1
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Salvadori G, Mazzeo P, Accomasso D, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. Deciphering Photoreceptors Through Atomistic Modeling from Light Absorption to Conformational Response. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168358. [PMID: 37944793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the successes and challenges of the atomistic modeling of photoreceptors. Throughout our presentation, we integrate explanations of the primary methodological approaches, ranging from quantum mechanical descriptions to classical enhanced sampling methods, all while providing illustrative examples of their practical application to specific systems. To enhance the effectiveness of our analysis, our primary focus has been directed towards the examination of applications across three distinct photoreceptors. These include an example of Blue Light-Using Flavin (BLUF) domains, a bacteriophytochrome, and the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) employed by cyanobacteria for photoprotection. Particular emphasis will be placed on the pivotal role played by the protein matrix in fine-tuning the initial photochemical event within the embedded chromophore. Furthermore, we will investigate how this localized perturbation initiates a cascade of events propagating from the binding pocket throughout the entire protein structure, thanks to the intricate network of interactions between the chromophore and the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Salvadori
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Mazzeo
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Accomasso
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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2
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Pes F, Polack É, Mazzeo P, Dusson G, Stamm B, Lipparini F. A Quasi Time-Reversible Scheme Based on Density Matrix Extrapolation on the Grassmann Manifold for Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:9720-9726. [PMID: 37879072 PMCID: PMC10626629 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
This Letter introduces the so-called Quasi Time-Reversible scheme based on Grassmann extrapolation (QTR G-Ext) of density matrices for an accurate calculation of initial guesses in Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics (BOMD) simulations. The method shows excellent results on four large molecular systems that are representative of real-life production applications, ranging from 21 to 94 atoms simulated with Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory surrounded with a classical environment with 6k to 16k atoms. Namely, it clearly reduces the number of self-consistent field iterations while at the same time achieving energy-conserving simulations, resulting in a considerable speed-up of BOMD simulations even when tight convergence of the KS equations is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Pes
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Étienne Polack
- CERMICS, École des Ponts and Inria Paris, 6 & 8 avenue Blaise Pascal, 77455 Marne-la-Valée, France
| | - Patrizia Mazzeo
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Geneviève Dusson
- Laboratoire
de Mathématiques de Besançon, UMR CNRS 6623, Université de Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - Benjamin Stamm
- Institute
of Applied Analysis and Numerical Simulation, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università
di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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3
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Arcidiacono A, Accomasso D, Cupellini L, Mennucci B. How orange carotenoid protein controls the excited state dynamics of canthaxanthin. Chem Sci 2023; 14:11158-11169. [PMID: 37860660 PMCID: PMC10583711 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc02662k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP) is a ketocarotenoid-binding protein essential for photoprotection in cyanobacteria. The main steps of the photoactivated conversion which converts OCP from its resting state to the active one have been extensively investigated. However, the initial photochemical event in the ketocarotenoid which triggers the large structural changes finally leading to the active state is still not understood. Here we employ QM/MM surface hopping nonadiabatic dynamics to investigate the excited-state decay of canthaxanthin in OCP, both in the ultrafast S2 to S1 internal conversion and the slower decay leading back to the ground state. For the former step we show the involvement of an additional excited state, which in the literature has been often named the SX state, and we characterize its nature. For the latter step, we reveal an excited state decay characterized by multiple timescales, which are related to the ground-state conformational heterogeneity of the ketocarotenoid. We assigned the slowly decaying population to the so-called S* state. Finally, we identify a minor decay pathway involving double-bond photoisomerization, which could be the initial trigger to photoactivation of OCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Arcidiacono
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Davide Accomasso
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
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4
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Sutherland GA, Pidgeon JP, Lee HKH, Proctor MS, Hitchcock A, Wang S, Chekulaev D, Tsoi WC, Johnson MP, Hunter CN, Clark J. Twisted Carotenoids Do Not Support Efficient Intramolecular Singlet Fission in the Orange Carotenoid Protein. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:6135-6142. [PMID: 37364284 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Singlet exciton fission is the spin-allowed generation of two triplet electronic excited states from a singlet state. Intramolecular singlet fission has been suggested to occur on individual carotenoid molecules within protein complexes provided that the conjugated backbone is twisted out of plane. However, this hypothesis has been forwarded only in protein complexes containing multiple carotenoids and bacteriochlorophylls in close contact. To test the hypothesis on twisted carotenoids in a "minimal" one-carotenoid system, we study the orange carotenoid protein (OCP). OCP exists in two forms: in its orange form (OCPo), the single bound carotenoid is twisted, whereas in its red form (OCPr), the carotenoid is planar. To enable room-temperature spectroscopy on canthaxanthin-binding OCPo and OCPr without laser-induced photoconversion, we trap them in a trehalose glass. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we show that there is no evidence of long-lived triplet generation through intramolecular singlet fission despite the canthaxanthin twist in OCPo.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Sutherland
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - James P Pidgeon
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K
| | - Harrison Ka Hin Lee
- SPECIFIC, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8EN, U.K
| | - Matthew S Proctor
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Shuangqing Wang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K
| | - Dimitri Chekulaev
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
| | - Wing Chung Tsoi
- SPECIFIC, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA1 8EN, U.K
| | - Matthew P Johnson
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - C Neil Hunter
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, U.K
| | - Jenny Clark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K
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5
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Yang YW, Liu K, Huang D, Yu C, Chen SZ, Chen M, Qiu BS. Functional specialization of expanded orange carotenoid protein paralogs in subaerial Nostoc species. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023:kiad234. [PMID: 37070859 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a photoactive protein that participates in the photoprotection of cyanobacteria. There are two full-length OCP proteins, four N-terminal paralogs (helical carotenoid protein, HCP), and one C-terminal domain-like carotenoid protein (CCP) found in Nostoc flagelliforme, a desert cyanobacterium. All HCPs (HCP1-3 and HCP6) from N. flagelliforme demonstrated their excellent singlet oxygen quenching activities, in which HCP2 was the strongest singlet oxygen quencher compared with others. Two OCPs, OCPx1 and OCPx2, were not involved in singlet oxygen scavenging; instead, they functioned as phycobilisome fluorescence quenchers. The fast-acting OCPx1 showed more effective photoactivation and stronger phycobilisome fluorescence quenching compared to OCPx2, which behaved differently from all reported OCP paralogs. The resolved crystal structure and mutant analysis revealed that Trp111 and Met125 play essential roles in OCPx2, which is dominant and long-acting. The resolved crystal structure of OCPx2 is maintained in a monomer state and showed more flexible regulation in energy quenching activities compared with the packed oligomer of OCPx1. The recombinant apo-CCP obtained the carotenoid pigment from holo-HCPs and holo-OCPx1 of N. flagelliforme. No such carotenoid transferring processes were observed between apo-CCP and holo-OCPx2. The close phylogenetic relationship of OCP paralogs from subaerial Nostoc species indicates an adaptive evolution toward development of photoprotection: protecting cellular metabolism against singlet oxygen damage using HCPs and against excess energy captured by active phycobilisomes using two different working modes of OCPx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Wen Yang
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
- College of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332000, China
| | - Ke Liu
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Da Huang
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Chen Yu
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Si-Zhuo Chen
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Min Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Bao-Sheng Qiu
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
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6
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Rydzewski J, Chen M, Ghosh TK, Valsson O. Reweighted Manifold Learning of Collective Variables from Enhanced Sampling Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:7179-7192. [PMID: 36367826 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced sampling methods are indispensable in computational chemistry and physics, where atomistic simulations cannot exhaustively sample the high-dimensional configuration space of dynamical systems due to the sampling problem. A class of such enhanced sampling methods works by identifying a few slow degrees of freedom, termed collective variables (CVs), and enhancing the sampling along these CVs. Selecting CVs to analyze and drive the sampling is not trivial and often relies on chemical intuition. Despite routinely circumventing this issue using manifold learning to estimate CVs directly from standard simulations, such methods cannot provide mappings to a low-dimensional manifold from enhanced sampling simulations, as the geometry and density of the learned manifold are biased. Here, we address this crucial issue and provide a general reweighting framework based on anisotropic diffusion maps for manifold learning that takes into account that the learning data set is sampled from a biased probability distribution. We consider manifold learning methods based on constructing a Markov chain describing transition probabilities between high-dimensional samples. We show that our framework reverts the biasing effect, yielding CVs that correctly describe the equilibrium density. This advancement enables the construction of low-dimensional CVs using manifold learning directly from the data generated by enhanced sampling simulations. We call our framework reweighted manifold learning. We show that it can be used in many manifold learning techniques on data from both standard and enhanced sampling simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Rydzewski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tushar K Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Omar Valsson
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201, United States
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7
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Wilson A, Andreeva EA, Niziński S, Talbot L, Hartmann E, Schlichting I, Burdzinski G, Sliwa M, Kirilovsky D, Colletier JP. Structure-function-dynamics relationships in the peculiar Planktothrix PCC7805 OCP1: Impact of his-tagging and carotenoid type. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2022; 1863:148584. [PMID: 35752265 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2022.148584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a photoactive protein involved in cyanobacterial photoprotection. Here, we report on the functional, spectral and structural characteristics of the peculiar Planktothrix PCC7805 OCP (Plankto-OCP). We show that this OCP variant is characterized by higher photoactivation and recovery rates, and a stronger energy-quenching activity, compared to other OCP studied thus far. We characterize the effect of the functionalizing carotenoid and of his-tagging on these reactions, and identify the time scales on which these modifications affect photoactivation. The presence of a his-tag at the C-terminus has a large influence on photoactivation, thermal recovery and PBS-fluorescence quenching, and likewise for the nature of the carotenoid that additionally affects the yield and characteristics of excited states and the ns-s dynamics of photoactivated OCP. By solving the structures of Plankto-OCP in the ECN- and CAN-functionalized states, each in two closely-related crystal forms, we further unveil the molecular breathing motions that animate Plankto-OCP at the monomer and dimer levels. We finally discuss the structural changes that could explain the peculiar properties of Plankto-OCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adjélé Wilson
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Elena A Andreeva
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, 38000 Grenoble, France; Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stanisław Niziński
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE, LAboratoire de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement, Lille 59000, France; Quantum Electronics Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Léa Talbot
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Elisabeth Hartmann
- Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilme Schlichting
- Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gotard Burdzinski
- Quantum Electronics Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 2, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Michel Sliwa
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE, LAboratoire de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement, Lille 59000, France.
| | - Diana Kirilovsky
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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8
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Piccinini L, Iacopino S, Cazzaniga S, Ballottari M, Giuntoli B, Licausi F. A synthetic switch based on orange carotenoid protein to control blue-green light responses in chloroplasts. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [PMID: 35289909 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.27.428448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology approaches to engineer light-responsive systems are widely used, but their applications in plants are still limited due to the interference with endogenous photoreceptors and the intrinsic requirement of light for photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria possess a family of soluble carotenoid-associated proteins named orange carotenoid proteins (OCPs) that, when activated by blue-green light, undergo a reversible conformational change that enables the photoprotection mechanism that occurs on the phycobilisome. Exploiting this system, we developed a chloroplast-localized synthetic photoswitch based on a protein complementation assay where two nanoluciferase fragments were fused to separate polypeptides corresponding to the OCP2 domains. Since Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) does not possess the prosthetic group needed for the assembly of the OCP2 complex, we first implemented the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway with a bacterial β-carotene ketolase enzyme (crtW) to generate keto-carotenoid-producing plants. The photoswitch was tested and characterized in Arabidopsis protoplasts and stably transformed plants with experiments aimed to uncover its regulation by a range of light intensities, wavelengths, and its conversion dynamics. Finally, we applied the OCP-based photoswitch to control transcriptional responses in chloroplasts in response to green light illumination by fusing the two OCP fragments with the plastidial SIGMA FACTOR 2 and bacteriophage T4 anti-sigma factor AsiA. This pioneering study establishes the basis for future implementation of plastid optogenetics to regulate organelle responses upon exposure to specific light spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Piccinini
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Sergio Iacopino
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Stefano Cazzaniga
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Matteo Ballottari
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56126, Italy
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9
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Integration of machine learning with computational structural biology of plants. Biochem J 2022; 479:921-928. [PMID: 35484946 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Computational structural biology of proteins has developed rapidly in recent decades with the development of new computational tools and the advancement of computing hardware. However, while these techniques have widely been used to make advancements in human medicine, these methods have seen less utilization in the plant sciences. In the last several years, machine learning methods have gained popularity in computational structural biology. These methods have enabled the development of new tools which are able to address the major challenges that have hampered the wide adoption of the computational structural biology of plants. This perspective examines the remaining challenges in computational structural biology and how the development of machine learning techniques enables more in-depth computational structural biology of plants.
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10
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Sharawy M, Pigni NB, May ER, Gascón JA. A favorable path to domain separation in the orange carotenoid protein. Protein Sci 2022; 31:850-863. [PMID: 35000233 PMCID: PMC8927859 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is responsible for nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) in cyanobacteria, a defense mechanism against potentially damaging effects of excess light conditions. This soluble two-domain protein undergoes profound conformational changes upon photoactivation, involving translocation of the ketocarotenoid inside the cavity followed by domain separation. Domain separation is a critical step in the photocycle of OCP because it exposes the N-terminal domain (NTD) to perform quenching of the phycobilisomes. Many details regarding the mechanism and energetics of OCP domain separation remain unknown. In this work, we apply metadynamics to elucidate the protein rearrangements that lead to the active, domain-separated, form of OCP. We find that translocation of the ketocarotenoid canthaxanthin has a profound effect on the energetic landscape and that domain separation only becomes favorable following translocation. We further explore, characterize, and validate the free energy surface (FES) using equilibrium simulations initiated from different states on the FES. Through pathway optimization methods, we characterize the most probable path to domain separation and reveal the barriers along that pathway. We find that the free energy barriers are relatively small (<5 kcal/mol), but the overall estimated kinetic rate is consistent with experimental measurements (>1 ms). Overall, our results provide detailed information on the requirement for canthaxanthin translocation to precede domain separation and an energetically feasible pathway to dissociation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Sharawy
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - Natalia B. Pigni
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba (ICYTAC‐CONICET)Ciudad UniversitariaCórdobaArgentina
| | - Eric R. May
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
| | - José A. Gascón
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsConnecticutUSA
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11
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Rydzewski J, Walczewska-Szewc K, Czach S, Nowak W, Kuczera K. Enhancing the Inhomogeneous Photodynamics of Canonical Bacteriophytochrome. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:2647-2657. [PMID: 35357137 PMCID: PMC9014414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ability of phytochromes
to act as photoswitches in plants and
microorganisms depends on interactions between a bilin-like chromophore
and a host protein. The interconversion occurs between the spectrally
distinct red (Pr) and far-red (Pfr) conformers. This conformational
change is triggered by the photoisomerization of the chromophore D-ring
pyrrole. In this study, as a representative example of a phytochrome-bilin
system, we consider biliverdin IXα (BV) bound to bacteriophytochrome
(BphP) from Deinococcus radiodurans. In the absence
of light, we use an enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) method
to overcome the photoisomerization energy barrier. We find that the
calculated free energy (FE) barriers between essential metastable
states agree with spectroscopic results. We show that the enhanced
dynamics of the BV chromophore in BphP contributes to triggering nanometer-scale
conformational movements that propagate by two experimentally determined
signal transduction pathways. Most importantly, we describe how the
metastable states enable a thermal transition known as the dark reversion
between Pfr and Pr, through a previously unknown intermediate state
of Pfr. We present the heterogeneity of temperature-dependent Pfr
states at the atomistic level. This work paves a way toward understanding
the complete mechanism of the photoisomerization of a bilin-like chromophore
in phytochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Rydzewski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Walczewska-Szewc
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Sylwia Czach
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Wieslaw Nowak
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100, Torun, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kuczera
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
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12
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Polack É, Dusson G, Stamm B, Lipparini F. Grassmann Extrapolation of Density Matrices for Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:6965-6973. [PMID: 34623810 PMCID: PMC8582259 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) is a powerful but expensive technique. The main bottleneck in a density functional theory BOMD calculation is the solution to the Kohn-Sham (KS) equations that requires an iterative procedure that starts from a guess for the density matrix. Converged densities from previous points in the trajectory can be used to extrapolate a new guess; however, the nonlinear constraint that an idempotent density needs to satisfy makes the direct use of standard linear extrapolation techniques not possible. In this contribution, we introduce a locally bijective map between the manifold where the density is defined and its tangent space so that linear extrapolation can be performed in a vector space while, at the same time, retaining the correct physical properties of the extrapolated density using molecular descriptors. We apply the method to real-life, multiscale, polarizable QM/MM BOMD simulations, showing that sizeable performance gains can be achieved, especially when a tighter convergence to the KS equations is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Étienne Polack
- Laboratoire
de Mathématiques de Besançon, UMR CNRS 6623, Université
Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - Geneviève Dusson
- Laboratoire
de Mathématiques de Besançon, UMR CNRS 6623, Université
Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - Benjamin Stamm
- Department
of Mathematics, RWTH Aachen University, Schinkelstr. 2, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Filippo Lipparini
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Univeristà
di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi
13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
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13
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UV Excitation of Carotenoid Binding Proteins OCP and HCP: Excited‐State Dynamics and Product Formation. CHEMPHOTOCHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cptc.202100194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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14
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Bondanza M, Jacquemin D, Mennucci B. Excited States of Xanthophylls Revisited: Toward the Simulation of Biologically Relevant Systems. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:6604-6612. [PMID: 34251826 PMCID: PMC8311646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Xanthophylls are a class of oxygen-containing carotenoids, which play a fundamental role in light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes and in many photoresponsive proteins. The complexity of the manifold of the electronic states and the large sensitivity to the environment still prevent a clear and coherent interpretation of their photophysics and photochemistry. In this Letter, we compare cutting-edge ab initio methods (CC3 and DMRG/NEVPT2) with time-dependent DFT and semiempirical CI (SECI) on model keto-carotenoids and show that SECI represents the right compromise between accuracy and computational cost to be applied to real xanthophylls in their biological environment. As an example, we investigate canthaxanthin in the orange carotenoid protein and show that the conical intersections between excited states and excited-ground states are mostly determined by the effective bond length alternation coordinate, which is significantly tuned by the protein through geometrical constraints and electrostatic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Bondanza
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University
of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Denis Jacquemin
- Université
de Nantes, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento
di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, University
of Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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15
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General method to stabilize mesophilic proteins in hyperthermal water. iScience 2021; 24:102503. [PMID: 34113834 PMCID: PMC8169989 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The stability of protein structures and biological functions at normal temperature is closely linked with the universal aqueous environment of organisms. Preserving bioactivities of proteins in hyperthermia water would expand their functional capabilities beyond those in native environments. However, only a limited number of proteins derived from hyperthermophiles are thermostable at elevated temperatures. Triggered by this, here we describe a general method to stabilize mesophilic proteins in hyperthermia water. The mesophilic proteins, protected by amphiphilic polymers with multiple binding sites, maintain their secondary and tertiary structures after incubation even in boiling water. This approach, outside the conventional environment for bioactivities of mesophilic proteins, provides a general strategy to dramatically increase the Tm (melting temperature) of mesophilic proteins without any changes to amino sequences of the native proteins. Current work offers a new insight with protein stability engineering for potential application, including vaccine storage and enzyme engineering. Preserving bioactivities of proteins in hyperthermia water is promising. Amphiphilic polymers could protect mesophilic proteins even in boiling water. Mesophilic proteins protected by amphiphilic polymers show dramatically increased Tm. The method offers application prospect for vaccine storage and enzyme engineering.
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