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Color-Tuning Mechanism of Firefly Investigated by Multi-Configurational Perturbation Method

This is the first report on a multiconfigurational reference second-order perturbation theory-molecular mechanics study of the color modulation of the observed bioluminescence of the oxyluciferin-luciferase complex of the Japanese genji-botaru firefly using structures according to recent X-ray data. Our theoretical results do not support the experimentally deduced conclusion that the color modulation of the emitted light primarily depends on the size of the compact luciferase protein cavity embedding the excited oxyluciferin molecule. Rather, we find, in agreement with recent experimental observations, that the wavelength of the emitted light depends on the polarity of the microenvironment at the phenol/phenolate terminal of the benzothiazole fragment in oxyluciferin.

The Chemistry of Bioluminescence: An Analysis of Chemical Functionalities

Firefly luciferase is one of the most studied bioluminescent systems, both theoretically and experimentally. Herein we review the current understanding of the bioluminescent process from a chemical functionality perspective based on those investigations. Three key components are emphasized: the chemiluminophore, the electron-donating fragment, and how these are affected by the substrate-enzyme interaction. The understanding is based on details of how the peroxide -O-O- bond supports the production of electronically excited products and how the charge-transfer (CT) mechanism, with the aid of an electron-donating group, lowers the activation barrier to support a reaction occurs in living organisms. For the substrate-enzyme complex it is demonstrated that the enzyme can affect the hydrogen-bonding around the CT-controlling group, resulting in a mechanism for color modulation. Finally, we analyse other luciferin-luciferase systems and compare them to the key chemical functionalities of the fragments of the luciferin-luciferase complex with respect to similarities and differences.

Systematic theoretical investigation on the light emitter of firefly

This is a systematic theoretical investigation on all the possible light emitters of firefly using a multireference method. Six chemical forms of oxyluciferin (OxyLH2) molecules/anions were studied by a multistate complete active space second-order perturbation (MS-CASPT2) method in vacuum and dimethyl sulfoxide. The calculated results and subsequent analysis excluded enol-OxyLH2, keto-OxyLH2, and enolate-OxyLH(-) as possible light emitters. The remaining three candidates, phenolate-enol-OxyLH(-), phenolate-keto-OxyLH(-), and OxyL(2-), were further investigated in protein by a MS-CASPT2/molecular mechanics (MM) study to explain the natural bioluminescence of firefly. By comparison of the MS-CASPT2/MM calculated results of phenolate-enol-OxyLH(-), phenolate-keto-OxyLH(-), and OxyL(2-) with the experimental observation and detailed analysis, we concluded that the direct decomposition excited-state product of firefly dioxetanone in vivo and the only light emitter of firefly in natural bioluminescence is the first singlet excited state (S1) of phenolate-keto-OxyLH(-).

Chemiluminescence and Fluorescence States of a Small Model for Coelenteramide and Cypridina Oxyluciferin: A CASSCF/CASPT2 Study

Fluorescence and chemiluminescence phenomena are often confused in experimental and theoretical studies on the luminescent properties of chemical systems. To establish the patterns that distinguish both processes, the fluorescent and chemiluminescent states of 2-acetamido-3-methylpyrazine, which is a small model of the coelenterazine/coelenteramide and Cypridina luciferin/oxyluciferin bioluminescent systems, were characterized by using the complete active space second-order perturbation (CASPT2) method. Differences in geometries and electronic structures among the states responsible for light emission were found. On the basis of the findings, some recommendations for experimental studies on chemiluminescence are suggested, and more appropriate theoretical approaches are proposed.

Are the Bio- and Chemiluminescence States of the Firefly Oxyluciferin the Same as the Fluorescence State?

A usual strategy in both experimental and theoretical studies on bio‐ and chemiluminescence is to analyze the fluorescent properties of the bio‐ and chemiluminescence reaction product. Recent findings in a coelenteramide and Cypridina oxyluciferin model raise a concern on the validity of this procedure, showing that the light emitters in each of these luminescent processes might differ. Here, the thermal decomposition path of the firefly dioxetanone and the light emission states of the Firefly oxyluciferin responsible for the bio‐, chemiluminescence, and fluorescence of the molecule are characterized using ab initio quantum chemistry and hybrid quantum chemistry/molecular mechanics methods to determine if the scenario found in the coelenteramide and Cypridina oxyluciferin study does also apply to the Firefly bioluminescent systems. The results point out to a unique emission state in the bio‐, chemiluminescence, and fluorescence phenomena of the Firefly oxyluciferin and, therefore, using fluorescence properties of this system is reasonable.

Chemiluminescence of Coelenterazine and Fluorescence of Coelenteramide: A Systematic Theoretical Study

A systematic investigation of the structural and spectroscopic properties of coelenteramide has been performed at the TD-CAM-B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory, including various fluorescence and chemiluminescence states. The influence of geometric conformations, solvent polarity, protonation state, and the covalent character of the O-H bond of the hydroxyphenyl moiety were carefully studied. Striking differences in geometries and electronic structures among the states responsible for light emission were characterized. All fluorescence states can be described as a limited charge transfer process for a planar amide moiety. However, the chemiluminescence state is characterized by a much larger charge transfer that takes place over a longer distance. Moreover, the chemiluminescent coelenteramide structure exhibits an amide moiety that is no longer planar, in agreement with recent, more accurate ab initio results [Roca-Sanjuán et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput.2011, 7, 4060]. Because the chemiluminescence state appears to be completely dark, a new mechanism is tentatively introduced for this process.

Hybrid QM/MM simulations of the obelin bioluminescence and fluorescence reveal an unexpected light emitter.

Obelia longissima, a tiny hydrozoan living in temperate and cold seas, features the Obelin photoprotein, which emits blue light. The Obelin bioluminescence and the Ca(2+)-discharged Obelin fluorescence spectra show multimodal characteristics that are currently interpreted by the concomitant participation of several light emitters. Up to now, the coelenteramide luminophore is thought to exist in different protonation states, one of them engaged in an ion-pair with the nearby residue, His22. Using hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, we demonstrate that such an ion-pair cannot exist as a stable light emitter. However, when His22 electric neutrality is maintained by means of another proton transfer, the phenolate state of coelenteramide exhibits emission properties in agreement with experiment. Finally, an alternative nonradiative decay pathway, involving the formation of a diradical excited state, is postulated for the first time.

Vibrations in the B4 rhombic structure

A double minimum six-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) is determined in symmetry coordinates for the most stable rhombic (D2h) B4 isomer in its 1Ag electronic ground state by fitting to energies calculated ab initio. The PES exhibits a barrier to the D4h square structure of 255 cm(-1). The vibrational levels (J=0) are calculated variationally using an approach which involves the Watson kinetic energy operator expressed in normal coordinates. The pattern of about 65 vibrational levels up to 1600 cm(-1) for all stable isotopomers is analyzed. Analogous to the inversion in ammonia-like molecules, the rhombus rearrangements lead to splittings of the vibrational levels. In B4 it is the B1g (D4h) mode which distorts the square molecule to its planar rhombic form. The anharmonic fundamental vibrational transitions of 11B4 are calculated to be (splittings in parentheses): G(0)=2352(22) cm(-1), nu1(A1g)=1136(24) cm(-1), nu2(B1g)=209(144) cm(-1), nu3(B2g)=1198(19) cm(-1), nu4(B2u)=271(24) cm(-1), and nu5(Eu)=1030(166) cm(-1) (D4h notation). Their variations in all stable isotopomers were investigated. Due to the presence of strong anharmonic resonances between the B1g in-plane distortion and the B2u out-of-plane bending modes, the higher overtones and combination levels are difficult to assign unequivocally.

DFT studies of trans and cis influences in the homolysis of the Co-C bond in models of the alkylcobalamins.

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations (BP86/6-31+G(d,p)) and an analysis of the electron density using Baders quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) are used to explore factors that influence the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of the Co-C bond in models for the cofactor in the coenzyme B12-dependent enzymes. An increase in the basicity of L in [L-Co(III)(corrin)-CH3](n+), L = NH3, NH2(-), and NH(2-), causes an elongation of the trans Co-C bond, but this does not necessarily cause the BDE to decrease. The bond between the metal and the N-donor of L, Co-Nα, usually becomes shorter after Co-C homolysis as the resulting five-coordinate product permits the metal ion to move toward L. This contraction increases with the basicity of L and stabilizes the five-coordinate product. The BDE is found to correlate well with two variables, the basicity of L and the difference in the Co-Nα bond length between the five-coordinate product and the six-coordinate ground state. When L is a naturally occurring amino acid or a model for its metal-coordinating side chain, the BDE is found to be moderately dependent on L and decrease with an increase in the softness of the donor atom of L. Sulfides produce a BDE < 30 kcal mol(-1), whereas neutral alcohol donors produce a stronger Co-C bond with a BDE of 34-35 kcal mol(-1). All other ligands are associated with a trans Co-C bond that is almost invariant in strength and with a BDE of 31-33 kcal mol(-1). Models of the type [H3N-Co(III)(N4)-CH3](n+), where N4 = bis(dimethylglyoxime), porphyrin, corrin, and corrole, show that the nature of the tetraaza equatorial ligand can change BDE values by over 8 kcal mol(-1); the BDE when N4 = bis(dimethylglyoxime) is significantly larger than for the other three systems, among which differences in BDE are quite small (2.4 kcal mol(-1)). The differential stabilization of the five-coordinate product by the shrinking of the Co-Nα bond (in corrin and in corrole) or its elongation (in porphyrin and in bis(dimethylglyoxime)) is an important factor in determining the BDE of these systems. Corrin has the longest and weakest Co-C bond; this, together with a significant contraction of the Co-Nα after homolysis, is likely to be the origin of its relatively low BDE.

cis influence in models of cobalt corrins by DFT and TD-DFT studies.

Time-dependent density-functional theory and density-functional theory are applied to study the cis influence of the equatorial macrocycle in vitamin B(12) derivatives. A series of dicyanocobalt corrinoids, CN-[Co(III)-corrin]-CN, where the C(10)H of the corrin ring is replaced by different substituents, X, is considered. The calculated UV-visible absorption spectra, the charge distribution obtained from a Bader QTAIM analysis of the electron density, the CN stretch frequencies of the axial cyano ligands and the electron densities at some bond critical points are compared. The main absorption bands in the UV-visible spectra depend on the electron donating or withdrawing power of X, as assessed from its Hammett σ(p) constants. For X with a stronger electron donating power than H, the other properties do not change appreciably. However, when σ(p)(X) > σ(p)(H), these properties vary linearly with the electron withdrawing power of the substituent. This helps explain the experimental observation that substitution of the axial ligand is more difficult and proceeds more slowly with the increase of the electron withdrawing power of the C(10) substituent.