichaperone complexes (Moulick et al, Nat Chem Biol, 2011). Pathway enrichment analysis identified “cellular metabolism” as a significant process actively chaperoned by Hsp90 (ratio of enrichment 4.35, p=8.22E-15). Specifically, “nucleotides” and “carbohydrates” metabolism were the two most represented pathways, suggesting their critical role in Hsp90-dependent DLBCL cells. To functionally validate these findings, we integrated the proteomics analysis with serum metabolomics obtained from 10 OCI-Ly7-xenografted mice treated with PU-H71 vs vehicle (75 mg/m2 for 24 h (n=5)). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that PU-H71-treated mice had significant changes in 122 metabolites including lower levels of xanthine, hypoxanthine, adenosine and inosine, suggesting an alteration of the purines metabolism. IMPDH1/2 is the enzyme catalyzing the first committed and rate-limiting step of de novo guanine nucleotide biosynthesis. To determine whether IMPDH stability depends on Hsp90 activity, we treated a panel of 6 DLBCL cell lines (including OCI-Ly7) with their GI50 for PU-H71 or 17-DMAG for up to 24 h and found a time-dependent decrease in IMPDH2 protein levels. Finally, SCID mice were xenografted with OCI-Ly1 and SU-DHL6 and treated with vehicle, PU-H71, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF, the pro-drug of the IMPDH inhibitor mycophenolic acid) and the combination of PU-H71 and MMF. We found that the combination of drugs exhibited a greater antitumor effect than each drug alone (p=0.002 for SU-DHL6 and P<0.001 for OCI-Ly1, T-test day 10). There were no toxic effects. Altogether, our work supports a role for Hsp90 as a necessary component in a subset of DLBCLs to build-up the metabolic features that allow these tumor cells to meet the requirements for their unrestrained growth and proliferation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Photoinduced electron transfer in rhenium(I)-oligotriarylamine molecules.

Two molecular triads with an oligotriarylamine multielectron donor were synthesized and investigated with a view to obtaining charge-separated states in which the oligotriarylamine is oxidized 2-fold. Such photoinduced accumulation of multiple redox equivalents is of interest for artificial photosynthesis. The first triad was comprised of the oligotriarylamine and two rhenium(I) tricarbonyl diimine photosensitizers each of which can potentially accept one electron. In the second triad the oligotriarylamine was connected to anthraquinone, in principle an acceptor of two electrons, via a rhenium(I) tricarbonyl diimine unit. With nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (using an ordinary pump-probe technique) no evidence for the generation of 2-fold oxidized oligotriarylamine or 2-fold reduced anthraquinone was found. The key factors limiting the photochemistry of the new triads to simple charge separation of one electron and one hole are discussed, and the insights gained from this study are useful for further research in the area of charge accumulation in purely molecular (nanoparticle-free) systems. An important problem of the rhenium-based systems considered here is the short wavelength required for photoexcitation. In the second triad, photogenerated anthraquinone monoanion is protonated by organic acids, and the resulting semiquinone species leads to an increase in lifetime of the charge-separated state by about an order of magnitude. This shows that the proton-coupled electron transfer chemistry of quinones could be beneficial for photoinduced charge accumulation.

Solving Biofuels’ Redox Equation

For something so tiny and brainless, cyanobacteria have proven awfully hard to push around. The blue-green microbes are promising hosts for biofuel production. Yet attempts to boost output by engineering the microbes’ genomes rarely work in big bioreactors. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory think setbacks happen because the biochemistry that regulates fuel compound production isn’t fully understood. At the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Francisco, they presented molecular probes that might help close that knowledge gap. The probes reveal metabolic pinch points regulated by oxidation and reduction of cysteine side chains on enzymes. Such reactions are commonplace and help cells respond to their environment, including the stresses of being coaxed to make biofuels. The probes covalently label reactive cysteine amino acids on proteins inside living cyanobacteria, but only when the cysteine thiol group is in its reduced form. “We want to identify proteins where redox chemi...