A mechanism to prevent production of reactive oxygen species by Escherichia coli respiratory complex I.

Respiratory complex I plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism coupling NADH oxidation to proton translocation. In humans its dysfunction is associated with degenerative diseases. Here we report the structure of the electron input part of Aquifex aeolicus complex I at up to 1.8 Å resolution with bound substrates in the reduced and oxidized states. The redox states differ by the flip of a peptide bond close to the NADH binding site. The orientation of this peptide bond is determined by the reduction state of the nearby [Fe-S] cluster N1a. Fixation of the peptide bond by site-directed mutagenesis led to an inactivation of electron transfer and a decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We suggest the redox-gated peptide flip to represent a previously unrecognized molecular switch synchronizing NADH oxidation in response to the redox state of the complex as part of an intramolecular feed-back mechanism to prevent ROS production.

Low cost, microcontroller based heating device for multi-wavelength differential scanning fluorimetry.

Differential scanning fluorimetry is a popular method to estimate the stability of a protein in distinct buffer conditions by determining its 'melting point'. The method requires a temperature controlled fluorescence spectrometer or a RT-PCR machine. Here, we introduce a low-budget version of a microcontroller based heating device implemented into a 96-well plate reader that is connected to a standard fluorescence spectrometer. We demonstrate its potential to determine the 'melting point' of soluble and membranous proteins at various buffer conditions.

Reduction of the off-pathway iron-sulphur cluster N1a of Escherichia coli respiratory complex I restrains NAD+ dissociation.

Respiratory complex I couples the electron transfer from NADH to ubiquinone with the translocation of protons across the membrane. The reaction starts with NADH oxidation by a flavin cofactor followed by transferring the electrons through a chain of seven iron-sulphur clusters to quinone. An eighth cluster called N1a is located proximally to flavin, but on the opposite side of the chain of clusters. N1a is strictly conserved although not involved in the direct electron transfer to quinone. Here, we show that the NADH:ferricyanide oxidoreductase activity of E. coli complex I is strongly diminished when the reaction is initiated by an addition of ferricyanide instead of NADH. This effect is significantly less pronounced in a variant containing N1a with a 100 mV more negative redox potential. Detailed kinetic analysis revealed that the reduced activity is due to a lower dissociation constant of bound NAD+. Thus, reduction of N1a induces local structural rearrangements of the protein that stabilise binding of NAD+. The variant features a considerably enhanced production of reactive oxygen species indicating that bound NAD+ represses this process.

The multitude of iron-sulfur clusters in respiratory complex I.

Respiratory complex I couples the electron transfer from NADH to ubiquinone with the translocation of protons across the membrane. Complex I contains one non-covalently bound flavin mononucleotide and, depending on the species, up to ten iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters as cofactors. The reason for the presence of the multitude of Fe/S clusters in complex I remained enigmatic for a long time. The question was partly answered by investigations on the evolution of the complex revealing the stepwise construction of the electron transfer domain from several modules. Extension of the ancestral to the modern electron input domain was associated with the acquisition of several Fe/S-proteins. The X-ray structure of the complex showed that the NADH oxidation-site is connected with the quinone-reduction site by a chain of seven Fe/S-clusters. Fast enzyme kinetics revealed that this chain of Fe/S-clusters is used to regulate electron-tunneling rates within the complex. A possible function of the off-pathway cluster N1a is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.

Characterization of two quinone radicals in the NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase from Escherichia coli by a combined fluorescence spectroscopic and electrochemical approach.

The NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) couples the transfer of electrons from NADH to ubiquinone with the translocation of protons across the membrane. It was proposed that the electron transfer involves quinoid groups localized at the end of the electron transfer chain. To identify these groups, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of Escherichia coli complex I and its fragments, namely, the NADH dehydrogenase fragment containing the flavin mononucleotide and six iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters, and the quinone reductase fragment containing three Fe-S clusters were measured. Signals sensitive to reduction by either NADH or dithionite were detected within the complex and the quinone reductase fragment and attributed to the redox transition of protonated ubiquinone radicals. A fluorescence spectroscopic electrochemical redox titration revealed midpoint potentials of -37 and- 235 mV (vs the standard hydrogen electrode) for the redox transitions of the quinone radicals in complex I at pH 6 with an absorption around 325 nm and a fluorescence emission at 460/475 nm. The role of these cofactor(s) for electron transfer is discussed.