The cytochrome b6f complex provides the electronic connection between the photosystem I and photosystem II reaction centers of oxygenic photosynthesis and generates a transmembrane electrochemical proton gradient for adenosine triphosphate synthesis. A 3.0 angstrom crystal structure of the dimeric b6f complex from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Mastigocladus laminosus reveals a large quinone exchange cavity, stabilized by lipid, in which plastoquinone, a quinone-analog inhibitor, and a novel heme are bound. The core of the b6f complex is similar to the analogous respiratory cytochrome bc1 complex, but the domain arrangement outside the core and the complement of prosthetic groups are strikingly different. The motion of the Rieske iron-sulfur protein extrinsic domain, essential for electron transfer, must also be different in the b6f complex.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/302/5647/1009.full.pdf

Structure of the Cytochrome b6f Complex of Oxygenic Photosynthesis: Tuning the Cavity

Redox reactions play important roles in almost all biological processes, including photosynthesis and respiration, which are two essential energy processes that sustain all life on earth. It is thus not surprising that biology employs redox-active metal ions in these processes. It is largely the redox activity that makes metal ions uniquely qualified as biological cofactors and makes bioinorganic enzymology both fun to explore and challenging to study.

Even though most metal ions are redox active, biology employs a surprisingly limited number of them for electron transfer (ET) processes. Prominent members of redox centers involved in ET processes include cytochromes, iron–sulfur clusters, and cupredoxins. Together these centers cover the whole range of reduction potentials in biology (Figure ​(Figure1).1). Because of their importance, general reviews about redox centers1−77 and specific reviews about cytochromes,8,24,78−90 iron–sulfur proteins,91−93 and cupredoxins94−104 have appeared in the literature. In this review, we provide both classification and description of each member of the above redox centers, including both native and designed proteins, as well as those proteins that contain a combination of these redox centers. Through this review, we examine structural features responsible for their redox properties, including knowledge gained from recent progress in fine-tuning the redox centers. Computational studies such as DFT calculations become more and more important in understanding the structure–function relationship and facilitating the fine-tuning of the ET properties and reduction potentials of metallocofactors in proteins. Since this aspect has been reviewed extensively before,105−110 and by other reviews in this thematic issue,2000,2001,2002 it will not be covered here.






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Figure 1


Reduction potential range of redox centers in electron transfer processes.

Metalloproteins containing cytochrome, iron-sulfur, or copper redox centers.

▪ Abstract The cytochrome bc complexes represent a phylogenetically diverse group of complexes of electron-transferring membrane proteins, most familiarly represented by the mitochondrial and bacterial bc 1 complexes and the chloroplast and cyanobacterial b 6 f complex. All these complexes couple electron transfer to proton translocation across a closed lipid bilayer membrane, conserving the free energy released by the oxidation-reduction process in the form of an electrochemical proton gradient across the membrane. Recent exciting developments include the application of site-directed mutagenesis to define the role of conserved residues, and the emergence over the past five years of X-ray structures for several mitochondrial complexes, and for two important domains of the b 6 f complex.

/pdf/structure-and-function-of-cytochrome-bc-complexes-3gkru83w5z.pdf

Structure and Function of Cytochrome bc Complexes

A quantitative theory of the isotropic electron‐nuclear spin interactions of carbon 13 in pi‐electron radicals is presented and applied to the hyperfine splittings observed in the electron spin resonance spectra of these substances. The splittings arise from sigma‐pi interactions which polarize both the 1s and 2s electrons. The 1s‐orbital spin polarization is shown to contribute a term of negative sign with a magnitude comparable to that from the 2s electrons. For an sp2 hybridized carbon atom that is bonded to three atoms, Xi (i=1, 2, 3), the hyperfine constant aC has the form aC=(SC+ ∑ i=13QCXiC)ρπ+ ∑ i=13QXiCCρiπ, where ρπ and ρiπ(i=1,2,3) are the pi‐electron spin densities on atoms C and Xi, respectively. The contribution of the 1s electrons is determined by SC and that of the 2s electrons by the Q's, where QBCA is the sigma‐pi parameter for the nucleus of atom A resulting from the interaction between the bond BC and the pi‐electron spin density on atom B. Calculations for a planar CHC2 fragment model...

THEORETICAL INTERPRETATION OF CARBON-13 HYPERFINE INTERACTIONS IN ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE SPECTRA. Technical Note Report No. 9

Interplay of electronic, environmental, and vibrational effects in determining the hyperfine coupling constants of organic free radicals.

Chloroplast Rieske Center. EPR study on its spectral characteristics, relaxation and orientation properties.

The pH dependence of the redox midpoint potential of the 2Fe2S cluster from cytochrome b6f complex (the ‘Rieske centre’)

The solution conformations of adenosine, guanosine and inosine in liquid ND3 have been determined by NMR. Comparison of the Karplus analysis of the proton HR spectra of the ribose moiety obtained in this solvent with the data from aqueous solutions of A and I proves that the conformations of the nucleosides are very similar in both liquids. From the analysis of the vicinal coupling constants of the ring protons it has been deduced that the S state C(2′)-endo is slightly preferred. The mole fraction in S approximates 0.6 for all three nucleosides. C-13 relaxation measurements have been applied in the determination of the correlation times for rotational diffusion. Only at temperatures below −40‡ C is the pseudorotation of the furanoside ring slowed down sufficiently for it not to contribute to the measured relaxation rates. From NOE studies and T1 measurements on the individual protons it is derived that the N, C(3′)-endo, form of the ribose is correlated with an anti conformation of the base (Y≈210‡ to 220‡) and the S, C(2′)-endo, form of the ribose with a syn conformation of the base (Y≈30‡ to 50‡). The glycosyl torsion angles derived for the two conformations of A, G, and I are equal within the limits of accuracy.

Conformation of the common purine (beta) ribosides in solution: further evidence for a correlation between N-S state of the ribose moiety and syn-anti equilibrium.

The radicals produced by X-irradiation at 77 K and at 300 K in cytosine monohydrate crystals have been analysed by electron-spin-resonance (e.s.r.) spectroscopy. Three radicals have been identified at 77 K: the anion radical and the cation radical of the cytosine molecule, together with the radical resutling from H-abstraction from the nitrogen N1. Irradiation at 300 K produces radicals resulting from H-adition at three different positions of the cytosine molecule. These are the C5-addition radical, the C6-addition radical, and the O2-addition radical. The results are compared with those found previously by other authors.

Radical formation in salts of pyrimidines. II. Cytosine. HCl crystals.

A stable free radical, labeled 3αH, is formed in 3′-cytidylic acid (3′CMP) single crystals by X-irradiating at 77 K and then warming to above room temperature. It remains stable up to 150°C. ESR an...

Adolf Müller

Papers

Chloroplast Rieske Center. EPR study on its spectral characteristics, relaxation and orientation properties.

The pH dependence of the redox midpoint potential of the 2Fe2S cluster from cytochrome b6f complex (the ‘Rieske centre’)

Conformation of the common purine (beta) ribosides in solution: further evidence for a correlation between N-S state of the ribose moiety and syn-anti equilibrium.

Radical formation in salts of pyrimidines. II. Cytosine. HCl crystals.

A stable radical in the ribose moiety of X-irradiated 3'-cytidylic acid and its relation to a similar radical in cytidine: an ESR-ENDOR study.