Showing papers by "Tamás Beke-Somfai published in 2013"

Characterization of the thermal and photoinduced reactions of photochromic spiropyrans in aqueous solution.

Abstract: Six water-soluble spiropyran derivatives have been characterized with respect to the thermal and photoinduced reactions over a broad pH-interval. A comprehensive kinetic model was formulated including the spiro- and the merocyanine isomers, the respective protonated forms, and the hydrolysis products. The experimental studies on the hydrolysis reaction mechanism were supplemented by calculations using quantum mechanical (QM) models employing density functional theory. The results show that (1) the substitution pattern dramatically influences the pKa-values of the protonated forms as well as the rates of the thermal isomerization reactions, (2) water is the nucleophile in the hydrolysis reaction around neutral pH, (3) the phenolate oxygen of the merocyanine form plays a key role in the hydrolysis reaction. Hence, the nonprotonated merocyanine isomer is susceptible to hydrolysis, whereas the corresponding protonated form is stable toward hydrolytic degradation.

Interactions of a photochromic spiropyran with liposome model membranes.

Abstract: The interactions between anionic or zwitterionic liposomes and a water-soluble, DNA-binding photochromic spiropyran are studied using UV/vis absorption and linear dichroism (LD) spectroscopy. The spectral characteristics as well as the kinetics of the thermal isomerization process in the absence and presence of the two different liposome types provide information about the environment and whether or not the spiropyran resides in the liposome membrane. By measuring LD on liposomes deformed and aligned by shear flow, further insight is obtained about interaction and binding geometry of the spiropyran at the lipid membranes. We show that the membrane interactions differ between the two types of liposomes used as well as the isomeric forms of the spiropyran photoswitch.

Rate of hydrolysis in ATP synthase is fine-tuned by α-subunit motif controlling active site conformation

Abstract: Computer-designed artificial enzymes will require precise understanding of how conformation of active sites may control barrier heights of key transition states, including dependence on structure and dynamics at larger molecular scale. FoF1 ATP synthase is interesting as a model system: a delicate molecular machine synthesizing or hydrolyzing ATP using a rotary motor. Isolated F-1 performs hydrolysis with a rate very sensitive to ATP concentration. Experimental and theoretical results show that, at low ATP concentrations, ATP is slowly hydrolyzed in the so-called tight binding site, whereas at higher concentrations, the binding of additional ATP molecules induces rotation of the central gamma-subunit, thereby forcing the site to transform through subtle conformational changes into a loose binding site in which hydrolysis occurs faster. How the 1-angstrom-scale rearrangements are controlled is not yet fully understood. By a combination of theoretical approaches, we address how large macromolecular rearrangements may manipulate the active site and how the reaction rate changes with active site conformation. Simulations reveal that, in response to.-subunit position, the active site conformation is fine-tuned mainly by small alpha-subunit changes. Quantum mechanics-based results confirm that the sub-Angstrom gradual changes between tight and loose binding site structures dramatically alter the hydrolysis rate.