Ultrafast Vibrational Energy Transfer between Protein and Cofactor in a Flavoenzyme
Samantha J. O. Hardman, Andreea I. Iorgu, Derren J. Heyes, Nigel S. Scrutton, Igor V. Sazanovich, Sam Hay
Abstract
N) of protein and/or cofactor to probe the vibrational energy transfer (VET) between pentaerythritol tetranitrate reductase (a member of the OYE family) and its noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor. We show that when the FMN cofactor is photoexcited with visible light, vibrational energy is transferred from the flavin to the surrounding protein environment on the picosecond timescale. This finding expands the scope of VET investigation in proteins, which are limited by suitable intrinsic probes, and may have implications in the understanding of the mechanism of recently discovered photoactive flavoenzymes.
Topics & Concepts
Flavin mononucleotideCofactorChemistryFlavin groupPhotochemistryFemtosecondPicosecondHydrideStereochemistryEnzymeBiochemistryOrganic chemistryMetalLaserPhysicsOpticsPhotoreceptor and optogenetics researchPhotosynthetic Processes and MechanismsLight effects on plants