G-tensors of the flavin adenine dinucleotide radicals in glucose oxidase: a comparative multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance and electron-nuclear double resonance study

J Phys Chem B. 2008 Mar 20;112(11):3568-74. doi: 10.1021/jp077170j. Epub 2008 Feb 27.

Abstract

The flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor of Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase (GO) in its anionic (FAD*-) and neutral (FADH*) radical form was investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) at high microwave frequencies (93.9 and 360 GHz) and correspondingly high magnetic fields and by pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy at 9.7 GHz. Because of the high spectral resolution of the frozen-solution continuous-wave EPR spectrum recorded at 360 GHz, the anisotropy of the g-tensor of FAD*- could be fully resolved. By least-squares fittings of spectral simulations to experimental data, the principal values of g have been established with high precision: gX=2.00429(3), gY=2.00389(3), gZ=2.00216(3) (X, Y, and Z are the principal axes of g) yielding giso=2.00345(3). The gY-component of FAD*- from GO is moderately shifted upon deprotonation of FADH*, rendering the g-tensor of FAD*- slightly more axially symmetric as compared to that of FADH*. In contrast, significantly altered proton hyperfine couplings were observed by ENDOR upon transforming the neutral FADH* radical into the anionic FAD*- radical by pH titration of GO. That the g-principal values of both protonation forms remain largely identical demonstrates the robustness of g against local changes in the electron-spin density distribution of flavins. Thus, in flavins, the g-tensor reflects more global changes in the electronic structure and, therefore, appears to be ideally suited to identify chemically different flavin radicals.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Anisotropy
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / chemistry*
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / metabolism
  • Free Radicals / chemistry*
  • Free Radicals / metabolism
  • Glucose Oxidase / chemistry*
  • Glucose Oxidase / metabolism
  • Least-Squares Analysis
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protons
  • Titrimetry / methods

Substances

  • Free Radicals
  • Protons
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide
  • Glucose Oxidase