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Free keywords:
Peptides and proteins; Quinones; Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy; Nitrogen; Screening assays
Abstract:
The high-affinity QH ubiquinone-binding site in the bo3 ubiquinol oxidase from Escherichia coli has been characterized by an investigation of the native ubiquinone radical anion QH*- by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. One- and two-dimensional electron spin−echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra reveal strong interactions of the unpaired electron of QH*- with a nitrogen nucleus from the surrounding protein matrix. From analysis of the experimental data, the 14N nuclear quadrupolar parameters have been determined: κ = e2qQ/4h = 0.93 MHz and η = 0.50. This assignment is confirmed by hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy. On the basis of a comparison of these data with those obtained previously for other membrane-protein bound semiquinone radicals and model systems, this nucleus is assigned to a protein backbone nitrogen. This result is discussed with regard to the location and potential function of QH in the enzyme.
