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Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Using In Vitro Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer to Study the Dynamics Of Protein Complexes at a Millisecond Time Scale
Published on: March 14, 2019
Ultrafast Vibrational Energy Transfer between Protein and Cofactor in a Flavoenzyme
Samantha J O Hardman1, Andreea I Iorgu1, Derren J Heyes1
1Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Protein motions and enzyme catalysis are often linked. It is hypothesized that ultrafast vibrations (femtosecond-picosecond) enhance the rate of hydride transfer catalyzed by members of the old yellow enzyme (OYE) family of ene-reductases. Here, we use time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy in combination with stable "heavy" isotopic labeling (2H, 13C, 15N) of protein and/or cofactor to probe the vibrational energy transfer (VET) between pentaerythritol tetranitrate reductase (a member of the OYE family) and its noncovalently bound flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor. We show that when the FMN cofactor is photoexcited with visible light, vibrational energy is transferred from the flavin to the surrounding protein environment on the picosecond timescale. This finding expands the scope of VET investigation in proteins, which are limited by suitable intrinsic probes, and may have implications in the understanding of the mechanism of recently discovered photoactive flavoenzymes.
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