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Photosystem II (PSII) uses light energy to oxidize water and to reduce plastoquinone in the photosynthetic electron transport chain. O2 is produced as a byproduct. While most members of the PSII research community agree that O2 originates from water molecules, alternative hypotheses involving bicarbonate persist in the literature. In this perspective, we provide an overview of the important roles of bicarbonate in regulating PSII activity and assembly. Further, we emphasize that biochemistry, spectroscopy, and structural biology experiments have all failed to detect bicarbonate near the active site of O2 evolution. While thermodynamic arguments for oxygen-centered bicarbonate oxidation are valid, the claim that bicarbonate is a substrate for photosynthetic O2 evolution is challenged.

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In light of recent conflicting reports regarding the hydroformylation catalytic activity derived from cationic Co(II) precatalysts of the form [Co(acac)(bis(phosphine))]BF4, the synthetic procedures and characterization of [Co(acac)(dppBz)]BF4, 1, are evaluated. Leveraging calibrated ESI-TOF MS methodologies, substantial quantities of Co(acac)2(dppBz), 2, were observed within samples of 1. The source of the impurity, 2, is determined to derive from incomplete protonolysis of the Co(acac)2 precursor and ligand scrambling occurring during the synthesis of 1. Revised synthetic procedures using lower temperature conditions and longer reaction times afford analytically pure samples of 1 based on ESI-TOF MS and NMR spectroscopic analysis. Complex 1 is demonstrated to act as a hydroformylation precatalyst for the conversion of 1-hexene to 1-heptanal under relatively mild conditions at 51.7 bar and 140 °C. The presence of impurity 2 is shown to dramatically decrease the catalytic performance derived from 1.

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Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms use Photosystem II (PSII) to oxidize water and reduce plastoquinone. Here, we review the mechanisms by which PSII is assembled and turned over in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This species has been used to make key discoveries in PSII research due to its metabolic flexibility and amenability to genetic approaches. PSII subunits originate from both nuclear and chloroplastic gene products in Chlamydomonas. Nuclear-encoded PSII subunits are transported into the chloroplast and chloroplast-encoded PSII subunits are translated by a coordinated mechanism. Active PSII dimers are built from discrete reaction center complexes in a process facilitated by assembly factors. The phosphorylation of core subunits affects supercomplex formation and localization within the thylakoid network. Proteolysis primarily targets the D1 subunit, which when replaced, allows PSII to be reactivated and completes a repair cycle. While PSII has been extensively studied using Chlamydomonas as a model species, important questions remain about its assembly and repair which are presented here.

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The Mn4CaO5 oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystem II (PSII) is assembled in situ and catalyzes water oxidation. After OEC assembly, the PsbO extrinsic subunit docks to the lumenal face of PSII and both stabilizes the OEC and facilitates efficient proton transfer to the lumen. D1 residue R334 is part of a hydrogen bond network involved in proton release during catalysis and interacts directly with PsbO. D1-R334 has recently been observed in different conformations in apo- and holo-OEC PSII structures. We generated a D1-R334G point mutant in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to better understand this residue's function. D1-R334G PSII is active under continuous light, but the OEC is unstable in darkness. Isolated D1-R334G core complexes have little bound PsbO and less manganese as the wild type control. The S2 intermediate is stabilized in D1-R334G indicating that the local environment around the OEC has been altered. These results suggest that the hydrogen bond network that includes D1-R334 exists in a different functional conformation during PSII biogenesis in the absence of PsbO.

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[HCo(CO)x(bisphosphine)](BF4), x = 1-3, is a highly active hydroformylation catalyst system, especially for internal branched alkenes. In situ infrared spectroscopy (IR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and nuclear magnetic resonance studies support the proposed catalyst formulation. IR studies reveal the formation of a dicationic Co(I) paramagnetic CO-bridged dimer, [Co2(µ-CO)2(CO)(bisphosphine)2]2+, at lower temperatures formed from the reaction of two catalyst complexes via the elimination of H2. DFT studies indicate a dimer structure with square-pyramidal and tetrahedral cobalt centers. This monomer-dimer equilibrium is analogous to that seen for HCo(CO)4, reacting to eliminate H2 and form Co2(CO)8. EPR studies on the catalyst show a high-spin (S = 3/2) Co(II) complex. Reaction studies are presented that support the cationic Co(II) bisphosphine catalyst as the catalyst species present in this system and minimize the possible role of neutral Co(I) species, HCo(CO)4 or HCo(CO)3(phosphine), as catalysts.

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Unlike the light conditions commonly used to grow photosynthetic organisms in the research laboratory, the light intensity in real environments is dynamic. A simple and low-cost system is described in which a commercial dimmable LED panel is controlled to simulate a sinusoidal function representing daylight hours and overlaid with stochastic shading events. The output closely resembles light intensity measurements on Earth's surface on partly cloudy days or in lower levels of plant canopies. This tool may be useful to researchers studying photosynthetic acclimation responses.

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The Mn4Ca oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystem II (PSII) is assembled in situ from free Mn2+, Ca2+, and water. In an early light-driven step, Mn2+ in a protein high-affinity site is oxidized to Mn3+. Using dual-mode electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we observed that Mn3+ accumulation increases as chloride concentration increases in spinach PSII membranes depleted of all extrinsic subunits. At physiologically relevant pH values, this effect requires the presence of calcium. When combined with pH studies, we conclude that the first Mn2+ oxidation event in OEC assembly requires a deprotonation that is facilitated by chloride.

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Far-red light (FRL) photoacclimation in cyanobacteria provides a selective growth advantage for some terrestrial cyanobacteria by expanding the range of photosynthetically active radiation to include far-red/near-infrared light (700-800 nm). During this photoacclimation process, photosystem II (PSII), the water:plastoquinone photooxidoreductase involved in oxygenic photosynthesis, is modified. The resulting FRL-PSII is comprised of FRL-specific core subunits and binds chlorophyll (Chl) d and Chl f molecules in place of several of the Chl a molecules found when cells are grown in visible light. These new Chls effectively lower the energy canonically thought to define the "red limit" for light required to drive photochemical catalysis of water oxidation. Changes to the architecture of FRL-PSII were previously unknown, and the positions of Chl d and Chl f molecules had only been proposed from indirect evidence. Here, we describe the 2.25 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of a monomeric FRL-PSII core complex from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335 cells that were acclimated to FRL. We identify one Chl d molecule in the ChlD1 position of the electron transfer chain and four Chl f molecules in the core antenna. We also make observations that enhance our understanding of PSII biogenesis, especially on the acceptor side of the complex where a bicarbonate molecule is replaced by a glutamate side chain in the absence of the assembly factor Psb28. In conclusion, these results provide a structural basis for the lower energy limit required to drive water oxidation, which is the gateway for most solar energy utilization on earth.

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The cobalt complexes HCo(CO)4 and HCo(CO)3(PR3) were the original industrial catalysts used for the hydroformylation of alkenes through reaction with hydrogen and carbon monoxide to produce aldehydes. More recent and expensive rhodium-phosphine catalysts are hundreds of times more active and operate under considerably lower pressures. Cationic cobalt(II) bisphosphine hydrido-carbonyl catalysts that are far more active than traditional neutral cobalt(I) catalysts and approach rhodium catalysts in activity are reported here. These catalysts have low linear-to-branched (L:B) regioselectivity for simple linear alkenes. However, owing to their high alkene isomerization activity and increased steric effects due to the bisphosphine ligand, they have high L:B selectivities for internal alkenes with alkyl branches. These catalysts exhibit long lifetimes and substantial resistance to degradation reactions.

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The nucleotide binding protein 35 (Nbp35)/cytosolic Fe-S cluster deficient 1 (Cfd1)/alternative pyrimidine biosynthetic protein C (ApbC) protein homologs have been identified in all three domains of life. In eukaryotes, the Nbp35/Cfd1 heterocomplex is an essential Fe-S cluster assembly scaffold required for the maturation of Fe-S proteins in the cytosol and nucleus, whereas the bacterial ApbC is an Fe-S cluster transfer protein only involved in the maturation of a specific target protein. Here, we show that the Nbp35/ApbC homolog MMP0704 purified from its native archaeal host Methanococcus maripaludis contains a [4Fe-4S] cluster that can be transferred to a [4Fe-4S] apoprotein. Deletion of mmp0704 from M. maripaludis does not cause growth deficiency under our tested conditions. Our data indicate that Nbp35/ApbC is a nonessential [4Fe-4S] cluster transfer protein in methanogenic archaea.

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Water oxidation by photosystem II (PSII) involves the release of O2, electrons, and protons at the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). These processes are facilitated by a hydrogen-bonded network of amino acid residues and waters surrounding the OEC. It is crucial to probe the proton-transfer pathways from the OEC as proton release helps to maintain the charge balance required for efficient water oxidation. In this study, we generate point mutations in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 at secondary-shell amino acid residues surrounding the OEC: D2-K317, D1-S169, CP43-R357, D1-D61, and D1-N181. We employ direct experimental methods to study the O2 evolution rate under varying pH ranging from 3-8. The pH dependence follows a bell-shaped curve in both wild-type and mutated PSII from which we can derive the effective acidic pKa. The effective acidic pKa provides insights into the protonation states of the amino acid residues participating in the proton-transfer process during the rate-determining step of water oxidation. The presence of an additional effective pKa in D1-S169A PSII and D2-K317A PSII indicates the possibility of multiple proton-transfer pathways during the rate-determining step of water oxidation. We also studied the O2 evolution rate in H2O and D2O with varying pL (L = H or D) to identify the amino acid residues participating in the proton-transfer process. We find that replacing the positively charged lysine with a neutral alanine in D2-K317A PSII and aspartate with alanine in D1-D61A PSII significantly enhances the kinetic solvent isotope effect (KSIE), indicating that proton transfer becomes rate-limiting at the optimal pH in these mutated PSII. However, the KSIE remains unchanged for D1-N181A, D1-S169A, and CP43-R357K PSII. Thus, perturbing the channel defined by the D1-D61 and D2-K317 residues strongly hampers the proton-transfer mechanism, and in turn, the water oxidation reaction of PSII. Hence, our study provides a direct experimental probe to identify that the D1-D61 and D2-K317 residues participate in the proton-transfer process. These results, thereby, provide us a deeper understanding of the proton-transfer processes in the water oxidation mechanism.

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Photosystem II (PSII) performs the solar-driven oxidation of water used to fuel oxygenic photosynthesis. The active site of water oxidation is the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), a Mn4CaO5 cluster. PSII requires degradation of key subunits and reassembly of the OEC as frequently as every 20 to 40 min. The metals for the OEC are assembled within the PSII protein environment via a series of binding events and photochemically induced oxidation events, but the full mechanism is unknown. A role of proton release in this mechanism is suggested here by the observation that the yield of in vitro OEC photoassembly is higher in deuterated water, D2O, compared with H2O when chloride is limiting. In kinetic studies, OEC photoassembly shows a significant lag phase in H2O at limiting chloride concentrations with an apparent H/D solvent isotope effect of 0.14 ± 0.05. The growth phase of OEC photoassembly shows an H/D solvent isotope effect of 1.5 ± 0.2. We analyzed the protonation states of the OEC protein environment using classical Multiconformer Continuum Electrostatics. Combining experiments and simulations leads to a model in which protons are lost from amino acid that will serve as OEC ligands as metals are bound. Chloride and D2O increase the proton affinities of key amino acid residues. These residues tune the binding affinity of Mn2+/3+ and facilitate the deprotonation of water to form a proposed µ-hydroxo bridged Mn2+Mn3+ intermediate.

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The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii possesses a CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) that helps in successful acclimation to low CO2 conditions. Current models of the CCM postulate that a series of ion transporters bring HCO3- from outside the cell to the thylakoid lumen, where the carbonic anhydrase 3 (CAH3) dehydrates accumulated HCO3- to CO2, raising the CO2 concentration for Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Previously, HCO3- transporters have been identified at both the plasma membrane and the chloroplast envelope, but the transporter thought to be on the thylakoid membrane has not been identified. Three paralogous genes (BST1, BST2, and BST3) belonging to the bestrophin family have been found to be up-regulated in low CO2 conditions, and their expression is controlled by CIA5, a transcription factor that controls many CCM genes. YFP fusions demonstrate that all 3 proteins are located on the thylakoid membrane, and interactome studies indicate that they might associate with chloroplast CCM components. A single mutant defective in BST3 has near-normal growth on low CO2, indicating that the 3 bestrophin-like proteins may have redundant functions. Therefore, an RNA interference (RNAi) approach was adopted to reduce the expression of all 3 genes at once. RNAi mutants with reduced expression of BST1-3 were unable to grow at low CO2 concentrations, exhibited a reduced affinity to inorganic carbon (Ci) compared with the wild-type cells, and showed reduced Ci uptake. We propose that these bestrophin-like proteins are essential components of the CCM that deliver HCO3- accumulated in the chloroplast stroma to CAH3 inside the thylakoid lumen.

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We have used the desiccation-tolerant lichen Flavoparmelia caperata, containing the green algal photobiont Trebouxia gelatinosa, to examine H/D isotope effects in Photosystem II in vivo. Artifact-free H/D isotope effects on both PSII primary charge separation and water oxidation yields were determined as a function of flash rate from chlorophyll-a variable fluorescence yields. Intact lichens could be reversibly dehydrated/re-hydrated with H2O/D2O repeatedly without loss of O2 evolution, unlike all isolated PSII preparations. Above a threshold flash rate, PSII charge separation decreases sharply in both D2O and H2O, reflecting loss of excitation migration and capture by PSII. Changes in H/D coordinates further slow charge separation in D2O (-23% at 120 Hz), attributed to reoxidation of the primary acceptor QA-. At intermediate flash rates (5-50 Hz) D2O decreases water oxidation efficiency (O2 evolution) by -2-5%. No significant isotopic difference is observed at slow flash rates (<5 Hz) where charge recombination dominates. Slower D2O diffusion, changes in hydrogen bonding networks, and shifts in the pKa's of ionizable residues may all contribute to these systematic variations of H/D isotope effects. Lichens' reversible desiccation tolerance allows highly reproducible H/D exchange kinetics in PSII reactions to be studied in vivo for the first time.

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Diazoalkanes are interesting redox-active ligands and also precursors to carbene fragments. We describe a systematic study of the binding and electronic structure of diphenyldiazomethane complexes of ß-diketiminate supported iron and cobalt, which span a range of formal d-electron counts of 7-9. In end-on diazoalkane complexes of formally monovalent three-coordinate transition metals, the electronic structures are best described as having the metal in the +2 oxidation state with an antiferromagnetically coupled radical anion diazoalkane as shown by crystallography, spectroscopy, and computations. A formally zerovalent cobalt complex has different structures depending on whether potassium binds; potassium binding gives transfer of two electrons into the η2-diazoalkane, but the removal of the potassium with crown ether leads to a form with only one electron transferred into an η1-diazoalkane. These results demonstrate the influence of potassium binding and metal oxidation state on the charge localization in the diazoalkane complexes. Interestingly, none of these reduced complexes yield carbene fragments, but the new cobalt(II) complex LtBuCoPF6 (LtBu = bulky ß-diketiminate) does catalyze the formation of an azine from its cognate diazoalkane, suggesting N2 loss and transient carbene formation.

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OBJECTIVE: The importance of PI3K/Akt signaling in the vasculature has been demonstrated in several models, as global loss of Akt1 results in impaired postnatal ischemia- and VEGF-induced angiogenesis. The ubiquitous expression of Akt1, however, raises the possibility of cell-type-dependent Akt1-driven actions, thereby necessitating tissue-specific characterization. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Herein, we used an inducible, endothelial-specific Akt1-deleted adult mouse model (Akt1iECKO) to characterize the endothelial cell autonomous functions of Akt1 in the vascular system. Endothelial-targeted ablation of Akt1 reduces eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) phosphorylation and promotes both increased vascular contractility in isolated vessels and elevated diastolic blood pressures throughout the diurnal cycle in vivo. Furthermore, Akt1iECKO mice subject to the hindlimb ischemia model display impaired blood flow and decreased arteriogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial Akt1 signaling is necessary for ischemic resolution post-injury and likely reflects the consequence of NO insufficiency critical for vascular repair.

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We introduce and characterize the complete set of possible isomers of IrIV(pyalk)2Cl2 (pyalk = 2-(pyridin-2-yl)propan-2-oate), providing valuable insights on the properties of Ir(iv) species. The pyridine alkoxide ligand strongly stabilizes high oxidation states, essential to accessing the catalytically relevant Ir(iv) state, and results in robust complexes that can be handled under ambient conditions, even permitting chromatographic separation. The redox properties are isomer-dependent, spanning a 300 mV range, rationalized with ligand-field theory and DFT calculations. The reported complexes exhibit very high kinetic inertness against isomerization, despite highly disparate predicted thermodynamic stabilities, presenting a unique opportunity to study all five possible isomeric complexes with the same ligand set.

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Understanding the nature of charge carriers in nanoscale titanium dioxide is important for its use in solar energy conversion, photocatalysis, and other applications. UV-irradiation of aqueous, colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of methanol gives highly reduced suspensions. Two distinct types of electron traps were observed and characterized by EPR and optical spectroscopies. The relative populations of the states depend on temperature, indicating a small energy difference, ΔH° = 3.0 ± 0.6 kcal/mol (130 ± 30 meV). Interconversion between the electron traps occurs slowly over the course of minutes to hours within the temperature range studied here, 0-50 °C. The slow time scale implies that interconversion involves changes in structure or stoichiometry, not just the movement of electrons. This occurrence of slow structural modification with changes in trap state occupancy is likely a general feature of reduced TiO2 systems at thermodynamic equilibria or photostationary states and should be considered in the design of TiO2-containing devices.

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The active site of photosynthetic water oxidation is the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in the photosystem II (PSII) reaction center. The OEC is a Mn4CaO5 cluster embedded in the PSII protein matrix, and it cycles through redox intermediates known as Si states (i = 0-4). Significant progress has been made in understanding the inorganic and physical chemistry of states S0-S3 through experiment and theory. The chemical steps from S3 to S0 are more poorly understood, however, because the identity of the substrate water molecules and the mechanism of O-O bond formation are not well established. In this review, we highlight both the consensuses and the remaining challenges of PSII research.

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The S2 redox intermediate of the oxygen-evolving complex in photosystem II is present as two spin isomers. The S = 1/2 isomer gives rise to a multiline electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal at g = 2.0, whereas the S = 5/2 isomer exhibits a broad EPR signal at g = 4.1. The electronic structures of these isomers are known, but their role in the catalytic cycle of water oxidation remains unclear. We show that formation of the S = 1/2 state from the S = 5/2 state is exergonic at temperatures above 160 K. However, the S = 1/2 isomer decays to S1 more slowly than the S = 5/2 isomer. These differences support the hypotheses that the S3 state is formed via the S2 state S = 5/2 isomer and that the stabilized S2 state S = 1/2 isomer plays a role in minimizing S2QA- decay under light-limiting conditions.

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