Structural and dynamic changes of photoactive yellow protein during its photocycle in solution

Photoactive yellow protein (E-PYP) is a blue light photoreceptor, implicated in a negative phototactic response in Ectothiorhodospira halophila, that also serves as a model for the Per–Arnt–Sim superfamily of signaling molecules. Because no biological signaling partner for E-PYP has been identified, it has not been possible to correlate any of its photocycle intermediates with a relevant signaling state. However, the PYP domain (Ppr-PYP) from the sensor histidine kinase Ppr in Rhodospirillum centenum, which regulates the catalytic activity of Ppr by blue light absorption, may allow such issues to be addressed. Here we report the crystal structure of Ppr-PYP at 2 Å resolution. This domain has the same absorption spectrum and similar photocycle kinetics as full length Ppr, but a blue-shifted absorbance and considerably slower photocycle than E-PYP. Although the overall fold of Ppr-PYP resembles that of E-PYP, a novel conformation of the β4–β5 loop results in inaccessibility of Met-100, thought to catalyze chromophore reisomerization, to the chromophore. This conformation also exposes a highly conserved molecular surface that could interact with downstream signaling partners. Other structural differences in the α3–α4 and β4–β5 loops are consistent with these regions playing significant roles in the control of photocycle dynamics and, by comparison to other sensory Per–Arnt–Sim domains, in signal transduction. Because of its direct linkage to a measurable biological output, Ppr-PYP serves as an excellent system for understanding how changes in photocycle dynamics affect signaling by PYPs

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Crystal structure of a photoactive yellow protein from a sensor histidine kinase: Conformational variability and signal transduction

Rajagopal

Moffat

2003

“…The triggering of kinetic reactions can be achieved either by a sudden change of the protein state itself, e.g., by a photo-induced excitation or cleavage of chemical bonds (16,17), or by a change of environment, such as the solvent composition, temperature, or pH (4,18). Here, we opted for an initiation of the reaction by an abrupt change in the solvent conditions achieved by rapid mixing of two solutions inside the NMR magnet (5,19).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protein folding and unfolding studied at atomic resolution by fast two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy

Schanda

Forge

Brutscher

2007

152

151

Atom-resolved real-time studies of kinetic processes in proteins have been hampered in the past by the lack of experimental techniques that yield sufficient temporal and atomic resolution. Here we present band-selective optimized flip-angle short transient (SOFAST) real-time 2D NMR spectroscopy, a method that allows simultaneous observation of reaction kinetics for a large number of nuclear sites along the polypeptide chain of a protein with an unprecedented time resolution of a few seconds. SOFAST real-time 2D NMR spectroscopy combines fast NMR data acquisition techniques with rapid sample mixing inside the NMR magnet to initiate the kinetic event. We demonstrate the use of SOFAST real-time 2D NMR to monitor the conformational transition of ␣-lactalbumin from a molten globular to the native state for a large number of amide sites along the polypeptide chain. The kinetic behavior observed for the disappearance of the molten globule and the appearance of the native state is monoexponential and uniform along the polypeptide chain. This observation confirms previous findings that a single transition state ensemble controls folding of ␣-lactalbumin from the molten globule to the native state. In a second application, the spontaneous unfolding of native ubiquitin under nondenaturing conditions is characterized by amide hydrogen exchange rate constants measured at high pH by using SOFAST real-time 2D NMR. Our data reveal that ubiquitin unfolds in a gradual manner with distinct unfolding regimes.hydrogen/deuterium exchange ͉ molecular kinetics ͉ ␣-lactalbumin ͉ ubiquitin A detailed description of the structural changes occurring during the folding and unfolding of proteins still remains a challenging objective in biophysics. The understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the folding process will also shed light on the factors leading to protein misfolding responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases (1). The ideal method to study protein folding/unfolding provides structural information at atomic resolution and is sensitive to changes occurring on time scales ranging from microseconds to minutes, a task that no single technique is able to fulfill. NMR spectroscopy is especially well adapted to obtain detailed atomistic information about the mechanisms, kinetics, and energetics of the folding/unfolding process for virtually every nuclear site in the protein. NMR methods are sensitive to molecular dynamics occurring over a wide range of time scales (Fig. 1a). Although steady-state NMR methods are well suited to characterize equilibrium molecular dynamics occurring on a subsecond time scale (2, 3), unidirectional processes are best studied by real-time NMR (4, 5), where a series of NMR spectra is recorded during the reaction (Fig. 1b). Two difficulties have so far hampered the widespread application of real-time NMR to the study of protein folding. The first problem is the low intrinsic sensitivity of NMR at ambient temperature, a consequence of the small transition energies ...

“…Collectively, our data suggest a mechanism analogous to that of other blue-light responsive proteins, such as PYP and LOV domaincontaining proteins. In each of these, blue light causes changes in the chromophore that induces disruption of hydrogen bonding networks and large conformational changes in the protein required for the light-responsive function (26,27). By analogy, we posit that the absorption of blue light by the OCP alters the strength of one or both of the hydrogen bonds between the carotenoid and the protein.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A photoactive carotenoid protein acting as light intensity sensor

Wilson

Punginelli

Gall

et al. 2008

324

431

Intense sunlight is dangerous for photosynthetic organisms. Cyanobacteria, like plants, protect themselves from light-induced stress by dissipating excess absorbed energy as heat. Recently, it was discovered that a soluble orange carotenoid protein, the OCP, is essential for this photoprotective mechanism. Here we show that the OCP is also a member of the family of photoactive proteins; it is a unique example of a photoactive protein containing a carotenoid as the photoresponsive chromophore. Upon illumination with blue-green light, the OCP undergoes a reversible transformation from its dark stable orange form to a red ''active'' form. The red form is essential for the induction of the photoprotective mechanism. The illumination induces structural changes affecting both the carotenoid and the protein. Thus, the OCP is a photoactive protein that senses light intensity and triggers photoprotection.cyanobacteria ͉ nonphotochemical quenching ͉ photoprotection ͉ phycobilisome