Neutron and X-ray structural studies of short hydrogen bonds in photoactive yellow protein (PYP)

S. Z. Fisher, S. Anderson, R. Henning, K. Moffat, P. Langan, P. Thiyagarajan, A. J. Schultz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Photoactive yellow protein (PYP) from Halorhodospira halophila is a soluble 14 kDa blue-light photoreceptor. It absorbs light via its para-coumaric acid chromophore (pCA), which is covalently attached to Cys69 and is believed to be involved in the negative phototactic response of the organism to blue light. The complete structure (including H atoms) of PYP has been determined in D 2O-soaked crystals through the application of joint X-ray (1.1 Å) and neutron (2.5 Å) structure refinement in combination with cross-validated maximum-likelihood simulated annealing. The resulting XN structure reveals that the phenolate O atom of pCA accepts deuterons from Glu46 Oε2 and Tyr42 Oη in two unusually short hydrogen bonds. This arrangement is stabilized by the donation of a deuteron from Thr50 Oγ1 to Tyr42 Oη. However, the deuteron position between pCA and Tyr42 is only partially occupied. Thus, this atom may also interact with Thr50, possibly being disordered or fluctuating between the two bonds.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1178-1184
Number of pages7
JournalActa Crystallographica Section D: Biological Crystallography
Volume63
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institute of General Medical SciencesR37GM036452

    Keywords

    • Hydrogen bonds
    • Neutron diffraction
    • Photoactive yellow protein

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