Hydrogen bond network between amino acid radical intermediates on the proton-coupled electron transfer pathway of E. coli ?2 ribonucleotide reductase.
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ABSTRACT: Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides in all organisms. In all Class Ia RNRs, initiation of nucleotide diphosphate (NDP) reduction requires a reversible oxidation over 35 Å by a tyrosyl radical (Y122•, Escherichia coli) in subunit ? of a cysteine (C439) in the active site of subunit ?. This radical transfer (RT) occurs by a specific pathway involving redox active tyrosines (Y122 ? Y356 in ? to Y731 ? Y730 ? C439 in ?); each oxidation necessitates loss of a proton coupled to loss of an electron (PCET). To study these steps, 3-aminotyrosine was site-specifically incorporated in place of Y356-?, Y731- and Y730-?, and each protein was incubated with the appropriate second subunit ?(?), CDP and effector ATP to trap an amino tyrosyl radical (NH2Y•) in the active ?2?2 complex. High-frequency (263 GHz) pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of the NH2Y•s reported the gx values with unprecedented resolution and revealed strong electrostatic effects caused by the protein environment. (2)H electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy accompanied by quantum chemical calculations provided spectroscopic evidence for hydrogen bond interactions at the radical sites, i.e., two exchangeable H bonds to NH2Y730•, one to NH2Y731• and none to NH2Y356•. Similar experiments with double mutants ?-NH2Y730/C439A and ?-NH2Y731/Y730F allowed assignment of the H bonding partner(s) to a pathway residue(s) providing direct evidence for colinear PCET within ?. The implications of these observations for the PCET process within ? and at the interface are discussed.
SUBMITTER: Nick TU
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4304443 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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