Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy measures the distance between the external ß-strands of folded α-synuclein in amyloid fibrils.

The misfolding of α-synuclein (αS) to a cross-ß-sheet amyloid structure is associated with pathological conditions in Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Using pulse electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy combined with a cross-labeling strategy involving four double mutants, we were able to determine the intramolecular distance between the extremal ß-strands. The distance of 4.5 ± 0.5 nm is in good agreement with the dimensions of a protofilament reported by other low-resolution techniques, such as x-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy.

Integrated analysis of the conformation of a protein-linked spin label by crystallography, EPR and NMR spectroscopy.

Long-range structural information derived from paramagnetic relaxation enhancement observed in the presence of a paramagnetic nitroxide radical is highly useful for structural characterization of globular, modular and intrinsically disordered proteins, as well as protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes. Here we characterized the conformation of a spin-label attached to the homodimeric protein CylR2 using a combination of X-ray crystallography, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and NMR spectroscopy. Close agreement was found between the conformation of the spin label observed in the crystal structure with interspin distances measured by EPR and signal broadening in NMR spectra, suggesting that the conformation seen in the crystal structure is also preferred in solution. In contrast, conformations of the spin label observed in crystal structures of T4 lysozyme are not in agreement with the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement observed for spin-labeled CylR2 in solution. Our data demonstrate that accurate positioning of the paramagnetic center is essential for high-resolution structure determination.

Role of the hydrogen bond from Leu722 to the A1A phylloquinone in photosystem I.

Photosystem I (PS I) contains two molecules of phylloquinone that function as electron transfer cofactors at highly reducing midpoint potentials. It is therefore surprising that each phylloquinone is hydrogen bonded at the C(4) position to the backbone -NH of a Leu residue since this serves to drive the midpoint potential more oxidizing. To better understand the role of the H-bond, a PS I variant was generated in which L722(PsaA) was replaced with a bulky Trp residue. This change was designed to alter the conformation of the A-jk(1) loop and therefore change the strength of the H-bond to the PsaA-branch phylloquinone. Transient EPR studies at 80 K show that the A(1A) site in the PS I variant is fully occupied with phylloquinone, but the absence of methyl hyperfine couplings in the quinone contribution to the P(700)(*+)A(1)(*-) radical pair spectrum indicates that the H-bond has been weakened. In wild-type PS I, reduction of F(A) and F(B) with sodium dithionite causes a approximately 30% increase in the amplitude of the P(700)(*+)A(1)(*-) transient EPR signal due to the added contribution of the PsaB-branch cofactors to low temperature reversible electron transfer between P(700) and A(1A). In contrast, the same treatment to the L722W(PsaA) variant leads to a approximately 75% reduction in the amplitude of the P(700)(*+)A(1)(*-) transient EPR signal. This behavior suggests that A(1A) has undergone double reduction to phyllohydroquinone, thereby preventing electron transfer past A(0A). The remaining 25% of the P(700)(*+)A(1)(*-) radical pair spectrum shows an altered spin polarization pattern and pronounced methyl hyperfine couplings characteristic of asymmetric H-bonding to the phylloquinone. Numerical simulations of the polarization pattern indicate that it arises primarily from electron transfer between P(700) and A(1B). The altered reduction behavior in the L722W(PsaA) variant suggests that the primary purpose of the H-bond is to tie up the C(4) carbonyl group of phylloquinone in a H-bond so as to prevent protonation and hence lower the probability of double reduction during periods of high light intensity.

Contributions of the protein environment to the midpoint potentials of the A1 phylloquinones and the Fx iron-sulfur cluster in photosystem I.

Electrostatic calculations have predicted that the partial negative charge associated with D575PsaB plays a significant role in modulating the midpoint potentials of the A1A and A1B phylloquinones in photosystem I. To test this prediction, the side chain of residue 575PsaB was changed from negatively charged (D) to neutral (A) and to positively charged (K). D566PsaB, which is located at a considerable distance from either A1A or A1B, and should affect primarily the midpoint potential of FX, was similarly changed. In the 575PsaB variants, the rate of electron transfer from A1A to FX is observed to decrease slightly according to the sequence D/A/K. In the 566PsaB variants, the opposite effect of a slight increase in the rate is observed according to the same sequence D/A/K. These results are consistent with the expectation that changing these residues will shift the midpoint potentials of nearby cofactors to more positive values and that the magnitude of this shift will depend on the distance between the cofactors and the residues being changed. Thus, the midpoint potentials of A1A and A1B should experience a larger shift than will FX in the 575PsaB variants, while FX should experience a larger shift than will either A1A or A1B in the 566PsaB variants. As a result, the driving energy for electron transfer from A1A and A1B to FX will be decreased in the former and increased in the latter. This rationalization of the changes in kinetics is compared with the results of electrostatic calculations. While the altered amino acids shift the midpoint potentials of A1A, A1B, and FX by different amounts, the difference in the shifts between A1A and FX or between A1B and FX is small so that the overall effect on the electron transfer rate between A1A and FX or between A1B and FX is predicted to be small. These conclusions are borne out by experiment.

Recruitment of a foreign quinone into the A1 site of photosystem I. Consecutive forward electron transfer from A0 TO A1 to FX with anthraquinone in the A1 site as studied by transient EPR.

In photosystem I (PS I), phylloquinone (PhQ) acts as a low potential electron acceptor during light-induced electron transfer (ET). The origin of the very low midpoint potential of the quinone is investigated by introducing anthraquinone (AQ) into PS I in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters. Solvent extraction and reincubation is used to obtain PS I particles containing AQ and the iron-sulfur clusters, whereas incubation of the menB rubA double mutant yields PS I with AQ in the PhQ site but no iron-sulfur clusters. Transient electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to investigate the orientation of AQ in the binding site and the ET kinetics. The low temperature spectra suggest that the orientation of AQ in all samples is the same as that of PhQ in native PS I. In PS I containing the iron sulfur clusters, (i) the rate of forward electron transfer from the AQ*- to F(X) is found to be faster than from PhQ*- to F(X), and (ii) the spin polarization patterns provide indirect evidence that the preceding ET step from A0*- to quinone is slower than in the native system. The changes in the kinetics are in accordance with the more negative reduction midpoint potential of AQ. Moreover, a comparison of the spectra in the presence and absence of the iron-sulfur clusters suggests that the midpoint potential of AQ is more negative in the presence of F(X). The electron transfer from the AQ- to F(X) is found to be thermally activated with a lower apparent activation energy than for PhQ in native PS I. The spin polarization patterns show that the triplet character in the initial state of P700)*+AQ*- increases with temperature. This behavior is rationalized in terms of a model involving a distribution of lifetimes/redox potentials for A0 and related competition between charge recombination and forward electron transfer from the radical pair P700*+A0*-.