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Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, as therapeutic options for mitigating the long-term deficits precipitated by the event remain limited. Acute administration of the neuroendocrine modulator insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) attenuates ischemic stroke damage in preclinical models, and clinical studies suggest IGF-1 can reduce the risk of stroke and improve overall outcomes. The cellular mechanism by which IGF-1 exerts this protection is poorly defined, as all cells within the neurovascular unit express the IGF-1 receptor. We hypothesize that the functional regulation of both neurons and astrocytes by IGF-1 is critical in minimizing damage in ischemic stroke. To test this, we utilized inducible astrocyte-specific or neuron-specific transgenic mouse models to selectively reduce IGF-1R in the adult mouse brain prior to photothrombotic stroke. Acute changes in blood brain barrier permeability, microglial activation, systemic inflammation, and biochemical composition of the brain were assessed 3 hours following photothrombosis, and significant protection was observed in mice deficient in neuronal and astrocytic IGF-1R. When the extent of tissue damage and sensorimotor dysfunction was assessed for 3 days following stroke, only the neurological deficit score continued to show improvements, and the extent of improvement was enhanced with additional IGF-1 supplementation. Overall, results indicate that neuronal and astrocytic IGF-1 signaling influences stroke damage but IGF-1 signaling within these individual cell types is not required for minimizing tissue damage or behavioral outcome.

Copper(II) coordination by bis(cyclohexanone)oxalyldihydrazone (also known as cuprizone), resulting in the formation of an intensely coloured blue complex, was first reported over 70 years ago. The cuprizone reaction has been employed in colourimetric tests for the presence of trace levels of copper. Cuprizone administration in C57BL/6 mice also leads to demyelination over time - a consequence that appears to be due to copper dyshomeostasis - and this has led to use of cuprizone as the leading method for toxicant-induced generation of an animal model of demyelination since its first use in the 1960s. Despite broad interest in cuprizone and its ability to bind copper there have been relatively few studies to structurally characterize the copper coordination properties of this ligand. In the absence of an aqueous medium, such as neat alcohol, copper and cuprizone exclusively form an amorphous green precipitate. Under aqueous conditions, where a large excess of cuprizone (relative to copper) is present, the blue complex that is synonymous with copper-cuprizone coordination is predominantly formed. The blue and green copper-cuprizone products demonstrate poor solubility and present challenges for conventional structure characterization methods, such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. By combining mass spectrometry, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, computational chemistry, and other techniques, a self-consistent picture of the copper coordination structures of the blue and green complexes is revealed - confirming that the blue complex is in the Cu(III) state, containing two hydrolyzed cuprizone ligands per metal centre, while the green complex represents an extended oligomeric complex, comprised of repeating Cu(II) centres that lie 4.8 Å apart and are bridged by unhydrolyzed cuprizone donors.

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was first described over a century ago, it remains the leading cause of age-related dementia. Innumerable changes have been linked to the pathology of AD; however, there remains much discord regarding which might be the initial cause of the disease. The “amyloid cascade hypothesis” proposes that the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is central to disease pathology, which is supported by elevated Aβ levels in the brain before the development of symptoms and correlations of amyloid burden with cognitive impairment. The “metals hypothesis” proposes a role for metal ions such as iron, copper, and zinc in the pathology of AD, which is supported by accumulation of these metals within amyloid plaques in the brain. Metals have been shown to induce aggregation of Aβ and metal ion chelators have been shown to reverse this reaction in vitro. 8-Hydroxyqinoline-based chelators showed early promise as anti-Alzheimer’s drugs. Both 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline (CQ) and 5,7-dichloro-2[(dimethylamino)methyl]-8-hydroxyquinoline (PBT2) underwent unsuccessful clinical trials for the treatment of AD. To gain insight into the mechanism of action of 8HQs, we have investigated the potential interaction of CQ, PBT2, and 5,7-dibromo-8-hydroxyquinoline (B2Q) with Cu(II)-bound Aβ(1-42) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), high energy resolution fluorescence detected (HERFD) XAS, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). By XAS, we found CQ and B2Q sequestered ~83% of the Cu(II) from Aβ(1-42), whereas PBT2 sequestered only ~59% of the Cu(II) from Aβ(1-42), suggesting that CQ and B2Q have a higher relative Cu(II) affinity than PBT2. From our EPR, it became clear that PBT2 sequestered Cu(II) from a heterogeneous mixture of Cu(II)Aβ(1-42) species in solution leaving a single Cu(II)Aβ(1-42) species. It follows that the Cu(II) site in this Cu(II)Aβ(1-42) species is inaccessible to PBT2 and may be less solvent-exposed than in other Cu(II)Aβ(1-42) species. We found no evidence to suggest that these 8HQs form ternary complexes with Cu(II)Aβ(1-42).

The reaction of copper with bis(cyclohexanone)oxaldihydrazone (cuprizone) is a challenging coordination chemistry problem that has confounded attempts at elucidation for the past 70 years. The product of the reaction, a blue copper complex, wherein the cuprizone ligand is hydrolyzed, has been the primary focus during its history. We have recently characterized an additional green multi-copper product which contains unhydrolyzed cuprizone, which only added to the mystery. Using density functional structure models and thermodynamic calculations we address several of the long-standing questions surrounding the copper-cuprizone reaction, as well as identify the likely reaction pathway that gives rise to the blue and green products. Cu(II)-induced asymmetric hydrolysis of the cuprizone ligand is essential for formation of the blue product, followed by a series of Cu(II)-induced deprotonation and coordination events, with complex formation terminating with hydrolyzed cuprizone tautomerization and intramolecular electron transfer, generating a pseudo-macrocyclic Cu(III) species. Alternatively, in the presence of excess Cu(II), or in non-aqueous solvents, a green multi-Cu(II) complex forms comprised of alternating Cu(II)-cuprizone units. Structure calculations are supported by experimental data and represent the most rigorous approach to-date toward understanding the complex solution chemistry of copper with cuprizone.

Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy is a flexible tool for identifying the distribution of trace elements in biological specimens across a broad range of sample sizes. The technique is not particularly limited by sample type and can be performed on ancient fossils, fixed or fresh tissue specimens, and in some cases even live tissue and live cells can be studied. The technique can also be expanded to provide chemical specificity to elemental maps, either at individual points of interest in a map or across a large field of view. While virtually any sample type can be characterized with X-ray fluorescence microscopy, common biological sample preparation methods (often borrowed from other fields, such as histology) can lead to unforeseen pitfalls, resulting in altered element distributions and concentrations. A general overview of sample preparation and data-acquisition methods for X-ray fluorescence microscopy is presented, along with outlining the general approach for applying this technique to a new field of investigation for prospective new users. Considerations for improving data acquisition and quality are reviewed as well as the effects of sample preparation, with a particular focus on soft tissues. The effects of common sample pretreatment steps as well as the underlying factors that govern which, and to what extent, specific elements are likely to be altered are reviewed along with common artifacts observed in X-ray fluorescence microscopy data.

Visualising direct biochemical markers of cell physiology and disease pathology at the sub-cellular level is an ongoing challenge in the biological sciences. A suite of microscopies exists to either visualise sub-cellular architecture or to indirectly view biochemical markers (e.g. histochemistry), but further technique developments and innovations are required to increase the range of biochemical parameters that can be imaged directly, in situ, within cells and tissue. Here, we report our continued advancements in the application of synchrotron radiation attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (SR-ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy to study sub-cellular biochemistry. Our recent applications demonstrate the much needed capability to map or image directly sub-cellular protein aggregates within degenerating neurons as well as lipid inclusions within bacterial cells. We also characterise the effect of spectral acquisition parameters on speed of data collection and the associated trade-offs between a realistic experimental time frame and spectral/image quality. Specifically, the study highlights that the choice of 8 cm−1 spectral resolutions provide a suitable trade-off between spectral quality and collection time, enabling identification of important spectroscopic markers, while increasing image acquisition by ∼30% (relative to 4 cm−1 spectral resolution). Further, this study explores coupling a focal plane array detector with SR-ATR-FTIR, revealing a modest time improvement in image acquisition time (factor of 2.8). Such information continues to lay the foundation for these spectroscopic methods to be readily available for, and adopted by, the biological science community to facilitate new interdisciplinary endeavours to unravel complex biochemical questions and expand emerging areas of study.

OBJECTIVE Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous inflammatory demyelinating disease. Iron distribution is altered in MS patients' brains, suggesting iron liberation within active lesions amplifies demyelination and neurodegeneration. Whether the amount and distribution of iron are similar or different among different MS immunopatterns is currently unknown. METHODS We used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging, histology, and immunohistochemistry to compare the iron quantity and distribution between immunopattern II and III early active MS lesions. We analyzed archival autopsy and biopsy tissue from 21 MS patients. RESULTS Immunopattern II early active lesions contain 64% more iron (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17-127%, p = 0.004) than immunopattern III lesions, and 30% more iron than the surrounding periplaque white matter (95% CI = 3-64%, p = 0.03). Iron in immunopattern III lesions is 28% lower than in the periplaque white matter (95% CI = -40 to -14%, p

Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides are notorious for their involvement in Alzheimer's disease (AD), by virtue of their propensity to aggregate to form oligomers, fibrils, and eventually plaques in the brain. Nevertheless, they appear to be essential for correct neurophysiology on the synaptic level and may have additional functions including antimicrobial activity, sealing the blood-brain barrier, promotion of recovery from brain injury, and even tumor suppression. Aβ peptides are also avid copper chelators, and coincidentally copper is significantly dysregulated in the AD brain. Copper (Cu) is released in significant amounts during calcium signaling at the synaptic membrane. Aβ peptides may have a role in maintaining synaptic Cu homeostasis, including as a scavenger for redox-active Cu and as a chaperone for clearing Cu from the synaptic cleft. Here, we employed the Aβ1-16 and Aβ4-16 peptides as well-established non-aggregating models of major Aβ species in healthy and AD brains, and the Ctr1-14 peptide as a model for the extracellular domain of the human cellular copper transporter protein (Ctr1). With these model peptides and a number of spectroscopic techniques, we investigated whether the Cu complexes of Aβ peptides could provide Ctr1 with either Cu(II) or Cu(I). We found that Aβ1-16 fully and rapidly delivered Cu(II) to Ctr1-14 along the affinity gradient. Such delivery was only partial for the Aβ4-16/Ctr1-14 pair, in agreement with the higher complex stability for the former peptide. Moreover, the reaction was very slow and took ca. 40 h to reach equilibrium under the given experimental conditions. In either case of Cu(II) exchange, no intermediate (ternary) species were present in detectable amounts. In contrast, both Aβ species released Cu(I) to Ctr1-14 rapidly and in a quantitative fashion, but ternary intermediate species were detected in the analysis of XAS data. The results presented here are the first direct evidence of a Cu(I) and Cu(II) transfer between the human Ctr1 and Aβ model peptides. These results are discussed in terms of the fundamental difference between the peptides' Cu(II) complexes (pleiotropic ensemble of open structures of Aβ1-16 vs the rigid closed-ring system of amino-terminal Cu/Ni binding Aβ4-16) and the similarity of their Cu(I) complexes (both anchored at the tandem His13/His14, bis-His motif). These results indicate that Cu(I) may be more feasible than Cu(II) as the cargo for copper clearance from the synaptic cleft by Aβ peptides and its delivery to Ctr1. The arguments in favor of Cu(I) include the fact that cellular Cu export and uptake proteins (ATPase7A/B and Ctr1, respectively) specifically transport Cu(I), the abundance of extracellular ascorbate reducing agent in the brain, and evidence of a potential associative (hand-off) mechanism of Cu(I) transfer that may mirror the mechanisms of intracellular Cu chaperone proteins.

The cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is comprised of two domains – a globular C-terminal domain and an unstructured N-terminal domain. Recently, copper has been observed to drive tertiary contact in PrP(C), inducing a neuroprotective cis interaction that structurally links the protein’s two domains. The location of this interaction on the C-terminus overlaps with the sites of human pathogenic mutations and toxic antibody docking. Combined with recent evidence that the N-terminus is a toxic effector regulated by the C-terminus, there is an emerging consensus that this cis interaction serves a protective role, and that the disruption of this interaction by misfolded PrP oligomers may be a cause of toxicity in prion disease. We demonstrate here that two highly conserved histidines in the C-terminal domain of PrP(C) are essential for the protein’s cis interaction, which helps to protect against neurotoxicity carried out by its N-terminus. We show that simultaneous mutation of these histidines drastically weakens the cis interaction and enhances spontaneous cationic currents in cultured cells - the first C-terminal mutant to do so. Whereas previous studies suggested that Cu(2+) coordination was localized solely to the protein’s N-terminal domain, we find that both domains contribute equatorially coordinated histidine residue side chains, resulting in a novel bridging interaction. We also find that extra N-terminal histidines in pathological familial mutations involving octarepeat expansions inhibit this interaction by sequestering copper from the C-terminus. Our findings further establish a structural basis for PrP(C)’s C-terminal regulation of its otherwise toxic N-terminus.

The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein and has been implicated as a central player in Alzheimer's disease. The N-terminal end of Aβ is variable, and different proportions of these variable-length Aβ peptides are present in healthy individuals and those with the disease. The N-terminally truncated form of Aβ starting at position 4 (Aβ

8-Hydroxyquinolines (8HQs) are a family of lipophilic metal ion chelators that have been used in a range of analytical and pharmaceutical applications over the last 100 years. More recently, CQ (clioquinol; 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline) and PBT2 (5,7-dichloro-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-8-hydroxyquinoline) have undergone clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Because CQ and PBT2 appear to redistribute metals into cells, these compounds have been redefined as copper and zinc ionophores. Despite the attention surrounding the clinical trials and the clear link between 8HQs and metals, the fundamental solution chemistry of how these compounds bind divalent metals such as copper and zinc, as well as their mechanism(s) of action in mammalian systems, remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), high-energy resolution fluorescence detected (HERFD) XAS, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and UV-visible absorption spectroscopies to investigate the aqueous solution chemistry of a range of 8HQ derivatives. To circumvent the known solubility issues with 8HQ compounds and their complexes with Cu(II), and to avoid the use of abiological organic solvents, we have devised a surfactant buffer system to investigate these Cu(II) complexes in aqueous solution. Our study comprises the first comprehensive investigation of the Cu(II) complexes formed with many 8HQs of interest in aqueous solution, and it provides the first structural information on some of these complexes. We find that halogen substitutions in 8HQ derivatives appear to have little effect on the Cu(II) coordination environment; 5,7-dihalogenated 8HQ conformers all have a pseudo square planar Cu(II) bound by two quinolin-8-olate anions, in agreement with previous studies. Conversely, substituents in the 2-position of the 8HQ moiety appear to cause significant distortions from the typical square-planar-like coordination of most Cu(II)-bis-8HQ complexes, such that the 8HQ moieties in the Cu(II)-bis-8HQ complex are rotated approximately 30-40° apart in a "propeller-like" arrangement.

Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging enables visualization and quantification of microscopic distributions of elements. This versatile technique has matured to the point where it is used in a wide range of research fields. The method can be used to quantitate the levels of different elements in the image on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Two approaches to X-ray fluorescence image analysis are commonly used, namely, (i) integrative analysis, or window binning, which simply sums the numbers of all photons detected within a specific energy region of interest; and (ii) parametric analysis, or fitting, in which emission spectra are represented by the sum of parameters representing a series of peaks and other contributing factors. This paper presents a quantitative comparison between these two methods of image analysis using X-ray fluorescence imaging of mouse brain-tissue sections; it is shown that substantial errors can result when data from overlapping emission lines are binned rather than fitted. These differences are explored using two different digital signal processing data-acquisition systems with different count-rate and emission-line resolution characteristics. Irrespective of the digital signal processing electronics, there are substantial differences in quantitation between the two approaches. Binning analyses are thus shown to contain significant errors that not only distort the data but in some cases result in complete reversal of trends between different tissue regions.

Stroke exacts a heavy financial and economic burden, is a leading cause of death, and is the leading cause of long-term disability in those who survive. The penumbra surrounds the ischemic core of the stroke lesion and is composed of cells that are stressed and vulnerable to death, which is due to an altered metabolic, oxidative, and ionic environment within the penumbra. Without therapeutic intervention, many cells within the penumbra will die and become part of the growing infarct, however, there is hope that appropriate therapies may allow potential recovery of cells within this tissue region, or at least slow the rate of cell death, therefore, slowing the spread of the ischemic infarct and minimizing the extent of tissue damage. As such, preserving the penumbra to promote functional brain recovery is a central goal in stroke research. While identification of the ischemic infarct, and the infarct/penumbra boundary is relatively trivial using classical histology and microscopy techniques, accurately assessing the penetration of the penumbra zone into undamaged brain tissue, and evaluating the magnitude of chemical alterations in the penumbra, has long been a major challenge to the stroke research field. In this study, we have used synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging to visualize the elemental changes in undamaged, penumbra, and infarct brain tissue, following ischemic stroke. We have employed a Gaussian mixture model to cluster tissue areas based on their elemental characteristics. The method separates the core of the infarct from healthy tissue, and also demarcates discrete regions encircling the infarct. These regions of interest can be combined with elemental and metabolic data, as well as with conventional histology. The cell populations defined by clustering provide a reproducible means of visualizing the size and extent of the penumbra at the level of the single cell and provide a critically needed tool to track changes in elemental status and penumbra size.

Approximately 11% of enzymes contain a transition metal ion that is essential for catalytic function. Such metalloenzymes catalyze much of the most chemically challenging and biologically essential chemistry carried out by life. X-ray-based methods, predominantly macromolecular crystallography (MX) and also X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), have proved essential for determining structures of transition metal ion-containing active sites in order to deduce enzyme catalytic mechanisms. However, X-ray irradiation can induce change in both the oxidation state and structure of the metal, which is problematic in structure determination. We present an XAS study of whether cryoprotectants such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or glycerol, routinely added to MX or XAS samples to improve data quality, affect photoreduction. Our data demonstrate a remarkable 10-fold exacerbation in rate of photoreduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) when alcohol or ether cryoprotectants are present. Our results suggest that widespread use of cryoprotectants may increase the potential for erroneous structures.

Human cells acquire copper primarily via the copper transporter 1 protein, hCtr1. We demonstrate that at extracellular pH 7.4 CuII is bound to the model peptide hCtr11-14via an ATCUN motif and such complexes are strong enough to collect CuII from albumin, supporting the potential physiological role of CuII binding to hCtr1.

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a major Cu carrier in human blood and in cerebrospinal fluid. A major assumption is that Cu bound to HSA is in the Cu(II) oxidation state; thus, interactions between HSA and Cu(II) have been intensely investigated for over four decades. HSA has been reported previously to support the reduction of Cu(II) to the Cu(I) oxidation state in the presence of the weak reductant, ascorbate; however, the interactions between HSA and Cu(I) have not been explicitly investigated. Here, we characterize both the apparent affinity of HSA for Cu(I) using solution competition experiments and the coordination structure of Cu(I) bound to HSA using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and in silico modeling. We find that HSA binds to Cu(I) at pH 7.4 with an apparent conditional affinity of KCu(I):HSA = 1014.0 using digonal coordination in a structure that is similar to the bis-His coordination modes characterized for amyloid beta (Aβ) and the prion protein. This high affinity and familiar Cu(I) coordination structure suggests that Cu(I) interaction with HSA in human extracellular fluids is unappreciated in the current scientific literature.

Arsenite oxidase is thought to be an ancient enzyme, originating before the divergence of the Archaea and the Bacteria. We have investigated the nature of the molybdenum active site of the arsenite oxidase from the Alphaproteobacterium Rhizobium sp. str. NT-26 using a combination of X-ray absorption spectroscopy and computational chemistry. Our analysis indicates an oxidized Mo(VI) active site with a structure that is far from equilibrium. We propose that this is an entatic state imposed by the protein on the active site through relative orientation of the two molybdopterin cofactors, in a variant of the Rây-Dutt twist of classical coordination chemistry, which we call the pterin twist hypothesis. We discuss the implications of this hypothesis for other putatively ancient molybdopterin-based enzymes.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability globally. Edema is a hallmark of stroke resulting from dysregulation of water homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) and plays the major role in stroke-associated morbidity and mortality. The overlap between cellular and vasogenic edema makes treating this condition complicated, and to date, there is no pathogenically oriented drug treatment for edema. Water balance in the brain is tightly regulated, primarily by aquaporin 4 (AQP4) channels, which are mainly expressed in perivascular astrocytic end-feet. Targeting AQP4 could be a useful therapeutic approach for treating brain edema; however, there is no approved drug for stroke treatment that can directly block AQP4. In this study, we demonstrate that the FDA-approved drug trifluoperazine (TFP) effectively reduces cerebral edema during the early acute phase in post-stroke mice using a photothrombotic stroke model. This effect was combined with an inhibition of AQP4 expression at gene and protein levels. Importantly, TFP does not appear to induce any deleterious changes on brain electrolytes or metabolic markers, including total protein or lipid levels. Our results support a possible role for TFP in providing a beneficial extra-osmotic effect on brain energy metabolism, as indicated by the increase of glycogen levels. We propose that targeting AQP4-mediated brain edema using TFP is a viable therapeutic strategy during the early and acute phase of stroke that can be further investigated during later stages to help in developing novel CNS edema therapies.

Trifluoroselenomethionine (TFSeM), a new unnatural amino acid, was synthesized in seven steps from N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-l-aspartic acid tert-butyl ester. TFSeM shows enhanced methioninase-induced cytotoxicity, relative to selenomethionine (SeM), toward HCT-116 cells derived from human colon cancer. Mechanistic explanations for this enhanced activity are computationally and experimentally examined. Comparison of TFSeM and SeM by selenium EXAFS and DFT calculations showed them to be spectroscopically and structurally very similar. Nonetheless, when two different variants of the protein GB1 were expressed in an Escherichia coli methionine auxotroph cell line in the presence of TFSeM and methionine (Met) in a 9:1 molar ratio, it was found that, surprisingly, 85 % of the proteins contained SeM residues, even though no SeM had been added, thus implying loss of the trifluoromethyl group from TFSeM. The transformation of TFSeM into SeM is enzymatically catalyzed by E. coli extracts, but TFSeM is not a substrate of E. coli methionine adenosyltransferase.

Thiophenes are the simplest aromatic sulfur-containing compounds; they are widespread in fossil fuels and a variety of natural products, and they have vital roles in determining characteristic aromas that are important in food chemistry. We used a combination of sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory to investigate the chemical bonding in the novel sulfur-containing heterocycle thiophene-2-thiol. We show that solutions of thiophene-2-thiol contain significant quantities of the thione tautomer, which may be the energetically preferred 5H-thiophene-2-thione or the more accessible 3H-thiophene-2-thione.

Copper plays a critical role in prion protein (PrP) physiology. Cu(2+) binds with high affinity to the PrP N-terminal octarepeat (OR) domain, and intracellular copper promotes PrP expression. The molecular details of copper coordination within the OR are now well characterized. Here we examine how Cu(2+) influences the interaction between the PrP N-terminal domain and the C-terminal globular domain. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and copper-nitroxide pulsed double electron-electron resonance, with molecular dynamics refinement, we localize the position of Cu(2+) in its high-affinity OR-bound state. Our results reveal an interdomain cis interaction that is stabilized by a conserved, negatively charged pocket of the globular domain. Interestingly, this interaction surface overlaps an epitope recognized by the POM1 antibody, the binding of which drives rapid cerebellar degeneration mediated by the PrP N terminus. The resulting structure suggests that the globular domain regulates the N-terminal domain by binding the Cu(2+)-occupied OR within a complementary pocket.

The cellular isoform of the prion protein (PrP(C)) serves as precursor to the infectious isoform (PrP(Sc)), and as a cell-surface receptor, which binds misfolded protein oligomers as well as physiological ligands such as Cu(2+) ions. PrP(C) consists of two domains, a flexible N-terminal domain, and a structured C-terminal domain. Both the physiological and pathological functions of PrP depend on intramolecular interactions between these two domains, but the specific amino acid residues involved have proven challenging to define. Here, we employ a combination of chemical cross-linking, mass spectrometry, NMR, molecular dynamics simulations, and functional assays, to identify residue-level contacts between the N- and C-terminal domains of PrP(C). We also determine how these inter-domain contacts are altered by binding of Cu(2+) ions, and by functionally relevant mutations. Our results provide a structural basis for interpreting both the normal and toxic activities of PrP.

Copper is a vital metal cofactor in enzymes that are essential to myriad biological processes. Cellular acquisition of copper is primarily accomplished through the Ctr family of plasma membrane copper transport proteins. Model peptide studies indicate that the human Ctr1 N-terminus binds to Cu(II) with high affinity through an amino terminal Cu(II), Ni(II) (ATCUN) binding site. Unlike typical ATCUN-type peptides, the Ctr1 peptide facilitates the ascorbate-dependent reduction of Cu(II) bound in its ATCUN site by virtue of an adjacent HH (bis-His) sequence in the peptide. It is likely that the Cu(I) coordination environment influences the redox behavior of Cu bound to this peptide; however, the identity and coordination geometry of the Cu(I) site has not been elucidated from previous work. Here, we show data from NMR, XAS, and structural modeling that sheds light on the identity of the Cu(I) binding site of a Ctr1 model peptide. The Cu(I) site includes the same bis-His site identified in previous work to facilitate ascorbate-dependent Cu(II) reduction. The data presented here are consistent with a rational mechanism by which Ctr1 provides coordination environments that facilitate Cu(II) reduction prior to Cu(I) transport.

Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability in adults and a leading cause of death in developed nations. Following an ischemic stroke the metabolic profile of the affected tissue is significantly altered, with the infarct representing the most severely affected tissue, and the surrounding penumbra, or peri-infarct zone (PIZ), containing a gradient of metabolic states progressing from severely impacted toward an otherwise healthy profile. The penumbra contains potentially salvageable tissue and is the focus in many stroke treatments. In this chapter, we employ the photothrombotic stroke model (a widely used animal model for studying focal ischemia) to study the histopathological and bioelemental changes that occur post-stroke. Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging allows simultaneous measurement of multiple elements in situ within biological tissues, as their naturally-occurring concentrations. Images of elemental distributions are compared to conventional histopathological changes in the infarct and penumbra. Understanding the bioelemental changes associated with the post-stroke brain provides opportunities to expand our understanding of the underlying cellular and tissue changes associated with ischemic stroke and can ultimately be used to guide development of future treatment methods targeting the penumbra.

Beginning with the discovery of the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, the rare examples of exceptional preservation of soft tissues in fine-grained strata have been celebrated as windows into the diversity and complexity of ancient marine animal life. Even so, with the loss of original organic compounds, the physiological attributes of the fossils can be inferred only on the basis of modern descendants or sister groups among extant representatives that can serve as analogs. To test whether soft-bodied fossils from the Burgess Shale and similar Cambrian Lagerstatten could preserve chemical evidence of their original biology, a number of specimens from different groups were analyzed with synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence imaging to determine the spatial distribution of a range of elements, especially those in exceedingly trace amounts that cannot be detected by more conventional analytical methods. The relative distribution of common elements like Fe, K, Ti, and Ca is related to the composition of the host shale, abundance of pyrite, and presence or absence of preserved exoskeletal calcite. However, the black stain commonly preserved with the arthropod Marrella splendens is preferentially enriched in Cu due to localized residue in the carbon and minute crystals of chalcopyrite. This is interpreted as indicative of the original chemical composition of a primary biotic fluid, likely blood. Since modern-day arthropods generally utilize Cu-containing hemocyanin for oxygen transport, it is hypothesized that hemocyanin was the biogenic source of the observed Cu. This is the first chemical evidence for blood composition in the invertebrate fossil record. These observations reinforce the consensus molecular clock age for the hemocyanin gene family, which traces its origins back to the ‘Cambrian explosion’, thus providing evidence for the early origin of this oxygen carrier among some arthropod groups.

From the perspective of a chemist, biology confers a rich variety of roles on a number of metal ions. It is widely agreed that a large fraction of the genomic output of living things contains metal or metalloid ions, although estimates of this fraction vary widely and depend upon which metal ions are considered.1−3 Moreover, recent reports suggest that, at least in some cases, there are many uncharacterized metalloproteins.4 With inclusion of the s-block metals such as Na, K, Mg, and Ca, the proportion likely approaches 100%; recent estimates from the protein data bank indicate that the prevalence of heavier metal ions of atomic number above 20 within proteins is around 22%,5 with Zn2+ proteins alone constituting about 11%. Living organisms have an inherent and very rich physical structure, with relevant length scales ranging from the nanometer scale for subcellular structure to hundreds of micrometers and above for tissue, organ, or organism-level organization. The ability to derive the spatial distribution of elements on this diversity of length scales is a key to understanding their function. Metals play essential and central roles in the most important and chemically challenging processes required for life, with active site structures and mechanisms that, at the time of their discovery, have usually not yet been duplicated in the chemical laboratory. Furthermore, diseases of metal dysregulation can cause disruption in the distribution of metals.6 For example, Menke’s disease and Occipital Horn Syndrome,7 and Wilson’s disease,8 involve disruption in copper uptake and excretion, respectively, through mutation in the ATP7A and ATP7B Cu transporters.9 The mechanisms of action of toxic elements such as mercury and arsenic are also of interest, as are essential nonmetal trace elements, such as selenium. Likewise, an increasing number of pharmaceuticals include metals or heavier elements; such chemotherapeutic drugs include the platinum derivatives cisplatin and carboplatin,10 some promising new ruthenium drugs,11 and arsenic trioxide, which has been used to treat promyelocytic leukemia.12 Understanding the localization, speciation, and distribution of these at various length scales is of significant interest. A wide variety of heavier elements can be probed by X-ray spectroscopic methods; these are shown graphically in Figure ​Figure1.1. X-ray fluorescence imaging is a powerful technique that can be used to determine elemental and chemical species distributions at a range of spatial resolutions within samples of biological tissues. Most modern applications require the use of synchrotron radiation as a tunable and high spectral brightness source of X-rays. The method uses a microfocused X-ray beam to excite X-ray fluorescence from specific elements within a sample. Because the method depends upon atomic physics, it is highly specific and enables a wide range of chemical elements to be investigated. A significant advantage over more conventional methods is the ability to measure intact biological samples without significant treatment with exogenous reagents. The technique is capable of determining metal and nonmetal distributions on a variety of length scales, with information on chemical speciation also potentially available. Figure ​Figure22 shows examples of rapid-scan X-ray fluorescence imaging at two contrasting length scales: rapid-scan imaging13 of a section of a human brain taken from an individual suffering from multiple sclerosis and showing elemental profiles for Fe, Cu, and Zn;14 and a high-resolution image showing mercury and other elements in a section of retina from a zebrafish larva treated with methylmercury chloride.15 We will discuss both the state of the art in terms of experimental methods and some recent applications of the methods. This Review considers X-ray fluorescence imaging with incident X-ray energies in the hard X-ray regime, which we define as 2 keV and above. We review technologies for producing microfocused X-ray beams and for detecting X-ray fluorescence, as well as methods that confer chemical selectivity or three-dimensional visualization. We discuss applications in key areas with a view to providing examples of how the technique can provide information on biological systems. We also discuss synergy with other methods, which have overlapping or complementary capabilities. Our goal is to provide useful and pertinent information to encourage and enable further use of this powerful method in chemical and biochemical studies of living organisms. Figure 1 Periodic table of the elements showing elements of biological interest that can be probed using X-ray fluorescence imaging. Elements are divided into three categories, those that are physiologically important, those that are pharmacologically active, ...

Clioquinol (5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline) recently has shown promising results in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and in cancer therapy, both of which also are thought to be due to clioquinol's ability as a lipophilic copper chelator. Previously, clioquinol was used as an anti-fungal and anti-protozoal drug that was responsible for an epidemic of subacute myelo-optic neuropathy (SMON) in Japan during the 1960s, probably a myeloneuropathy arising from a clioquinol-induced copper deficiency. Previous X-ray absorption spectroscopy of solutions of copper chelates of clioquinol suggested unusual coordination chemistry. Here we use a combination of electron paramagnetic, UV–visible and X-ray absorption spectroscopies to provide clarification of the chelation chemistry between clioquinol and copper. We find that the solution structures for the copper complexes formed with stoichiometric and excess clioquinol are conventional 8-hydroxyquinolate chelates. Thus, the promise of clioquinol in new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and in cancer therapy is not likely to be due to any novel chelation chemistry, but rather due to other factors including the high lipophilicity of the free ligand and chelate complexes.

The cellular isoform of the prion protein (PrPC) serves as precursor to the infectious isoform (PrPSc), and as a cell-surface receptor, which binds misfolded protein oligomers as well as physiological ligands such as Cu2+ ions. PrPC consists of two domains: a flexible N-terminal domain and a structured C-terminal domain. Both the physiological and pathological functions of PrP depend on intramolecular interactions between these two domains, but the specific amino acid residues involved have proven challenging to define. Here, we employ a combination of chemical cross-linking, mass spectrometry, NMR, molecular dynamics simulations, and functional assays to identify residue-level contacts between the N- and C-terminal domains of PrPC. We also determine how these interdomain contacts are altered by binding of Cu2+ ions and by functionally relevant mutations. Our results provide a structural basis for interpreting both the normal and toxic activities of PrP.

Copper coordination to the prion protein (PrP) has garnered considerable interest for almost 20 years, due in part to the possibility that this interaction may be part of the normal function of PrP. The most characterized form of copper binding to PrP has been Cu(2+) interaction with the conserved tandem repeats in the N-terminal domain of PrP, termed the octarepeats, with many studies focusing on single and multiple repeats of PHGGGWGQ. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used in several previous instances to characterize the solution structure of Cu(2+) binding into the peptide backbone in the HGGG portion of the octarepeats. All previous EXAFS studies, however, have benefitted from crystallographic structure information for [Cu(II) (Ac-HGGGW-NH2)(-2H)] but have not conclusively demonstrated that the complex EXAFS spectrum represents the same coordination environment for Cu(2+) bound to the peptide backbone. Density functional structure calculations as well as full multiple scattering EXAFS curve fitting analysis are brought to bear on the predominant coordination mode for Cu(2+) with the Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 peptide at physiological pH, under high Cu(2+) occupancy conditions. In addition to the structure calculations, which provide a thermodynamic link to structural information, methods are also presented for extensive deconvolution of the EXAFS spectrum. We demonstrate how the EXAFS data can be analyzed to extract the maximum structural information and arrive at a structural model that is significantly improved over previous EXAFS characterizations. The EXAFS spectrum for the chemically reduced form of copper binding to the Ac-PHGGGWGQ-NH2 peptide is presented, which is best modeled as a linear two-coordinate species with a single His imidazole ligand and a water molecule. The extent of in situ photoreduction of the copper center during standard data collection is also presented, and EXAFS curve fitting of the photoreduced species reveals an intermediate structure that is similar to the Cu(2+) form with reduced coordination number.

Molybdenum K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to probe the structure of a Mo(V) species that has been suggested to be a catalytic intermediate in the reaction of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) reductase with the alternative substrate trimethylamine N-oxide (Bennet et al. Eur. J. Biochem. 1994, 255, 321-331; Cobb et al. J. Biol. Chem. 2005, 280, 11007-11017; Mtei, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 9672-9774). The oxidized Mo(VI) state of DMSO reductase has previously been structurally characterized as being six coordinate, with four sulfurs from pyranopterin dithiolene molybdenum cofactors, a terminal oxygen ligand, and an additional oxygen coordination from a serine residue. We find the most plausible structure for the Mo(V) active site is a five-coordinate species with four sulfur donors from the two pyranopterin dithiolene ligands, with an average Mo-S bond-length of 2.35 Å, plus a single oxygen donor at 1.99 Å, very likely from an Mo-OH ligand. Our results thus suggest that the oxygen of the serine residue has dissociated from the metal ion, suggesting hitherto unsuspected flexibility of the active site, and calling into question whether this putative intermediate is catalytically relevant. The relevance to previous Mo(V) electron paramagnetic resonance and other spectroscopic studies on DMSO reductase is discussed. XAS of an extensively studied Mo(V) form of Rhodobacter sphaeroides DMSO reductase (the high-g split species) shows that previously suggested structures for the active site are likely incorrect.

Bone is a dynamic tissue which exhibits complex patterns of growth as well as continuous internal turnover (i.e. remodeling). Tracking such changes can be challenging and thus a high resolution imaging-based tracer would provide a powerful new perspective on bone tissue dynamics. This is, particularly so if such a tracer can be detected in 3D. Previously, strontium has been demonstrated to be an effective tracer which can be detected by synchrotron-based dual energy K-edge subtraction (KES) imaging in either 2D or 3D. The use of strontium is, however, limited to very small sample thicknesses due to its low K-edge energy (16.105 keV) and thus is not suitable for in vivo application. Here we establish proof-of-principle for the use of barium as an alternative tracer with a higher K-edge energy (37.441 keV), albeit for ex vivo imaging at the moment, which enables application in larger specimens and has the potential to be developed for in vivo imaging of preclinical animal models. New bone formation within growing rats in 2D and 3D was demonstrated at the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy bending magnet (BMIT-BM) beamline of the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. Comparative x-ray fluorescence imaging confirmed those patterns of uptake detected by KES. This initial work provides a platform for the further development of this tracer and its exploration of applications for in vivo development.

Structures of metalloprotein active sites derived from X-ray crystallography frequently contain chemical anomalies such as unexpected atomic geometries or elongated bond-lengths. Such anomalies are expected from the known errors inherent in macromolecular crystallography (ca. 0.1–0.2 A) and from the lack of appropriate restraints for metal sites which are often without precedent in the small molecule structure literature. Here we review the potential of X-ray absorption spectroscopy to provide information and perspective which could aid in improving the accuracy of metalloprotein crystal structure solutions. We also review the potential problem areas in analysis of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and discuss the use of density functional theory as another possible source of geometrical restraints for crystal structure analysis of metalloprotein active sites.

Valuable information on the active sites of molybdenum enzymes has been provided from both Mo(V) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). One of three major categories of Mo(V) EPR signals from the molybdenum enzyme sulfite oxidase is the low-pH signal, which forms in the presence of chloride. Two alternative structures for this species have been proposed, one in which the chloride is coordinated directly to Mo and a second in which chloride is held in the arginine-rich basic pocket some 5 Å from Mo. Here we present an independent assessment of the structure of this species by using XAS of the analogous bromide and iodide complexes. We show that there is no evidence of direct Mo-I coordination, and that the data are consistent with a structure in which the halide is bound at ∼5 Å from Mo.

Molybdenum and tungsten are the only second and third-row transition elements with a known function in living systems. Molybdenum fulfills functional roles in enzyme systems in almost all living creatures, from bacteria through plants to invertebrates and mammals, while tungsten takes the place of molybdenum in some prokaryotes, especially the hyperthermophilic archaea. The enzymes contain the metal bound by an unusual sulfur-containing cofactor. Despite possessing common structural elements, the enzymes are remarkable in the range of different chemical reactions that are catalyzed, although almost all are two-electron oxidation–reduction reactions in which an oxygen atom is transferred to or from the molybdenum. The functional roles filled by molybdenum enzymes are equally diverse; for example, they play essential roles in microbial respiration, in the uptake of nitrogen in green plants, in controlling insect eye color, and in human health. Spectroscopic studies, in particular electron paramagnetic resonance and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, have played an essential role in our understanding of the active site structures and catalytic mechanisms of the molybdenum and tungsten enzymes. This review summarizes the role spectroscopy has played in the state of our knowledge of the molybdenum and tungsten enzymes, with particular regard to structural information on the molybdenum sites.

A chelator is a molecule which binds a metal or metalloid ion by two or more functional groups to form a stable ring complex known as a chelate. Despite the widespread clinical use of so-called chelation therapy to remove mercury, none of the drugs currently in use have been shown to chelate mercury. Mercury can adopt three common coordination environments: linear diagonal, trigonal planar, and tetrahedral. We have previously discussed some of the structural criteria for optimal binding of mercury in linear-diagonal coordination with thiolate donors (George et al. in Chem. Res. Toxicol. 17:999-1006, 2004). Here we employed density functional theory and X-ray absorption spectroscopy to evaluate the ideal chain length for simple alkane dithiolate chelators of Hg(2+). We have also extended our previous calculations of the optimum coordination geometries to the three-coordinate [Hg(SR)(3)](-) case. Finally, we propose a new chelator "tripod" molecule, benzene-1,3,5-triamidopropanethiolate, or "Trithiopod," which is expected to bind Hg(2+) in three-coordinate geometry with very high affinity.

The physiologically vital enzyme sulfite oxidase employs rapid intramolecular electron transfer between a molybdenum ion in the C-terminal domain (the site of sulfite oxidation) and a heme moeity in the N-terminal domain to complete its catalytic cycle. Crystal structures of the enzyme show C- and N-terminal domain orientations that are not consistent with rapid intramolecular electron transfer. Domain motion has been postulated to explain this discrepancy. In the present work we employ molecular dynamics simulations to understand the large-scale domain motions of the enzyme. We observe motion of the N-terminal domain into an orientation similar to that postulated for rapid electron transfer. Our simulations also probe the dynamics of the active site and surrounding residues, adding a further level of structural and thermodynamic detail in understanding sulfite oxidase function.

The N-terminal region of the native human prion protein encompasses four highly conserved octarepeats that each contain a single His, Pro, Gln, and Trp residue as well as several Gly residues. At neutral pH these repeats are capable of individually binding copper (Cu(2+)) ions, involving the His side chain and the backbone amide of the Gly residues. In addition, the two His residues at positions 96 and 111 are also capable of binding Cu(2+). At low concentrations of the metal ion or at low pH, one Cu(2+) may be bound by multiple His residues of the four octarepeats. This complex is known to be redox active, while none of the other Cu(2+)-bound complexes are. Using density functional theory and molecular dynamics calculations data demonstrated how this form of the protein could reduce Cu(2+), through a process involving electron transfer from the Trp side chain. The reduced Cu gives rise to reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to beta-cleavage of the prion protein chain at any of the Gly residues around position 90. Protein fragments of lengths similar to those arising from beta-cleavage are predominantly found in both healthy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)-affected brains. Models of Cu binding to the His96 and His111 residues also indicate that different modes of Cu(2+) binding result in formation of stable beta-hairpin structures in this region of the protein. It is postulated that through interactions with the C-terminal part of the protein these hairpins may initiate misfolding and yield more stable beta-sheet structures that might associate in the same fashion with additional prion proteins.

The structures and relative free energies in aqueous solution of the Cu(II) complexes of the “histidine walk” peptides, AcHGGGNH2, AcGHGGNH2, AcGGHGNH2, and AcGGGHNH2, were determined as a function of pH. Numerous structures of each species were found by gaseous- and solution-phase geometry optimization at the B3LYP/6–31G(d) level, and the effect of solvation estimated by the IEFPCM continuum solvation model. Free energies of solvation of the ionic species are large and favour structures with an extended peptide chain. In all Cu(II)–peptide complexes, deprotonation of two amide groups occurs readily at or below pH 7. In each system, the most abundant species at pH 7 is a neutral 1:1 complex with N3O1 coordination pattern. Binding in the forward direction toward the C terminus is preferred. The results are compared to recent experimental spectroscopic and potentiometric studies on related systems. Alternative explanations are offered for some of the experimental observations.

The prion protein has garnered considerable interest because of its involvement in prion disease as well as its unresolved cellular function. The octarepeat region in the flexible N-domain is capable of binding copper through multiple coordination modes. Under conditions of low pH and low Cu(2+) concentration, the four octarepeats (ORs) cooperatively coordinate a single copper ion. Based on the average structure of the PHGG and GWGQ portions of a copper-free OR(2) model from molecular dynamics simulations, the starting structures of the OR(4) complex could be constructed by assembling the repeating structure of PHGG and GWGQ fragments. The resulting model contains a preformed site suitable for Cu(2+) coordination. Molecular dynamics simulations of Cu(2+) bound to the assembled OR(4) model (Cu:OR(4)) reveal a close association of specific Trp and Gly residues with the Cu(2+) center. This low Cu(2+)-occupancy form of prion protein is redox-active and can readily initiate cleavage of the OR region, mediated by reactive oxygen species generated by Cu(+). The OR region is known to be required for beta-cleavage, as are the Trp residues within the OR region. The beta-cleaved form of the prion protein accumulates in amyloid fibrils. Hence, the close approach of Trp and Gly residues to the Cu(2+) coordination site in the low Cu(2+)-occupancy form of the OR region may signal an important interaction for the initiation of prion disease.

Molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted on a model fragment (Ac-PHGGGWGQPHGGGW-NH(2)) of the prion protein octarepeat domain, both in the Cu(2+)-bound and metal-free forms. The copper-bound models are based on the consensus structure of the core Cu(2+)-binding site of an individual octarepeat, relevant to the fully Cu(2+)-occupied prion protein octarepeat region. The model peptides contain Cu(2+) bound through a His imidazole ring and two deprotonated amide N-atoms in the peptide backbone supplied by the following two Gly residues. Both the copper-bound and metal-free models have been simulated with the OPLS all-atom force field with the GROMACS molecular dynamics package. These simulations, with two tandem copper-binding sites, represent the minimum model necessary to observe potential structuring between the copper-binding sites in the octarepeat region. The GWGQ residues constitute a flexible linker region that predominantly adopts a turn, serving to bring adjacent His residues into close proximity. The consequent formation of stable structures demonstrates that the copper-bound octarepeat region allows the copper-coordinating sites to come into van der Waals contact, packing into particular orientations to further stabilize the bend in the GWGQ linker region.

The N-terminal domain of mammalian prion proteins contains several tandem repeats of the octapeptide PHGGGWGQ, each one capable of selectively binding up to 1 equiv of Cu2+. Under saturating conditions Cu2+ is known to coordinate the HGG portion of the repeat sequence via the histidine imidazole side chain, two deprotonated amide N-atoms, and a backbone carbonyl O-atom. Using appropriate selection criteria, we have generated a short list of candidate metal ions (Co3+, Ni2+, Pd2+, Pt2+) that can serve as potential surrogates for Cu2+. The selected metal ions were screened for binding interactions with the OR-derived peptide fragment AcHGGGWNH2 (Ac = acetyl, amino acid residues in italics) using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The coordination geometries of these metal ions with the synthetic OR peptide were subsequently determined from fragment analysis using collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. Our results indicate that, although Co3+, Pd2+, and Pt2+ all bind to the OR fragment via the peptide backbone to varying extents, each of these metal ions appears to associate with the peptide in a unique manner, which is distinct from the way in which Cu2+ is coordinated. This work illustrates the extremely strong selectivity for Cu2+ of this highly conserved region of the mammalian prion protein.

Molybdenum and tungsten are the only second and third-row transition elements with a known function in living organisms. The molybdenum and tungsten enzymes show common structural features, with the metal being bound by a pyranopterin-dithiolene cofactor called molybdopterin. They catalyze a variety of oxygen transferase reactions coupled with two-electron redox chemistry in which the metal cycles between the +6 and +4 oxidation states usually with water, either product or substrate, providing the oxygen. The functional roles filled by the molybdenum and tungsten enzymes are diverse; for example, they play essential roles in microbial respiration, in the uptake of nitrogen in green plants, and in human health. Together, the enzymes form a superfamily which is among the most prevalent known, being found in all kingdoms of life. This review discusses what is known of the active site structures and the mechanisms, together with some recent insights into the evolution of these important enzyme systems.

As synchrotron light sources and optics deliver greater photon flux on samples, X-ray-induced photo-chemistry is increasingly encountered in X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments. The resulting problems are particularly pronounced for biological XAS experiments. This is because biological samples are very often quite dilute and therefore require signal averaging to achieve adequate signal-to-noise ratios, with correspondingly greater exposures to the X-ray beam. This paper reviews the origins of photo-reduction and photo-oxidation, the impact that they can have on active site structure, and the methods that can be used to provide relief from X-ray-induced photo-chemical artifacts.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting both farmed and wild cervids, specifically deer and elk, and is a member of the larger family of prion diseases. Prion disease transmission is believed to occur through exposure to infectious prion material-a misfolded and infectious form of the prion protein that is normally present in the host. Chronic wasting disease is endemic to regions of central North America and infectious material can persist for long periods in the environment, posing challenges for remediation and monitoring. The current methods of detection are relatively invasive, require the host animal to be in intermediate to late stages of disease incubation, and are not without risk to those collecting samples. The potential for a blood test that could identify key biomarkers of disease incubation is of great interest. Serum from elk (Cervus elaphus) (n = 4) was collected on a monthly schedule before, and following, oral inoculation of CWD-positive homogenate, and collection continued until clinical signs were apparent. Blood was collected on the same schedule for a group of control animals (n = 2) housed under identical conditions. Targeted profiling, using (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, of serum metabolites was used to yield metabolite identification as well as quantitation. Hierarchical multivariate statistical orthogonal partial least-squares (O-PLS) models were generated to identify predictive components in the data. Due to the duration of the study (25 mo) a significant aging component was taken into account during analysis. Several metabolites were correlated with aging in elk inoculated with CWD, but not in the control group.

Copper plays vital roles in the active sites of cytochrome oxidase and in several other enzymes essential for human health. Copper is also highly toxic when dysregulated; because of this an elaborate array of accessory proteins have evolved which act as intracellular carriers or chaperones for the copper ions. In most cases chaperones transport cuprous copper. This review discusses some of the chemistry of these copper sites, with a view to some of the structural factors in copper coordination which are important in the biological function of these chaperones. The coordination chemistry and accessible geometries of the cuprous oxidation state are remarkably plastic and we discuss how this may relate to biological function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biogenesis/Assembly of Respiratory Enzyme Complexes.

We report a structural characterization using X-ray absorption spectroscopy of the molybdenum site of Escherichia coli YedY, a novel oxidoreductase related to be the sulfite oxidase family of molybdenum enzymes. We find that the enzyme can exist in Mo(V) and Mo(IV) oxidation states but cannot be readily oxidized to the Mo(VI) form. Mo(V) YedY has molybdenum coordination similar to that of sulfite oxidase, with one Mo═O at 1.71 Å, three Mo-S at 2.39 Å, and one Mo-OH at 2.09 Å, which elongates to 2.20 Å upon reduction to Mo(IV), indicating Mo-OH(2) coordination. The Mo(V) enzyme also possesses a long Mo-O coordination at 2.64 Å, which may be due to oxygen coordination by Asn-45 O(δ), with Mo-O(δ) approximately trans to the Mo═O group. A comparison with sulfite oxidase indicates that YedY possesses a much more uniform Mo-S coordination, with a maximum permitted deviation of less than 0.05 Å. Our results indicate that the YedY active site shows considerable similarity to but also important differences from that of reduced forms of sulfite oxidase.