title: Evidence for delocalized anticooperative flash induced proton binding as revealed by mutants at the M266His iron ligand in bacterial reaction centers.
abstract: Bacterial reaction centers (RCs) convert light energy into chemical free energy via the double reduction and protonation of the secondary quinone electron acceptor, QB, to the dihydroquinone QBH2. Two RC mutants (M266His --> Leu and M266His --> Ala) with a modified ligand of the non-heme iron have been studied by flash-induced absorbance change spectroscopy. No important changes were observed for the rate constants of the first and second electron transfers between the first quinone electron acceptor, QA, and QB. However, in the M266HL mutant a destabilization of approximately 40 meV of the free energy level of QA- was observed, at variance with the M266HA mutant. The superposition of the three-dimensional X-ray structures of the three proteins in the QA region provides no obvious explanation for the energy modification in the M266HL mutant. The shift of the midpoint redox potential of QA/QA- in M266HL caused accelerated recombination of the charges in the P+ QA- state of the RCs where the native QA was replaced by a low potential anthraquinone (AQA). As previously reported for the native RCs, in the M266HL we observed a biphasicity of the P+ AQA- --> P AQA charge recombination. Interestingly, both phases present a similar acceleration in the M266HL mutant with respect to the wild type. The pH dependencies of the proton uptake upon QA- and QB- formations are superimposable in both mutants but very different from those of native RCs. The data measured in mutants are similar to those that we previously obtained on strains modified at various sites of the cytoplasmic region. The similarity of the response to these different mutations is puzzling, and we propose that it arises from a collective behavior of multiple acidic residues resulting in strongly anticooperative proton binding. The unspecific disappearance of the high pH band of proton uptake observed in all these mutants appears as the natural consequence of removing any member of an interactive proton cluster. This long range interaction also accounts for the similar responses to mutations of the proton uptake pattern induced by either QA- or QB-. We surmise that the presence of an extended protonated water H-bond network providing protons to QB is responsible for these effects.
authors: Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS, Faculté d'Orsay, Orsay/UMR 8000, University of Paris XI, 91405 Cedex, France.
authors: Hélène
authors: H
authors: Cheap
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Tandori
authors: Valérie
authors: V
authors: Derrien
authors: Mireille
authors: M
authors: Benoit
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: de Oliveira
authors: Juergen
authors: J
authors: Koepke
authors: Jérôme
authors: J
authors: Lavergne
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Maroti
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Sebban
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000528:radiation effects; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000528:radiation effects; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011522:Protons; D011809:Quinones / Q000737:chemistry; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: C403008:1,4-dihydroquinone; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D011522:Protons; D011809:Quinones; D007501:Iron