X-ray structures of recombinant yeast cytochrome c peroxidase and three heme-cleft mutants prepared by site-directed mutagenesis

The 2.2-A X-ray structure for CCP(MI), a plasmid-encoded form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) expressed in Escherichia coli [Fishel, L.A., Villafranca, J. E., Mauro, J. M., & Kraut, J. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 351-360], has been solved, together with the structures of three specifically designed single-site heme-cleft mutants. The structure of CCP(MI) was solved by using molecular replacement methods, since its crystals grow differently from the crystals of CCP isolated from bakers' yeast used previously for structural solution. Small distal-side differences between CCP(MI) and bakers' yeast CCP are observed, presumably due to a strain-specific Thr-53----Ile substitution in CCP(MI). A Trp-51----Phe mutant remains pentacoordinated and exhibits only minor distal structural adjustments. The observation of a vacant sixth coordination site in this structure differs from the results of solution resonance Raman studies, which predict hexacoordinated high-spin iron [Smulevich, G., Mauro, J.M., Fishel, L. A., English, A. M., Kraut, J., & Spiro, T. G. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 5477-5485]. The coordination behavior of this W51F mutant is apparently altered in the presence of a precipitating agent, 30% 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. A proximal Trp-191----Phe mutant that has substantially diminished enzyme activity and altered magnetic properties [Mauro, J. M., Fishel, L. F., Hazzard, J. T., Meyer, T. E., Tollin, G., Cusanovich, M. A., & Kraut, J. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 6243-6256] accommodates the substitution by allowing the side chain of Phe-191, together with the segment of backbone to which it is attached, to move toward the heme. This relatively large (ca. 1 A) local perturbation is accompanied by numerous small adjustments resulting in a slight overall compression of the enzyme's proximal domain; however, the iron coordination sphere is essentially unchanged. This structure rules out a major alteration in protein conformation as a reason for the dramatically decreased activity of the W191F mutant. Changing proximal Asp-235 to Asn results in two significant localized structural changes. First, the heme iron moves toward the porphyrin plane, and distal water 595 now clearly resides in the iron coordination sphere at a distance of 2.0 A. The observation of hexacoordinated iron for the D235N mutant is in accord with previous resonance Raman results. Second, the indole side chain of Trp-191 has flipped over as a result of the mutation; the tryptophan N epsilon takes part in a new hydrogen bond with the backbone carbonyl oxygen of Leu-177.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Resonance Raman spectroscopy of cytochrome<Emphasis Type="Italic"> c</Emphasis> peroxidase variants that mimic manganese peroxidase

Cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) variants with an engineered Mn(II) binding site, including MnCcP [CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D)], MnCcP(W191F), and MnCcP(W191F, W51F), that mimic manganese peroxidase (MnP), have been characterized by resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy. Analysis of the Raman bands in the 200–700 cm^–1 and 1300–1650 cm^–1 regions indicates that both the coordination and spin state of the heme iron in the variants differ from that of CcP(MI), the recombinant yeast CcP containing additional Met-Ile residues at the N-terminus. At neutral pH the frequencies of the ₃ mode indicate that a pure five-coordinate heme iron exists in CcP(MI) whereas a six-coordinate low-spin iron is the dominant species in the CcP variants with the engineered Mn(II) binding site. The H181D mutation, which weakens the proximal linkage to the heme iron, may be responsible for these spectral and structural changes. Raman spectra of the variants CcP(MI, W191F) and CcP(MI, W191F, W51F) were also obtained to clarify the structural and functional roles of mutations at two tryptophan sites. The W51F mutation was found to disrupt H-bonding to the distal water molecules and the resulting variants tended to form transitional or mixed coordination states that possess spectral and structural features similar to that of MnP. Such structural features, with a loosened distal water, may facilitate the binding of H₂O₂ and increase the rate constant for compound I formation. This effect, in addition to the elimination of an H-bond to ferryl oxygen by the same mutation, accounts for the increased MnP specific activity of MnCcP(W191F, W51F).Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at .Abbreviations CcP cytochrome c peroxidase - CcP(MI) recombinant yeast CcP containing Met-Ile at the N-terminus in addition to the normal wild-type CcP sequence - HRP horseradish peroxidase - MnCcP CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D) - MnCcP(W191F) CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D, W191F) - MnCcP(W191F, W51F) CcP(MI, G41E, V45E, H181D, W191F, W51F) - MnP manganese peroxidase - RR resonance Raman - WtCcP wild-type cytochrome c peroxidase     

Tryptophan-191----phenylalanine, a proximal-side mutation in yeast cytochrome c peroxidase that strongly affects the kinetics of ferrocytochrome c oxidation

On the basis of X-ray structural information, it was previously proposed that tryptophan-191 of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) may be important in determining the spectroscopic and catalytic properties of the enzyme [Edwards, S. L., Xuong, Ng. H., Hamlin, R. C., & Kraut, J. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 1503-1511]. By use of site-directed mutagenesis and an Escherichia coli expression system, a mutant phenylalanine-191 (F191) CCP was prepared in order to examine the effects of altering the H-bonding and pi-pi interactions that occur between Trp-191 and the iron-coordinated proximal His-175 in the parent enzyme. The F191 mutant enzyme exhibits a dramatic decrease (approximately 3000-fold at pH 7) in V0/e for catalysis of peroxide-dependent ferrocytochrome c oxidation, while V0/e for oxidation of ferrocyanide is decreased only 4.6-fold compared to that of the parent. The Fe3+/Fe2+ Em,7 and the stability of the oxyferryl center in the H2O2-oxidized mutant enzyme are relatively unaffected by the mutation, but the species responsible for a radical-like signal centered at g = 2.00 has been destabilized approximately 100-fold with respect to spontaneous decay. Steady-state kinetic assays as well as transient-state laser flash photolysis experiments utilizing flavin semiquinones as reductants indicate that the mutant CCP forms a complex with cytochrome c but the oxyferryl center in the oxidized enzyme is no longer able to be rapidly reduced by ferrocytochrome c. The most likely reasons for this kinetic behavior are either that new steric constraints exist in the mutant which impede relaxation of the iron center to the resting ferric state or that the indole ring of Trp-191 is important in a specific interprotein electron-transfer pathway that exists between the heme centers of CCP and cytochrome c.     

The role of redox-active amino acids on compound I stability, substrate oxidation, and protein cross-linking in yeast cytochrome C peroxidase.

The role of two tryptophans (Trp51 and Trp191) and six tyrosines (Tyr36, Tyr39, Tyr42, Tyr187, Tyr229, and Tyr236) in yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) has been probed by site-directed mutagenesis. A series of sequential mutations of these redox-active amino acid residues to the corresponding, less oxidizable residues in lignin peroxidase (LiP) resulted in an increasingly more stable compound I, with rate constants for compound I decay decreasing from 57 s(-1) for CcP(MI, W191F) to 7 s(-1) for CcP(MI, W191F,W51F,Y187F,Y229F,Y236F,Y36F,Y39E,Y42F). These results provide experimental support for the proposal that the stability of compound I depends on the number of endogenous oxidizable amino acids in proteins. The higher stability of compound I in the variant proteins also makes it possible to observe its visible absorption spectroscopic features more clearly. The effects of the mutations on oxidation of ferrocytochrome c and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol were also examined. Since the first mutation in the series involved the change of Trp191, a residue that plays a critical role in the electron transfer pathway between CcP and cyt c, the ability to oxidize cyt c was negligible for all mutant proteins. On the other hand, the W191F mutation had little effect on the proteins' ability to oxidize 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. Instead, the W51F mutation resulted in the largest increase in the k(cat)/K(M), from 2.1 x 10(2) to 5.0 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1), yielding an efficiency that is comparable to that of manganese peroxidase (MnP). The effect in W51F mutation can be attributed to the residue's influence on the stability and thus reactivity of the ferryl oxygen of compound II, whose substrate oxidation is the rate-determining step in the reaction mechanism. Finally, out of all mutant proteins in this study, only the variant containing the Y36F, Y39E, and Y42F mutations was found to prevent covalent protein cross-links in the presence of excess hydrogen peroxide and in the absence of exogenous reductants. This finding marks the first time a CcP variant is incapable of forming protein cross-links and confirms that one of the three tyrosines must be involved in the protein cross-linking.     

Study of Plasma Induced Chemistry by DC Discharges in CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/N<Subscript>2</Subscript>/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O Mixtures Above a Water Surface

The chemistry induced by atmospheric pressure DC discharges above a water surface in CO(2)/N(2)/H(2)O mixtures was investigated. The gaseous mixtures studied represent a model prebiotic atmosphere of the Earth. The most remarkable changes in the chemical composition of the treated gas were the decomposition of CO(2) and the production of CO. The concentration of CO increased logarithmically with the increasing input energy density and an increasing initial concentration of CO(2) in the gas. The highest achieved concentration of CO was 4.0 +/- 0.6 vol. %. The production of CO was crucial for the synthesis of organic species, since reactions of CO with some reactive species generated in the plasma, e. g. H* or N* radicals, were probably the starting point in this synthesis. The presence of organic species (including the tentative identification of some amino acids) was demonstrated by the analysis of solid and liquid samples by high-performance liquid chromatography, infrared absorption spectroscopy and proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. Formation of organic species in a completely inorganic CO(2)/N(2)/H(2)O atmosphere is a significant finding for the theory of the origins of life.     

Crystal structure of Leishmania major peroxidase and characterization of the compound i tryptophan radical

The parasitic protozoa Leishmania major produces a peroxidase (L. major peroxidase; LmP) that exhibits activities characteristic of both yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and plant cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX). One common feature is a key Trp residue, Trp(208) in LmP and Trp(191) in CCP, that is situated adjacent to the proximal His heme ligand in CCP, APX, and LmP. In CCP, Trp(191) forms a stable cationic radical after reaction with H(2)O(2) to form Compound I; in APX, the radical is located on the porphyrin ring. In order to clarify the role of Trp(208) in LmP and to further probe peroxidase structure-function relationships, we have determined the crystal structure of LmP and have studied the role of Trp(208) using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), mutagenesis, and enzyme kinetics. Both CCP and LmP have an extended section of β structure near Trp(191) and Trp(208), respectively, which is absent in APX. This region provides stability to the Trp(191) radical in CCP. EPR of LmP Compound I exhibits an intense and stable signal similar to CCP Compound I. In the LmP W208F mutant, this signal disappears, indicating that Trp(208) forms a stable cationic radical. In LmP conversion of the Cys(197) to Thr significantly weakens the Compound I EPR signal and dramatically lowers enzyme activity. These results further support the view that modulation of the local electrostatic environment controls the stability of the Trp radical in peroxidases. Our results also suggest that the biological role of LmP is to function as a cytochrome c peroxidase.     

H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-induced higher order chromatin degradation: A novel mechanism of oxidative genotoxicity

The genotoxicity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is well established. The underlying mechanism involves oxidation of DNA by ROS. However, we have recently shown that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the major mediator of oxidative stress, can also cause genomic damage indirectly. Thus, H2O2 at pathologically relevant concentrations rapidly induces higher order chromatin degradation (HOCD), i.e. enzymatic excision of chromatin loops and their oligomers at matrix-attachment regions. The activation of endonuclease that catalyzes HOCD is a signalling event triggered specifically by H2O2. The activation is not mediated by an influx of calcium ions, but resting concentrations of intracellular calcium ions are required for the maintenance of the endonuclease in an active form. Although H2O2-induced HOCD can efficiently dismantle the genome leading to cell death, under sublethal oxidative stress conditions H2O2-induced HOCD may be the major source of somatic mutations.     

Role of tryptophan 161 in catalysis by human manganese superoxide dismutase.

Tryptophan 161 is a highly conserved residue that forms a hydrophobic side of the active site cavity of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), with its indole ring adjacent to and about 5 A from the manganese. We have made a mutant containing the conservative replacement Trp 161 --> Phe in human MnSOD (W161F MnSOD), determined its crystal structure, and measured the catalysis of the resulting mutant using pulse radiolysis to produce O(2)(*)(-). In the structure of W161F MnSOD the phenyl side chain of Phe 161 superimposes on the indole ring of Trp 161 in the wild type. However, in the mutant, the hydroxyl side chain of Tyr 34 is 3.9 A from the manganese, closer by 1.2 A than in the wild type. The tryptophan in MnSOD is not essential for the half-cycle of catalytic activity involving reduction of the manganese; the mutant W161F MnSOD had k(cat)/K(m) at 2.5 x 10(8) M(-)(1) s(-)(1), reduced only 3-fold compared with wild type. However, this mutant exhibited a strong product inhibition with a zero-order region of superoxide decay slower by 10-fold compared with wild type. The visible absorption spectrum of W161F MnSOD in the inhibited state was very similar to that observed for the inhibited wild-type enzyme. The appearance of the inhibited form required reaction of 2 molar equiv of O(2)(*)(-) with W161F Mn(III)SOD, one to form the reduced state of the metal and the second to form the inhibited complex, confirming that the inhibited complex requires reaction of O(2)(*)(-) with the reduced form of the enzyme. This work suggests that a significant role of Trp 161 in the active site is to promote the dissociation of product peroxide, perhaps in part through its effect on the orientation of Tyr 34.     

Yeast cytochrome c peroxidase: mutagenesis and expression in Escherichia coli show tryptophan-51 is not the radical site in compound I

Using oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis, we have constructed a system for the mutation and expression of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP, EC 1.11.1.5) in Escherichia coli and applied it to test the hypothesis that Trp-51 is the locus of the free radical observed in compound I of CCP [Poulos, T. L., & Kraut, J. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 8199-8205]. The system was created by substituting a CCP gene modified by site-directed mutagenesis, CCP(MI), for the fol gene in a vector previously used for mutagenesis and overexpression of dihydrofolate reductase. E. coli transformed with the resulting plasmid produced the CCP(MI) enzyme in large quantities, more than 15 mg/L of cell culture, of which 10% is holo- and 90% is apo-CCP(MI). The apoenzyme was easily converted to holoenzyme by the addition of bovine hemin. Purified CCP(MI) has the same catalytic activity and spectra as bakers' yeast CCP. A mutation has been made in CCP(MI), Trp-51 to Phe. The Phe-51 mutant protein CCP(MI,F51) is fully active, and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum, at 89 K, of its oxidized intermediate, compound I, displays a strong sharp resonance at g = 2.004, which is very similar to the signal observed for compound I of both bakers' yeast CCP and CCP(MI). However, UV-visible and EPR spectroscopy revealed that the half-life of CCP(MI,F51) compound I at 23 degrees C is only 1.4% of that observed for the compound I forms of CCP(MI) or bakers' yeast CCP. Thus, Trp-51 is not necessary for the formation of the free radical observed in compound I but appears to exert a significant influence on its stability.     

Theoretical study of structural patterns in CH<Subscript>2</Subscript>OP<Subscript>2</Subscript> isomers

DFT calculations have been performed on the derivatives of formula CH₂OP₂ to determine their total energy, the relative energy between the isomers and their geometry. Among compounds with a P-C-P linkage, the most stable one is the 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphosphirene II.1, a three-membered heterocycle with a P=C unsaturation. The phosphavinylidene(oxo)phosphorane HP=C=P(O)H IV.5 (which has the same skeleton as the experimentally obtained Mes*P=C=P(O)Mes*) lies 36.30 kcal mol^-1 above it. The least stable compounds are carbenes; the singlet carbenes are more stable than the triplet ones.     

Photosynthetic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O gas exchange and dynamics of carbohydrates content in maize leaves under drought

We studied the temporal sequence of changes in the photosynthetic CO₂/H₂O gas exchange intensity, as well as leaf water status, contents of soluble carbohydrates, starch, proline, pigments, and MDA, in maize seedlings (Zea mays L., cv. Luchistaya) under adaptation to increasing water deficit. The duration of drought was 2, 3, 5, and 6 days. Withholding water from maize plants caused gradual increase in the intensity of water deficit: from mild (2 or 3 days) to moderate (5 days) and nearly severe (6 days) water stress. After 6 days, relative leaf water content decreased by 19.8% as compared to the control. On the second day after the onset of drought, slight reduction in the photosynthetic CO₂/H₂O gas exchange intensity of the treated plants was observed. After 6 days, photosynthesis and transpiration of leaves synchronously reduced almost threefold due to stomatal closure. The progressive soil drought had substantial impact on the carbohydrate metabolism. After 2 days of water deficit, the content of reducing sugars and sucrose increased slightly, whereas after 6 days, it increased ten and four times, respectively. After 2, 3, and 5 days of drought, the starch content declined slightly; however, under severe drought (6 days), it increased by 30% as compared to the control. Simultaneously with the increase in the content of soluble sugars, proline content increased significantly and it was the highest on the sixth day of drought. At all stages of water deficit, the proline content increased more significantly than the content of reducing carbohydrates and sucrose. Under increasing water deficit (5 and 6 days), the content of MDA was found to rise. At the initial drought stage (2 or 3 days) and under severe water deficit (6 days), no significant changes in the pigment content were observed. Thus, at the initial stages of progressive drought, in the leaves of this maize cultivar, a decline in photosynthetic activity proceeded simultaneously with accumulation of reducing sugars, sucrose, and proline. The results obtained showed that, at the first stages of adaptation of maize seedlings to drought, the changes in carbohydrate and proline metabolism have been observed, which have increased upon further plant dehydration.     

DFT study of isomers of the ruthenium dihydride complex RuH<Subscript>2</Subscript>(CO)<Subscript>2</Subscript>(AsMe<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ph)<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A density functional theory (DFT) study of cct-As, ccc, and cct-CO isomers of the ruthenium dihydride complex RuH₂(CO)₂(AsMe₂Ph)₂ is reported (see Scheme for the labeling isomer 34 structures of RuH₂(CO)₂(AsMe₂Ph)₂). Complex geometries and relative energies of different isomers have been calculated with both B3LYP and M06-2X functionals. The results show that the B3LYP calculated Boltzmann populations of cct-As, ccc, and cct-CO isomers are 65.5, 34.2, and 0.3%, respectively. These are in better agreement with the experimental data than those calculated at the M06-2X level. However, the calculations of ¹H NMR chemical shifts were found to be better described with M06-2X than with B3LYP or with HF level of theories. In addition, a transition state between the two most stable isomers was determined through DFT/(B3LYP or M06-2X) calculations.

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Graphical Abstract Scheme: Labeling structure of RuH₂(CO)₂(AsMe₂Ph)₂

     

Neuroprotective Effect of Fucoidan on H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Induced Apoptosis in PC12 Cells Via Activation of PI3K/Akt Pathway

One of the plausible ways to prevent the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cellular injury is dietary or pharmaceutical augmentation of endogenous antioxidant defense capacity. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of fucoidan on H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells and the possible signaling pathways involved. The results showed that fucoidan inhibited the decrease of cell viability, scavenged ROS formation and reduced lactate dehydrogenase release in H(2)O(2)-induced PC12 cells. These changes were associated with an increase in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, and reduction in malondialdehyde. In addition, fucoidan treatment inhibited apoptosis in H(2)O(2)-induced PC12 cells by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and decreasing active caspase-3 expression, as well as enhancing Akt phosphorylation (p-Akt). However, the protection of fucoidan on cell survival, p-Akt, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and caspase-3 activity were abolished by pretreating with phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002. In consequence, fucoidan might protect the neurocytes against H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis via reducing ROS levels and activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.     

Dynamics of <Superscript>18</Superscript>O Incorporation from H <Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>18</Superscript>O into Soil Microbial DNA

Heavy water (H₂¹⁸O) has been used to label DNA of soil microorganisms in stable isotope probing experiments, yet no measurements have been reported for the ¹⁸O content of DNA from soil incubated with heavy water. Here we present the first measurements of atom% ¹⁸O for DNA extracted from soil incubated with the addition of H₂¹⁸O. Four experiments were conducted to test how the atom% ¹⁸O of DNA, extracted from Ponderosa Pine forest soil incubated with heavy water, was affected by the following variables: (1) time, (2) nutrients, (3) soil moisture, and (4) atom% ¹⁸O of added H₂O. In the time series experiment, the atom% ¹⁸O of DNA increased linearly (R ² = 0.994, p < 0.01) over the first 72 h of incubation. In the nutrient addition experiment, there was a positive correlation (R ² = 0.991, p = 0.006) between the log₁₀ of the amount of tryptic soy broth, a complex nutrient broth, added to soil and the log₁₀ of the atom% ¹⁸O of DNA. For the experiment where soil moisture was manipulated, the atom% ¹⁸O of DNA increased with higher soil moisture until soil moisture reached 30%, above which ¹⁸O enrichment of DNA declined as soils became more saturated. When the atom% ¹⁸O for H₂O added was varied, there was a positive linear relationship between the atom% ¹⁸O of the added water and the atom% ¹⁸O of the DNA. Results indicate that quantification of ¹⁸O incorporated into DNA from H₂¹⁸O has potential to be used as a proxy for microbial growth in soil.     

Effects of temperature and glycerol on the resonance Raman spectra of cytochrome c peroxidase and selected mutants

The high-frequency resonance Raman spectra of FeIII yeast native cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and five of its mutants [CCP(MI), Phe-51, Leu-48, Lys-48, Asn-235, and Phe-191] were recorded in phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, and in glycerol/phosphate mixtures at 295 and 10 K. Glycerol induces heme coordination changes in some of the CCP mutants at room temperature. It apparently weakens the binding of the Fe atom to ligands in the distal heme cavity and drives the heme toward the 5-coordinate, high-spin state. At 10 K, native CCP and all the mutants (except Phe-51 which remains 6-coordinate, high-spin) show various distributions of spin and coordination states which differ from those observed at 295 K. Upon cooling in phosphate buffer, pH 7, and to a much lesser extent in 66% glycerol/phosphate, an internal strong-field ligand is coordinated to the Fe. A likely candidate is H2O-595, which could become a strong-field ligand on H-bonding and/or proton transfer to H2O-648, and/or the distal His-52. However, distal His-52 itself cannot be ruled out as the coordinating ligand considering that the Phe-51 mutant, which binds H2O-595 at room temperature, does not show a large 6-coordinate, low-spin component at 10 K like the other mutants. These results clearly indicate that the Fe coordination in CCP and its mutants is sensitive to both temperature and solvent composition.     

Noble gas inserted compounds of borazine and its derivative B<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>3</Subscript>R<Subscript>6</Subscript>: structures and bonding

Quantum chemistry computations were performed at the MP2 and B3LYP levels of theory using the basis sets aug-cc-pVDZ and def2-TZVPPD to study the noble gas (Ng) compounds formed by insertion of a Ng atom (Kr, Xe, Rn) into the B–H/F and N–H/F bonds of inorganic benzene B₃N₃H₆ and its fluorine derivative B₃N₃F₆. The geometrical structures were optimized and vibrational analysis was carried out to demonstrate these structures being local minima on the potential energy surface. The thermodynamic properties of the formation process of Ng compounds were calculated. A series of theoretical methods based on the wavefunction analysis, including NBO, AIM and ELF methods and energy decomposition analysis, was used to investigate the bonding nature of the noble gas atoms and the properties of the Ng compounds. The N–Ng bond was found to be stronger than the B–Ng bond, but the B–Ng bond is of typical covalent character and σ-donation from the Ng atom to the ring B atom makes the predominant contribution towards stability of the B-Ng bond. NICS calculation shows that these Ng-containing compounds are of weak π-aromaticity.     

Insight into the gas phase dissociation of CF<Subscript>3</Subscript>CH<Subscript>2</Subscript>I and its reactions with H and OH by first principles

The Arrhenius kinetic parameters of dissociation reactions and reactions of CF₃CH₂I with radicals like H, O, and OH are determined using highly accurate first principles calculations. Thermophysical properties like molar heat capacity (C_p), thermal stability index, and the bond dissociation energies are also determined for the CF₃CH₂I molecule under the PBE/DNP formalism. Since, there are no theoretical study or experimental investigation reports available regarding the dissociation reactions of CF₃CH₂I and reactions of this molecule with the H and OH radical, a parallel comparative analysis is done with similar iodoalkanes to ascertain the precision of the results obtained. The atmospheric lifetime of 0.54 years is obtained for this molecule.     

Comparison of <Superscript>13</Superscript>CH<Subscript>3</Subscript>, <Superscript>13</Superscript>CH<Subscript>2</Subscript>D,and <Superscript>13</Superscript>CHD<Subscript>2</Subscript> methyl labeling strategies in proteins

A comparison of three labeling strategies for studies involving side chain methyl groups in high molecular weight proteins, using ¹³CH₃,¹³CH₂D, and ¹³CHD₂ methyl isotopomers, is presented. For each labeling scheme, ¹H–¹³C pulse sequences that give optimal resolution and sensitivity are identified. Three highly deuterated samples of a 723 residue enzyme, malate synthase G, with ¹³CH₃,¹³CH₂D, and ¹³CHD₂ labeling in Ile δ1 positions, are used to test the pulse sequences experimentally, and a rationalization of each sequence’s performance based on a product operator formalism that focuses on individual transitions is presented. The HMQC pulse sequence has previously been identified as a transverse relaxation optimized experiment for ¹³CH₃-labeled methyl groups attached to macromolecules, and a zero-quantum correlation pulse scheme (¹³CH₃ HZQC) has been developed to further improve resolution in the indirectly detected dimension. We present a modified version of the ¹³CH₃ HZQC sequence that provides improved sensitivity by using the steady-state magnetization of both ¹³C and ¹H spins. The HSQC and HMQC spectra of ¹³CH₂D-labeled methyl groups in malate synthase G are very poorly resolved, but we present a new pulse sequence, ¹³CH₂D TROSY, that exploits cross-correlation effects to record ¹H–¹³C correlation maps with dramatically reduced linewidths in both dimensions. Well-resolved spectra of ¹³CHD₂-labeled methyl groups can be recorded with HSQC or HMQC; a new ¹³CHD₂ HZQC sequence is described that provides improved resolution with no loss in sensitivity in the applications considered here. When spectra recorded on samples prepared with the three isotopomers are compared, it is clear that the ¹³CH₃ labeling strategy is the most beneficial from the perspective of sensitivity (gains ≥2.4 relative to either ¹³CH₂D or ¹³CHD₂ labeling), although excellent resolution can be obtained with any of the isotopomers using the pulse sequences presented here.     

Prediction and inhibition of the N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O accumulation in the BioDeNO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> process for NO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> removal from flue gas

BioDeNO _x process, which combines the advantages of the chemical absorption and biological reduction processes, is regarded as a promising candidate for NO removal from the flue gas. In the BioDeNO _x , N₂O was accumulated in the process of the biological reduction of Fe^II(EDTA)-NO. In this work, the pathway of the Fe^II(EDTA)-NO reduction was investigated and a mathematic model was developed to evaluate and predict the accumulation of N₂O. Furthermore, parametric tests such as the effects of the C/N ratio (molar ratio of carbon/nitrogen), electron donor, and sulfite concentrations on N₂O accumulation were investigated. Experimental results revealed that N₂O accumulation was inhibited with a high C/N ratio (2.4), sufficient electron donor, and a low sulfite concentration. In addition, compared with the inorganic electron donor (Fe^II(EDTA)), the organic electron donor (glucose) was beneficial for microorganism metabolism and N₂O accumulation inhibition. This work will provide significant insight into the inhibition of N₂O accumulation during the operation of BioDeNO _x and advance this novel process for the industrial application.