Matching Items (20)
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Description
[FeFe]-hydrogenases are enzymes for the reduction of protons to hydrogen. They rely on only the earth abundant first-row transition metal iron at their active site (H cluster). In recent years, a multitude of diiron mimics of hydrogenases have been synthesized, but none of them catalyzes hydrogen production with the same

[FeFe]-hydrogenases are enzymes for the reduction of protons to hydrogen. They rely on only the earth abundant first-row transition metal iron at their active site (H cluster). In recent years, a multitude of diiron mimics of hydrogenases have been synthesized, but none of them catalyzes hydrogen production with the same exquisite combination of high turnover frequency and low activation energy as the enzymes. Generally, model complexes fail to include one or both of two features essential to the natural enzyme: an intricate array of outer coordination sphere contacts that constrain the coordination geometry to attain a catalytically optimal conformation, and the redox non-innocence of accessory [FeS] clusters found at or near the hydrogen-activating site. The work presented herein describes the synthesis and electrocatalytic characterization of iron-dithiolate models designed to incorporate these features. First, synthetic strategies are developed for constructing peptides with artificial metal-binding motifs, such as 1,3-dithiolate and phosphines, which are utilized to append diiron-polycarbonyl clusters onto a peptide. The phosphine-functionalized peptides are shown to be better electrocatalysts for proton reduction in water/acetonitrile mixtures than in neat acetonitrile. Second, we report the impact of redox non-innocent ligands on the electrocatalytic properties of two types of [FeFe]-hydrogenase models: dinuclear and mononuclear iron complexes. The bidentate, redox non-innocent α-diimine ligands (N-N), 2,2'-bipyridine and 2,2' bipyrimidine, are used to create complexes with the general formula (μ-SRS)Fe2(CO)4(N-N), new members of the well known family of asymmetric diiron carbonyls. While the 2,2'-bipyridine derivatives can act as electrocatalysts for proton reduction, surprisingly, the 2,2'-bipyrimidine analogues are found to be inactive towards catalysis. Electrochemical investigation of two related Fe(II) complexes, (bdt)Fe(CO)P2 for bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate and P2 = 1,1'-diphenylphosphinoferrocene or methyl-2-{bis(diphenylphosphinomethylamino}acetate, related to the distal iron in [FeFe]-hydrogenase show that these complexes catalyze the reduction of protons under mild conditions. However, their reactivities toward the external ligand CO are distinguished by gross geometrical differences.
ContributorsRoy, Souvik (Author) / Jones, Anne K (Thesis advisor) / Moore, Thomas (Committee member) / Trovitch, Ryan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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Description
Thiol functionalization is one potentially useful way to tailor physical and chemical properties of graphene oxides (GOs) and reduced graphene oxides (RGOs). Despite the ubiquitous presence of thiol functional groups in diverse chemical systems, efficient thiol functionalization has been challenging for GOs and RGOs, or for carbonaceous materials in general.

Thiol functionalization is one potentially useful way to tailor physical and chemical properties of graphene oxides (GOs) and reduced graphene oxides (RGOs). Despite the ubiquitous presence of thiol functional groups in diverse chemical systems, efficient thiol functionalization has been challenging for GOs and RGOs, or for carbonaceous materials in general. In this work, thionation of GOs has been achieved in high yield through two new methods that also allow concomitant chemical reduction/thermal reduction of GOs; a solid-gas metathetical reaction method with boron sulfides (BxSy) gases and a solvothermal reaction method employing phosphorus decasulfide (P4S10). The thionation products, called "mercapto reduced graphene oxides (m-RGOs)", were characterized by employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron probe analysis, scanning electron microscopy, (scanning) transmission electron microscopy, nano secondary ion mass spectrometry, Ellman assay and atomic force microscopy. The excellent dispersibility of m-RGOs in various solvents including alcohols has allowed fabrication of thin films of m-RGOs. Deposition of m-RGOs on gold substrates was achieved through solution deposition and the m-RGOs were homogeneously distributed on gold surface shown by atomic force microscopy. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of m-RGOs were obtained by transferring their Langmuir films, formed by simple drop casting of m-RGOs dispersion on water surface, onto various substrates including gold, glass and indium tin oxide. The m-RGO LB films showed low sheet resistances down to about 500 kΩ/sq at 92% optical transparency. The successful results make m-RGOs promising for applications in transparent conductive coatings, biosensing, etc.
ContributorsJeon, Kiwan (Author) / Seo, Dong-Kyun (Thesis advisor) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Yarger, Jeffery (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
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Description
Redox reactions are crucial to energy transduction in biology. Protein film electrochemistry (PFE) is a technique for studying redox proteins in which the protein is immobilized at an electrode surface so as to allow direct exchange of electrons. Establishing a direct electronic connection eliminates the need for redox­active mediators, thus

Redox reactions are crucial to energy transduction in biology. Protein film electrochemistry (PFE) is a technique for studying redox proteins in which the protein is immobilized at an electrode surface so as to allow direct exchange of electrons. Establishing a direct electronic connection eliminates the need for redox­active mediators, thus allowing for interrogation of the redox protein of interest. PFE has proven a versatile tool that has been used to elucidate the properties of many technologically relevant redox proteins including hydrogenases, laccases, and glucose oxidase.

This dissertation is comprised of two parts: extension of PFE to a novel electrode material and application of PFE to the investigation of a new type of hydrogenase. In the first part, mesoporous antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) is employed for the first time as an electrode material for protein film electrochemistry. Taking advantage of the excellent optical transparency of ATO, spectroelectrochemistry of cytochrome c is demonstrated. The electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of the protein are analogous to those measured for the native protein in solution, and the immobilized protein is stable for weeks at high loadings. In the second part, PFE is used to characterize the catalytic properties of the soluble hydrogenase I from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfSHI). Since this protein is highly thermostable, the temperature dependence of catalytic properties was investigated. I show that the preference of the enzyme for reduction of protons (as opposed to oxidation of hydrogen) and the reactions with oxygen are highly dependent on temperature, and the enzyme is tolerant to oxygen during both oxidative and reductive catalysis.
ContributorsKwan, Patrick Karchung (Author) / Jones, Anne K (Thesis advisor) / Francisco, Wilson (Committee member) / Moore, Thomas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Increased global demand for energy has led to prolific use of fossil fuels, which produce and release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. This increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the global weather system and has been cited as a cause for global warming. For humans to continue to meet

Increased global demand for energy has led to prolific use of fossil fuels, which produce and release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. This increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the global weather system and has been cited as a cause for global warming. For humans to continue to meet demands for energy while reducing greenhouse emission, a sustainable, carbon-neutral energy source must be developed. The sun provides energy for the majority of life on earth, as well as the energy stored in the chemical bonds of fossil fuels. This dissertation investigates systems inspired by the biological mechanism of solar energy capture and storage. In natural photosynthesis, organisms use chlorophyll as a chromophore to absorb the sun's energy. Bio-inspired systems use close analogues like porphyrins and phthalocyanines. In this dissertation, a soluble, semiconducting porphyrin is reported. The polymer was synthesized via a Buchwald-Hartwig style coupling of porphyrin monomers which produced a polyaniline-like chain with porphyrins incorporated into the backbone. Spectroscopic and electrochemical studies were performed, which show evidence of excited state charge transfer and a first oxidation state of 0.58 V (vs SCE). These properties suggest that the polymer could be involved in excited state electron donation to fullerenes and other electron acceptors, which could be beneficial in organic photovoltaics, sensors, and other applications. Molecular dyads and triads capable of charge separation have been studied for decades, and the spectroscopic properties of two novel systems are reported in this dissertation. A peripherally-connected zinc-phthalocyanine-C60 dyad was studied, and showed excited state electron transfer from the phthalocyanine excited state to the C60, with a long-lived charge separated state. An axially-linked carotene-Si-pthalocyanine-C60 triad was studied, showing excited state electron transfer from the phthalocyanine to the C60, but fast recombination before hole transfer can occur to the carotene. Analogues of the electron transport mechanisms used in many biological systems use iron-sulfur clusters to shuttle electrons from donors to acceptors. In this dissertation, the spectroscopic properties of a de novo protein were studied. Nanosecond transient absorption was used to characterize the electron and energy transfer of an excited water-soluble porphyrin to the oxidized [FeS] clusters incorporated in the de novo protein. The triplet state of the porphyrin was strongly quenched with the holo-protein without a rise in porphyrin plus signal, suggesting that only Dexter-type energy transfer occurs between the sensitized porphyrin and the [FeS] clusters.
ContributorsSchmitz, Robert (Author) / Gust, John D (Thesis advisor) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Buttry, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Molybdenum (Mo) is a key trace nutrient for biological assimilation of nitrogen, either as nitrogen gas (N2) or nitrate (NO3-). Although Mo is the most abundant metal in seawater (105 nM), its concentration is low (<5 nM) in most freshwaters today, and it was scarce in the ocean before 600

Molybdenum (Mo) is a key trace nutrient for biological assimilation of nitrogen, either as nitrogen gas (N2) or nitrate (NO3-). Although Mo is the most abundant metal in seawater (105 nM), its concentration is low (<5 nM) in most freshwaters today, and it was scarce in the ocean before 600 million years ago. The use of Mo for nitrogen assimilation can be understood in terms of the changing Mo availability through time; for instance, the higher Mo content of eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic nitrate reductase may have stalled proliferation of eukaryotes in low-Mo Proterozoic oceans. Field and laboratory experiments were performed to study Mo requirements for NO3- assimilation and N2 fixation, respectively. Molybdenum-nitrate addition experiments at Castle Lake, California revealed interannual and depth variability in plankton community response, perhaps resulting from differences in species composition and/or ammonium availability. Furthermore, lake sediments were elevated in Mo compared to soils and bedrock in the watershed. Box modeling suggested that the largest source of Mo to the lake was particulate matter from the watershed. Month-long laboratory experiments with heterocystous cyanobacteria (HC) showed that <1 nM Mo led to low N2 fixation rates, while 10 nM Mo was sufficient for optimal rates. At 1500 nM Mo, freshwater HC hyperaccumulated Mo intercellularly, whereas coastal HC did not. These differences in storage capacity were likely due to the presence in freshwater HC of the small molybdate-binding protein, Mop, and its absence in coastal and marine cyanobacterial species. Expression of the mop gene was regulated by Mo availability in the freshwater HC species Nostoc sp. PCC 7120. Under low Mo (<1 nM) conditions, mop gene expression was up-regulated compared to higher Mo (150 and 3000 nM) treatments, but the subunit composition of the Mop protein changed, suggesting that Mop does not bind Mo in the same manner at <1 nM Mo that it can at higher Mo concentrations. These findings support a role for Mop as a Mo storage protein in HC and suggest that freshwater HC control Mo cellular homeostasis at the post-translational level. Mop's widespread distribution in prokaryotes lends support to the theory that it may be an ancient protein inherited from low-Mo Precambrian oceans.
ContributorsGlass, Jennifer (Author) / Anbar, Ariel D (Thesis advisor) / Shock, Everett L (Committee member) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Hartnett, Hilairy E (Committee member) / Elser, James J (Committee member) / Fromme, Petra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
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Description
Hydrogenases, the enzymes that reversibly convert protons and electrons to hydrogen, are used in all three domains of life. [NiFe]-hydrogenases are considered best suited for biotechnological applications because of their reversible inactivation with oxygen. Phylogenetically, there are four groups of [NiFe]-hydrogenases. The best characterized group, "uptake" hydrogenases, are membrane-bound and

Hydrogenases, the enzymes that reversibly convert protons and electrons to hydrogen, are used in all three domains of life. [NiFe]-hydrogenases are considered best suited for biotechnological applications because of their reversible inactivation with oxygen. Phylogenetically, there are four groups of [NiFe]-hydrogenases. The best characterized group, "uptake" hydrogenases, are membrane-bound and catalyze hydrogen oxidation in vivo. In contrast, the group 3 [NiFe]-hydrogenases are heteromultimeric, bifunctional enzymes that fulfill various cellular roles. In this dissertation, protein film electrochemistry (PFE) is used to characterize the catalytic properties of two group 3 [NiFe]-hydrogenases: HoxEFUYH from Synechocystsis sp. PCC 6803 and SHI from Pyrococcus furiosus. First, HoxEFUYH is shown to be biased towards hydrogen production. Upon exposure to oxygen, HoxEFUYH inactivates to two states, both of which can be reactivated on the timescale of seconds. Second, we show that PfSHI is the first example of an oxygen tolerant [NiFe]-hydrogenase that produces two inactive states upon exposure to oxygen. Both inactive states are analogous to those characterized for HoxEFUYH, but oxygen exposed PfSHI produces a greater fraction that reactivates at high potentials, enabling hydrogen oxidation in the presence of oxygen. Third, it is shown that removing the NAD(P)-reducing subunits from PfSHI leads to a decrease in bias towards hydrogen oxidation and renders the enzyme oxygen sensitive. Both traits are likely due to impaired intramolecular electron transfer. Mechanistic hypotheseses for these functional differences are considered.
ContributorsMcIntosh, Chelsea Lee (Author) / Jones, Anne K (Thesis advisor) / Ghirlanda, Giovanna (Committee member) / Buttry, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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Description
Understanding the mechanisms of metalloproteins at the level necessary to engineer new functionalities is complicated by the need to parse the complex overlapping functions played by each amino acid without negatively impacting the host organism. Artificial or designed metallopeptides offer a convenient and simpler platform to explore metal-ligand interactions in

Understanding the mechanisms of metalloproteins at the level necessary to engineer new functionalities is complicated by the need to parse the complex overlapping functions played by each amino acid without negatively impacting the host organism. Artificial or designed metallopeptides offer a convenient and simpler platform to explore metal-ligand interactions in an aqueous, biologically relevant coordination context. In this dissertation, the peptide SODA (ACDLPCG), a synthetic derivative of the nickel-binding pocket of nickel superoxide dismutase, is used as a scaffold to construct a variety of novel metallopeptides and explore their reactivity. In Chapter 2, I show that SODA binds Co(II) and the resulting peptide, CoSODA, reacts with oxygen in an unexpected two step process that models the biosynthesis of Co nitrile hydratase. First, the thiolate sulfur is oxidized and then the metallocenter is oxidized to Co(III). In Chapter 3, I show that both CoSODA and CuSODA form CN- adducts. Spectroscopic investigations of these metallopeptides are compared with data from NiSODA and Ni(CN)SODA to show the remarkable geometric versatility of SODA with respect to interactions with metallocenters. In Chapter 4, exploiting the propensity of sulfur ligands to form bridging structures, NiSODA is used as a metallosynthon to direct synthesis of hetero bi- and tri-metallic peptides as models for [NiFe]-hydrogenases and the A cluster of acetyl-CoA synthase carbon monoxide dehydrogenase. Building on this synthetic strategy, in Chapter 5, I demonstrate synthesis of NiRu complexes including a Ru(bipyridine)2 moiety and characterize their photochemistry.
ContributorsDutta, Arnab (Author) / Jones, Anne K (Thesis advisor) / Moore, Ana L (Committee member) / Vermass, Willem (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
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Description
The unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains a NiFe-type bidirectional hydrogenase that is capable of using reducing equivalents to reduce protons and generate H¬2. In order to achieve sustained H2 production using this cyanobacterium many challenges need to be overcome. Reported H2 production from Synechocystis is of low rate

The unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains a NiFe-type bidirectional hydrogenase that is capable of using reducing equivalents to reduce protons and generate H¬2. In order to achieve sustained H2 production using this cyanobacterium many challenges need to be overcome. Reported H2 production from Synechocystis is of low rate and often transient. Results described in this dissertation show that the hydrogenase activity in Synechocystis is quite different during periods of darkness and light. In darkness, the hydrogenase enzyme acts in a truly bidirectional way and a particular H2 concentration is reached that depends upon the amount of biomass involved in H2 production. On the other hand, in the presence of light the enzyme shows only transient H2 production followed by a rapid and constitutive H2 oxidation. H2 oxidation and production were measured from a variety of Synechocystis strains in which components of the photosynthetic or respiratory electron transport chain were either deleted or inhibited. It was shown that the light-induced H2 oxidation is dependent on the activity of cytochrome b6f and photosystem I but not on the activity of photosystem II, indicating a channeling of electrons through cytochrome b6f and photosystem I. Because of the sequence similarities between subunits of NADH dehydrogenase I in E. coli and subunits of hydrogenase in Synechocystis, NADH dehydrogenase I was considered as the most likely candidate to mediate the electron transfer from hydrogenase to the membrane electron carrier plastoquinone, and a three-dimensional homology model with the associated subunits shows that structurally it is possible for the subunits of the two complexes to assemble. Finally, with the aim of improving the rate of H2 production in Synechocystis by using a powerful hydrogenase enzyme, a mutant strain of Synechocystis was created in which the native hydrogenase was replaced with the hydrogenase from Lyngbya aestuarii BL J, a strain with higher capacity for H2 production. H2 production was detected in this Synechocystis mutant strain, but only in the presence of external reductants. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of redox partners in determining the direction of H2 flux in Synechocystis.
ContributorsDatta, Īpsitā (Author) / Vermaas, Willem Fj (Thesis advisor) / Garcia-Pichel, Ferran (Committee member) / Rittmann, Bruce (Committee member) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
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Description
The evolution of photosynthesis caused the oxygen-rich atmosphere in which we thrive today. Although the reaction centers involved in oxygenic photosynthesis probably evolved from a protein like the reaction centers in modern anoxygenic photosynthesis, modern anoxygenic reaction centers are poorly understood. One such anaerobic reaction center is found in Heliobacterium

The evolution of photosynthesis caused the oxygen-rich atmosphere in which we thrive today. Although the reaction centers involved in oxygenic photosynthesis probably evolved from a protein like the reaction centers in modern anoxygenic photosynthesis, modern anoxygenic reaction centers are poorly understood. One such anaerobic reaction center is found in Heliobacterium modesticaldum. Here, the photosynthetic properties of H. modesticaldum are investigated, especially as they pertain to its unique photochemical reaction center.

The first part of this dissertation describes the optimization of the previously established protocol for the H. modesticaldum reaction center isolation. Subsequently, electron transfer is characterized by ultrafast spectroscopy; the primary electron acceptor, a chlorophyll a derivative, is reduced in ~25 ps, and forward electron transfer occurs directly to a 4Fe-4S cluster in ~650 ps without the requirement for a quinone intermediate. A 2.2-angstrom resolution X-ray crystal structure of the homodimeric heliobacterial reaction center is solved, which is the first ever homodimeric reaction center structure to be solved, and is discussed as it pertains to the structure-function relationship in energy and electron transfer. The structure has a transmembrane helix arrangement similar to that of Photosystem I, but differences in antenna and electron transfer cofactor positions explain variations in biophysical comparisons. The structure is then compared with other reaction centers to infer evolutionary hypotheses suggesting that the ancestor to all modern reaction centers could reduce mobile quinones, and that Photosystem I added lower energy cofactors to its electron transfer chain to avoid the formation of singlet oxygen.

In the second part of this dissertation, hydrogen production rates of H. modesticaldum are quantified in multiple conditions. Hydrogen production only occurs in cells grown without ammonia, and is further increased by removal of N2. These results are used to propose a scheme that summarizes the hydrogen-production metabolism of H. modesticaldum, in which electrons from pyruvate oxidation are shuttled through an electron transport pathway including the reaction center, ultimately reducing nitrogenase. In conjunction, electron microscopy images of H. modesticaldum are shown, which confirm that extended membrane systems are not exhibited by heliobacteria.
ContributorsGisriel, Christopher J (Author) / Redding, Kevin E (Thesis advisor) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Allen, James P. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
The linear chromosomes ends in eukaryotes are protected by telomeres, a nucleoprotein structure that contains telomeric DNA with repetitive sequence and associated proteins. Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that adds telomeric DNA repeats to the 3'-ends of chromosomes to offset the loss of terminal DNA repeats during DNA replication.

The linear chromosomes ends in eukaryotes are protected by telomeres, a nucleoprotein structure that contains telomeric DNA with repetitive sequence and associated proteins. Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that adds telomeric DNA repeats to the 3'-ends of chromosomes to offset the loss of terminal DNA repeats during DNA replication. It consists of two core components: a telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and a telomerase RNA (TR). Telomerase uses a short sequence in its integral RNA component as template to add multiple DNA repeats in a processive manner. However, it remains unclear how the telomerase utilizes the short RNA template accurately and efficiently during DNA repeat synthesis. As previously reported human telomerase nucleotide synthesis arrests upon reaching the end of its RNA template by a unique template-embedded pause signal. In this study, I demonstrate pause signal remains active following template regeneration and inhibits the intrinsic processivity and rate of telomerase repeat addition. Furthermore, I have found that the human telomerase catalytic cycle comprises a crucial and slow incorporation of the first nucleotide after template translocation. This slow nucleotide incorporation step drastically limits repeat addition processivity and rate, which is alleviated with elevated concentrations of dGTP. Additionally, molecular mechanism of the disease mutants on telomerase specific motif T, K570N, have been explored. Finally, I studied how telomerase selective inhibitor BIBR 1532 reduce telomerase repeat addition processivity by function assay. Together, these results shed new light on telomerase catalytic cycle and the importance of telomerase for biomedicine.
ContributorsChen, Yinnan (Author) / Chen, Julian J-L (Thesis advisor) / Jones, Anne K (Committee member) / Allen, James P. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018