Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Yiwei Liu, Nicholas M. Marshall, Sheng-Song Yu, Wantae Kim, Yi-Gui Gao, Howard Robinson, Mark J. Nilges, Yan Zhang, Siu Yee New, Yi Lu
Summary: A study was conducted to investigate the effects of M13F, M44F, and G116F mutations on E & DEG; in azurin. The introduction of Phe residues at different positions and in different combinations can modulate E & DEG; in various ways, with a maximum change of 64 mV. X-ray crystal structures revealed that the spatial orientations of the Phe residues and H-bonding networks around the T1Cu-coordinating His117 are responsible for these effects. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the differential influence of M13F, M44F, and G116F mutations on the E & DEG; of T1Cu, with M13F decreasing E & DEG;, M44F increasing E & DEG;, and G116F showing a negligible effect. Combining certain mutations also resulted in cooperative effects on E & DEG;. Crystal structures provided insight into the steric effects and fine-tuning of hydrogen bond networks that contribute to these changes. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding and development of redox-active proteins with tunable properties.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Brooklyn P. Fedoretz-Maxwell, Catherine H. Shin, Gregory A. MacNeil, Liam J. Worrall, Rachel Park, Natalie C. J. Strynadka, Charles J. Walsby, Jeffrey J. Warren
Summary: The interplay between the primary and secondary coordination spheres is essential for controlling the properties of biological metal sites. This study investigates the second-sphere environments in biological Met-Cu motifs and explores the impact of the second-sphere interactions on Cu properties using artificial azurin proteins. The results reveal the importance of these widely distributed interactions in controlling the physical properties of copper proteins.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Xun Zheng, Yiqiao Fang, Xiuhe Zou, Xiaofei Wang, Zhihui Li
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows anti-cancer potential by inducing apoptosis, arresting cell cycle, and activating NF-kappa B/TLR5 pathway to inhibit cancer cell growth and proliferation.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shakira Aslam, Hafiz Muzzammel Rehman, Muhammad Zeeshan Sarwar, Ajaz Ahmad, Nadeem Ahmed, Muhammad Imran Amirzada, Hafiz Muhammad Rehman, Humaira Yasmin, Tariq Nadeem, Hamid Bashir
Summary: This study investigated the potential anti-cancer effects of Azurin protein on breast cancer using in silico and in vitro analyses. The results showed that Azurin protein exhibited maximum binding affinity to p53 and EphB2 receptors, indicating its potential to induce apoptosis. The recombinant Azurin protein was successfully cloned and expressed, and it showed significant cytotoxicity to MCF-7 cells. These findings highlight the potential of Azurin protein as an anticancer drug candidate.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Luyao Huang, Weiwei Chang, Dawei Zhang, Ye Huang, Ziyu Li, Yuntian Lou, Hongchang Qian, Chengying Jiang, Xiaogang Li, Arjan Mol
Summary: This study investigated the influence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa's outward extracellular electron transfer (EET) on the accelerated corrosion of 304 stainless steel. The biofilm of P. aeruginosa accelerated pitting corrosion when there was less NO3- available as an electron acceptor. The results from ICP-MS and XPS showed that P. aeruginosa promoted the bio-reductive dissolution of iron oxides in the passive film of stainless steel. Using in situ scanning electrochemical microscopy, a relationship was established between the accelerated deterioration of the passive film and the EET process mediated by the conversion of the redox states of pyocyanin secreted by P. aeruginosa.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Albin Joy, Rajib Biswas
Summary: In this study, the additional stability conferred by the copper ion on azurin was explored using REMD data. It was found that holo azurin had a higher denaturation temperature compared to apo azurin, indicating an additional thermal stability induced by the copper ion. The unfolding pathway of apo azurin was similar to that of holo azurin, with certain beta-sheets being more stable. The strong hydrophobic interactions among apolar residues in the protein core contributed to the high stability of both apo and holo forms.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Outi Vilhelmiina Kontkanen, Denys Biriukov, Zdenek Futera
Summary: Metalloproteins efficiently transfer electronic charge in biological systems. The reorganization free energy of dried proteins only slightly decreases, as they become more flexible near their redox sites. The reorganization free energy is not significantly reduced on vacuum metal surfaces.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gertrudis Horna, Joaquim Ruiz
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that mainly affects severe patients in ICUs, characterized by high levels of antibiotic resistance and a long battery of virulence factors. Among these factors, T3SS plays a key role in injecting effectors into host cells and influencing immune responses to increase bacterial survival rates. Despite extensive research on T3SS, there are still questions and further points to be clarified or established. Efforts are being made to develop T3SS-targeting molecules to improve patient outcomes.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Iozzo, Francesco Vitali, Carolina Chiellini, Leandro Gammuto, Antonio Taddei, Amedeo Amedei, Renato Fani
Summary: This study explored the relationship between Azurin and colorectal cancer (CRC) by investigating the presence of the Azurin coding gene in samples from CRC patients and healthy controls. Although no statistical significance was found, the study revealed a preferential enrichment of certain bacterial groups harboring the Azurin gene in some samples, suggesting a potential association between microbial imbalance and CRC progression.
FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE-LANDMARK
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stanislav Zalis, Jan Heyda, Filip Sebesta, Jay R. Winkler, Harry B. Gray, Antonin Vlcek
Summary: The study elucidates the mechanism of charge transport over long distances through hole hopping via tryptophan/tyrosine chains, with experimental and theoretical analyses revealing key factors influencing the process. Experimental kinetics investigations demonstrated the acceleration effect of closely spaced tryptophans on long-range electron transfer, while theoretical calculations identified crossings between sensitizer-localized and charge-separated states in excited-state trajectories.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yagmur Unver, Seyda Yildiz, Melek Acar
Summary: This study found that the secretion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin was increased in the presence of Triton X-100 or Tween 80, which could be advantageous for the purification process.
BIOPROCESS AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fengbin Wang, Lisa Craig, Xing Liu, Christopher Rensing, Edward H. Egelman
Summary: A new field of study on long-range electron transport by extracellular filaments in anaerobic bacteria has emerged, with Geobacter sulfurreducens being the model system. This area of research is of interest due to the potential applications in bioremediation, energy generation, and bio-based nanotechnology. Recent atomic structures of the T4P from G. sulfurreducens obtained by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have challenged previous models of electron conduction, revealing that conductive filaments are actually polymerized cytochromes or extracellular DNA. It is believed that similar polymerized cytochromes may be found in other anaerobic organisms.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoshana C. C. Williams, Dahlia Luongo, Marina Orman, Christina L. L. Vizcarra, Rachel N. N. Austin
Summary: AlkB is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of alkanes and is commonly found in organisms that can use alkanes as their sole source of carbon and energy. It is activated by two-electron reduction of its active site and can insert molecular oxygen into an inert C-H bond. A family of AlkBs has been identified with a unique gene fusion of electron transfer partners. This enzyme specifically hydroxylates medium chain alkanes, particularly C10-C12, and requires only NADH for activity. It is present in several human pathogens and may play a role in alkane metabolism and growth in non-host environments.
JOURNAL OF INORGANIC BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korbinian O. Thalhammer, Dianne K. Newman
Summary: While the number of small molecules secreted by environmental microbes is increasing, our understanding of their biological functions in their natural environment is limited. It is necessary to develop a framework to understand the significance and application of these secondary metabolites, particularly redox active metabolites (RAMs), such as phenazines. By studying the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of the microenvironments where these molecules are produced, along with their basic properties, we can make significant progress in understanding the specific roles of novel RAMs.
CURRENT OPINION IN CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Justin M. Di Trani, Andreea A. Gheorghita, Madison Turner, Peter Brzezinski, Pia Aedelroth, Siavash Vahidi, P. Lynne Howell, John L. Rubinstein
Summary: Energy conversion through electron transport chains is essential for ATP synthesis and membrane transport. The structure of a respiratory supercomplex (SC) formed between cytochrome bc1 and cytochrome cbb3 in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been determined, revealing the involvement of intermediate electron carriers. Different isoforms of cytochrome cbb3 can also participate in SC formation, allowing the bacterium to adapt to different environmental conditions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Reinhard Schweitzer-Stenner, Israel Pecht, Cunlan Guo
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY B
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ben Kayser, Jerry A. Fereiro, Rajarshi Bhattacharyya, Sidney R. Cohen, Ayelet Vilan, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Israel Pecht
Summary: The Weizmann Institute of Science is a world-leading multidisciplinary research institution in natural sciences and mathematics, with a long history of fundamental research and significant contributions to scientific leadership education in Israel.
TURKISH JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY-TURK BIYOKIMYA DERGISI
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sabyasachi Mukhopadhyay, Senthil Kumar Karuppannan, Cunlan Guo, Jerry A. Fereiro, Adam Bergren, Vineetha Mukundan, Xinkai Qiu, Olga E. Castaneda Ocampo, Xiaoping Chen, Ryan C. Chiechi, Richard McCreery, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, Rupali Reddy Pasula, Sierin Lim, Christian A. Nijhuis, Ayelet Vilan, David Cahen
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yutao Sang, Suryakant Mishra, Francesco Tassinari, Senthil Kumar Karuppannan, Raanan Carmieli, Ruijie D. Teo, Agostino Migliore, David N. Beratan, Harry B. Gray, Israel Pecht, Jonas Fransson, David H. Waldeck, Ron Naaman
Summary: The study found distinct mechanisms for charge and spin transfer within proteins using different Ru-modified azurin derivatives. The charge transfer yield shows weak temperature dependence, while the spin selectivity improves with increasing temperature. This suggests a new role for protein structure in biochemical redox processes.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jerry A. Fereiro, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
Summary: This study investigates the structural stability of proteins under high electrical fields in a Au/protein/Au junction. The results show that the protein's vibrational modes remain largely unchanged up to 1.0 V, but certain features disappear at higher bias voltages. The disappearance of these features is likely due to bond rupture in the protein, indicating that inelastic features can be used to monitor the structural stability of biological macromolecules under high electrical fields.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
David Cahen, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Biographical-Item
Immunology
Ruth Arnon, Edna Mozes, Steffen Jung, Israel Pecht
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sudipta Bera, Sharada Govinda, Jerry A. Fereiro, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
Summary: In this study, the electron transport efficiency of solid-state protein-mediated junctions was investigated using streptavidin (STV). The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in conductivity between free STV and STV bound to biotin, despite some structural changes caused by biotin binding.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wallace M. Meyer, Caitlin Halligan, Lilleana Thomey, Kyra Madunich-Arevalo, Celia Parry, Riley Scaff, Rowan Macy, Ivy Jones, Erin Halligan, Ana Jaramillo, Amy N. T. Phan, Sindimwo Thierry, Edward J. Crane, Andre R. O. Cavalcanti
Summary: Herbivores have an influence on the recovery of California sage scrub (CSS) after fire, reducing the cover of non-native grasses and native shrubs, and negatively impacting the survival rate of Artemisia californica. Areas near the fire edge experience higher herbivory pressure and lower plant cover.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zachary R. Wakefield, Andre R. O. Cavalcanti, Lucia Driessen, Ana Jaramillo, Edward J. Crane, Giuliano Richetta, Wallace M. Meyer
Summary: In this study, the effects of invasive mustard (H. incana) on soil microbial assemblages were examined. It was found that mustard invasions reduce soil microbial abundances by over 50% and alter soil fungal assemblages. Furthermore, low mustard germination in CSS soils supports the hypothesis of biological resistance to mustard invasion in CSS.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sudipta Bera, Jerry A. Fereiro, Shailendra K. Saxena, Domenikos Chryssikos, Koushik Majhi, Tatyana Bendikov, Lior Sepunaru, David Ehre, Marc Tornow, Israel Pecht, Ayelet Vilan, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
Summary: This study investigates the efficient electron transport through solid-state junctions in biomolecular electronics. By examining bacteriorhodopsin structures of different thicknesses, the researchers found that the junction currents decay exponentially with increasing width and are almost temperature-independent. The results suggest that electron transport may be limited by the injection into one of the contacts, followed by efficient charge propagation across the protein.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cunlan Guo, Yulian Gavrilov, Satyajit Gupta, Tatyana Bendikov, Yaakov Levy, Ayelet Vilan, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
Summary: The solid-state electron transport properties of oligopeptide junctions can be modulated by charges and internal hydrogen bonding. Inserting a Tyr residue into the peptides enhances the conductivity of the junctions, while deprotonation of the Tyr-containing peptides further increases the efficiency of electron transport. The increase in conductance upon deprotonation is mainly due to enhanced coupling between the charged C-terminus carboxylate group and the adjacent Au electrode.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jerry A. Fereiro, Tatyana Bendikov, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zdenek Futera, Ichiro Ide, Ben Kayser, Kavita Garg, Xiuyun Jiang, Jessica H. van Wonderen, Julea N. Butt, Hisao Ishii, Israel Pecht, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen, Jochen Blumberger
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2020)