RESUMEN
Several bacterial species initially colonise the infant gut, but are outcompeted. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk create an environment for Bifidobacterium to flourish. Laursen and Roager recently showed a clear link between breast milk and the dominance of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis in the infant gut.
Asunto(s)
Bifidobacterium , Leche Humana , Humanos , Lactante , Femenino , OligosacáridosRESUMEN
The modification of proteins by N-glycans is ubiquitous to most organisms and they have multiple biological functions, including protecting the adjoining protein from degradation and facilitating communication or adhesion between cells, for example. Microbes have evolved CAZymes to deconstruct different types of N-glycans and some of these have been characterised from microbes originating from different niches, both commensals and pathogens. The specificity of these CAZymes provides clues as to how different microbes breakdown these substrates and possibly cross-feed them. Discovery of CAZymes highly specific for N-glycans also provides new tools and options for modifying glycoproteins.
Asunto(s)
Glicoproteínas , Polisacáridos , Polisacáridos/química , Polisacáridos/metabolismo , Glicoproteínas/química , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Bacterias/metabolismoRESUMEN
The major nutrients available to the human colonic microbiota are complex glycans derived from the diet. To degrade this highly variable mix of sugar structures, gut microbes have acquired a huge array of different carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), predominantly glycoside hydrolases, many of which have specificities that can be exploited for a range of different applications. Plant N-glycans are prevalent on proteins produced by plants and thus components of the diet, but the breakdown of these complex molecules by the gut microbiota has not been explored. Plant N-glycans are also well characterized allergens in pollen and some plant-based foods, and when plants are used in heterologous protein production for medical applications, the N-glycans present can pose a risk to therapeutic function and stability. Here we use a novel genome association approach for enzyme discovery to identify a breakdown pathway for plant complex N-glycans encoded by a gut Bacteroides species and biochemically characterize five CAZymes involved, including structures of the PNGase and GH92 α-mannosidase. These enzymes provide a toolbox for the modification of plant N-glycans for a range of potential applications. Furthermore, the keystone PNGase also has activity against insect-type N-glycans, which we discuss from the perspective of insects as a nutrient source.
Asunto(s)
Bacteroides , Glicósido Hidrolasas , Glicósido Hidrolasas/química , Humanos , Plantas/metabolismo , Polisacáridos/metabolismo , Azúcares/metabolismo , alfa-Manosidasa/metabolismoRESUMEN
Deciphering how enzymes interact, modify, and recognize carbohydrates has long been a topic of interest in academic, pharmaceutical, and industrial research. Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are noncatalytic globular protein domains attached to carbohydrate-active enzymes that strengthen enzyme affinity to substrates and increase enzymatic efficiency via targeting and proximity effects. CBMs are considered auspicious for various biotechnological purposes in textile, food, and feed industries, representing valuable tools in basic science research and biomedicine. Here, we present the first crystallographic structure of a CBM8 family member (CBM8), DdCBM8, from the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, which was identified attached to an endo-ß-1,4-glucanase (glycoside hydrolase family 9). We show that the planar carbohydrate-binding site of DdCBM8, composed of aromatic residues, is similar to type A CBMs that are specific for crystalline (multichain) polysaccharides. Accordingly, pull-down assays indicated that DdCBM8 was able to bind insoluble forms of cellulose. However, affinity gel electrophoresis demonstrated that DdCBM8 also bound to soluble (single chain) polysaccharides, especially glucomannan, similar to type B CBMs, although it had no apparent affinity for oligosaccharides. Therefore, the structural characteristics and broad specificity of DdCBM8 represent exceptions to the canonical CBM classification. In addition, mutational analysis identified specific amino acid residues involved in ligand recognition, which are conserved throughout the CBM8 family. This advancement in the structural and functional characterization of CBMs contributes to our understanding of carbohydrate-active enzymes and protein-carbohydrate interactions, pushing forward protein engineering strategies and enhancing the potential biotechnological applications of glycoside hydrolase accessory modules.
Asunto(s)
Dictyostelium , Carbohidratos/química , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Dictyostelium/metabolismo , Glucanos/metabolismo , Glicósido Hidrolasas , Ligandos , Polisacáridos/metabolismoRESUMEN
The bacterial heterodimeric ATP-binding cassette (ABC) multidrug exporter PatAB has a critical role in conferring antibiotic resistance in multidrug-resistant infections by Streptococcus pneumoniae. As with other heterodimeric ABC exporters, PatAB contains two transmembrane domains that form a drug translocation pathway for efflux and two nucleotide-binding domains that bind ATP, one of which is hydrolysed during transport. The structural and functional elements in heterodimeric ABC multidrug exporters that determine interactions with drugs and couple drug binding to nucleotide hydrolysis are not fully understood. Here, we used mass spectrometry techniques to determine the subunit stoichiometry in PatAB in our lactococcal expression system and investigate locations of drug binding using the fluorescent drug-mimetic azido-ethidium. Surprisingly, our analyses of azido-ethidium-labelled PatAB peptides point to ethidium binding in the PatA nucleotide-binding domain, with the azido moiety crosslinked to residue Q521 in the H-like loop of the degenerate nucleotide-binding site. Investigation into this compound and residue's role in nucleotide hydrolysis pointed to a reduction in the activity for a Q521A mutant and ethidium-dependent inhibition in both mutant and wild type. Most transported drugs did not stimulate or inhibit nucleotide hydrolysis of PatAB in detergent solution or lipidic nanodiscs. However, further examples for ethidium-like inhibition were found with propidium, novobiocin and coumermycin A1, which all inhibit nucleotide hydrolysis by a non-competitive mechanism. These data cast light on potential mechanisms by which drugs can regulate nucleotide hydrolysis by PatAB, which might involve a novel drug binding site near the nucleotide-binding domains.
Asunto(s)
Transportadoras de Casetes de Unión a ATP , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Transportadoras de Casetes de Unión a ATP/química , Adenosina Trifosfato/metabolismo , Etidio/metabolismo , Hidrólisis , Nucleótidos/metabolismo , Streptococcus pneumoniae/genética , Streptococcus pneumoniae/metabolismoRESUMEN
Changes in human IgG galactosylation and sialylation have been associated with several inflammatory diseases which are a major burden on the health care system. A large body of work on well-established glycomic and glycopeptidomic assays has repeatedly demonstrated inflammation-induced changes in IgG glycosylation. However, these assays are usually based on specialized analytical instrumentation which could be considered a technical barrier for uptake by some laboratories. Hence there is a growing demand for simple biochemical assays for analyzing these glycosylation changes. We have addressed this need by introducing a novel glycosidase plate-based assay for the absolute quantification of galactosylation and sialylation on IgG. IgG glycoproteins are treated with specific exoglycosidases to release the galactose and/or sialic acid residues. The released galactose monosaccharides are subsequently used in an enzymatic redox reaction that produces a fluorescence signal that is quantitative for the amount of galactosylation and, in-turn, sialylation on IgG. The glycosidase plate-based assay has the potential to be a simple, initial screening assay or an alternative assay to the usage of high-end analytical platforms such as HILIC-FLD-MSn when considering the analysis of galactosylation and sialylation on IgG. We have demonstrated this by comparing our assay to an industrial established HILIC-FLD-MSn glycomic analysis of 15 patient samples and obtained a Pearson's r correlation coefficient of 0.8208 between the two methods.
Asunto(s)
Galactosa/genética , Inmunoglobulina G/química , Ácido N-Acetilneuramínico/genética , Galactosa/química , Glicoproteínas/química , Glicoproteínas/genética , Glicósido Hidrolasas/química , Glicosilación , Humanos , Inmunoglobulina G/genéticaRESUMEN
The thick mucus layer of the gut provides a barrier to infiltration of the underlying epithelia by both the normal microbiota and enteric pathogens. Some members of the microbiota utilise mucin glycoproteins as a nutrient source, but a detailed understanding of the mechanisms used to breakdown these complex macromolecules is lacking. Here we describe the discovery and characterisation of endo-acting enzymes from prominent mucin-degrading bacteria that target the polyLacNAc structures within oligosaccharide side chains of both animal and human mucins. These O-glycanases are part of the large and diverse glycoside hydrolase 16 (GH16) family and are often lipoproteins, indicating that they are surface located and thus likely involved in the initial step in mucin breakdown. These data provide a significant advance in our knowledge of the mechanism of mucin breakdown by the normal microbiota. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the potential use of these enzymes as tools to explore changes in O-glycan structure in a number of intestinal disease states.
Asunto(s)
Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Hexosaminidasas/metabolismo , Glicoproteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Mucinas/metabolismo , Animales , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/enzimología , Bacterias/genética , Bacterias/metabolismo , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Glicósido Hidrolasas/genética , Glicósido Hidrolasas/metabolismo , Hexosaminidasas/química , Hexosaminidasas/genética , Humanos , Glicoproteínas de Membrana/química , Estructura Molecular , Mucinas/química , Filogenia , Polisacáridos/química , Polisacáridos/metabolismo , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Especificidad por SustratoRESUMEN
Glycans are the major carbon sources available to the human colonic microbiota. Numerous N-glycosylated proteins are found in the human gut, from both dietary and host sources, including immunoglobulins such as IgA that are secreted into the intestine at high levels. Here, we show that many mutualistic gut Bacteroides spp. have the capacity to utilize complex N-glycans (CNGs) as nutrients, including those from immunoglobulins. Detailed mechanistic studies using transcriptomic, biochemical, structural and genetic techniques reveal the pathway employed by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (Bt) for CNG degradation. The breakdown process involves an extensive enzymatic apparatus encoded by multiple non-adjacent loci and comprises 19 different carbohydrate-active enzymes from different families, including a CNG-specific endo-glycosidase activity. Furthermore, CNG degradation involves the activity of carbohydrate-active enzymes that have previously been implicated in the degradation of other classes of glycan. This complex and diverse apparatus provides Bt with the capacity to access the myriad different structural variants of CNGs likely to be found in the intestinal niche.
Asunto(s)
Bacteroides/enzimología , Bacteroides/genética , Regulación Bacteriana de la Expresión Génica , Intestinos/microbiología , Polisacáridos/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Bacteroides/crecimiento & desarrollo , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Sitios Genéticos/genética , Glicoproteínas/química , Glicoproteínas/metabolismo , Humanos , Polisacáridos/química , SimbiosisRESUMEN
A putative GH35 ß-galactosidase gene from the mucin-degrading bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila was successfully cloned and further investigated. The recombinant enzyme with the molecular mass of 74 kDa was purified to homogeneity and biochemically characterised. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was 42 °C, and the optimum pH was determined to be pH 3.5. The addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) reduced the enzyme's activity significantly. The addition of Mg2+-ions decreased the activity of the ß-galactosidase, whereas other metal ions or EDTA showed no inhibitory effect. The enzyme catalysed the hydrolysis of ß1,3- and ß1,6- linked galactose residues from various substrates, whereas only negligible amounts of ß1,4-galactose were hydrolysed. The present study describes the first functional characterisation of a ß-galactosidase from this human gut symbiont.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Verrucomicrobia/enzimología , beta-Galactosidasa/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Clonación Molecular , Estabilidad de Enzimas , Galactosa/análogos & derivados , Galactosa/metabolismo , Magnesio/química , Dodecil Sulfato de Sodio/química , Especificidad por Sustrato , Verrucomicrobia/genética , beta-Galactosidasa/química , beta-Galactosidasa/genéticaRESUMEN
Reaction centre/light harvesting proteins such as the RCLH1X complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides carry out highly quantum-efficient conversion of solar energy through ultrafast energy transfer and charge separation, and these pigment-proteins have been incorporated into biohybrid photoelectrochemical cells for a variety of applications. In this work we demonstrate that, despite not being able to support normal photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides, an engineered variant of this RCLH1X complex lacking the PufX protein and with an enlarged light harvesting antenna is unimpaired in its capacity for photocurrent generation in two types of bio-photoelectrochemical cells. Removal of PufX also did not impair the ability of the RCLH1 complex to act as an acceptor of energy from synthetic light harvesting quantum dots. Unexpectedly, the removal of PufX led to a marked improvement in the overall stability of the RCLH1 complex under heat stress. We conclude that PufX-deficient RCLH1 complexes are fully functional in solar energy conversion in a device setting and that their enhanced structural stability could make them a preferred choice over their native PufX-containing counterpart. Our findings on the competence of RCLH1 complexes for light energy conversion in vitro are discussed with reference to the reason why these PufX-deficient proteins are not capable of light energy conversion in vivo.
Asunto(s)
Suministros de Energía Eléctrica , Proteínas Luminiscentes/química , Ingeniería de Proteínas , Rhodobacter sphaeroides/química , Energía Solar , Procesos FotoquímicosRESUMEN
The enzymatic degradation of plant cell walls is an important biological process of increasing environmental and industrial significance. Xylan, a major component of the plant cell wall, consists of a backbone of ß-1,4-xylose (Xylp) units that are often decorated with arabinofuranose (Araf) side chains. A large penta-modular enzyme, CtXyl5A, was shown previously to specifically target arabinoxylans. The mechanism of substrate recognition displayed by the enzyme, however, remains unclear. Here we report the crystal structure of the arabinoxylanase and the enzyme in complex with ligands. The data showed that four of the protein modules adopt a rigid structure, which stabilizes the catalytic domain. The C-terminal non-catalytic carbohydrate binding module could not be observed in the crystal structure, suggesting positional flexibility. The structure of the enzyme in complex with Xylp-ß-1,4-Xylp-ß-1,4-Xylp-[α-1,3-Araf]-ß-1,4-Xylp showed that the Araf decoration linked O3 to the xylose in the active site is located in the pocket (-2* subsite) that abuts onto the catalytic center. The -2* subsite can also bind to Xylp and Arap, explaining why the enzyme can utilize xylose and arabinose as specificity determinants. Alanine substitution of Glu68, Tyr92, or Asn139, which interact with arabinose and xylose side chains at the -2* subsite, abrogates catalytic activity. Distal to the active site, the xylan backbone makes limited apolar contacts with the enzyme, and the hydroxyls are solvent-exposed. This explains why CtXyl5A is capable of hydrolyzing xylans that are extensively decorated and that are recalcitrant to classic endo-xylanase attack.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Clostridium thermocellum/enzimología , Xilanos/química , Xilosidasas/química , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Dominios ProteicosRESUMEN
Cellvibrio japonicusis a Gram-negative soil bacterium that is primarily known for its ability to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides through utilization of an extensive repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes. Several putative chitin-degrading enzymes are also found among these carbohydrate-active enzymes, such as chitinases, chitobiases, and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). In this study, we have characterized the chitin-active LPMO,CjLPMO10A, a tri-modular enzyme containing a catalytic family AA10 LPMO module, a family 5 chitin-binding module, and a C-terminal unclassified module of unknown function. Characterization of the latter module revealed tight and specific binding to chitin, thereby unraveling a new family of chitin-binding modules (classified as CBM73). X-ray crystallographic elucidation of theCjLPMO10A catalytic module revealed that the active site of the enzyme combines structural features previously only observed in either cellulose or chitin-active LPMO10s. Analysis of the copper-binding site by EPR showed a signal signature more similar to those observed for cellulose-cleaving LPMOs. The full-length LPMO shows no activity toward cellulose but is able to bind and cleave both α- and ß-chitin. Removal of the chitin-binding modules reduced LPMO activity toward α-chitin compared with the full-length enzyme. Interestingly, the full-length enzyme and the individual catalytic LPMO module boosted the activity of an endochitinase equally well, also yielding similar amounts of oxidized products. Finally, gene deletion studies show thatCjLPMO10A is needed byC. japonicusto obtain efficient growth on both purified chitin and crab shell particles.
Asunto(s)
Cellvibrio/enzimología , Quitina/química , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta/química , Quitina/metabolismo , Cristalografía por Rayos X , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta/metabolismo , Estructura Terciaria de ProteínaRESUMEN
Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable industrial substrate. Copper-dependent lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) contribute to the degradation of lignocellulose and increase the efficiency of biofuel production. LPMOs can contain non-catalytic carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), but their role in the activity of these enzymes is poorly understood. Here we explored the importance of CBMs in LPMO function. The family 2a CBMs of two monooxygenases,CfLPMO10 andTbLPMO10 fromCellulomonas fimiandThermobispora bispora, respectively, were deleted and/or replaced with CBMs from other proteins. The data showed that the CBMs could potentiate and, surprisingly, inhibit LPMO activity, and that these effects were both enzyme-specific and substrate-specific. Removing the natural CBM or introducingCtCBM3a, from theClostridium thermocellumcellulosome scaffoldin CipA, almost abolished the catalytic activity of the LPMOs against the cellulosic substrates. The deleterious effect of CBM removal likely reflects the importance of prolonged presentation of the enzyme on the surface of the substrate for efficient catalytic activity, as only LPMOs appended to CBMs bound tightly to cellulose. The negative impact ofCtCBM3a is in sharp contrast with the capacity of this binding module to potentiate the activity of a range of glycoside hydrolases including cellulases. The deletion of the endogenous CBM fromCfLPMO10 or the introduction of a family 10 CBM fromCellvibrio japonicusLPMO10B intoTbLPMO10 influenced the quantity of non-oxidized products generated, demonstrating that CBMs can modulate the mode of action of LPMOs. This study demonstrates that engineered LPMO-CBM hybrids can display enhanced industrially relevant oxygenations.
Asunto(s)
Cellulomonas/enzimología , Cellvibrio/enzimología , Clostridium thermocellum/enzimología , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta/metabolismo , Polisacáridos Bacterianos/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Cellulomonas/genética , Cellvibrio/genética , Clostridium thermocellum/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta/genética , Polisacáridos Bacterianos/genética , Estructura Terciaria de ProteínaRESUMEN
Type A non-catalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs), exemplified by CtCBM3acipA, are widely believed to specifically target crystalline cellulose through entropic forces. Here we have tested the hypothesis that type A CBMs can also bind to xyloglucan (XG), a soluble ß-1,4-glucan containing α-1,6-xylose side chains. CtCBM3acipA bound to xyloglucan in cell walls and arrayed on solid surfaces. Xyloglucan and cellulose were shown to bind to the same planar surface on CBM3acipA. A range of type A CBMs from different families were shown to bind to xyloglucan in solution with ligand binding driven by enthalpic changes. The nature of CBM-polysaccharide interactions is discussed.
Asunto(s)
Celulosa/química , Celulosa/metabolismo , Glucanos/metabolismo , Xilanos/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Sitios de Unión , Pared Celular/metabolismo , Clostridium thermocellum , Glucanos/química , Proteínas de la Membrana/química , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Unión Proteica , Solubilidad , Xilanos/químicaRESUMEN
Microbial depolymerization of plant cell walls contributes to global carbon balance and is a critical component of renewable energy. The genomes of lignocellulose degrading microorganisms encode diverse classes of carbohydrate modifying enzymes, although currently there is a paucity of knowledge on the role of these proteins in vivo. We report the comprehensive analysis of the cellulose degradation system in the saprophytic bacterium Cellvibrio japonicus. Gene expression profiling of C. japonicus demonstrated that three of the 12 predicted ß-1,4 endoglucanases (cel5A, cel5B, and cel45A) and the sole predicted cellobiohydrolase (cel6A) showed elevated expression during growth on cellulose. Targeted gene disruptions of all 13 predicted cellulase genes showed that only cel5B and cel6A were required for optimal growth on cellulose. Our analysis also identified three additional genes required for cellulose degradation: lpmo10B encodes a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO), while cbp2D and cbp2E encode proteins containing carbohydrate binding modules and predicted cytochrome domains for electron transfer. CjLPMO10B oxidized cellulose and Cbp2D demonstrated spectral properties consistent with redox function. Collectively, this report provides insight into the biological role of LPMOs and redox proteins in cellulose utilization and suggests that C. japonicus utilizes a combination of hydrolytic and oxidative cleavage mechanisms to degrade cellulose.
RESUMEN
Photosynthesis in purple bacteria is performed by pigment-protein complexes that are closely packed within specialized intracytoplasmic membranes. Here we report on the influence of carotenoid composition on the organization of RC-LH1 pigment-protein complexes in intact membranes and cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Mostly dimeric RC-LH1 complexes could be isolated from strains expressing native brown carotenoids when grown under illuminated/anaerobic conditions, or from strains expressing green carotenoids when grown under either illuminated/anaerobic or dark/semiaerobic conditions. However, mostly monomeric RC-LH1 complexes were isolated from strains expressing the native photoprotective red carotenoid spheroidenone, which is synthesized during phototrophic growth in the presence of oxygen. Despite this marked difference, linear dichroism (LD) and light-minus-dark LD spectra of oriented intact intracytoplasmic membranes indicated that RC-LH1 complexes are always assembled in ordered arrays, irrespective of variations in the relative amounts of isolated dimeric and monomeric RC-LH1 complexes. We propose that part of the photoprotective response to the presence of oxygen mediated by synthesis of spheroidenone may be a switch of the structure of the RC-LH1 complex from dimers to monomers, but that these monomers are still organized into the photosynthetic membrane in ordered arrays. When levels of the dimeric RC-LH1 complex were very high, and in the absence of LH2, LD and ∆LD spectra from intact cells indicated an ordered arrangement of RC-LH1 complexes. Such a degree of ordering implies the presence of highly elongated, tubular membranes with dimensions requiring orientation along the length of the cell and in a proportion larger than previously observed.
Asunto(s)
Carotenoides/metabolismo , Fotosíntesis , Proteobacteria/fisiología , Proteínas Bacterianas/fisiología , Dimerización , Complejos de Proteína Captadores de Luz/metabolismo , Proteobacteria/metabolismoRESUMEN
In purple bacteria of the genus Rhodobacter (Rba.), an LH1 antenna complex surrounds the photochemical reaction centre (RC) with a PufX protein preventing the LH1 complex from completely encircling the RC. In membranes of Rba. sphaeroides, RC-LH1 complexes associate as dimers which in turn assemble into longer range ordered arrays. The present work uses linear dichroism (LD) and dark-minus-light difference LD (ΔLD) to probe the organisation of genetically altered RC-LH1 complexes in intact membranes. The data support previous proposals that Rba. capsulatus, and Rba. sphaeroides heterologously expressing the PufX protein from Rba. capsulatus, produce monomeric core complexes in membranes that lack long-range order. Similarly, Rba. sphaeroides with a point mutation in the Gly 51 residue of PufX, which is located on the membrane-periplasm interface, assembles mainly non-ordered RC-LH1 complexes that are most likely monomeric. All the Rba. sphaeroides membranes in their ΔLD spectra exhibited a spectral fingerprint of small degree of organisation implying the possibility of ordering influence of LH1, and leading to an important conclusion that PufX itself has no influence on ordering RC-LH1 complexes, as long-range order appears to be induced only through its role of configuring RC-LH1 complexes into dimers.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Complejos de Proteína Captadores de Luz/química , Proteínas del Complejo del Centro de Reacción Fotosintética/química , Rhodobacter sphaeroides/fisiología , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Complejos de Proteína Captadores de Luz/genética , Complejos de Proteína Captadores de Luz/metabolismo , Proteínas del Complejo del Centro de Reacción Fotosintética/genética , Proteínas del Complejo del Centro de Reacción Fotosintética/metabolismo , Rhodobacter capsulatus/metabolismo , Rhodobacter sphaeroides/química , Análisis Espectral/métodosRESUMEN
The innately highly efficient light-powered separation of charge that underpins natural photosynthesis can be exploited for applications in photoelectrochemistry by coupling nanoscale protein photoreaction centers to man-made electrodes. Planar photoelectrochemical cells employing purple bacterial reaction centers have been constructed that produce a direct current under continuous illumination and an alternating current in response to discontinuous illumination. The present work explored the basis of the open-circuit voltage (V(OC)) produced by such cells with reaction center/antenna (RC-LH1) proteins as the photovoltaic component. It was established that an up to ~30-fold increase in V(OC) could be achieved by simple manipulation of the electrolyte connecting the protein to the counter electrode, with an approximately linear relationship being observed between the vacuum potential of the electrolyte and the resulting V(OC). We conclude that the V(OC) of such a cell is dependent on the potential difference between the electrolyte and the photo-oxidized bacteriochlorophylls in the reaction center. The steady-state short-circuit current (J(SC)) obtained under continuous illumination also varied with different electrolytes by a factor of ~6-fold. The findings demonstrate a simple way to boost the voltage output of such protein-based cells into the hundreds of millivolts range typical of dye-sensitized and polymer-blend solar cells, while maintaining or improving the J(SC). Possible strategies for further increasing the V(OC) of such protein-based photoelectrochemical cells through protein engineering are discussed.