Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julian Wong Soon, Koji Oohora, Shota Hirayama, Takashi Hayashi
Summary: Proteins have been utilized as building blocks to create nano-biomaterials with diverse biological functionalities. Unique structures have been engineered using hemoproteins like hemoglobin and cytochrome b(562), leading to the formation of star-shaped assemblies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luke E. Formosa, Shadi Maghool, Alice J. Sharpe, Boris Reljic, Linden Muellner-Wong, David A. Stroud, Michael T. Ryan, Megan J. Maher
Summary: COA7 is a crucial assembly factor for the biogenesis of mitochondrial complex IV. It interacts with SCO1 and SCO2 to catalyze copper relay and reduction of disulfide bonds, which are important for complex IV assembly.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Amber L. Grunow, Susan C. Carroll, Alicia N. Kreiman, Molly C. Sutherland
Summary: Heme trafficking is a fundamental biological process, and studying it has been challenging due to its tight regulation, cytotoxicity, and transient nature. The bacterial cytochrome c biogenesis pathways, especially System I, provide a model for understanding heme trafficking mechanisms. A detailed analysis of the WWD domain in CcmF reveals its interaction with heme and its role in attaching heme to apocytochrome c. This analysis also uncovers common mechanisms of heme interaction in different heme trafficking pathways.
Article
Microbiology
Ana Perez-Gonzalez, Emilio Jimenez-Vicente, Jakob Gies-Elterlein, Alvaro Salinero-Lanzarote, Zhi-Yong Yang, Oliver Einsle, Lance C. Seefeldt, Dennis R. Dean
Summary: Azotobacter vinelandii can produce three genetically distinct components for nitrogen fixation, with metal-specific assembly scaffolds required for Mo-dependent and V-dependent components but not for the Fe-only component. The FeFe-cofactor associated with the Fe-only component does not require intermediate assembly sites, highlighting its simplicity and potential for transferring nitrogen fixation into plants.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jianzhong Ge, Xiaolu Wang, Yingguo Bai, Yaru Wang, Yuan Wang, Tao Tu, Xing Qin, Xiaoyun Su, Huiying Luo, Bin Yao, Huoqing Huang, Jie Zhang
Summary: A high-heme-producing E. coli strain, Ec-M13, was developed to efficiently produce high-value heme proteins. The C5 pathway-based heme synthetic route in E. coli was fine-tuned, resulting in high intracellular heme production without significant accumulation of intermediates. The functional expression of various heme proteins was confirmed in Ec-M13, and enhanced assembly efficiencies and activities were observed. This work provides valuable guidance for constructing high-heme-producing cell factories.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sirui Han, Kailun Guo, Wei Wang, Yizhi J. Tao, Haichun Gao
Summary: In this study, HtpA was identified as a heme-trafficking protein in the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis. The absence of HtpA significantly reduced cytochrome c content and catalase activity. This research sheds light on the mechanism of heme transport across membranes in bacteria and extends the understanding of TANGO2 proteins.
Review
Microbiology
Lars Hederstedt
Summary: This review article discusses the role and protein components involved in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase in animals, plants, and aerobic bacteria. The study focuses on the analysis of mutants and comparative biochemistry to understand the assembly process and its implications for disease and antimicrobial drug development.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yan Liu, Zhen Chen, Zhifang Shao, Rong Guo
Summary: Heme nanozymes display catalytic activity similar to peroxidases, and with the help of gold nanoparticles, the heme cofactor can maintain a low-valence state to trigger oxidase-like catalytic function.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Raquel Garcia-Canas, Joaquin Giner-Lamia, Francisco J. Florencio, Luis Lopez-Maury
Summary: The study reveals the involvement of proteins PetR and PetP in regulating the soluble electron carrier in cells. Transcriptomic analysis shows that the PetRP system specifically regulates four genes (petE, petJ, slr0601, and slr0602), with their presence potentially representing an early adaptation to decreased iron bioavailability following the GOE.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mehmet Yunus Genceroglu, Cansu Cavdar, Selen Manioglu, Halil Bayraktar
Summary: This study presents a genetically encoded fluorescence method for monitoring the conformational changes of Cytc upon binding to heme and CCHL. The results show that the noncovalent interaction of heme in the absence of CCHL induces a partially folded state of Cytc, while higher concentrations of heme and coexpression of CCHL lead to the recovery of Cytc native structure.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
H. Christopher Fry, Ralu Divan, Yuzi Liu
Summary: The design of peptide amphiphiles that assemble into 1D nanostructures and yield metalloporphyrin binding sites is presented. By exploring different peptide assemblies, it is found that the sequence with a length of 2 has the highest binding affinity. These nanoscale assemblies have ordered arrays of heme and show potential utility in sensing and enzymatic materials.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alejandro Torrado, Macarena Iniesta-Pallares, Adrian Velazquez-Campoy, Consolacion Alvarez, Vicente Mariscal, Fernando P. Molina-Heredia
Summary: This study investigates the function and classification of cytochrome c(6)-like proteins in photosynthetic cyanobacteria, and provides new data on the phylogeny, genome localization, and functional properties of these proteins. The findings suggest that cytochrome c(6)-like proteins may interact with the cytochrome b(6)f complex in a similar way as cytochrome c(6), and cytochrome c(6)D can react with the specific copper-oxidase in heterocysts.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jianhua Fan, Yinghui Zhang, Ping Wu, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yunpeng Bai
Summary: In this study, cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was used as a green cell factory for the light-powered synthesis of aromatic chiral alcohols. The effects of temperature, light, substrate, and cell concentration on substrate conversions were investigated. The addition of Na2S2O3 and Angeli's Salt increased the NADPH content, resulting in a shorter reaction time. This study demonstrates the potential of blue-green algae for the production of chiral compounds.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmed H. Hassan, Christian Ihling, Claudio Iacobucci, Panagiotis L. Kastritis, Andrea Sinz, Tobias Kruse
Summary: Within the cell, molybdenum (Mo) is biologically active when complexed within the FeMo cofactor or the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). The molybdenum insertase (Mo-insertase) catalyzes the formation of the Mo-center, consisting of the organic part molybdopterin (MPT) and the inorganic Mo-center. In this study, a structural model of the eukaryotic Mo-insertase Cnx1 complex was generated, revealing an asymmetric hexameric complex that allows the E- and G-domain active sites to align in a catalytically productive orientation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ahmed H. Hassan, Christian Ihling, Claudio Iacobucci, Panagiotis L. Kastritis, Andrea Sinz, Tobias Kruse
Summary: The trace element molybdenum (Mo) is biologically active within the cell when complexed with the nitrogenase-specific FeMo cofactor or the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). Moco consists of an organic part, molybdopterin (MPT), and an inorganic Mo-center. The molybdenum insertase (Mo-insertase) catalyzes the formation of the Mo-center, composed of two functional domains, G- and E-domains. In this study, a structural model of the eukaryotic Mo-insertase Cnx1 complex was generated, revealing an asymmetric hexameric complex that allows the active sites of the E- and G-domains to align for efficient catalysis.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Bougar Sarr, Abdou Mbaye, Cheikh A. K. Diop, Mamadou Sidibe, Frederic Melin, Petra Hellwig, Francis Maury, Cedric Charvillat, Michel Giorgi, Francois Michaud, Remi Dessapt
Summary: Two new hybrid inorganic-organic compounds have been synthesized and characterized, showing different structures and solid-state photochromic properties.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Youssef El Khoury, Alicia Schirer, Christine Patte-Mensah, Christian Klein, Laurence Meyer, Monika Rataj-Baniowska, Sophie Bernad, David Moss, Sophie Lecomte, Ayikoe-Guy Mensah-Nyagan, Petra Hellwig
Summary: The study found accumulation of hemes in senile plaques in both murine and human samples of Alzheimer's disease, but was unable to identify the specific type of heme accumulating in the plaques.
ACS CHEMICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anton Nikolaev, Schara Safarian, Alexander Thesseling, Daniel Wohlwend, Thorsten Friedrich, Hartmut Michel, Tomoichirou Kusumoto, Junshi Sakamoto, Frederic Melin, Petra Hellwig
Summary: Cytochrome bd oxidase, a bacterial terminal oxygen reductase, shows different reactivity towards oxygen in various bacteria, which is correlated with different protonated glutamic acids. The microenvironment of hemes also influences the reactivity towards oxygen.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
I. Makarchuk, A. Nikolaev, A. Thesseling, L. Dejon, D. Lamberty, L. Stief, A. Speicher, T. Friedrich, P. Hellwig, H. R. Nasiri, F. Melin
Summary: A target-focused library of small molecules was screened to identify potential inhibitors of the cytochrome bd-I oxidase from Escherichia coli. Through hit-to-lead optimization approach, the inhibitory efficiency was increased by synthesizing more complex compounds. The efficiency of these molecules depends on the length of their isoprenyl side chain.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vivek Sharma, Petra Imhof, Petra Hellwig
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana F. S. Seica, Muhammad Haseeb Iqbal, Alain Carvalho, Jun-yong Choe, Fouzia Boulmedais, Petra Hellwig
Summary: SEIRAS is a powerful tool for studying the reactivity of protein monolayers at low concentrations, independent from protein size, with enhancement and reproducibility of protein signals critically dependent on the nanostructured gold surface morphology. Optimal deposition time results in isolated gold nanostructures on silicon crystal, and complex three-dimensional network of nanoparticles decorated with protein using nickel-HisTag immobilization method leads to optimal enhancement.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fatima Omeis, Zahia Boubegtiten-Fezoua, Ana Filipa Santos Seica, Romain Bernard, Muhammad Haseeb Iqbal, Nicolas Javahiraly, Robrecht M. A. Vergauwe, Hicham Majjad, Fouzia Boulmedais, David Moss, Petra Hellwig
Summary: The study focuses on using surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopic studies (SEIRAS) to investigate biological molecules in extremely low concentrations. The authors examined the spectral properties of DPPTE phospholipid immobilized on gold nanoantennas and found that the nanoantennas greatly enhanced the vibrational fingerprints of lipid molecules. The shape, peak positions, and intensities of the infrared signals were sensitive to the type of surface, with the strongest effects observed for the nanoantennas.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johannes Schimpf, Sabrina Oppermann, Tatjana Gerasimova, Ana Filipa Santos Seica, Petra Hellwig, Irina Grishkovskaya, Daniel Wohlwend, David Haselbach, Thorsten Friedrich
Summary: Respiratory complex I drives proton translocation across energy-transducing membranes by oxidizing NADH and reducing (ubi)quinone. The structure of the peripheral arm of the E coli complex I has been determined, consisting of six subunits, FMN cofactor, and nine iron-sulfur clusters, using cryo electron microscopy. The fusion of catalytically important subunits in E. coli complex I results in a specific architecture of functional importance. Mutagenesis and biochemical characterization of variants have provided insights into the features of the E. coli complex and shed light on its unknown assembly.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonia Grauel, Jan Kaegi, Tim Rasmussen, Iryna Makarchuk, Sabrina Oppermann, Aurelien F. A. Moumbock, Daniel Wohlwend, Rolf Mueller, Frederic Melin, Stefan Guenther, Petra Hellwig, Bettina Boettcher, Thorsten Friedrich
Summary: Bacterial pathogens possess resistance to cellular stressors through terminal bd oxidases. The authors presented the structure of E. coli bd-II oxidase and the inhibitor aurachin D, which could be utilized for the development of specifically binding antibiotics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Iryna Makarchuk, Ana Filipa Santos Seica, Frederic Melin, Petra Hellwig
Summary: Spectroelectrochemistry, combined with plasmonic approaches and infrared spectroscopy, is a powerful tool in the study of membrane protein redox reactions. The use of nano-structured electrodes for surface enhanced spectroelectrochemistry is discussed in this context.
CURRENT OPINION IN ELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Youssef El Khoury, Marie Gebelin, Jerome de Seze, Christine Patte-Mensah, Gilles Marcou, Alexandre Varnek, Ayikoe-Guy Mensah-Nyagan, Petra Hellwig, Nicolas Collongues
Summary: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune inflammatory and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Differentiating between NMOSD and MS is crucial for the timely and appropriate treatment. In this study, infrared spectroscopy combined with machine learning successfully distinguished NMOSD and MS patients with 100% sensitivity and specificity. The method shows promise as a cost-effective and rapid diagnostic tool to help save valuable treatment time for patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Enrico Falcone, Alessandra G. Ritacca, Sonja Hager, Hemma Schueffl, Bertrand Vileno, Youssef El Khoury, Petra Hellwig, Christian R. Kowol, Petra Heffeter, Emilia Sicilia, Peter Faller
Summary: The study found that Cu-II catalyzes the oxidation of glutathione (GSH) faster in the presence of the anticancer thiosemicarbazone Dp44mT, especially at acidic pH. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, as well as electrochemical and spectroscopic studies, revealed the mechanism behind this acceleration.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Kaegi, Iryna Makarchuk, Daniel Wohlwend, Frederic Melin, Thorsten Friedrich, Petra Hellwig
Summary: This study demonstrates the crucial role of cytochrome bd oxidase in the reduction of oxygen to water and its significance in bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance. The findings reveal a previously unknown catalytic function of the CydB subunit in the enzyme mechanism.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hanine Kalout, Zahia Boubegtiten-Fezoua, Francois Maurel, Petra Hellwig, Sylvie Ferlay
Summary: The far infrared and Raman fingerprints of the halogen bond in two representative 1D networks based on the recognition of TFIB with piperazine or azopyridine have been accurately identified. The study demonstrates that the signature of the halogen bonding in the solid state can be directly evidenced in the far infrared region, and theoretical calculations provide estimation of the energies and distances of the involved halogen bonds.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhaohui Huo, Yiming Liang, Yaokang Lv, Frederic Melin, Petra Hellwig, Helen Ibrahim, Michel Goldmann, Corinne Boudon, Vasilica Badets, Antoine Bonnefont, Laurent Ruhlmann
Summary: Introducing nanoparticles MNPs on the surface of cationic poly-porphyrin films can significantly enhance the photocurrent.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)