Reverse Electron Transfer Completes the Catalytic Cycle in a 2,3,5-Trifluorotyrosine-Substituted Ribonucleotide Reductase.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Ravichandran KR
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4678968 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase is an ?2?2 complex that catalyzes the conversion of nucleoside 5'-diphosphates (NDPs) to deoxynucleotides (dNDPs). The active site for NDP reduction resides in ?2, and the essential diferric-tyrosyl radical (Y(122)(•)) cofactor that initiates transfer of the radical to the active site cysteine in ?2 (C(439)), 35 Å removed, is in ?2. The oxidation is proposed to involve a hopping mechanism through aromatic amino acids (Y(122) ? W(48) ? Y(356) in ?2 to Y(731) ? Y(730) ? C(439) in ?2) and reversible proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). Recently, 2,3,5-F(3)Y (F(3)Y) was site-specifically incorporated in place of Y(356) in ?2 and 3-NH(2)Y (NH(2)Y) in place of Y(731) and Y(730) in ?2. A pH-rate profile with F(3)Y(356)-?2 suggested that as the pH is elevated, the rate-determining step of RNR can be altered from a conformational change to PCET and that the altered driving force for F(3)Y oxidation, by residues adjacent to it in the pathway, is responsible for this change. Studies with NH(2)Y(731(730))-?2, ?2, CDP, and ATP resulted in detection of NH(2)Y radical (NH(2)Y(•)) intermediates capable of dNDP formation. In this study, the reaction of F(3)Y(356)-?2, ?2, CDP, and ATP has been examined by stopped-flow (SF) absorption and rapid freeze quench electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and has failed to reveal any radical intermediates. The reaction of F(3)Y(356)-?2, CDP, and ATP has also been examined with NH(2)Y(731)-?2 (or NH(2)Y(730)-?2) by SF kinetics from pH 6.5 to 9.2 and exhibited rate constants for NH(2)Y(•) formation that support a change in the rate-limiting step at elevated pH. The results together with kinetic simulations provide a guide for future studies to detect radical intermediates in the pathway.
| S-EPMC3076197 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) regulates DNA synthesis and repair in all organisms. The mechanism of Escherichia coli RNR requires radical transfer over a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) pathway spanning ∼32 Å across two protein subunits. A key step along this pathway is the interfacial PCET reaction between Y356 in the β subunit and Y731 in the α subunit. Herein, this PCET reaction between two tyrosines across an aqueous interface is explored with classical molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) free energy simulations. The simulations suggest that the water-mediated mechanism involving double proton transfer through an intervening water molecule is thermodynamically and kinetically unfavorable. The direct PCET mechanism between Y356 and Y731 becomes feasible when Y731 is flipped toward the interface and is predicted to be approximately isoergic with a relatively low free energy barrier. This direct mechanism is facilitated by the hydrogen bonding of water to both Y356 and Y731. These simulations provide fundamental insights into radical transfer across aqueous interfaces.
| S-EPMC10344599 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the reduction of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides and is critical for DNA synthesis and repair in all organisms. Its mechanism requires radical transfer along a ∼32 Å pathway through a series of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps. Previous simulations suggested that a glutamate residue (E623) mediates the PCET reaction between two stacked tyrosine residues (Y730 and Y731) through a proton relay mechanism. This work focuses on the adjacent PCET reaction between Y730 and a cysteine residue (C439). Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical free energy simulations illustrate that when Y730 and Y731 are stacked, E623 stabilizes the radical on C439 through hydrogen bonding with the Y730 hydroxyl group. When Y731 is flipped away from Y730, a water molecule stabilizes the radical on C439 through hydrogen bonding with Y730 and lowers the free energy barrier for radical transfer from Y730 to C439 through electrostatic interactions with the transferring hydrogen but does not directly accept the proton. These simulations indicate that the conformational motions and electrostatic interactions of the tyrosines, cysteine, glutamate, and water strongly impact the thermodynamics and kinetics of these two coupled PCET reactions. Such insights are important for protein engineering efforts aimed at altering radical transfer in RNR.
| S-EPMC9197590 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ribonucleotide reductases (RNR) catalyze the reduction of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides through a mechanism involving an essential cysteine based thiyl radical. In the E. coli class 1a RNR the thiyl radical (C439•) is a transient species generated by radical transfer (RT) from a stable diferric-tyrosyl radical cofactor located >35 Å away across the ?2:?2 subunit interface. RT is facilitated by sequential proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) steps along a pathway of redox active amino acids (Y122? ? [W48??] ? Y356? ? Y731? ? Y730? ? C439?). The mutant R411A(?) disrupts the H-bonding environment and conformation of Y731, ostensibly breaking the RT pathway in ?2. However, the R411A protein retains significant enzymatic activity, suggesting Y731 is conformationally dynamic on the time scale of turnover. Installation of the radical trap 3-amino tyrosine (NH2Y) by amber codon suppression at positions Y731 or Y730 and investigation of the NH2Y• trapped state in the active ?2:?2 complex by HYSCORE spectroscopy validate that the perturbed conformation of Y731 in R411A-?2 is dynamic, reforming the H-bond between Y731 and Y730 to allow RT to propagate to Y730. Kinetic studies facilitated by photochemical radical generation reveal that Y731 changes conformation on the ns-?s time scale, significantly faster than the enzymatic kcat. Furthermore, the kinetics of RT across the subunit interface were directly assessed for the first time, demonstrating conformationally dependent RT rates that increase from 0.6 to 1.6 × 104 s-1 when comparing wild type to R411A-?2, respectively. These results illustrate the role of conformational flexibility in modulating RT kinetics by targeting the PCET pathway of radical transport.
| S-EPMC5702266 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Tyrosyl radicals play essential roles in biological proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the reduction of ribonucleotides and is vital in DNA replication in all organisms. Class Ia RNRs consist of ?2 and ?2 homodimeric subunits. In class Ia RNR, such as the E. coli enzyme, an essential tyrosyl radical (Y122O(•))-diferric cofactor is located in ?2. Although Y122O(•) is extremely stable in free ?2, Y122O(•) is highly reactive in the quaternary substrate-?2?2 complex and serves as a radical initiator in catalytic PCET between ?2 and ?2. In this report, we investigate the structural interactions that control the reactivity of Y122O(•) in a model system, isolated E. coli ?2. Y122O(•) was reduced with hydroxyurea (HU), a radical scavenger that quenches the radical in a clinically relevant reaction. In the difference FT-IR spectrum, associated with this PCET reaction, amide I (CO) and amide II (CN/NH) bands were observed. Specific (13)C-labeling of the tyrosine C1 carbon assigned a component of these bands to the Y122-T123 amide bond. Comparison to density functional calculations on a model dipeptide, tyrosine-threonine, and structural modeling demonstrated that PCET is associated with a Y122 rotation and a 7.2 Å translation of the Y122 phenolic oxygen. To test for the functional consequences of this structural change, a proton inventory defined the origin of the large solvent isotope effect (SIE = 16.7 ± 1.0 at 25 °C) on this reaction. These data suggest that the one-electron, HU-mediated reduction of Y122O(•) is associated with two, rate-limiting (full or partial) proton transfer reactions. One is attributable to HU oxidation (SIE = 11.9, net H atom transfer), and the other is attributable to coupled, hydrogen-bonding changes in the Y122O(•)-diferric cofactor (SIE = 1.4). These results illustrate the importance of redox-linked changes to backbone and ring dihedral angles in high potential PCET and provide evidence for rate-limiting, redox-linked hydrogen-bonding interactions between Y122O(•) and the iron cluster.
| S-EPMC3757525 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from Escherichia coli employs a free-radical mechanism, which involves bidirectional translocation of a radical equivalent or "hole" over a distance of ~35 Å from the stable diferric/tyrosyl-radical (Y122(•)) cofactor in the ? subunit to cysteine 439 (C439) in the active site of the ? subunit. This long-range, intersubunit electron transfer occurs by a multistep "hopping" mechanism via formation of transient amino acid radicals along a specific pathway and is thought to be conformationally gated and coupled to local proton transfers. Whereas constituent amino acids of the hopping pathway have been identified, details of the proton-transfer steps and conformational gating within the ? sununit have remained obscure; specific proton couples have been proposed, but no direct evidence has been provided. In the key first step, the reduction of Y122(•) by the first residue in the hopping pathway, a water ligand to Fe1 of the diferric cluster was suggested to donate a proton to yield the neutral Y122. Here we show that forward radical translocation is associated with perturbation of the Mössbauer spectrum of the diferric cluster, especially the quadrupole doublet associated with Fe1. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations verify the consistency of the experimentally observed perturbation with that expected for deprotonation of the Fe1-coordinated water ligand. The results thus provide the first evidence that the diiron cluster of this prototypical class Ia RNR functions not only in its well-known role as generator of the enzyme's essential Y122(•), but also directly in catalysis.
| S-EPMC3869997 | biostudies-literature
Project description: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.
| S-EPMC4304443 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Although most DNA polymerases discriminate against ribonucleotide triphosphaets (rNTPs) during DNA synthesis, recent studies have shown that large numbers of ribonucleotides are incorporated into the eukaryotic nuclear genome. Here, we investigate how a DNA polymerase can stably incorporate an rNTP. The X-ray crystal structure of a variant of human DNA polymerase λ reveals that the rNTP occupies the nucleotide binding pocket without distortion of the active site, despite an unfavorable interaction between the 2'-O and Tyr505 backbone carbonyl. This indicates an energetically unstable binding state for the rNTP, stabilized by additional protein-nucleotide interactions. Supporting this idea is the 200-fold lower catalytic efficiency for rNTP relative to deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate (dNTP) incorporation, reflecting a higher apparent Km value for the rNTP. Furthermore, distortion observed in the structure of the post-catalytic product complex suggests that once the bond between the α- and β-phosphates of the rNTP is broken, the unfavorable binding state of the ribonucleotide cannot be maintained. Finally, structural and biochemical evaluation of dNTP insertion onto an ribonucleotide monophosphate (rNMP)-terminated primer indicates that a primer-terminal rNMP does not impede extension. The results are relevant to how ribonucleotides are incorporated into DNA in vivo, during replication and during repair, perhaps especially in non-proliferating cells when rNTP:dNTP ratios are high.
| S-EPMC3424563 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversionof nucleotides to 2'-deoxynucleotides and are classified on the basis of the metallo-cofactor used to conduct this chemistry. The class Ia RNRs initiate nucleotide reduction when a stable diferric-tyrosyl radical (Y•, t1/2 of 4 days at 4 °C) cofactor in the ?2 subunit transiently oxidizes a cysteine to a thiyl radical (S•) in the active site of the ?2 subunit. In the active ?2?2 complex of the class Ia RNR from E. coli , researchers have proposed that radical hopping occurs reversibly over 35 Å along a specific pathway comprised of redox-active aromatic amino acids: Y122• ? [W48?] ? Y356 in ?2 to Y731 ? Y730 ? C439 in ?2. Each step necessitates a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). Protein conformational changes constitute the rate-limiting step in the overall catalytic scheme and kinetically mask the detailed chemistry of the PCET steps. Technology has evolved to allow the site-selective replacement of the four pathway tyrosines with unnatural tyrosine analogues. Rapid kinetic techniques combined with multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance, pulsed electron-electron double resonance, and electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopies have facilitated the analysis of stable and transient radical intermediates in these mutants. These studies are beginning to reveal the mechanistic underpinnings of the radical transfer (RT) process. This Account summarizes recent mechanistic studies on mutant E. coli RNRs containing the following tyrosine analogues: 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) or 3-aminotyrosine (NH2Y), both thermodynamic radical traps; 3-nitrotyrosine (NO2Y), a thermodynamic barrier and probe of local environmental perturbations to the phenolic pKa; and fluorotyrosines (FnYs, n = 2 or 3), dual reporters on local pKas and reduction potentials. These studies have established the existence of a specific pathway spanning 35 Å within a globular ?2?2 complex that involves one stable (position 122) and three transient (positions 356, 730, and 731) Y•s. Our results also support that RT occurs by an orthogonal PCET mechanism within ?2, with Y122• reduction accompanied by proton transfer from an Fe1-bound water in the diferric cluster and Y356 oxidation coupled to an off-pathway proton transfer likely involving E350. In ?2, RT likely occurs by a co-linear PCET mechanism, based on studies of light-initiated radical propagation from photopeptides that mimic the ?2 subunit to the intact ?2 subunit and on [(2)H]-ENDOR spectroscopic analysis of the hydrogen-bonding environment surrounding a stabilized NH2Y• formed at position 730. Additionally, studies on the thermodynamics of the RT pathway reveal that the relative reduction potentials decrease according to Y122 < Y356 < Y731 ? Y730 ? C439, and that the pathway in the forward direction is thermodynamically unfavorable. C439 oxidation is likely driven by rapid, irreversible loss of water during the nucleotide reduction process. Kinetic studies of radical intermediates reveal that RT is gated by conformational changes that occur on the order of >100 s(-1) in addition to the changes that are rate-limiting in the wild-type enzyme (?10 s(-1)). The rate constant of one of the PCET steps is ?10(5) s(-1), as measured in photoinitiated experiments.
| S-EPMC3823682 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are a diverse family of enzymes that are alone capable of generating 2'-deoxynucleotides de novo and are thus critical in DNA biosynthesis and repair. The nucleotide reduction reaction in all RNRs requires the generation of a transient active site thiyl radical, and in class I RNRs, this process involves a long-range radical transfer between two subunits, α and β. Because of the transient subunit association, an atomic resolution structure of an active α2β2 RNR complex has been elusive. We used a doubly substituted β2, E52Q/(2,3,5)-trifluorotyrosine122-β2, to trap wild-type α2 in a long-lived α2β2 complex. We report the structure of this complex by means of cryo-electron microscopy to 3.6-angstrom resolution, allowing for structural visualization of a 32-angstrom-long radical transfer pathway that affords RNR activity.
| S-EPMC7774503 | biostudies-literature