Functional design of bacterial superoxide:quinone oxidoreductase

The superoxide anion - molecular oxygen reduced by a single electron - is produced in large amounts by enzymatic and adventitious reactions and can perform a range of cellular functions, including bacterial warfare and iron uptake, signalling and host immune response in eukaryotes. However, it also serves as precursor for more deleterious species such as the hydroxyl anion or peroxynitrite and therefore, cellular defense mechanisms for superoxide neutralization have evolved. In addition to the soluble proteins superoxide dismutase and superoxide reductase, recently the membrane embedded diheme cytochrome b561 (CybB) from E. coli has been proposed to act as a superoxide:quinone oxidoreductase. Here, we confirm superoxide and cellular ubiquinones or menaquinones as natural substrates and show that quinone binding to the enzyme accelerates the reaction with superoxide. The reactivity of the substrates is in accordance with the here determined midpoint potential of the two b hemes (+48 and -23 mV / NHE). Our data suggest that the enzyme can work near the diffusion limit in the forward direction and can also catalyse the reverse reaction efficiently under physiological conditions. The data is discussed in context of described cytochrome b561 proteins and potential physiological roles of CybB.

Endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin (ERO) provides resilience against reductive stress and hypoxic conditions by mediating luminal redox dynamics

Oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) depends on the coordinated action of protein disulfide isomerases and ER oxidoreductins (EROs). Strict dependence of ERO activity on molecular oxygen as the final electron acceptor implies that oxidative protein folding and other ER processes are severely compromised under hypoxia. While many key players involved in oxidative protein folding are known, our understanding of how redox homeostasis in the ER is maintained and how EROs, the Cys residues of nascent proteins, and the luminal glutathione redox buffer interact is limited. Here, we isolated viable ero1 ero2 double mutants largely deficient in ERO activity, which rendered the mutants highly sensitive to reductive stress and hypoxia. To elucidate the specific redox dynamics in the ER lumen in vivo, we expressed the glutathione redox potential (EGSH) sensor Grx1-roGFP2iL-HDEL with a midpoint potential of -240 mV in the ER of Arabidopsis plants. We found EGSH values of -241 mV in wild-type plants, which is less oxidizing than previously estimated. In the ero1 ero2 mutants, luminal EGSH was reduced further to -253 mV. Recovery to reductive ER stress, as induced by acute exposure to dithiothreitol, was delayed in ero1 ero2 mutants. The characteristic signature of EGSH dynamics in the ER lumen triggered by hypoxia was affected in the ero1 ero2 mutant reflecting a disrupted balance of reductive and oxidizing inputs, including nascent polypeptides and glutathione entry. The ER redox dynamics can now be dissected in vivo, revealing a central role of EROs as major redox integrators to promote luminal redox homeostasis.

The Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 open reading frame slr0201 that is homologous to sdhC from Archaea codes for a [2Fe-2S] protein

A hypothetical protein encoded by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 open reading frame slr0201 shows high sequence similarity to the C subunit of a group of unusual succinate dehydrogenases found in some archaeal species. Slr0201 was originally annotated as HdrB, the B subunit of heterodisulfide reductase, but appears to be SdhC instead. This protein was overexpressed in E. coli by cloning the PCR-derived slr0201 open reading frame into a pET16b-based expression vector. The overproduced Slr0201 accumulated predominantly in inclusion bodies with an apparent molecular mass of 33 kDa. The protein contained at least one [2Fe-2S] cluster based on UV-visible absorbance and CD spectra and EPR spectroscopy, in conjunction with stoichiometric analysis of protein-bound iron and sulfur content. Redox titration showed a midpoint potential (Em) of + 17 mV at pH 7.0, which is consistent with Slr0201 serving a role in transferring electrons between succinate and plastoquinone. Slr0201 was also overproduced in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by introducing an additional, His-tagged slr0201 into the Synechocystis genome replacing psbA3, creating the slr0201+-His overexpression strain. Immunoblot analysis shows that Slr0201 is membrane-associated in the wild type. However, in the Slr0201+-His strain, immunoreaction occurred in both the membrane and soluble fractions, possibly as a consequence of processing near the N-terminus. The results obtained with Slr0201 are discussed in the light of one of the cyanobacterial SdhB subunits, which shares redox commonalities with archaeal SdhB.

Phenazines as model low-midpoint potential electron shuttles for photosynthetic bioelectrochemical systems

Phenazines were explored as novel low-midpoint potential molecules for wiring cyanobacteria to electrodes.

Spectroscopic evidence for direct flavin-flavin contact in a bifurcating electron transfer flavoprotein

A remarkable charge transfer (CT) band is described in the bifurcating electron transfer flavoprotein (Bf-ETF) from Rhodopseudomonas palustris (RpaETF). RpaETF contains two FADs that play contrasting roles in electron bifurcation. The Bf-FAD accepts electrons pairwise from NADH, directs one to a lower-reduction midpoint potential (E°) carrier, and the other to the higher-E° electron transfer FAD (ET-FAD). Previous work noted that a CT band at 726 nm formed when ET-FAD was reduced and Bf-FAD was oxidized, suggesting that both flavins participate. However, existing crystal structures place them too far apart to interact directly. We present biochemical experiments addressing this conundrum and elucidating the nature of this CT species. We observed that RpaETF missing either FAD lacked the 726 nm band. Site-directed mutagenesis near either FAD produced altered yields of the CT species, supporting involvement of both flavins. The residue substitutions did not alter the absorption maximum of the signal, ruling out contributions from residue orbitals. Instead, we propose that the residue identities modulate the population of a protein conformation that brings the ET-flavin and Bf-flavin into direct contact, explaining the 726 nm band based on a CT complex of reduced ET-FAD and oxidized Bf-FAD. This is corroborated by persistence of the 726 nm species during gentle protein denaturation and simple density functional theory calculations of flavin dimers. Although such a CT complex has been demonstrated for free flavins, this is the first observation of such, to our knowledge, in an enzyme. Thus, Bf-ETFs may optimize electron transfer efficiency by enabling direct flavin-flavin contact.

Recombination of 2Fe-2S ferredoxins reveals differences in the inheritance of thermostability and midpoint potential

ABSTRACTHomologous recombination can be used to create enzymes that exhibit distinct activities and stabilities from proteins in nature, allowing researchers to overcome component limitations in synthetic biology. To investigate how recombination affects the physical properties of an oxidoreductase that transfers electrons, we created ferredoxin (Fd) chimeras by recombining distantly-related cyanobacterial and cyanomyophage Fds that present similar midpoint potentials but distinct thermostabilities. Fd chimeras having a wide range of amino acid substitutions retained the ability to coordinate an iron-sulfur cluster, although their thermostabilities varied with the fraction of residues inherited from each parent. The midpoint potentials of chimeric Fds also varied. However, all of the synthetic Fds exhibited midpoint potentials outside of the parental protein range. Each of the chimeric Fds could also be used to build synthetic pathways that support electron transfer between Fd-NADP reductase and sulfite reductase in Escherichia coli, although the chimeric Fds varied in the expression required to support similar levels of cellular electron transfer. These results show how recombination can be used to rapidly diversify the physical properties of protein electron carriers and reveal differences in the inheritance of thermostability and electrochemical properties. Furthermore, they illustrate how electron transfer efficiencies of chimeric Fds can be rapidly evaluated using a synthetic electron transfer pathway.

Reactions of Plasmodium falciparum Ferredoxin:NADP+ Oxidoreductase with Redox Cycling Xenobiotics: A Mechanistic Study

Ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase from Plasmodium falciparum (PfFNR) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of ferredoxin (PfFd), which provides redox equivalents for the biosynthesis of isoprenoids and fatty acids in the apicoplast. Like other flavin-dependent electrontransferases, PfFNR is a potential source of free radicals of quinones and other redox cycling compounds. We report here a kinetic study of the reduction of quinones, nitroaromatic compounds and aromatic N-oxides by PfFNR. We show that all these groups of compounds are reduced in a single-electron pathway, their reactivity increasing with the increase in their single-electron reduction midpoint potential (E17). The reactivity of nitroaromatics is lower than that of quinones and aromatic N-oxides, which is in line with the differences in their electron self-exchange rate constants. Quinone reduction proceeds via a ping-pong mechanism. During the reoxidation of reduced FAD by quinones, the oxidation of FADH. to FAD is the possible rate-limiting step. The calculated electron transfer distances in the reaction of PfFNR with various electron acceptors are similar to those of Anabaena FNR, thus demonstrating their similar “intrinsic” reactivity. Ferredoxin stimulated quinone- and nitro-reductase reactions of PfFNR, evidently providing an additional reduction pathway via reduced PfFd. Based on the available data, PfFNR and possibly PfFd may play a central role in the reductive activation of quinones, nitroaromatics and aromatic N-oxides in P. falciparum, contributing to their antiplasmodial action.

An Improved Control Strategy for the Bus Interlinking Converter Based on Three-level Topology in AC-DC Hybrid Microgrid

Considering the increasing requirements of the AC-DC hybrid microgrid (HMG) for the transmission power capacity and voltage level, the several bus interface converters (BICs) with the two-level PWM converter topology, need to be connected between AC bus and DC bus in parallel, which could generate circulating current and cycle power. The cost of the modular multilevel converter topology based BIC is too high. Hence, this paper proposes to apply the BIC with three-level topology to the HMG, and a droop control strategy with the midpoint potential hysteresis regulation link is designed, which can effectively suppress the fluctuation of midpoint potential without affecting the normal operation of the BIC in the grid connected or off mode. In addition, the principle of neutral point fluctuation and the process of hysteresis control are introduced, and the detailed design of dual-mode control strategy based on droop curve are also given. Finally, the effectiveness of the improved control strategy is verified by simulation.