Electrostatically driven second-sphere ligand switch between high and low reorganization energy forms of native cytochrome c

We have employed a combination of protein film voltammetry, time-resolved vibrational spectroelectrochemistry and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the electron-transfer reorganization free energy (λ) of cytochrome c (Cyt) in electrostatic complexes that mimic some basic features of protein...

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Autores principales: Alvarez-Paggi, D., Castro, M.A., Tórtora, V., Castro, L., Radi, R., Murgida, D.H.
Formato: JOUR
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00027863_v135_n11_p4389_AlvarezPaggi
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Sumario:We have employed a combination of protein film voltammetry, time-resolved vibrational spectroelectrochemistry and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the electron-transfer reorganization free energy (λ) of cytochrome c (Cyt) in electrostatic complexes that mimic some basic features of protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions. The results reveal the existence of two native-like conformations of Cyt that present significantly different λ values. Conversion from the high to the low λ forms is triggered by electrostatic interactions, and involves the rupture of a weak H-bond between first-(M80) and second-sphere (Y67) ligands of the heme iron, as a distinctive feature of the conformational switch. The two flexible Ω loops operate as transducers of the electrostatic signal. This fine-tuning effect is abolished in the Y67F Cyt mutant, which presents a λ value similar to the WT protein in electrostatic complexes. We propose that interactions of Cyt with the natural redox partner proteins activate a similar mechanism to minimize the reorganization energy of interprotein electron transfer. © 2013 American Chemical Society.