Creation of a 3Mn/1Fe cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II and investigation of its functional activity

Current analysis of cations substitution in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II

Water oxidation in photosystem II (PSII) is performed by the oxygen-evolving complex Mn4CaO5 which can be extracted from PSII and then reconstructed using exogenous cations Mn(II) and Ca2+. The binding efficiency of other cations to the Mn-binding sites in Mn-depleted PSII was investigated without any positive results. At the same time, a study of the Fe cations interaction with Mn-binding sites showed that it binds at a level comparable with the binding of Mn cations. Binding of Fe(II) cations first requires its light-dependent oxidation. In general, the interaction of Fe(II) with Mn-depleted PSII has a number of features similar to the two-quantum model of photoactivation of the complex with the release of oxygen. Interestingly, incubation of Ca-depleted PSII with Fe(II) cations under certain conditions is accompanied by the formation of a chimeric cluster Mn/Fe in the oxygen-evolving complex. PSII with the cluster 2Mn2Fe was found to be capable of water oxidation, but only to the H2O2 intermediate. However, the cluster 3Mn1Fe can oxidize water to O2 with an efficiency about 25% of the original in the absence of extrinsic proteins PsbQ and PsbP. In the presence of these proteins, the efficiency of O2 evolution can reach 80% of the original when adding exogenous Ca2+. In this review, we summarized information on the formation of chimeric Mn-Fe clusters in the oxygen-evolving complex. The data cited may be useful for detailing the mechanism of water oxidation.

High-efficiency oxygen evolution by photosystem II oxygen-evolving complex containing 3Mn per reaction center

Ca-depleted photosystem II membranes obtained by treatment with acidic buffer do not contain Ca²⁺ in the Mn₄CaO₅ cluster but contain all extrinsic proteins protecting this cluster (PSII(-Ca/low pH)). However, unlike native photosystem II, Mn cluster in PSII(-Ca/low pH) samples is available for small-sized reductants. Using this property, we investigated the substitution possibility of Mn cation(s) with Fe cation(s) to obtain a chimeric cluster in PSII(-Ca/low pH) samples containing extrinsic proteins. We found that Fe(II) cation replaces Mn cation at pH 6.5, however, PSII(-Ca/low pH) membranes with the 3Mn1Fe chimeric cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex evolve O₂ with high intensity in the presence of exogenous Ca²⁺. The O₂ evolution rate is about 80% of the same rate in PSII(-Ca/low pH) membranes.

Ca2+ effects on Fe(II) interactions with Mn-binding sites in Mn-depleted oxygen-evolving complexes of photosystem II and on Fe replacement of Mn in Mn-containing, Ca-depleted complexes

Fe(II) cations bind with high efficiency and specificity at the high-affinity (HA), Mn-binding site (termed the "blocking effect" since Fe blocks further electron donation to the site) of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in Mn-depleted, photosystem II (PSII) membrane fragments (Semin et al. in Biochemistry 41:5854, 2002). Furthermore, Fe(II) cations can substitute for 1 or 2Mn cations (pH dependent) in Ca-depleted PSII membranes (Semin et al. in Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes 48:227, 2016; Semin et al. in Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B 178:192, 2018). In the current study, we examined the effect of Ca²⁺ cations on the interaction of Fe(II) ions with Mn-depleted [PSII(-Mn)] and Ca-depleted [PSII(-Ca)] photosystem II membranes. We found that Ca²⁺ cations (about 50 mM) inhibit the light-dependent oxidation of Fe(II) (5 µM) by about 25% in PSII(-Mn) membranes, whereas inhibition of the blocking process is greater at about 40%. Blocking of the HA site by Fe cations also decreases the rate of charge recombination between Q_A^- and Y_Z^•+ from t_1/2 = 30 ms to 46 ms. However, Ca²⁺ does not affect the rate during the blocking process. An Fe(II) cation (20 µM) replaces 1Mn cation in the Mn₄CaO₅ catalytic cluster of PSII(-Ca) membranes at pH 5.7 but 2 Mn cations at pH 6.5. In the presence of Ca²⁺ (10 mM) during the substitution process, Fe(II) is not able to extract Mn at pH 5.7 and extracts only 1Mn at pH 6.5 (instead of two without Ca²⁺). Measurements of fluorescence induction kinetics support these observations. Inhibition of Mn substitution with Fe(II) cations in the OEC only occurs with Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ cations, which are also able to restore oxygen evolution in PSII(-Ca) samples. Nonactive cations like La³⁺, Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Mg²⁺ have no influence on the replacement of Mn with Fe. These results show that the location and/or ligand composition of one Mn cation in the Mn₄CaO₅ cluster is strongly affected by calcium depletion or rebinding and that bound calcium affects the redox potential of the extractable Mn4 cation in the OEC, making it resistant to reduction.

Mechanistic insights into dioxygen activation by a manganese corrole complex: a broken-symmetry DFT study

The Mn–oxygen species have been implicated as key intermediates in various Mn-mediated oxidation reactions. However, artificial oxidants were often used for the synthesis of the Mn–oxygen intermediates. Remarkably, the Mn(v)–oxo and Mn(iv)–peroxo species have been observed in the activation of O₂ by Mn(iii) corroles in the presence of base (OH⁻) and hydrogen donors. In this work, density functional theory methods were used to get insight into the mechanism of dioxygen activation and formation of Mn(v)–oxo. The results demonstrated that the dioxygen cannot bind to Mn without the axial OH⁻ ligand. Upon the addition of the axial OH⁻ ligand, the dioxygen can bind to Mn in an end-on fashion to give the Mn(iv)–superoxo species. The hydrogen atom transfer from the hydrogen donor (substrate) to the Mn(iv)–superoxo species is the rate-limiting step, having a high reaction barrier and a large endothermicity. Subsequently, the O–C bond formation is concerted with an electron transfer from the substrate radical to the Mn and a proton transfer from the hydroperoxo moiety to the nearby N atom of the corrole ring, generating an alkylperoxo Mn(iii) complex. The alkylperoxo O–O bond cleavage affords a Mn(v)–oxo complex and a hydroxylated substrate. This novel mechanism for the Mn(v)–oxo formation via an alkylperoxo Mn(iii) intermediate gives insight into the O–O bond activation by manganese complexes.

DFT calculations revealed a novel mechanism for the formation of Mn(v)–oxo in the dioxygen activation by a Mn(iii) corrole complex involving a Mn(iii)–alkylperoxo intermediate.

pH dependence of photosystem II photoinhibition: relationship with structural transition of oxygen-evolving complex at the pH of thylakoid lumen

Ca-depleted photosystem II membranes (PSII[-Ca]) do not contain PsbP and PsbQ proteins protecting the Mn₄CaO₅ cluster of the PSII oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Therefore, the Mn ions in the PSII(-Ca) membranes can be reduced by exogenous bulky reductants or the charged reductant Fe(II). We have recently found that the resistance of Mn ions in the OEC to the Fe(II) action is pH dependent and that this reductant is less effective at pH 5.7 than at pH 6.5 (Semin et al. J Photochem Photobiol B 178:192, 2018). Taking these data into account, we investigated the photoinhibition in different PSII membranes at pH 5.7 and 6.5 and found that the resistance to photoinhibition of PSII and PSII(-Ca) membranes with a Mn cluster is higher at pH 5.7 than at pH 6.5, whereas the resistance of the Mn-depleted PSII membranes is pH independent. In thylakoids, light generates the transmembrane ΔpH, leading to the acidulation of lumen that results in pH 5.7. The uncouplers (NH₄Cl or nigericin) that significantly prevent acidulation increase the rate of PSII photoinhibition in thylakoids. We suggest that the structural transition in the OEC at pH 5.7 plays a role of a built-in mechanism increasing the resistance of OEC to photoinhibition under illumination, since it is accompanied by a pH decrease in lumen to 5.7. The coincidence of these pH values, i.e. lumen pH under illumination and pH of the maximal resistance of the Mn cluster to the reduction by reductants, can point at the pH-dependent mechanism of PSII self-protection from photoinactivation.

Effect of sucrose-bound polynuclear iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles on the efficiency of electron transport in the photosystem II membranes

Effect of water-soluble and stable sucrose-bound iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles [Fe[III] sucrose complex (FSC)] on the efficiency of electron transport in the photosystem II membranes was studied. FSC significantly increases (by a factor 1.5) the rate of light-induced oxygen evolution in the presence of alternative electron acceptor 2,6-dichloro-p-benzoquinone (DCBQ). Without DCBQ, FSC only slightly (5%) provides the oxygen evolution. Electron transport supported by pair DCBQ + FSC is inhibited by diuron. Maximum of stimulating effect was recorded at Fe(III) concentration 5 µM. In the case of another benzoquinone electron acceptor (2-phenyl-p-benzoquinone and 2,3-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone) and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, stimulating effect of FSC was not observed. Incubation of PSII membranes at different concentrations with FSC is accompanied by binding of Fe(III) by membrane components but only about 50% of iron can be extracted by membranes from Fe(III) solution at pH 6.5. This result implies the heterogeneity of FSC solution in a buffer. The heterogeneity depends on pH and decreases with its rising. At pH around 9.0 Fe(III), sucrose solution is homogeneous. The study of pH effect has shown that stimulation of electron transport is induced only by iron cations which can be bound by membranes. Not extractable iron pool cannot activate electron transfer from oxygen-evolving complex to DCBQ.

Synthesis, Characterization and Magnetic Studies of a Tetranuclear Manganese(II/IV) Compound Incorporating an Amino-Alcohol Derived Schiff Base

A new tetranuclear mixed-valence manganese(II/IV) compound [MnIIMnIV3(μ-Cl)3(µ3-O)(L)3] (1) (where H3L = (3E)-3-((Z)-4-hydroxy-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-ylideneamino)propane-1,2-diol) has been synthesized and characterized by different physicochemical methods. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that 1 is a tetrahedral cluster consisting of a Mn4Cl3O4 core in which the only Mn(II) ion is joined through three μ2-O bridges to an equilateral triangle of Mn(IV) ions, which are connected by a μ3-O and three μ2-Cl bridges. The redox behavior of 1 was studied by cyclic voltammetry. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1 revealed predominant antiferromagnetic coupling inside the Mn4Cl3O4 cluster.