1
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Oka Y, Inoue K. Time-resolved EPR observation of blue-light-induced radical ion pairs in a flavin-Trp dyad. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:16444-16448. [PMID: 38808575 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06219h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
A dyad of flavin and Trp bridged by a p-phenylamide linker was synthesized as an artificial model system to investigate molecular-based magnetic-field sensors relevant to blue-light photoreceptor proteins. The results demonstrated that intramolecular electron transfer generates a radical pair, only the triplet-born one of which has a microsecond lifetime at room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimi Oka
- Frontier Research Core for Life Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
- Research Promotion Institute, Oita University, 700 Dannoharu, Oita 870-1192, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Chirality Research Center (CResCent), and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM2), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
| | - Katsuya Inoue
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Chirality Research Center (CResCent), and International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter (WPI-SKCM2), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima 739-8526, Japan.
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2
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Grüning G, Gerhards L, Wong SY, Kattnig DR, Solov'yov IA. The Effect of Spin Relaxation on Magnetic Compass Sensitivity in ErCry4a. Chemphyschem 2024:e202400129. [PMID: 38668824 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This study explores the impact of thermal motion on the magnetic compass mechanism in migratory birds, focusing on the radical pair mechanism within cryptochrome photoreceptors. The coherence of radical pairs, crucial for magnetic field inference, is curbed by spin relaxation induced by intra-protein motion. Molecular dynamics simulations, density-functional-theory-based calculations, and spin dynamics calculations were employed, utilizing Bloch-Redfield-Wangsness (BRW) relaxation theory, to investigate compass sensitivity. Previous research hypothesized that European robin's cryptochrome 4a (ErCry4a) optimized intra-protein motion to minimize spin relaxation, enhancing magnetic sensing compared to the plant Arabidopsis thaliana's cryptochrome 1 (AtCry1). Different correlation times of the nuclear hyperfine coupling constants in AtCry1 and ErCry4a were indeed found, leading to distinct radical pair recombination yields in the two species, with ErCry4a showing optimized sensitivity. However, this optimization is likely negligible in realistic spin systems with numerous nuclear spins. Beyond insights in magnetic sensing, the study presents a detailed method employing molecular dynamics simulations to assess for spin relaxation effects on chemical reactions with realistically modelled protein motion, relevant for studying radical pair reactions at finite temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesa Grüning
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Luca Gerhards
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Siu Y Wong
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daniel R Kattnig
- Department of Physics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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3
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Panariti D, Conron SM, Zhang J, Wasielewski MR, Di Valentin M, Tait CE. Control of excitation selectivity in pulse EPR on spin-correlated radical pairs with shaped pulses. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:3842-3856. [PMID: 38221856 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06009h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Spin-correlated radical pairs generated by photoinduced electron transfer are characterised by a distinctive spin polarisation and a unique behaviour in pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Under non-selective excitation, an out-of-phase echo signal modulated by the dipolar and exchange coupling interactions characterising the radical pair is observed and allows extraction of geometric information in the two-pulse out-of-phase electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) experiment. The investigation of the role of spin-correlated radical pairs in a variety of biological processes and in the fundamental mechanisms underlying device function in optoelectronics, as well as their potential use in quantum information science, relies on the ability to precisely address and manipulate the spins using microwave pulses. Here, we explore the use of shaped pulses for controlled narrowband selective and broadband non-selective excitation of spin-correlated radical pairs in two model donor-bridge-acceptor triads, characterised by different spectral widths, at X- and Q-band frequencies. We demonstrate selective excitation with close to rectangular excitation profiles using BURP (band-selective, uniform response, pure-phase) pulses and complete non-selective excitation of both spins of the radical pair using frequency-swept chirp pulses. The use of frequency-swept pulses in out-of-phase ESEEM experiments enables increased modulation depths and, combined with echo transient detection and Fourier transformation, correlation of the dipolar frequencies with the EPR spectrum and therefore the potential to extract additional information on the donor-acceptor pair geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Panariti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sarah M Conron
- Department of Chemistry, Applied Physics Program, and Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, USA
| | - Jinyuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Applied Physics Program, and Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, USA
| | - Michael R Wasielewski
- Department of Chemistry, Applied Physics Program, and Center for Molecular Quantum Transduction, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, USA
| | | | - Claudia E Tait
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK.
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4
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Salerno KM, Domenico J, Le NQ, Balakrishnan K, McQuillen RJ, Stiles CD, Solov'yov IA, Martino CF. Long-Time Oxygen and Superoxide Localization in Arabidopsis thaliana Cryptochrome. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6756-6767. [PMID: 37874902 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Cryptochromes are proteins that are highly conserved across species and in many instances bind the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor within their photolyase-homology region (PHR) domain. The FAD cofactor has multiple redox states that help catalyze reactions, and absorbs photons at about 450 nm, a feature linked to the light-related functions of cryptochrome proteins. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced from redox reactions involving molecular oxygen and are involved in a myriad of biological processes. Superoxide O2•- is an exemplary ROS that may be formed through electron transfer from FAD to O2, generating an electron radical pair. Although the formation of a superoxide-FAD radical pair has been speculated, it is still unclear if the required process steps could be realized in cryptochrome. Here, we present results from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of oxygen interacting with the PHR domain of Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome 1 (AtCRY1). Using MD simulation trajectories, oxygen binding locations are characterized through both the O2-FAD intermolecular distance and the local protein environment. Oxygen unbinding times are characterized through replica simulations of the bound oxygen. Simulations reveal that oxygen molecules can localize at certain sites within the cryptochrome protein for tens of nanoseconds, and superoxide molecules can localize for significantly longer. This relatively long-duration molecule binding suggests the possibility of an electron-transfer reaction leading to superoxide formation. Estimates of electron-transfer rates using the Marcus theory are performed for the identified potential binding sites. Molecular oxygen binding results are compared with recent results demonstrating long-time oxygen binding within the electron-transfer flavoprotein (ETF), another FAD binding protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Michael Salerno
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Janna Domenico
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Nam Q Le
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Krithika Balakrishnan
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Ryan J McQuillen
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Christopher D Stiles
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Centre for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Centre for Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Carlos F Martino
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, United States
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5
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Hong G, Pachter R. Effects of inter-radical interactions and scavenging radicals on magnetosensitivity: spin dynamics simulations of proposed radical pairs. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:27-37. [PMID: 36792823 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01630-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Although the magnetosensitivity to weak magnetic fields, such as the geomagnetic field, which was exhibited by radical pairs that are potentially responsible for avian navigation, has been previously investigated by spin dynamics simulations, understanding this behavior for proposed radical pairs in other species is limited. These include, for example, radical pairs formed in the single-cell green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CraCRY) and in Columba livia (ClCRY4). In addition, the radical pair of FADH• with the one-electron reduced cyclobutane thymine dimer that was shown to be sensitive to weak magnetic fields has been of interest. In this work, we investigated the directional magnetosensitivity of these radical pairs to a weak magnetic field by spin dynamics simulations. We find significant reduction in the magnetosensitivity by inclusion of dipolar and exchange interactions, which can be mitigated by a scavenging radical, as demonstrated for the [FAD•- TyrD•] radical pair in CraCRY, but not for the [FADH• T□T•-] radical pair because of the large exchange coupling. The directional magnetosensitivity of the ClCRY4 [FAD•- TyrE•] radical pair can survive this adverse effect even without the scavenging reaction, possibly motivating further experimental exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongyi Hong
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 45433, USA
| | - Ruth Pachter
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 45433, USA.
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6
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Bezchastnov V, Domratcheva T. Quantum-mechanical insights into the anisotropic response of the cryptochrome radical pair to a weak magnetic field. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:034303. [PMID: 36681637 DOI: 10.1063/5.0133943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptochrome photoreceptors contain a photochemically generated radical pair, which is thought to mediate sensing of the geomagnetic field direction in many living organisms. To gain insight into the response of the cryptochrome to a weak magnetic field, we have studied the quantum-mechanical hyperfine spin states of the radical pair. We identify quantum states responsible for the precise detection of the magnetic field direction, taking into account the strongly axial hyperfine interactions of each radical in the radical pair. The contribution of these states to the formation of the cryptochrome signaling state sharply increases when the magnetic field becomes orthogonal to the hyperfine axis of either radical. Due to such a response, the radical pair may be able to detect the particular field direction normal to the plane containing the hyperfine axes of the radicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Bezchastnov
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tatiana Domratcheva
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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Smith LD, Chowdhury FT, Peasgood I, Dawkins N, Kattnig DR. Driven Radical Motion Enhances Cryptochrome Magnetoreception: Toward Live Quantum Sensing. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:10500-10506. [PMID: 36332112 PMCID: PMC9677492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism underlying magnetoreception has long eluded explanation. A popular hypothesis attributes this sense to the quantum coherent spin dynamics and spin-selective recombination reactions of radical pairs in the protein cryptochrome. However, concerns about the validity of the hypothesis have been raised because unavoidable inter-radical interactions, such as the strong electron-electron dipolar coupling, appear to suppress its sensitivity. We demonstrate that sensitivity can be restored by driving the spin system through a modulation of the inter-radical distance. It is shown that this dynamical process markedly enhances geomagnetic field sensitivity in strongly coupled radical pairs via Landau-Zener-Stückelberg-Majorana transitions between singlet and triplet states. These findings suggest that a "live" harmonically driven magnetoreceptor can be more sensitive than its "dead" static counterpart.
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8
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Zadeh-Haghighi H, Simon C. Magnetic field effects in biology from the perspective of the radical pair mechanism. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220325. [PMID: 35919980 PMCID: PMC9346374 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hundreds of studies have found that weak magnetic fields can significantly influence various biological systems. However, the underlying mechanisms behind these phenomena remain elusive. Remarkably, the magnetic energies implicated in these effects are much smaller than thermal energies. Here, we review these observations, and we suggest an explanation based on the radical pair mechanism, which involves the quantum dynamics of the electron and nuclear spins of transient radical molecules. While the radical pair mechanism has been studied in detail in the context of avian magnetoreception, the studies reviewed here show that magnetosensitivity is widespread throughout biology. We review magnetic field effects on various physiological functions, discussing static, hypomagnetic and oscillating magnetic fields, as well as isotope effects. We then review the radical pair mechanism as a potential unifying model for the described magnetic field effects, and we discuss plausible candidate molecules for the radical pairs. We review recent studies proposing that the radical pair mechanism provides explanations for isotope effects in xenon anaesthesia and lithium treatment of hyperactivity, magnetic field effects on the circadian clock, and hypomagnetic field effects on neurogenesis and microtubule assembly. We conclude by discussing future lines of investigation in this exciting new area of quantum biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Christoph Simon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- Institute for Quantum Science and Technology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
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9
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Alachkar A. Aromatic patterns: Tryptophan aromaticity as a catalyst for the emergence of life and rise of consciousness. Phys Life Rev 2022; 42:93-114. [PMID: 35905538 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sunlight held the key to the origin of life on Earth. The earliest life forms, cyanobacteria, captured the sunlight to generate energy through photosynthesis. Life on Earth evolved in accordance with the circadian rhythms tied to sensitivity to sunlight patterns. A unique feature of cyanobacterial photosynthetic proteins and circadian rhythms' molecules, and later of nearly all photon-sensing molecules throughout evolution, is that the aromatic amino acid tryptophan (Trp) resides at the center of light-harvesting active sites. In this perspective, I review the literature and integrate evidence from different scientific fields to explore the role Trp plays in photon-sensing capabilities of living organisms through its resonance delocalization of π-electrons. The observations presented here are the product of apparently unrelated phenomena throughout evolution, but nevertheless share consistent patterns of photon-sensing by Trp-containing and Trp-derived molecules. I posit the unique capacity to transfer electrons during photosynthesis in the earliest life forms is conferred to Trp due to its aromaticity. I propose this ability evolved to assume more complex functions, serving as a host for mechanisms underlying mental aptitudes - a concept which provides a theoretical basis for defining the neural correlates of consciousness. The argument made here is that Trp aromaticity may have allowed for the inception of the mechanistic building blocks used to fabricate complexity in higher forms of life. More specifically, Trp aromatic non-locality may have acted as a catalyst for the emergence of consciousness by instigating long-range synchronization and stabilizing the large-scale coherence of neural networks, which mediate functional brain activity. The concepts proposed in this perspective provide a conceptual foundation that invites further interdisciplinary dialogue aimed at examining and defining the role of aromaticity (beyond Trp) in the emergence of life and consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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10
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Al Said T, Weber S, Schleicher E. OOP-ESEEM Spectroscopy: Accuracies of Distances of Spin-Correlated Radical Pairs in Biomolecules. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:890826. [PMID: 35813811 PMCID: PMC9262093 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.890826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the commonly used electron-electron double resonance (ELDOR) technique, there are several other electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods by which structure information can be obtained by exploiting the dipolar coupling between two radicals based on its characteristic r -3 dependence. In this contribution, we explore the potential of out-of-phase-electron-spin echo envelope modulation (OOP-ESEEM) spectroscopy to collect accurate distance information in photo-sensitive (bio) molecules. Although the method has already been applied to spin-correlated radical pairs in several classes of light-active proteins, the accuracy of the information obtained has not yet been extensively evaluated. To do this in a system-independent fashion, OOP-ESEEM time traces simulated with different values of the dipolar and exchange couplings were generated and analyzed in a best-possible way. Excellent agreement between calculated and numerically fitted values over a wide range of distances (between 15 and 45 Å) was obtained. Furthermore, the limitations of the method and the dependence on various experimental parameters could be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erik Schleicher
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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11
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Deviers J, Cailliez F, de la Lande A, Kattnig DR. Anisotropic magnetic field effects in the re-oxidation of cryptochrome in the presence of scavenger radicals. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:025101. [PMID: 35032990 DOI: 10.1063/5.0078115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The avian compass and many other of nature's magnetoreceptive traits are widely ascribed to the protein cryptochrome. There, magnetosensitivity is thought to emerge as the spin dynamics of radicals in the applied magnetic field enters in competition with their recombination. The first and dominant model makes use of a radical pair. However, recent studies have suggested that magnetosensitivity could be markedly enhanced for a radical triad, the primary radical pair of which undergoes a spin-selective recombination reaction with a third radical. Here, we test the practicality of this supposition for the reoxidation reaction of the reduced FAD cofactor in cryptochrome, which has been implicated with light-independent magnetoreception but appears irreconcilable with the classical radical pair mechanism (RPM). Based on the available realistic cryptochrome structures, we predict the magnetosensitivity of radical triad systems comprising the flavin semiquinone, the superoxide, and a tyrosine or ascorbyl scavenger radical. We consider many hyperfine-coupled nuclear spins, the relative orientation and placement of the radicals, their coupling by the electron-electron dipolar interaction, and spin relaxation in the superoxide radical in the limit of instantaneous decoherence, which have not been comprehensively considered before. We demonstrate that these systems can provide superior magnetosensitivity under realistic conditions, with implications for dark-state cryptochrome magnetoreception and other biological magneto- and isotope-sensitive radical recombination reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Deviers
- Department of Physics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, EX4 4QD Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Fabien Cailliez
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS (UMR 8000), 15 avenue Jean Perrin, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Aurélien de la Lande
- Institut de Chimie Physique, Université Paris Saclay, CNRS (UMR 8000), 15 avenue Jean Perrin, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Daniel R Kattnig
- Department of Physics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, EX4 4QD Exeter, United Kingdom
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12
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Broadband 75-85 MHz radiofrequency fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds consistent with a flavin-based radical pair magnetoreceptor. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:97-106. [PMID: 35019998 PMCID: PMC8918455 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01537-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The light-dependent magnetic compass sense of night-migratory songbirds can be disrupted by weak radiofrequency fields. This finding supports a quantum mechanical, radical-pair-based mechanism of magnetoreception as observed for isolated cryptochrome 4, a protein found in birds’ retinas. The exact identity of the magnetically sensitive radicals in cryptochrome is uncertain in vivo, but their formation seems to require a bound flavin adenine dinucleotide chromophore and a chain of four tryptophan residues within the protein. Resulting from the hyperfine interactions of nuclear spins with the unpaired electrons, the sensitivity of the radicals to radiofrequency magnetic fields depends strongly on the number of magnetic nuclei (hydrogen and nitrogen atoms) they contain. Quantum-chemical calculations suggested that electromagnetic noise in the frequency range 75–85 MHz could give information about the identity of the radicals involved. Here, we show that broadband 75–85 MHz radiofrequency fields prevent a night-migratory songbird from using its magnetic compass in behavioural experiments. These results indicate that at least one of the components of the radical pair involved in the sensory process of avian magnetoreception must contain a substantial number of strong hyperfine interactions as would be the case if a flavin–tryptophan radical pair were the magnetic sensor.
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13
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Babcock N, Kattnig DR. Radical Scavenging Could Answer the Challenge Posed by Electron-Electron Dipolar Interactions in the Cryptochrome Compass Model. JACS AU 2021; 1:2033-2046. [PMID: 34841416 PMCID: PMC8611662 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many birds are endowed with a visual magnetic sense that may exploit magnetosensitive radical recombination processes in the protein cryptochrome. In this widely accepted but unproven model, geomagnetic sensitivity is suggested to arise from variations in the recombination rate of a pair of radicals, whose unpaired electron spins undergo coherent singlet-triplet interconversion in the geomagnetic field by coupling to nuclear spins via hyperfine interactions. However, simulations of this conventional radical pair mechanism (RPM) predicted only tiny magnetosensitivities for realistic conditions because the RPM's directional sensitivity is strongly suppressed by the intrinsic electron-electron dipolar (EED) interactions, casting doubt on its viability as a magnetic sensor. We show how this RPM-suppression problem is overcome in a three-radical system in which a third "scavenger" radical reacts with one member of the primary pair. We use this finding to predict substantial magnetic field effects that exceed those of the RPM in the presence of EED interactions in animal cryptochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan
Sean Babcock
- Quantum
Biology Laboratory, Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street NW, Washington District of Columbia, 20059, United States of America
- Living
Systems Institute and Department of Physics University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Kattnig
- Living
Systems Institute and Department of Physics University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
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14
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Ozturk N. Light-dependent reactions of animal circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome. FEBS J 2021; 289:6622-6639. [PMID: 34750956 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenous autonomous 24-h oscillations that are generated by a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL). In the positive arm of the TTFL, two transcription factors activate the expression of two genes of the negative arm as well as circadian clock-regulated genes. The circadian clocks are reset through photoreceptor proteins by sunlight in the early morning to keep synchrony with the geological clock. Among animal circadian photoreceptors, Drosophila Cryptochrome (DmCRY) has some unique properties because Drosophila has a single cryptochrome (CRY) that appears to have functions which are specific to organs or tissues, or even to a subset of cells. In mammals, CRYs are not photoreceptors but function in the TTFL, while insects have a light-insensitive mammalian-like CRY or a Drosophila-like photoreceptor CRY (or both). Here, we postulate that as being just one CRY in Drosophila, DmCRY might play different roles in different tissues/organs in a context-dependent manner. In addition to being a circadian photoreceptor/protein, attributing also a magnetoreception function to DmCRY has increased its workload. Considering that DmCRY senses photons as a photoreceptor but also can regulate many different events in a light-dependent manner, differential protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of DmCRY might play a critical role in the generation of such diverse outputs. Therefore, we need to add novel approaches in addition to the current ones to study multiple and context-dependent functions of DmCRY by adopting recently developed techniques. Successful identification of transient/fast PPIs on a scale of minutes would enhance our understanding of light-dependent and/or magnetoreception-associated reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuri Ozturk
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Turkey
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15
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Hamada M, Iwata T, Fuki M, Kandori H, Weber S, Kobori Y. Orientations and water dynamics of photoinduced secondary charge-separated states for magnetoreception by cryptochrome. Commun Chem 2021; 4:141. [PMID: 36697801 PMCID: PMC9814139 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00573-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the biological magnetic compass, blue-light photoreceptor protein of cryptochrome is thought to conduct the sensing of the Earth's magnetic field by photoinduced sequential long-range charge-separation (CS) through a cascade of tryptophan residues, WA(H), WB(H) and WC(H). Mechanism of generating the weak-field sensitive radical pair (RP) is poorly understood because geometries, electronic couplings and their modulations by molecular motion have not been investigated in the secondary CS states generated prior to the terminal RP states. In this study, water dynamics control of the electronic coupling is revealed to be a key concept for sensing the direction of weak magnetic field. Geometry and exchange coupling (singlet-triplet energy gap: 2J) of photoinduced secondary CS states composed of flavin adenine dinucleotide radical anion (FAD-•) and radical cation WB(H)+• in the cryptochrome DASH from Xenopus laevis were clarified by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance. We found a time-dependent energetic disorder in 2J and was interpreted by a trap CS state capturing one reorientated water molecule at 120 K. Enhanced electron-tunneling by water-libration was revealed for the terminal charge-separation event at elevated temperature. This highlights importance of optimizing the electronic coupling for regulation of the anisotropic RP yield on the possible magnetic compass senses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misato Hamada
- grid.31432.370000 0001 1092 3077Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1‒1 Rokkodai‒cho, Nada‒ku, Kobe, 657‒8501 Japan
| | - Tatsuya Iwata
- grid.265050.40000 0000 9290 9879Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274‒8510 Japan
| | - Masaaki Fuki
- grid.31432.370000 0001 1092 3077Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1‒1 Rokkodai‒cho, Nada‒ku, Kobe, 657‒8501 Japan ,grid.31432.370000 0001 1092 3077Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University, 1‒1 Rokkodai‒cho, Nada‒ku, Kobe, 657‒8501 Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- grid.47716.330000 0001 0656 7591Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 Japan ,grid.47716.330000 0001 0656 7591OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 Japan
| | - Stefan Weber
- grid.5963.9Institute of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yasuhiro Kobori
- grid.31432.370000 0001 1092 3077Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1‒1 Rokkodai‒cho, Nada‒ku, Kobe, 657‒8501 Japan ,grid.31432.370000 0001 1092 3077Molecular Photoscience Research Center, Kobe University, 1‒1 Rokkodai‒cho, Nada‒ku, Kobe, 657‒8501 Japan
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16
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Hermsmeier R, Kłos J, Kotochigova S, Tscherbul TV. Quantum Spin State Selectivity and Magnetic Tuning of Ultracold Chemical Reactions of Triplet Alkali-Metal Dimers with Alkali-Metal Atoms. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:103402. [PMID: 34533330 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.103402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that it is possible to efficiently control ultracold chemical reactions of alkali-metal atoms colliding with open-shell alkali-metal dimers in their metastable triplet states by choosing the internal hyperfine and rovibrational states of the reactants as well as by inducing magnetic Feshbach resonances with an external magnetic field. We base these conclusions on coupled-channel statistical calculations that include the effects of hyperfine contact and magnetic-field-induced Zeeman interactions on ultracold chemical reactions of hyperfine-resolved ground-state Na and the triplet NaLi(a^{3}Σ^{+}) producing singlet Na_{2}(^{1}Σ_{g}^{+}) and a Li atom. We find that the reaction rates are sensitive to the initial hyperfine states of the reactants. The chemical reaction of fully spin-polarized, high-spin states of rotationless NaLi(a^{3}Σ^{+},v=0,N=0) molecules with fully spin-polarized Na is suppressed by a factor of 10-100 compared to that of unpolarized reactants. We interpret these findings within the adiabatic state model, which treats the reaction as a sequence of nonadiabatic transitions between the initial nonreactive high-spin state and the final low-spin states of the reaction complex. In addition, we show that magnetic Feshbach resonances can similarly change reaction rate coefficients by several orders of magnitude. Some of these resonances are due to resonant trimer bound states dissociating to the N=2 rotational state of NaLi(a^{3}Σ^{+},v=0) and would thus exist in systems without hyperfine interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacek Kłos
- Department of Physics, Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | | | - Timur V Tscherbul
- Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
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17
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Magnetic sensitivity of cryptochrome 4 from a migratory songbird. Nature 2021; 594:535-540. [PMID: 34163056 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03618-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Night-migratory songbirds are remarkably proficient navigators1. Flying alone and often over great distances, they use various directional cues including, crucially, a light-dependent magnetic compass2,3. The mechanism of this compass has been suggested to rely on the quantum spin dynamics of photoinduced radical pairs in cryptochrome flavoproteins located in the retinas of the birds4-7. Here we show that the photochemistry of cryptochrome 4 (CRY4) from the night-migratory European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is magnetically sensitive in vitro, and more so than CRY4 from two non-migratory bird species, chicken (Gallus gallus) and pigeon (Columba livia). Site-specific mutations of ErCRY4 reveal the roles of four successive flavin-tryptophan radical pairs in generating magnetic field effects and in stabilizing potential signalling states in a way that could enable sensing and signalling functions to be independently optimized in night-migratory birds.
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18
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Wan G, Hayden AN, Iiams SE, Merlin C. Cryptochrome 1 mediates light-dependent inclination magnetosensing in monarch butterflies. Nat Commun 2021; 12:771. [PMID: 33536422 PMCID: PMC7859408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21002-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals use the Earth's geomagnetic field for orientation and navigation. Yet, the molecular and cellular underpinnings of the magnetic sense remain largely unknown. A biophysical model proposed that magnetoreception can be achieved through quantum effects of magnetically-sensitive radical pairs formed by the photoexcitation of cryptochrome (CRY) proteins. Studies in Drosophila are the only ones to date to have provided compelling evidence for the ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light-sensitive type 1 CRY (CRY1) involvement in animal magnetoreception, and surprisingly extended this discovery to the light-insensitive mammalian-like type 2 CRYs (CRY2s) of both monarchs and humans. Here, we show that monarchs respond to a reversal of the inclination of the Earth's magnetic field in an UV-A/blue light and CRY1, but not CRY2, dependent manner. We further demonstrate that both antennae and eyes, which express CRY1, are magnetosensory organs. Our work argues that only light-sensitive CRYs function in animal light-dependent inclination-based magnetic sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guijun Wan
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. .,Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Ashley N Hayden
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Samantha E Iiams
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Genetics Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Christine Merlin
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. .,Genetics Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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19
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Einholz C, Nohr D, Rodriguez R, Topitsch A, Kern M, Goldmann J, Chileshe E, Okasha M, Weber S, Schleicher E. pH-dependence of signaling-state formation in Drosophila cryptochrome. Arch Biochem Biophys 2021; 700:108787. [PMID: 33545100 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2021.108787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cryptochromes, FAD-dependent blue light photoreceptors, undergo a series of electron transfer reactions after light excitation. Time-resolved optical spectroscopy was employed to investigate the pH dependence of all light-dependent reactions in the cryptochrome from fruit flies. Signal state formation experiments on a time scale of seconds were found to be strongly pH dependent, and formation of both anionic and neutral FAD radicals could be detected, with reaction rates increasing by a factor of ~2.5 from basic to neutral pH values. Additionally, the influence of the amino acid His378 was investigated in further detail: Two protein variants, DmCry H378A and H378Q, showed significantly reduced rate constants for signal state formation, which again differed at neutral and alkaline pH values. Hence, His378 was identified as an amino acid responsible for the pronounced pH dependence; however, this amino acid can be excluded as a proton donor for the protonation of the anionic FAD radical. Other conserved amino acids appear to alter the overall polarity of the binding pocket and thus to be responsible for the pronounced pH dependence. Furthermore, the influence of pH and other experimental parameters, such as temperature, glycerol or ferricyanide concentrations, on the intermediately formed FAD-tryptophan radical pair was explored, which deprotonates on a microsecond time scale with a clear pH dependence, and subsequently recombines within milliseconds. Surprisingly, the latter reaction showed no pH dependence; potential reasons are discussed. All results are reviewed in terms of the photoreceptor and potential magnetoreceptor functions of Drosophila cryptochrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Einholz
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Nohr
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ryan Rodriguez
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Annika Topitsch
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kern
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jacqueline Goldmann
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emma Chileshe
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Moustafa Okasha
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstraße 21, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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20
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Hochstoeger T, Al Said T, Maestre D, Walter F, Vilceanu A, Pedron M, Cushion TD, Snider W, Nimpf S, Nordmann GC, Landler L, Edelman N, Kruppa L, Dürnberger G, Mechtler K, Schuechner S, Ogris E, Malkemper EP, Weber S, Schleicher E, Keays DA. The biophysical, molecular, and anatomical landscape of pigeon CRY4: A candidate light-based quantal magnetosensor. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb9110. [PMID: 32851187 PMCID: PMC7423367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb9110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The biophysical and molecular mechanisms that enable animals to detect magnetic fields are unknown. It has been proposed that birds have a light-dependent magnetic compass that relies on the formation of radical pairs within cryptochrome molecules. Using spectroscopic methods, we show that pigeon cryptochrome clCRY4 is photoreduced efficiently and forms long-lived spin-correlated radical pairs via a tetrad of tryptophan residues. We report that clCRY4 is broadly and stably expressed within the retina but enriched at synapses in the outer plexiform layer in a repetitive manner. A proteomic survey for retinal-specific clCRY4 interactors identified molecules that are involved in receptor signaling, including glutamate receptor-interacting protein 2, which colocalizes with clCRY4. Our data support a model whereby clCRY4 acts as an ultraviolet-blue photoreceptor and/or a light-dependent magnetosensor by modulating glutamatergic synapses between horizontal cells and cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Hochstoeger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Tarek Al Said
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Dante Maestre
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Florian Walter
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Alexandra Vilceanu
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Miriam Pedron
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Thomas D. Cushion
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - William Snider
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Simon Nimpf
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Gregory Charles Nordmann
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Lukas Landler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nathaniel Edelman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lennard Kruppa
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dürnberger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Karl Mechtler
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Stefan Schuechner
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Egon Ogris
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - E. Pascal Malkemper
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (CAESAR), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn 53175, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - David A. Keays
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
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21
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Babcock N, Kattnig DR. Electron-Electron Dipolar Interaction Poses a Challenge to the Radical Pair Mechanism of Magnetoreception. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:2414-2421. [PMID: 32141754 PMCID: PMC7145362 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A visual magnetic sense in migratory birds has been hypothesized to rely on a radical pair reaction in the protein cryptochrome. In this model, magnetic sensitivity originates from coherent spin dynamics, as the radicals couple to magnetic nuclei via hyperfine interactions. Prior studies have often neglected the electron-electron dipolar (EED) coupling from this hypothesis. We show that EED interactions suppress the anisotropic response to the geomagnetic field by the radical pair mechanism in cryptochrome and that this attenuation is unlikely to be mitigated by mutual cancellation of the EED and electronic exchange coupling, as previously suggested. We then demonstrate that this limitation may be overcome by extending the conventional model to include a third, nonreacting radical. We predict that hyperfine effects could work in concert with three-radical dipolar interactions to tailor a superior magnetic response, thereby providing a new principle for magnetosensitivity with applications for sensing, navigation, and the assessment of biological magnetic field effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan
S. Babcock
- Living Systems Institute and Department
of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United
Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Kattnig
- Living Systems Institute and Department
of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United
Kingdom
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22
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Hammad M, Albaqami M, Pooam M, Kernevez E, Witczak J, Ritz T, Martino C, Ahmad M. Cryptochrome mediated magnetic sensitivity in Arabidopsis occurs independently of light-induced electron transfer to the flavin. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2020; 19:341-352. [DOI: 10.1039/c9pp00469f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Arabidopsis cryptochrome-dependent magnetosensitivity occurs via a reaction that does not require light. This excludes radical pairs formed during light-triggered electron transfer to the flavin.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Hammad
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
| | - M. Albaqami
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
| | - M. Pooam
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
| | - E. Kernevez
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
| | - J. Witczak
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
| | - T. Ritz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- University of California at Irvine
- USA
| | - C. Martino
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Science
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Melbourne
- USA
| | - M. Ahmad
- Sorbonne Universités – UPMC Paris 6 – CNRS
- UMR8256 - IBPS
- Photobiology Research Group
- 75005 Paris
- France
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23
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Atkins C, Bajpai K, Rumball J, Kattnig DR. On the optimal relative orientation of radicals in the cryptochrome magnetic compass. J Chem Phys 2019. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5115445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chadsley Atkins
- Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran Bajpai
- Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Rumball
- Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Kattnig
- Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, United Kingdom
- Living Systems Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
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24
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Berntsson O, Rodriguez R, Henry L, Panman MR, Hughes AJ, Einholz C, Weber S, Ihalainen JA, Henning R, Kosheleva I, Schleicher E, Westenhoff S. Photoactivation of Drosophila melanogaster cryptochrome through sequential conformational transitions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw1531. [PMID: 31328161 PMCID: PMC6636987 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cryptochromes are blue-light photoreceptor proteins, which provide input to circadian clocks. The cryptochrome from Drosophila melanogaster (DmCry) modulates the degradation of Timeless and itself. It is unclear how light absorption by the chromophore and the subsequent redox reactions trigger these events. Here, we use nano- to millisecond time-resolved x-ray solution scattering to reveal the light-activated conformational changes in DmCry and the related (6-4) photolyase. DmCry undergoes a series of structural changes, culminating in the release of the carboxyl-terminal tail (CTT). The photolyase has a simpler structural response. We find that the CTT release in DmCry depends on pH. Mutation of a conserved histidine, important for the biochemical activity of DmCry, does not affect transduction of the structural signal to the CTT. Instead, molecular dynamics simulations suggest that it stabilizes the CTT in the resting-state conformation. Our structural photocycle unravels the first molecular events of signal transduction in an animal cryptochrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Berntsson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, 224 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ryan Rodriguez
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Léocadie Henry
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Matthijs R. Panman
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ashley J. Hughes
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Christopher Einholz
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Janne A. Ihalainen
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Robert Henning
- Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Irina Kosheleva
- Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Westenhoff
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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25
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Nohr D, Weber S, Schleicher E. EPR spectroscopy on flavin radicals in flavoproteins. Methods Enzymol 2019; 620:251-275. [PMID: 31072489 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Flavin semiquinone redox states are important intermediates in a broad variety of reactions catalyzed by flavoproteins. As paramagnetic states they can be favorably probed by EPR spectroscopy in all its flavors. This review summarizes recent results in the characterization of flavin radicals. On the one hand, flavin radical states, e.g., trapped as reaction intermediates, can be characterized using modern pulsed EPR methods to unravel their electronic structure and to gain information about the surrounding environment and its changes on protein action. On the other hand, short-lived intermediate flavin radical states generated, e.g., photochemically, can be followed by time-resolved EPR, which allows a direct tracking of flavin-dependent reactions with a temporal resolution reaching nanoseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nohr
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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26
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Pooam M, Arthaut LD, Burdick D, Link J, Martino CF, Ahmad M. Magnetic sensitivity mediated by the Arabidopsis blue-light receptor cryptochrome occurs during flavin reoxidation in the dark. PLANTA 2019; 249:319-332. [PMID: 30194534 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-018-3002-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis cryptochrome mediates responses to magnetic fields that have been applied in the absence of light, consistent with flavin reoxidation as the primary detection mechanism. Cryptochromes are highly conserved blue-light-absorbing flavoproteins which have been linked to the perception of electromagnetic stimuli in numerous organisms. These include sensing the direction of the earth's magnetic field in migratory birds and the intensity of magnetic fields in insects and plants. When exposed to light, cryptochromes undergo flavin reduction/reoxidation redox cycles leading to biological activation which generate radical pairs thought to be the basis for magnetic sensitivity. However, the nature of the magnetically sensitive radical pairs and the steps at which they act during the cryptochrome redox cycle are currently a matter of debate. Here, we investigate the response of Arabidopsis cryptochrome-1 in vivo to a static magnetic field of 500 μT (10 × earth's field) using both plant growth and light-dependent phosphorylation as an assay. Cryptochrome responses to light were enhanced by the magnetic field, as indicated by increased inhibition of hypocotyl elongation and increased cryptochrome phosphorylation. However, when light and dark intervals were given intermittently, a plant response to the magnetic field was observed even when the magnetic field was given exclusively during the dark intervals between light exposures. This indicates that the magnetically sensitive reaction step in the cryptochrome photocycle must occur during flavin reoxidation, and likely involves the formation of reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marootpong Pooam
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR8256, IBPS, Photobiology Research Group, 7 Quai St. Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Louis-David Arthaut
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR8256, IBPS, Photobiology Research Group, 7 Quai St. Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Derek Burdick
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR8256, IBPS, Photobiology Research Group, 7 Quai St. Bernard, 75005, Paris, France
- Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA
| | - Justin Link
- Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA
| | - Carlos F Martino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology, 150W University Blvd, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - Margaret Ahmad
- Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, UMR8256, IBPS, Photobiology Research Group, 7 Quai St. Bernard, 75005, Paris, France.
- Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, 45207, USA.
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Chang H, Guo JL, Fu XW, Wang ML, Hou YM, Wu KM. Molecular Characterization and Expression Profiles of Cryptochrome Genes in a Long-Distance Migrant, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2019; 19:5299137. [PMID: 30690535 PMCID: PMC6342827 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iey127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cryptochromes act as photoreceptors or integral components of the circadian clock that involved in the regulation of circadian clock and regulation of migratory activity in many animals, and they may also act as magnetoreceptors that sensed the direction of the Earth's magnetic field for the purpose of navigation during animals' migration. Light is a major environmental signal for insect circadian rhythms, and it is also necessary for magnetic orientation. We identified the full-length cDNA encoding As-CRY1 and As-CRY2 in Agrotis segetum Denis and Schiffermaller (turnip moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)). The DNA photolyase domain and flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding domain were found in both cry genes, and multiple alignments showed that those domains that are important for the circadian clock and magnetosensing were highly conserved among different animals. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that cry genes were expressed in all examined body parts, with higher expression in adults during the developmental stages of the moths. Under a 14:10 (L:D) h cycle, the expression of cry genes showed a daily biological rhythm, and light can affect the expression levels of As-cry genes. The expression levels of cry genes were higher in the migratory population than in the reared population and higher in the emigration population than in the immigration population. These findings suggest that the two cryptochrome genes characterized in the turnip moth might be associated with the circadian clock and magnetosensing. Their functions deserve further study, especially for potential control of the turnip moth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops and Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang-Long Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Fu
- Department of Plant Protection, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
| | - Meng-Lun Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - You-Ming Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops and Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Kong-Ming Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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28
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Robbins JM, Geng J, Barry BA, Gadda G, Bommarius AS. Photoirradiation Generates an Ultrastable 8-Formyl FAD Semiquinone Radical with Unusual Properties in Formate Oxidase. Biochemistry 2018; 57:5818-5826. [PMID: 30226367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Formate oxidase (FOX) was previously shown to contain a noncovalently bound 8-formyl FAD (8-fFAD) cofactor. However, both the absorption spectra and the kinetic parameters previously reported for FOX are inconsistent with more recent reports. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectrum reported in early studies closely resembles the spectra observed for protein-bound 8-formyl flavin semiquinone species, thus suggesting FOX may be photosensitive. Therefore, the properties of dark and light-exposed FOX were investigated using steady-state kinetics and site-directed mutagenesis analysis along with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Surprisingly, these experimental results demonstrate that FOX is deactivated in the presence of light through generation of an oxygen stable, anionic (red) 8-fFAD semiquinone radical capable of persisting either in an aerobic environment for multiple weeks or in the presence of a strong reducing agent like sodium dithionite. Herein, we study the photoinduced formation of the 8-fFAD semiquinone radical in FOX and report the first EPR spectrum of this radical species. The stability of the 8-fFAD semiquinone radical suggests FOX to be a model enzyme for probing the structural and mechanistic features involved in stabilizing flavin semiquinone radicals. It is likely that the photoinduced formation of a stable 8-fFAD semiquinone radical is a defining characteristic of 8-formyl flavin-dependent enzymes. Additionally, a better understanding of the radical stabilization process may yield a FOX enzyme with more robust activity and broader industrial usefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Robbins
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0100 , United States.,Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-2000 , United States
| | - Jiafeng Geng
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0363 , United States
| | - Bridgette A Barry
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0363 , United States
| | - Giovanni Gadda
- Department of Chemistry , Georgia State University , Atlanta , Georgia 30302-3965 , United States.,Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics , Georgia State University , Atlanta , Georgia 30302-3965 , United States.,Center for Biotechnology and Drug Design , Georgia State University , Atlanta , Georgia 30302-3965 , United States.,Department of Biology , Georgia State University , Atlanta , Georgia 30302-3965 , United States
| | - Andreas S Bommarius
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0100 , United States.,Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-2000 , United States.,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience , Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta , Georgia 30332-0363 , United States
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