On the Natural History of Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcation

Frontiers in Microbiology
Frauke BaymannWolfgang Nitschke

Abstract

Electron bifurcation is here described as a special case of the continuum of electron transfer reactions accessible to two-electron redox compounds with redox cooperativity. We argue that electron bifurcation is foremost an electrochemical phenomenon based on (a) strongly inverted redox potentials of the individual redox transitions, (b) a high endergonicity of the first redox transition, and (c) an escapement-type mechanism rendering completion of the first electron transfer contingent on occurrence of the second one. This mechanism is proposed to govern both the traditional quinone-based and the newly discovered flavin-based versions of electron bifurcation. Conserved and variable aspects of the spatial arrangement of electron transfer partners in flavoenzymes are assayed by comparing the presently available 3D structures. A wide sample of flavoenzymes is analyzed with respect to conserved structural modules and three major structural groups are identified which serve as basic frames for the evolutionary construction of a plethora of flavin-containing redox enzymes. We argue that flavin-based and other types of electron bifurcation are of primordial importance to free energy conversion, the quintessential foundation of life, ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 25, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Simona G HuwilerMatthias Boll
Sep 14, 2019·Chemical Communications : Chem Comm·Jonathon L YulyJohn W Peters
Oct 24, 2019·Interface Focus·Simon DuvalWolfgang Nitschke
Oct 24, 2019·Interface Focus·Michael J Russell
Aug 30, 2019·Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry : JBIC : a Publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry·Lindsey M WalkerSean J Elliott
Jul 15, 2020·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·H Diessel DuanAnne-Frances Miller
Aug 21, 2018·Frontiers in Microbiology·Saroj PoudelEric S Boyd
Aug 29, 2018·Life·Michael J Russell
Aug 18, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·J L YulyD N Beratan
Oct 28, 2020·Chemical Society Reviews·Agnideep DasMarine Desage-El Murr
Jan 17, 2021·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics·Courtney E WiseCarolyn E Lubner
Jan 19, 2021·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics·Lena AppelMatthias Boll
Nov 25, 2020·Free Radical Biology & Medicine·Pierre MounkoroBrigitte Meunier
Feb 21, 2021·Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics·Kanwal KayasthaUlrich Ermler
Mar 18, 2021·Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics·H Diessel DuanAnne-Frances Miller

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
equilibrium titrations

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