Shinji Kitao

Elucidation of the Fe(iv)=O intermediate in the catalytic cycle of the halogenase SyrB2

SUMMARY Mononuclear non-haem iron (NHFe) enzymes catalyse a wide variety of oxidative reactions including halogenation, hydroxylation, ring closure, desaturation, and aromatic ring cleavage. These are highly important for mammalian somatic processes such as phenylalanine metabolism, production of neurotransmitters, hypoxic response, and the biosynthesis of natural products.1–3 The key reactive intermediate in the catalytic cycles of these enzymes is an S = 2 FeIV=O species, which has been trapped for a number of NHFe enzymes4–8 including the halogenase SyrB2, the subject of this study. Computational studies to understand the reactivity of the enzymatic NHFe FeIV=O intermediate9–13 are limited in applicability due to the paucity of experimental knowledge regarding its geometric and electronic structures, which determine its reactivity. Synchrotron-based nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is a sensitive and effective method that defines the dependence of the vibrational modes of Fe on the nature of the FeIV=O active site.14–16 Here we present the first NRVS structural characterisation of the reactive FeIV=O intermediate of a NHFe enzyme. This FeIV=O intermediate reacts via an initial H-atom abstraction step, with its subsquent halogenation (native) or hydroxylation (non-native) rebound reactivity being dependent on the substrate.17 A correlation of the experimental NRVS data to electronic structure calculations indicates that the substrate is able to direct the orientation of the FeIV=O intermediate, presenting specific frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) which can activate the selective halogenation versus hydroxylation reactivity.Mononuclear non-haem iron (NHFe) enzymes catalyse a broad range of oxidative reactions, including halogenation, hydroxylation, ring closure, desaturation and aromatic ring cleavage reactions. They are involved in a number of biological processes, including phenylalanine metabolism, the production of neurotransmitters, the hypoxic response and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The reactive intermediate in the catalytic cycles of these enzymes is a high-spin S = 2 Fe(iv)=O species, which has been trapped for a number of NHFe enzymes, including the halogenase SyrB2 (syringomycin biosynthesis enzyme 2). Computational studies aimed at understanding the reactivity of this Fe(iv)=O intermediate are limited in applicability owing to the paucity of experimental knowledge about its geometric and electronic structure. Synchrotron-based nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is a sensitive and effective method that defines the dependence of the vibrational modes involving Fe on the nature of the Fe(iv)=O active site. Here we present NRVS structural characterization of the reactive Fe(iv)=O intermediate of a NHFe enzyme, namely the halogenase SyrB2 from the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. This intermediate reacts via an initial hydrogen-atom abstraction step, performing subsequent halogenation of the native substrate or hydroxylation of non-native substrates. A correlation of the experimental NRVS data to electronic structure calculations indicates that the substrate directs the orientation of the Fe(iv)=O intermediate, presenting specific frontier molecular orbitals that can activate either selective halogenation or hydroxylation.

Spin Ordering in LaFeAsO and Its Suppression in Superconductor LaFeAsO0.89F0.11 Probed by Mössbauer Spectroscopy

57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy was applied to an iron-based layered superconductor LaFeAsO 0.89 F 0.11 with a transition temperature of 26 K and to its parent material LaFeAsO. Throughout the temperature range from 4.2 to 298 K, a singlet pattern with no magnetic splitting was observed in the Mossbauer spectrum of the F-doped superconductor. Furthermore, no additional internal magnetic field was observed for the spectrum measured at 4.2 K under a magnetic field of 7 T. On the other hand, magnetically split spectra were observed in the parent LaFeAsO below 140 K, and this temperature is slightly lower than that of a structural phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic phase, which accompanies the electrical resistivity anomaly at around 150 K. The magnetic moment is estimated to be ∼0.35 µ B /Fe from the internal magnetic field of 5.3 T at 4.2 K in the orthorhombic phase, and the spin disorder appears to remain in the magnetically ordered state even at 4.2 K. The lack of a magnetic transition in LaFeA...

Electronic and magnetic phase diagram of superconductors, SmFeAsO1?xFx

A crystallographic and magnetic phase diagram of SmFeAsO1−xFx is determined as a function of x in terms of temperature based on electrical transport and magnetization, synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction, 57Fe Mossbauer spectra (MS), and 149Sm nuclear resonant forward scattering (NRFS) measurements. MS revealed that the magnetic moments of Fe were aligned antiferromagnetically at ~144 K (TN(Fe)). The magnetic moment of Fe (MFe) is estimated to be 0.34 μB/Fe at 4.2 K for undoped SmFeAsO; MFe is quenched in superconducting F-doped SmFeAsO. 149Sm NRFS spectra revealed that the magnetic moments of Sm start to order antiferromagnetically at 5.6 K (undoped) and 4.4 K (TN(Sm)) (x=0.069). Results clearly indicate that the antiferromagnetic (AF) Sm sublattice coexists with the superconducting phase in SmFeAsO1−xFx below TN(Sm), while the AF Fe sublattice does not coexist with the superconducting phase.

Generation and Application of Ultrahigh Monochromatic X-ray Using High-Quality 57FeBO3 Single Crystal

Ultrahigh monochromatic 14.4 keV X-rays with a narrow bandwidth of 15.4 neV were generated successfully with a high counting rate of 12,000 counts/s at the undulator beamline (BL11XU) of SPring-8. It was achieved by combining an intense X-ray from the third generation synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 and pure nuclear Bragg scattering of a very high-quality 57FeBO3 perfect single crystal at the Neel temperature. We describe the detailed study of the beam characteristics and some performance test experiments of energy-domain synchrotron radiation Mossbauer spectroscopy, including a high-pressure experiment using a diamond anvil cel.

Geometric and Electronic Structure of the Mn(IV)Fe(III) Cofactor in Class Ic Ribonucleotide Reductase: Correlation to the Class Ia Binuclear Non-Heme Iron Enzyme

The class Ic ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) from Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) utilizes a Mn/Fe heterobinuclear cofactor, rather than the Fe/Fe cofactor found in the β (R2) subunit of the class Ia enzymes, to react with O2. This reaction produces a stable Mn(IV)Fe(III) cofactor that initiates a radical, which transfers to the adjacent α (R1) subunit and reacts with the substrate. We have studied the Mn(IV)Fe(III) cofactor using nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and absorption (Abs)/circular dichroism (CD)/magnetic CD (MCD)/variable temperature, variable field (VTVH) MCD spectroscopies to obtain detailed insight into its geometric/electronic structure and to correlate structure with reactivity; NRVS focuses on the Fe(III), whereas MCD reflects the spin-allowed transitions mostly on the Mn(IV). We have evaluated 18 systematically varied structures. Comparison of the simulated NRVS spectra to the experimental data shows that the cofactor has one carboxylate bridge, with Mn(IV) at the site proximal to Phe127. Abs/CD/MCD/VTVH MCD data exhibit 12 transitions that are assigned as d-d and oxo and OH(-) to metal charge-transfer (CT) transitions. Assignments are based on MCD/Abs intensity ratios, transition energies, polarizations, and derivative-shaped pseudo-A term CT transitions. Correlating these results with TD-DFT calculations defines the Mn(IV)Fe(III) cofactor as having a μ-oxo, μ-hydroxo core and a terminal hydroxo ligand on the Mn(IV). From DFT calculations, the Mn(IV) at site 1 is necessary to tune the redox potential to a value similar to that of the tyrosine radical in class Ia RNR, and the OH(-) terminal ligand on this Mn(IV) provides a high proton affinity that could gate radical translocation to the α (R1) subunit.

Fe2+-based layered porous coordination polymers and soft encapsulation of guests via redox activity

2-D layer type porous coordination polymers containing redox active Fe2+ centers were synthesized. One of the compounds [Fe(isophthalate)(4,4′-bipyridyl)] showed structural flexibility via guest adsorption, and we observed reversible Fe2+ and Fe3+ switching by iodine insertion. The composite showed electric conductivity.

Crystal structure and anisotropy of iodine-intercalated Bi2Sr2Can−1CunOx

The electronic state and structural configuration of the intercalated iodine species in stage-1, I-Bi2Sr2Can−1CunOx (n = l, 2), have been studied through polarization-resolved Raman and129I Mössbauer spectroscopy. The polarization dependence of the Raman spectra and the Mössbauer measurement confirmed the dominant species to be triiodide ions, I3−, with alignment of these linear molecules either along thea- orb-axis in the host crystals. Transport measurements such as thermoelectric power and Hall coefficient clearly indicated that hole carriers are doped into the CuO2 planes upon intercalation, by whichTc of the host superconductor is changed. Furthermore, based on resistivity measurements in a magnetic field, we suggest that the iodine intercalation leads to a decrease of the anisotropy both in normal and superconducting states, suppressing the extremely two-dimensional character of the Bi2Sr2Can−1CunOx systems.

Synchrotron radiation-based Mössbauer spectra of 174Yb measured with internal conversion electrons

A detection system for synchrotron-radiation (SR)-based Mossbauer spectroscopy was developed to enhance the nuclear resonant scattering counting rate and thus increase the available nuclides. In the system, a windowless avalanche photodiode (APD) detector was combined with a vacuum cryostat to detect the internal conversion (IC) electrons and fluorescent X-rays accompanied by nuclear de-excitation. As a feasibility study, the SR-based Mossbauer spectrum using the 76.5 keV level of 174Yb was observed without 174Yb enrichment of the samples. The counting rate was five times higher than that of our previous system, and the spectrum was obtained within 10 h. This result shows that nuclear resonance events can be more efficiently detected by counting IC electrons for nuclides with high IC coefficients. Furthermore, the windowless detection system enables us to place the sample closer to the APD elements and is advantageous for nuclear resonant inelastic scattering measurements. Therefore, this detection system...

Mössbauer spectroscopy in the energy domain using synchrotron radiation

We have developed a Mossbauer spectroscopic method that yields absorption-type spectra by using synchrotron radiation. Owing to the energy selectivity of synchrotron radiation, this method can be applied to almost all Mossbauer nuclides including those that are difficult to prepare their parent radioactive sources. This method offers the flexibility of measuring the sample in a transmission or in a scattering configuration depending on the sample condition. We have investigated the modulation and narrowing of the spectral shapes caused by the time-window effect, and we have confirmed that the previously developed theory reproduces the measured spectra well.

Development of 151Eu Time-Domain Interferometry and Its Application for the Study of Slow Dynamics in Ionic Liquids

Time-domain interferometry (TDI) employing 151Eu nuclear resonant scattering was developed for the study of slow dynamics. We measured the relaxation times of the density correlation in super-cooled ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (BmimI) by the developed TDI. We found that the temperature dependence of the relaxation times follows the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann law and observed fragile behavior of BmimI. Furthermore, we discussed the potential of TDI for the study of slow dynamics.