Substrate Water Molecules Research Articles

Methanol as a probe to investigate the relationship between the secondary electron donor TyrZ and the substrate water molecules in active photosystem II

The secondary electron donor, TyrZ, is implicated in tuning the primary charge separation and the water oxidation in active photosystem II (PSII). Two types of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the function of TyrZ. One is that TyrZ tunes the water oxidation through the direct interaction with substrate water molecules; the other is that TyrZ is located in a hydrophobic environment without interacting with H2O, and controls the water oxidation by tuning the strength of the hydrogen bond between TyrZ and His190. Here, methanol was used as a probe to study the possible relationship between TyrZ and H2O by monitoring the TyrZ oxidation and TyrZ • reduction at cryogenic temperatures with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The oxidation of TyrZ and reduction of TyrZ • in both S2 and S0 states at 10 K were accelerated by addition of a small amount of methanol (6%). Theoretical studies indicate that Tyr oxidation becomes more difficult if it interacts directly with the methanol molecule; while the decrease of the polarity of its environment accelerates the oxidation of Tyr. Accordingly, CH3OH does not directly interact with TyrZ in active PSII, and the accelerative effect of methanol is caused by the strength increase of the hydrogen bond between TyrZ and His190, resulting from the decrease of polarity of their environment after the displacement of H2O by CH3OH inside PSII. Considering the similarity between methanol and water, the results in this study support the model in which TyrZ does not interact with H2O in active PSII.

The Ligand Environment of the S2 State of Photosystem Ii: A Study of the Hyperfine Interactions of the Tetranuclear Manganese Cluster by 2D Hyscore Spectroscopy.‡

The solar water-splitting protein complex, photosystem II (PSII), catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water to dioxygen in Nature. The four-electron water oxidation reaction occurs at the tetranuclear manganese-calcium-oxo (Mn4Ca-oxo) cluster that is present in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of PSII. The mechanism of light-driven water oxidation has been a subject of intense interest and the OEC of PSII has been studied extensively by structural methods. While the recent X-ray crystal structures, single crystal EXAFS and EPR spectroscopy investigations provide a model for the geometry of the catalytic Mn4Ca-oxo cluster, there is limited knowledge of the protein environment that surrounds the catalytic site. It is suggested that the binding and activation of the substrate water molecules at the Mn4Ca-oxo cluster in the OEC of PSII are facilitated by key amino acid residues that could be ligated to the catalytic cluster. In this study, we demonstrate the application of two-dimensional (2D) hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy to determine the magnetic couplings of the S2 state of PSII. We utilize 2D difference spectroscopy to facilitate unambiguous assignments of the spectral features arising from the substrate molecules and surrounding amino acid residues in the S2 state of PSII. The results presented here, for the first time, identify previously unknown ligands to the catalytic cluster and provide avenues for the assignment of residues by site-directed mutagenesis and the refinement of computational and mechanistic models of PSII.®€ This study is supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, United States Department of Energy (DE-FG02-0ER06-15).

Is Mn-Bound Substrate Water Protonated in the S 2 State of Photosystem II?

In spite of great progress in resolving the geometric structure of the water-splitting Mn4OxCa cluster in photosystem II, the binding sites and modes of the two substrate water molecules are still insufficiently characterized. While time-resolved membrane-inlet mass spectrometry measurements indicate that both substrate water molecules are bound to the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in the S 2 and S 3 states (Hendry and Wydrzynski in Biochemistry 41:13328–13334, 2002), it is not known (1) if they are both Mn-bound, (2) if they are terminal or bridging ligands, and (3) in what protonation state they are bound in the different oxidation states S i (i = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) of the OEC. By employing 17O hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy we recently demonstrated that in the S 2 state there is only one (type of) Mn-bound oxygen that is water exchangeable. We therefore tentatively identified this oxygen as one substrate ‘water’ molecule, and on the basis of the finding that it has a hyperfine interaction of about 10 MHz with the electron spin of the Mn4OxCa cluster, we suggest that it is bound as a Mn–O–Mn bridge within a bis-μ2 oxo-bridged unit (Su et al. in J Am Chem Soc 130:786–787, 2008). Employing pulse electron paramagnetic resonance, 1H/2H Mims electron-nuclear double resonance and 2H-HYSCORE spectroscopies together with 1H/2H-exchange here, we test this hypothesis by probing the protonation state of this exchangeable oxygen. We conclude that this oxygen is fully deprotonated. This result is discussed in the light of earlier reports in the literature.

Structures and Energetics for O2 Formation in Photosystem II

Water oxidation, forming O(2) from water and sunlight, is a fundamental process for life on earth. In nature, the enzyme photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes this reaction. The oxygen evolving complex (OEC), the complex within PSII that catalyzes the actual formation of the O-O bond, contains four manganese atoms and one calcium atom connected by oxo bonds. Seven amino acid side chains in the structure, mostly carboxylates, are ligated to the metal atoms. In the study of many enzyme mechanisms, theoretical modeling using density functional theory has served as an indispensable tool. This Account summarizes theoretical research to elucidate the mechanism for water oxidation in photosynthesis, including the most recent findings. The development of successively larger models, ranging from 50 atoms in the active site up to the present model size of 170 atoms, has revealed the mechanism of O(2) formation with increasing detail. The X-ray crystal structures of PSII have provided a framework for optimizing the theoretical models. By constraint of the backbone atoms to be at the same positions as those in the X-ray structures, the theoretical structures are in good agreement with both the measured electron density and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) interpretations. By following the structural and energetic changes in those structures through the different steps in the catalytic process, we have modeled the oxidation of the catalytic complex, the binding of the two substrate water molecules, and the subsequent deprotonations of those substrate molecules. In these models, the OEC forms a basin into which the water molecules naturally fit. These findings demonstrate that the binding of the second water molecule causes a reconstruction, results that are consistent with earlier EXAFS measurements. Most importantly, this Account describes a low-barrier mechanism for formation of the O-O bond, involving an oxygen radical that reacts with a mu-oxo ligand of the OEC. Further research revealed that the oxygen radical is bound in the Mn(3)Ca cube rather than to the outside manganese. This Account provides detailed diagrams of the energetics of the different S-transitions both without and with a membrane gradient. An interesting detail of these reactions concerns the role of the tyrosine (Tyr(Z)), which appears as an intermediate radical in the oxidation of the OEC. By simple electrostatic arguments, these results show that the initial oxidation of Tyr(Z) is downhill for the first two transitions but uphill for the final ones. In these later transitions, the oxidation of the OEC is coupled to deprotonations of water.

Effects of methanol on the S i -state transitions in photosynthetic water-splitting

From a chemical point of view methanol is one of the closest analogues of water. Consistent with this idea EPR spectroscopy studies have shown that methanol binds at-or at least very close to-the Mn(4)O(x)Ca cluster of photosystem II (PSII). In contrast, Clark-type oxygen rate measurements demonstrate that the O(2) evolving activity of PSII is surprisingly unaffected by methanol concentrations of up to 10%. Here we study for the first time in detail the effect of methanol on photosynthetic water-splitting by employing a Joliot-type bare platinum electrode. We demonstrate a linear dependence of the miss parameter for S( i ) state advancement on the methanol concentrations in the range of 0-10% (v/v). This finding is consistent with the idea that methanol binds in PSII with similar affinity as water to one or both substrate binding sites at the Mn(4)O(x)Ca cluster. The possibility is discussed that the two substrate water molecules bind at different stages of the cycle, one during the S(4) --> S(0) and the other during the S(2) --> S(3) transition.

Decoupling of the processes of molecular oxygen synthesis and electron transport in Ca2+-depleted PSII membranes

Extraction of Ca(2+) from the O(2)-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) membranes with 2 M NaCl in the light (PSII(-Ca/NaCl)) results in 90% inhibition of the O(2)-evolution reaction. However, electron transfer from the donor to acceptor side of PSII, measured as the reduction of the exogenous acceptor 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) under continuous light, is inhibited by only 30%. Thus, calcium extraction from the OEC inhibits the synthesis of molecular O(2) but not the oxidation of a substrate we term X, the source of electrons for DCIP reduction. The presence of electron transfer across PSII(-Ca/NaCl) membranes was demonstrated using fluorescence induction kinetics, a method that does not require an artificial acceptor. The calcium chelator, EGTA (5 mM), when added to PSII(-Ca/NaCl) membranes, does not affect the inhibition of O(2) evolution by NaCl but does inhibit DCIP reduction up to 92% (the reason why electron transport in Ca(2+)-depleted materials has not been noticed before). Another chelator, sodium citrate (citrate/low pH method of calcium extraction), also inhibits both O(2) evolution and DCIP reduction. The role of all buffer components (including bicarbonate and sucrose) as possible sources of electrons for PSII(-Ca/NaCl) membranes was investigated, but only the absence of chloride anions strongly inhibited the rate of DCIP reduction. Substitution of other anions for chloride indicates that Cl(-) serves its well-known role as an OEC cofactor, but it is not substrate X. Multiple turnover flash experiments have shown a period of four oscillations of the fluorescence yield (both the maximum level, F(max), and the fluorescence level measured 50 s after an actinic flash in the presence of DCMU) in native PSII membranes, reflecting the normal function of the OEC, but the absence of oscillations in PSII(-Ca/NaCl) samples. Thus, PSII(-Ca/NaCl) samples do not evolve O(2) but do transfer electrons from the donor to acceptor sides and exhibit a disrupted S-state cycle. We explain these results as follows. In Ca(2+)-depleted PSII membranes, obtained without chelators, the oxidation of the OEC stops after the absorption of three quanta of light (from the S1 state), which should convert the native OEC to the S4 state. An one-electron oxidation of the water molecule bound to the Mn cluster then occurs (the second substrate water molecule is absent due to the absence of calcium), and the OEC returns to the S3 state. The appearance of a sub-cycle within the S-state cycle between S3-like and S4-like states supplies electrons (substrate X is postulated to be OH(-)), explains the absence of O(2) production, and results in the absence of a period of four oscillation of the normal functional parameters, such as the fluorescence yield or the EPR signal from S2. Chloride anions probably keep the redox potential of the Mn cluster low enough for its oxidation by Y(Z)(*).

Theoretical site-directed mutagenesis: Asp168Ala mutant of lactate dehydrogenase

Molecular simulations based on the use of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods are able to provide detailed information about the complex enzymatic reactions and the consequences of specific mutations on the activity of the enzyme. In this work, the reduction of pyruvate to lactate catalysed by wild-type and Asp168Ala mutant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) has been studied by means of simulations using a very flexible molecular model consisting of the full tetramer of the enzyme, together with the cofactor NADH, the substrate and solvent water molecules. Our results indicate that the Asp168Ala mutation provokes a shift in the pKa value of Glu199 that becomes unprotonated at neutral pH in the mutant enzyme. This change compensates the loss of the negative charge of Asp168, rendering a still active enzyme. Thus, our methodology gives a calculated barrier height for the Asp168Ala mutant 3 kcal mol-1 higher than that for wild-type LDH, which is in very good agreement with the experiment. The computed potential energy surfaces reveal the reaction pathways and transition structures for the wild-type and mutant enzymes. Hydride transfer is less advanced and the proton transfer is more advanced in the Asp168Ala mutant than in the wild type. This approach provides a very powerful tool for the analysis of the roles of key active-site residues.

Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Study of the Catalytic Cycle of Water Splitting in Photosystem II

This paper investigates the mechanism of water splitting in photosystem II (PSII) as described by chemically sensible models of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in the S0-S4 states. The reaction is the paradigm for engineering direct solar fuel production systems since it is driven by solar light and the catalyst involves inexpensive and abundant metals (calcium and manganese). Molecular models of the OEC Mn3CaO4Mn catalytic cluster are constructed by explicitly considering the perturbational influence of the surrounding protein environment according to state-of-the-art quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid methods, in conjunction with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) structure of PSII from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The resulting models are validated through direct comparisons with high-resolution extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic data. Structures of the S3, S4, and S0 states include an additional mu-oxo bridge between Mn(3) and Mn(4), not present in XRD structures, found to be essential for the deprotonation of substrate water molecules. The structures of reaction intermediates suggest a detailed mechanism of dioxygen evolution based on changes in oxidization and protonation states and structural rearrangements of the oxomanganese cluster and surrounding water molecules. The catalytic reaction is consistent with substrate water molecules coordinated as terminal ligands to Mn(4) and calcium and requires the formation of an oxyl radical by deprotonation of the substrate water molecule ligated to Mn(4) and the accumulation of four oxidizing equivalents. The oxyl radical is susceptible to nucleophilic attack by a substrate water molecule initially coordinated to calcium and activated by two basic species, including CP43-R357 and the mu-oxo bridge between Mn(3) and Mn(4). The reaction is concerted with water ligand exchange, swapping the activated water by a water molecule in the second coordination shell of calcium.

Probing Mode and Site of Substrate Water Binding to the Oxygen-Evolving Complex in the S2 State of Photosystem II by 17O-HYSCORE Spectroscopy

In the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) molecular oxygen is formed from two substrate water molecules that are ligated to a mu-oxo bridged cluster containing four Mn ions and one Ca ion (Mn4OxCa cluster; Ox symbolizes the unknown number of mu-oxo bridges; x >or= 5). There is a long-standing enigma as to when, where, and how the two substrate water molecules bind to the Mn4OxCa cluster during the cyclic water-splitting reaction, which involves five distinct redox intermediates (Si-states; i = 0,...,4). To address this question we employed hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy on H217O-enriched PSII samples poised in the paramagnetic S2 state. This approach allowed us to resolve the magnetic interaction between one solvent exchangeable 17O that is directly ligated to one or more Mn ions of the Mn4OxCa cluster in the S2 state of PSII. Direct coordination of 17O to Mn is supported by the strong (A approximately 10 MHz) hyperfine coupling. Because these are properties expected from a substrate water molecule, this spectroscopic signature holds the potential for gaining long-sought information about the binding mode and site of one of the two substrate water molecules in the S2 state of PSII.

Investigation of substrate water interactions at the high-affinity Mn site in the photosystem II oxygen-evolving complex

18 O isotope exchange measurements of photosystem II (PSII) in thylakoids from wild-type and mutant Synechocystis have been performed to investigate binding of substrate water to the high-affinity Mn4 site in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). The mutants investigated were D1-D170H, a mutation of a direct ligand to the Mn4 ion, and D1-D61N, a mutation in the second coordination sphere. The substrate water 18 O exchange rates for D61N were found to be 0.16+/-0.02 s(-1) and 3.03+/-0.32 s(-1) for the slow and fast phases of exchange, respectively, compared with 0.47+/-0.04 s(-1) and 19.7+/-1.3 s(-1) for the wild-type. The D1-D170H rates were found to be 0.70+/-0.16 s(-1) and 24.4+/-4.6 s(-1) and thus are almost within the error limits for the wild-type rates. The results from the D1-D170H mutant indicate that the high-affinity Mn4 site does not directly bind to the substrate water molecule in slow exchange, but the binding of non-substrate water to this Mn ion cannot be excluded. The results from the D61N mutation show an interaction with both substrate water molecules, which could be an indication that D61 is involved in a hydrogen bonding network with the substrate water. Our results provide limitations as to where the two substrate water molecules bind in the OEC of PSII.

Preface for Special Issue of Photosynthesis Research “Photosynthetic Water Oxidation”

Oxygenic photosynthesis is vital to the maintenance of heterotrophic, aerobic life on Earth. This process supplies both energy, in the form of carbohydrates, and molecular oxygen. Molecular oxygen is derived from the light-induced oxidation of substrate water molecules. Photosynthetic oxygen production takes place within the Photosystem II (PSII) complex, a collection of proteins, pigments, and inorganic metal ions, which function together to oxidize water and release molecular oxygen to the atmosphere. One-electron transfer reactions in the chlorophyll-containing photosystem II reaction center are coupled to the four-electron oxidation of water in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). The OEC contains a tetramanganese-calcium cluster (Mn cluster) (Fig. 1A), and chloride plays an important role in facilitating catalysis. Four successive photooxidations are required for the splitting of two water molecules to produce molecular

Sputtering of amorphous ice induced by C 60 and Au 3 clusters

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the behavior of cluster SIMS. Two predominant cluster ion beam sources, C 60 and Au 3, were chosen for comparison. An amorphous water ice substrate was bombarded with incident energy of 5 keV. The C 60 cluster was observed to shatter upon impact creating a crater of damage approximately 8 nm deep. Although Au 3 was also found to both break apart and form a damage crater, it continued along its initial trajectory causing damage roughly 10 nm deep into the sample and becoming completely imbedded. It is suggested that this difference in behavior is due to the large mass of Au relative to the substrate water molecule.

Structural Changes of D1 C-terminal α-Carboxylate during S-state Cycling in Photosynthetic Oxygen Evolution

Changes in the chemical structure of alpha-carboxylate of the D1 C-terminal Ala-344 during S-state cycling of photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex were selectively measured using light-induced Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) difference spectroscopy in combination with specific [(13)C]alanine labeling and site-directed mutagenesis in photosystem II core particles from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Several bands for carboxylate symmetric stretching modes in an S(2)/S(1) FTIR difference spectrum were affected by selective (13)C labeling of the alpha-carboxylate of Ala with l-[1-(13)C]alanine, whereas most of the isotopic effects failed to be induced in a site-directed mutant in which Ala-344 was replaced with Gly. Labeling of the alpha-methyl of Ala with l-[3-(13)C]alanine had much smaller effects on the spectrum to induce isotopic bands due to a symmetric CH(3) deformation coupled with the alpha-carboxylate. The isotopic bands for the alpha-carboxylate of Ala-344 showed characteristic changes during S-state cycling. The bands appeared prominently upon the S(1)-to-S(2) transition and to a lesser extent upon the S(2)-to-S(3) transition but reappeared at slightly upshifted frequencies with the opposite sign upon the S(3)-to-S(0) transition. No obvious isotopic band appeared upon the S(0)-to-S(1) transition. These results indicate that the alpha-carboxylate of C-terminal Ala-344 is structurally associated with a manganese ion that becomes oxidized upon the S(1)-to-S(2) transition and reduced reversely upon the S(3)-to-S(0) transition but is not associated with manganese ion(s) oxidized during the S(0)-to-S(1) (and S(2)-to-S(3)) transition(s). Consistently, l-[1-(13)C]alanine labeling also induced spectral changes in the low frequency (670-350 cm(-1)) S(2)/S(1) FTIR difference spectrum.

The location of calcium in the manganese complex of oxygenic photosynthesis studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ca k-edge

The tetra-manganese complex of photosystem II is the site of the production of most of the atmospheric dioxygen. To understand its function, an atomic-resolution structural model is required. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and protein crystallography yielded models for the arrangement of the four Mn atoms. The location of the functionally essential calcium cofactor within the complex, however, is still debated. To dwell on this point, XAS was performed at the Ca K-edge. Simulations of Ca EXAFS spectra reveal that at least two Mn atoms are located at a distance of ∼3.3 Å to one Ca ion. Ca bound to the complex seems not to be fully hydrated. On basis of the complementary structural information derived from XAS at the Mn and Ca K-edge, a model of the Mn4/Ca complex in its S1-state is proposed which predicts intimate links between the Ca ion and Mn, possibly by bridging substrate-water molecules.

Substrate water interactions within the Photosystem II oxygen evolving complex

The 18O exchange rates for the substrate water in photosystem II can be obtained by time-resolved mass spectrometric approaches and provide insight into the chemical nature of the substrate binding sites in the oxygen evolving complex (OEC). In this communication, we report additional data on the resolvable S-state dependence of the substrate exchange rates in untreated spinach thylakoids. The data reveals that the exchange for one substrate water molecule is resolvable in all S states, i.e. S0 (k1 ≈ 10 s−1), S1 (k1 ≈ 0.02 s−1), S2 (k1 ≈ 2.0 s−1) and S3 (k1 ≈ 2.0 s−1), and that the second substrate water molecule is resolvable in S2 (k2 ≈ 120 s−1) and S3 (k2 ≈ 40 s−1) states, and faster than 120 s−1 during the S0 and S1 states. The temperature dependencies of the exchange rates are also reported. The corresponding activation energies for the slow exchange substrate water in S1, S2 and S3 are 83 ± 4, 71 ± 9, and 78 ± 9 kJ mol−1, respectively. In contrast, the activation energy for the fast exchange substrate water in S3, is 40 ± 5 kJ mol−1. Finally we also report the secondary isotope effect of deuterium on S3 state measurements, where the slow exchange substrate water remains unaffected while the rate for the fast exchange substrate water increases by a factor of ∼35%, resulting in an inverse H/D isotope effect. The exchange rates, activation energies and deuterium effects provide further mechanistic constraints on the water oxidation reaction in photosystem II and provide strong evidence that the slow exchange substrate water does not undergo any significant changes in its binding properties during the S2–S3 transition.

Structure-based mechanism of photosynthetic water oxidation

The recently-published 3.5 A resolution X-ray crystal structure of a cyanobacterial photosystem II (PDB entry 1S5L) provides a detailed architecture of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) and the surrounding amino-acids [K. N. Ferreira, T. M. Iverson, K. Maghlaoui, J. Barber and S. Iwata, Science, 2004, 203, 1831–1838]. The revealed geometry of the OEC lends weight to certain hypothesized mechanisms for water-splitting, including the one propounded by this group, in which a calcium-bound water acts as a nucleophile to attack the oxygen of a MnVO group in the crucial O–O bond-forming step [J. S. Vrettos, J. Limburg and G. W. Brudvig, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 2001, 1503, 229–245]. Here we re-examine this mechanism in the light of the new crystallographic information and make detailed suggestions concerning the mechanistic functions (especially the redox and proton-transfer roles) of calcium, chloride and certain amino-acid residues in and around the OEC. In particular, we propose an important role for an arginine residue, CP43–Arg357, in abstracting protons from a substrate water molecule during the water-splitting reaction.

(18)O isotope exchange measurements reveal that calcium is involved in the binding of one substrate-water molecule to the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II.

Direct evidence is presented to show that calcium is inherently involved in the binding of one of the two substrate-water molecules to the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II. Previous rapid (millisecond range) (18)O isotope exchange measurements between added H(2)(18)O and the photogenerated O(2) have shown that the two substrate-water molecules bind to separate sites throughout the S-state cycle, as revealed by their kinetically distinct rates of (18)O exchange [Hillier, W., and Wydrzynski, T. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 4399-4405]. Upon extraction of the functionally bound calcium using a either a low-pH/citrate treatment or a NaCl/A23187/EGTA treatment and subsequent reconstitution of activity with strontium, we show for the first time a specific increase in the slow rate of (18)O exchange by a factor of 3-4. This increase in the slow rate of exchange is consistently observed across the S(1), S(2), and S(3) states. In contrast, the fast phase of (18)O exchange in the S(3) state appears to be affected little upon strontium reconstitution, while the fast phases of exchange in the S(1) and S(2) states remain largely unresolvable, at the detectable limits of the current techniques. The results are discussed in terms of a possible substrate bridging structure between the functional calcium and a catalytic manganese ion that gives rise to the slowly exchanging component.

The two substrate-water molecules are already bound to the oxygen-evolving complex in the S2 state of photosystem II.

The first direct evidence which shows that both substrate-water molecules are bound to the O(2)-evolving catalytic site in the S(2) state of photosystem II (PSII) is presented. Rapid (18)O isotope exchange measurements between H(2)(18)O incubated in the S(2) state of PSII-enriched membrane samples and the photogenerated O(2) reveal a fast and a slow phase of exchange at m/e 34 (which measures the level of the (16)O(18)O product). The rate constant for the slow phase of exchange ((34)k(1)) equals 1.9 +/- 0.3 s(-1) at 10 degrees C, while the fast phase of exchange is unresolved by our current experimental setup ((34)k(2) >or= 175 s(-1)). The unresolvable fast phase has left open the possibility that the second substrate-water molecule binds to the catalytic site only after the formation of the S(3) state [Hillier, W., and Wydrzynski, T. (2000) Biochemistry 39, 4399-4405]. However, for PSII samples depleted of the 17 and 23 kDa extrinsic proteins (Ex-depleted PSII), two completely resolvable phases of (18)O exchange are observed in the S(2) state of the residual activity, with the following rate constants: (34)k(1) = 2.6 +/- 0.3 s(-1) and (34)k(2) = 120 +/- 14 s(-1) at 10 degrees C. Upon addition of 15 mM CaCl(2) to Ex-depleted PSII, the O(2) evolution activity increases to approximately 80% of the control level, while the two resolvable phases of exchange remain the same. In measurements of Ex-depleted PSII at m/e 36 (which measures the level of the (18)O(18)O product), only a single phase of exchange is observed in the S(2) state, with a rate constant ((36)k(1) = 2.5 +/- 0.2 s(-1)) that is identical to the slow rate of exchange in the m/e 34 data. Taken together, these results show that the fast phase of (18)O exchange is specifically slowed by the removal of the 17 and 23 kDa extrinsic proteins and that the two substrate-water molecules must be bound to independent sites already in the S(2) state. In contrast, the (18)O exchange behavior in the S(1) state of Ex-depleted PSII is no different from what is observed for the control, with or without the addition of CaCl(2). Since the fast phase of exchange in the S(1) state is unresolved (i.e., (34)k(2) > 100 s(-1)), the possibility remains that the second substrate-water molecule binds to the catalytic site only after the formation of the S(2) state. The role of the 17 and 23 kDa extrinsic proteins in establishing an asymmetric dielectric environment around the substrate binding sites is discussed.

An evaluation of structural models for the photosynthetic water-oxidizing complex derived from spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction signatures.

Four of the five intermediate oxidation states (S-states) in the catalytic cycle of water oxidation used by O2-evolving photoautotrophs have been previously characterized by EPR and/or ENDOR spectroscopy, with the first reports for the S0, S1, and S3 states available in just the last three years. The first electron density map of the Mn cluster derived from X-ray diffraction measurements of single crystals of photosystem II at 3.8-4.2 A resolution has also appeared this year. This wealth of new information has provided significant insight into the structure of the inorganic core (Mn4OxCa1Cl1-2), the Mn oxidation states, and the location and function of the essential Ca2+ cofactor within the water-oxidizing complex (WOC). We summarize these advances and provide a unified interpretation of debated structural proposals and Mn oxidation states, based on an integrated analysis of the published data, particularly from Mn X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and EPR/ENDOR data. Only three magnetic spin-exchange models for the inter-manganese interactions are possible from consideration of the EPR data for the S0, S1, S2 and S(-N) (NO-reduced) states. These models fall into one of three types denoted butterfly, funnel, or tetrahedron. A revised set of eight allowed chemical structures for the Mn4Ox core can be deduced that are shown to be consistent with both EPR and XAS. The popular "dimer-of-dimers" structural model is not compatible with the possible structural candidates. EPR data have identified two inter-manganese couplings that are sensitive to the S-state, suggesting two possible bridging sites for substrate water molecules. Spin densities derived from 55Mn hyperfine data together with Mn K-edge energies from Ca-depleted samples provide an internally consistent assignment for the Mn oxidation states of Mn4(3III,IV) for the S2 state. EPR and XAS data also provide a consistent picture, locating Ca2+ as an integral part of the inorganic core, probably via shared bridging ligands with Mn (aqua/hydroxo/carboxylato/chloro). XAS data reveal that the Ca2+ cofactor increases the Mn(1s-->4p) transition energy by 0.6-1 eV with minimal structural perturbation versus the Ca-depleted WOC. Thus, calcium binding appears to increase the Mn-ligand covalency by increasing electron transfer from shared ligands to Mn, suggesting a direct role for Ca2+ in substrate water oxidation. Consideration of both the XAS and the EPR data, together with reactivity studies on two model complexes that evolve O2, suggest two favored structure types as feasible models for the reactive S4 state that is precursor to the O2 evolution step. These are a calcium-capped "cuboidal" core and a calcium-capped "funnel" core.

Quantifying the ion selectivity of the Ca2+ site in photosystem II: evidence for direct involvement of Ca2+ in O2 formation.

Calcium is an essential cofactor in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII). The removal of Ca2+ or its substitution by any metal ion except Sr2+ inhibits oxygen evolution. We used steady-state enzyme kinetics to measure the rate of O2 evolution in PSII samples treated with an extensive series of mono-, di-, and trivalent metal ions in order to determine the basis for the affinity of metal ions for the Ca2+-binding site. Our results show that the Ca2+-binding site in PSII behaves very similarly to the Ca2+-binding sites in other proteins, and we discuss the implications this has for the structure of the site in PSII. Activity measurements as a function of time show that the binding site achieves equilibrium in 4 h for all of the PSII samples investigated. The binding affinities of the metal ions are modulated by the 17 and 23 kDa extrinsic polypeptides; their removal decreases the free energy of binding of the metal ions by 2.5 kcal/mol, but does not significantly change the time required to reach equilibrium. Monovalent ions are effectively excluded from the Ca2+-binding site, exhibiting no inhibition of O2 evolution. Di- and trivalent metal ions with ionic radii similar to that of Ca2+ (0.99 A) bind competitively with Ca2+ and have the highest binding affinity, while smaller metal ions bind more weakly and much larger ones do not bind competitively. This is consistent with a size-selective Ca2+-binding site that has a rigid array of coordinating ligands. Despite the large number of metal ions that competitively replace Ca2+ in the OEC, only Sr2+ is capable of partially restoring activity. Comparing the physical characteristics of the metal ions studied, we identify the pK(a) of the aqua ion as the factor that determines the functional competence of the metal ion. This suggests that Ca2+ is directly involved in the chemistry of water oxidation and is not only a structural cofactor in the OEC. We propose that the role of Ca2+ is to act as a Lewis acid, binding a substrate water molecule and tuning its reactivity.