TY - JOUR A1 - Witzel, Franziska A1 - Goetze, Jan A1 - Ebenhoeh, Oliver T1 - Slow deactivation of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase elucidated by mathematical models N2 - Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is the key enzyme of the Calvin cycle, catalyzing the fixation of inorganic carbon dioxide to organic sugars. Unlike most enzymes, RuBisCO is extremely slow, substrate unspecific, and catalyzes undesired side-reactions, which are considered to be responsible for the slow deactivation observed in vitro, a phenomenon known as fallover. Despite the fact that amino acid sequences and the 3D structures of RuBisCO from a variety of species are known, the precise molecular mechanisms for the various side reactions are still unclear. In the present study, we investigate the kinetic properties of RuBisCO using mathematical models. Initially, we formulate a minimal model that quantitatively reflects the kinetic behavior of RuBisCOs from different organisms. By relating rate parameters for single molecular steps to experimentally determined K-m and V-max values, we can examine mechanistic differences among species. The minimal model further demonstrates that two inhibitor producing side reactions are sufficient to describe experimentally determined fallover kinetics. To explain the observed kinetics of the limited capacity of RuBisCO to accept xylulose 1,5-bisphosphate as substrate, the inclusion of other side reactions is necessary. Our model results suggest a yet undescribed alternative enolization mechanism that is supported by the molecular structure. Taken together, the presented models serve as a theoretical framework to explain a wide range of observed kinetic properties of RuBisCOs derived from a variety of species. Thus, we can support hypotheses about molecular mechanisms and can systematically compare enzymes from different origins. Y1 - 2010 UR - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1742-4658 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07541.x SN - 1742-464X ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Goetze, Jan P. A1 - Kröner, Dominik A1 - Banerjee, Shiladitya A1 - Karasulu, Bora A1 - Thiel, Walter T1 - Carotenoids as a shortcut for chlorophyll Soret-to-Q band energy flow JF - ChemPhysChem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry N2 - It is proposed that xanthophylls, and carotenoids in general, may assist in energy transfer from the chlorophyll Soret band to the Q band. Ground-state (1A(g)) and excited-state (1B(u)) optimizations of violaxanthin (Vx) and zeaxanthin (Zx) are performed in an environment mimicking the light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), including the closest chlorophyll b molecule (Chl). Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT, CAM-B3LYP functional) is used in combination with a semi-empirical description to obtain the excited-state geometries, supported by additional DFT/multireference configuration interaction calculations, with and without point charges representing LHCII. In the ground state, Vx and Zx show similar properties. At the 1B(u) minimum, the energy of the Zx 1Bu state is below the Chl Q band, in contrast to Vx. Both Vx and Zx may act as acceptors of Soret-state energy; transfer to the Q band seems to be favored for Vx. These findings suggest that carotenoids may generally mediate Soret-to-Q energy flow in LHCII. KW - carotenoids KW - chlorophyll KW - density functional calculations KW - energy transfer KW - xanthophylls Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.201402233 SN - 1439-4235 SN - 1439-7641 VL - 15 IS - 15 SP - 3391 EP - 3400 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Huege, Jan A1 - Goetze, Jan A1 - Schwarz, Doreen A1 - Bauwe, Hermann A1 - Hagemann, Martin A1 - Kopka, Joachim T1 - Modulation of the major Paths of Carbon in photorespiratory mutants of synechocystis JF - PLoS one N2 - Background: Recent studies using transcript and metabolite profiles of wild-type and gene deletion mutants revealed that photorespiratory pathways are essential for the growth of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under atmospheric conditions. Pool size changes of primary metabolites, such as glycine and glycolate, indicated a link to photorespiration. Methodology/Principal Findings: The (13)C labelling kinetics of primary metabolites were analysed in photoautotrophically grown cultures of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to demonstrate the link with photorespiration. Cells pre-acclimated to high CO(2) (5%, HC) or limited CO(2) (0.035%, LC) conditions were pulse-labelled under very high (2% w/w) (13)C-NaHCO(3) (VHC) conditions followed by treatment with ambient (12)C at HC and LC conditions, respectively. The (13)C enrichment, relative changes in pool size, and (13)C flux of selected metabolites were evaluated. We demonstrate two major paths of CO(2) assimilation via Rubisco in Synechocystis, i.e., from 3PGA via PEP to aspartate, malate and citrate or, to a lesser extent, from 3PGA via glucose-6-phosphate to sucrose. The results reveal evidence of carbon channelling from 3PGA to the PEP pool. Furthermore, (13)C labelling of glycolate was observed under conditions thought to suppress photorespiration. Using the glycolate-accumulating Delta glcD1 mutant, we demonstrate enhanced (13)C partitioning into the glycolate pool under conditions favouring photorespiration and enhanced (13)C partitioning into the glycine pool of the glycine-accumulating Delta gcvT mutant. Under LC conditions, the photorespiratory mutants Delta glcD1 and Delta gcvT showed enhanced activity of the additional carbon-fixing PEP carboxylase pathway. Conclusions/Significance: With our approach of non-steady-state (13)C labelling and analysis of metabolite pool sizes with respective (13)C enrichments, we identify the use and modulation of major pathways of carbon assimilation in Synechocystis in the presence of high and low inorganic carbon supplies. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016278 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 6 IS - 1 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Titov, Evgenii A1 - Granucci, Giovanni A1 - Goetze, Jan Philipp A1 - Persico, Maurizio A1 - Saalfrank, Peter T1 - Dynamics of Azobenzene Dimer Photoisomerization: Electronic and Steric Effects JF - The journal of physical chemistry letters N2 - While azobenzenes readily photoswitch in solution, their photoisomerization in densely packed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be suppressed. Reasons for this can be steric hindrance and/or electronic quenching, e.g., by exciton coupling. We address these possibilities by means of nonadiabatic molecular dynamics with trajectory surface hopping calculations, investigating the trans -> cis isomerization of azobenzene after excitation into the pi pi* absorption band. We consider a free monomer, an isolated dimer and a dimer embedded in a SAM-like environment of additional azobenzene molecules, imitating in this way the gradual transition from an unconstrained over an electronically coupled to an electronically coupled and sterically hindered, molecular switch. Our simulations reveal that in comparison to the single molecule the quantum yield of the trans -> cis photoisomerization is similar for the isolated dimer, but greatly reduced in the sterically constrained situation. Other implications of dimerization and steric constraints are also discussed. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpciett.6b01401 SN - 1948-7185 VL - 7 SP - 3591 EP - 3596 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Goetze, Jan P. A1 - Greco, Claudio A1 - Mitric, Roland A1 - Bonacic-Koutecky, Vlasta A1 - Saalfrank, Peter T1 - BLUF Hydrogen network dynamics and UV/Vis spectra: A combined molecular dynamics and quantum chemical study JF - JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY N2 - Blue light sensing using flavin (BLUF) protein photoreceptor domains change their hydrogen bond network after photoexcitation. To explore this phenomenon, BLUF domains from R. sphaeroides were simulated using Amber99 molecular dynamics (MD). Five starting configurations were considered, to study different BLUF proteins (AppA/BlrB), Trp conformations (Win/Wout), structure determination (X-ray/NMR), and finally, His protonation states. We found dependencies of the hydrogen bonds on almost all parameters. Our data show an especially strong correlation of the Trp position and hydrogen bonds involving Gln63. The latter is in some contradiction to earlier results (Obanayama et al., Photochem. Photobiol. 2008, 84 10031010). Possible origins and implications are discussed. Our calculations support conjectures that Gln63 is more flexible with Trp104 in Win position. Using snapshots from MD and time-dependent density functional theory, UV/vis spectra for the chromophore were determined, which account for molecular motion of the protein under ambient conditions. In accord with experiment, it is found that the UV/vis spectra of BLUF bound flavin are red-shifted and thermally broadened for all calculated p ? p* transitions, relative to gas phase flavin at T = 0 K. However, differences in the spectra between the various BLUF configurations cannot be resolved with the present approach. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. KW - blue-light sensor KW - flavin KW - molecular dynamics KW - TD-DFT KW - BLUF domains Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jcc.23056 SN - 0192-8651 VL - 33 IS - 28 SP - 2233 EP - 2242 PB - WILEY-BLACKWELL CY - HOBOKEN ER -