David E. Budil

The chlorophyll triplet state as a probe of structure and function in photosynthesis

In this review, we have tried to emphasize work on the triplet state of chlorophyll ( 3 Chl) in photosynthetic and related systems which has appeared since previous reviews were published, and to demonstrate the impact that the newly available crystal structure has had on many of these studies

250-GHz electron spin resonance studies of polarity gradients along the aliphatic chains in phospholipid membranes

Rigid-limit 250-GHz electron spin resonance (FIR-ESR) spectra have been studied for a series of phosphatidylcholine spin labels (n-PC, where n = 5, 7, 10, 12, 16) in pure lipid dispersions of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC), as well as dispersions of DPPC containing the peptide gramicidin A (GA) in a 1:1 molar ratio. The enhanced g-tensor resolution of 250-GHz ESR for these spin labels permitted a careful study of the nitroxide g-tensor as a function of spin probe location and membrane composition. In particular, as the spin label is displaced from the polar head group, Azz decreases and gxx increases as they assume values typical of a nonpolar environment, appropriate for the hydrophobic alkyl chains in the case of pure lipid dispersions. The field shifts of spectral features due to changes in gxx are an order of magnitude larger than those from changes in Azz. The magnetic tensor parameters measured in the presence of GA were characteristic of a polar environment and showed only a very weak dependence of Azz and gxx on label position. These results demonstrate the significant influence of GA on the local polarity along the lipid molecule, and may reflect increased penetration of water into the alkyl chain region of the lipid in the presence of GA. The spectra from the pure lipid dispersions also exhibit a broad background signal that is most significant for 7-, 10-, and 12-PC, and is more pronounced in DPPC than in POPC. It is attributed to spin probe aggregation yielding spin exchange narrowing. The addition of GA to DPPC essentially suppressed the broad background signal observed in pure DPPC dispersions.

Significantly improved sensitivity of Q-band PELDOR/DEER experiments relative to X-band is observed in measuring the intercoil distance of a leucine zipper motif peptide (GCN4-LZ).

Pulsed electron double resonance (PELDOR)/double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy is a very powerful structural biology tool in which the dipolar coupling between two unpaired electron spins (site-directed nitroxide spin-labels) is measured. These measurements are typically conducted at X-band (9.4 GHz) microwave excitation using the four-pulse DEER sequence and can often require up to 12 h of signal averaging for biological samples (depending on the spin-label concentration). In this work, we present for the first time a substantial increase in DEER sensitivity obtained by collecting DEER spectra at Q-band (34 GHz), when compared to X-band. The huge boost in sensitivity (factor of 13) demonstrated at Q-band represents a 169-fold decrease in data collection time, reveals a greatly improved frequency spectrum and higher-quality distance data, and significantly increases sample throughput. Thus, the availability of Q-band DEER spectroscopy should have a major impact on structural biology studies using site-directed spin labeling EPR techniques.

Statistical criteria for the identification of protein active sites using theoretical microscopic titration curves

Theoretical Microscopic Titration Curves (THEMATICS) may be used to identify chemically important residues in active sites of enzymes by characteristic deviations from the normal, sigmoidal Henderson–Hasselbalch titration behavior. Clusters of such deviant residues in physical proximity constitute reliable predictors of the location of the active site. Originally the residues with deviant predicted behavior were identified by human observation of the computed titration curves. However, it is preferable to select the unusual residues by mathematically well‐defined criteria, in order to reduce the chance of error, eliminate any possible biases, and substantially speed up the selection process. Here we present some simple statistical tests that constitute such selection criteria. The first derivatives of the predicted titration curves resemble distribution functions and are normalized. The moments of these first derivative functions are computed. It is shown that the third and fourth moments, measures of asymmetry and kurtosis, respectively, are good measures of the deviations from normal behavior. Results are presented for 44 different enzymes. Detailed results are given for 4 enzymes with 4 different types of chemistry: arginine kinase from Limulus polyphemus (horseshoe crab); β‐lactamase from Escherichia coli; glutamate racemase from Aquifex pyrophilus; and 3‐isopropylmalate dehydrogenase from Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The relationship between the statistical measures of nonsigmoidal behavior in the predicted titration curves and the catalytic activity of the residue is discussed. Proteins 2005.

Theory of two‐dimensional Fourier transform electron spin resonance for ordered and viscous fluids

A comprehensive theory for interpreting two‐dimensional Fourier transform (2D‐FT) electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments that is based on the stochastic Liouville equation is presented. It encompasses the full range of motional rates from fast through very slow motions, and it also provides for microscopic as well as macroscopic molecular ordering. In these respects it is as sophisticated in its treatment of molecular dynamics as the theory currently employed for analyzing cw ESR spectra. The general properties of the pulse propagator superoperator, which describes the microwave pulses in Liouville space, are analyzed in terms of the coherence transfer pathways appropriate for COSY (correlation spectroscopy), SECSY (spin–echo correlation spectroscopy), and 2D‐ELDOR (electron–electron double resonance) sequences wherein either the free‐induction decay (FID) or echo decay is sampled. Important distinctions are made among the sources of inhomogeneous broadening, which include (a) incomplete spectral avera...

Microscopic versus macroscopic diffusion in model membranes by electron spin resonance spectral-spatial imaging

The macroscopic and the microscopic diffusion coefficients of a phospholipid spin label (16-PC) in the model membrane 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-phosphatidylcholine have been measured simultaneously in the same sample utilizing the new technique of spectral-spatial electron spin resonance imaging. The macroscopic diffusion coefficient Dmacro for self-diffusion of 16-PC spin label is obtained from imaging the concentration profiles as a function of time, and it is (2.3 +/- 0.4) x 10(-8) cm2/s at 22 degrees C. The microscopic diffusion coefficient Dmicro for relative diffusion of the spin probes is obtained from the variation of the spectral line broadening with spin label concentration, which is due to spin-spin interactions. Dmicro is found to be substantially greater than Dmacro for the same sample at the same conditions, and is estimated to be at least (1.0 +/- 0.4) x 10(-7) cm2/s. Possible sources for their difference are briefly discussed in terms of the models used for Dmicro.

Effect of Sorbed Methanol, Current, and Temperature on Multicomponent Transport in Nafion-Based Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

The CO2 in the cathode exhaust of a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has two sources: methanol diffuses through the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to the cathode where it is catalytically oxidized to CO2; additionally, a portion of the CO2 produced at the anode diffuses through the MEA to the cathode. The potential-dependent CO2 exhaust from the cathode was monitored by online electrochemical mass spectrometry (ECMS) with air and with H2 at the cathode. The precise determination of the crossover rates of methanol and CO2, enabled by the subtractive normalization of the methanol/air to the methanol/H2 ECMS data, shows that methanol decreases the membrane viscosity and thus increases the diffusion coefficients of sorbed membrane components. The crossover of CO2 initially increases linearly with the Faradaic oxidation of methanol, reaches a temperature-dependent maximum, and then decreases. The membrane viscosity progressively increases as methanol is electrochemically depleted from the anode/electrolyte interface. The crossover maximum occurs when the current dependence of the diffusion coefficients and membrane CO2 solubility dominate over the Faradaic production of CO2. The plasticizing effect of methanol is corroborated by measurements of the rotational diffusion of TEMPONE (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone N-oxide) spin probe by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. A linear inverse relationship between the methanol crossover rate and current density confirms the absence of methanol electro-osmotic drag at concentrations relevant to operating DMFCs. The purely diffusive transport of methanol is explained in terms of current proton solvation and methanol-water incomplete mixing theories.

9.6 GHz and 34 GHz electron paramagnetic resonance studies of chromium‐doped forsterite

Chromium‐doped forsterite single crystals grown under conditions that produce a high Cr4+/Cr3+ ratio were examined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at 9.6 and 34 GHz. The crystals were grown in 2–3 atm of oxygen by the floating‐zone method starting from polycrystalline chromium‐doped forsterite powder synthesized via a sol–gel method. Three crystals with chromium concentrations of 110, 300, and 390 ppm were studied. At 34 GHz, transitions are observed for the laser‐active tetrahedral Cr4+ species that are not observable at 9.6 GHz, which improve the resolution and accuracy with which the magnetic parameters can be measured by EPR. In addition, peaks for a non‐Kramers species appear at 34 GHz that were not observed at 9.6 GHz. These peaks are not analyzed in detail, but are tentatively ascribed to Cr4+ in the octahedral substitution sites of the crystal. At the highest chromium concentration, the Cr3+ spectra show evidence of direct interaction with Cr4+. A global least‐squares fit of the combined ...

Millimeter Wave Electron Spin Resonance Using Quasioptical Techniques

Summary We have presented a complete analysis of the Cornell mm-wave spectrometer using quasioptical formalism with sufficient flexibility to predict the performance of a novel reflection spectrometer with variable input coupling and transmit-receive duplexing based on polarization coding and we present a practical realization of these design concepts in Earle et al . (1996b). At every stage we have chosen parameters that correspond to practical performance values and measured response. The treatment given here is self-contained, but the references contain many useful extensions of our results and alternative treatments may deepen the reader’s understanding. We have tried, where possible, to take advantage of EPR spectroscopists’ knowledge of microwave circuits and analysis. As high-field ESR becomes more common, we predict that analogies from other fields will continue to be a useful method for extending the generality and utility of the method. Implementing the advanced techniques discussed in Sections IX-XI will give significant inprovements in signal-to-noise ratio as we have demonstrated elsewhere (Earle et al ., 1996b).

Quasioptical design for an EPR spectrometer based on a horizontal-bore superconducting solenoid

We describe a novel high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR) spectrometer design based on a horizontal-bore superconducting solenoid. Designs for components of a quasioptical HF-EPR spectrometer operating with a horizontal-bore 7.85 T solenoid are discussed. A rigid concentric tube construction permits precise placement and control of the optical elements in the magnet bore. A mechanically coupled, sliding optical table bearing the quasioptical bridge is another essential feature of the design. The horizontal configuration greatly improves optical alignment as well as physical access to the sample area compared to existing vertical-bore instruments. As a result, the minimum spin concentration that is detectable with an inexpensive room-temperature diode is comparable to the lowest values reported for aqueous samples in vertical-bore magnets using high-sensitivity detectors.