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Imitación de la fotosíntesis en una metaloproteína sintética diseñada por computación
Lidia Cristian1, Piotr Piotrowiak, Ramy S Farid
1Department of Chemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 73 Warren Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|September 25, 2003
Resumen
Los investigadores diseñaron una proteína funcional del centro de reacción artificial (RC) que imita la fotosíntesis natural. Este sistema de conversión de energía solar basado en proteínas permite una separación de carga eficiente, allanando el camino para nuevas tecnologías energéticas.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Química biofísica y bioquímica.
- Ingeniería de proteínas Ingeniería de proteínas.
- Energía renovable Energía renovable.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los avances en el diseño de proteínas permiten la construcción de arquitecturas de proteínas similares a las nativas.
- Los sistemas funcionales de conversión de energía solar basados en proteínas siguen siendo elusivos.
- Los centros naturales de reacción fotosintética (CR) convierten eficientemente la energía de la luz.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para diseñar y caracterizar una proteína funcional del centro de reacción artificial (RC).
- Para imitar la función básica de las RCs fotosintéticas naturales utilizando una proteína sintética.
- Para crear un sistema de conversión de energía solar basado en proteínas.
Principales métodos:
- Utilizó el programa de diseño de proteínas CORE para diseñar una metaloproteína sintética (aRC).
- Incorpora dos cofactores metálicos unidos a bis-histidina: un complejo de rutenio (Ru) y un grupo hemo.
- Caracterizó la dinámica de la fotoexcitación y la transferencia de electrones (ET).
Principales resultados:
- La proteína aRC diseñada facilita múltiples ciclos de reducción/oxidación con aceptores/donantes exógenos.
- La fotoexcitación indujo una ET rápida de Ru(II) al grupo hemo, formando un estado de carga separada de larga duración (CSS) (Ru(III) /Fe(II)) con una vida útil de 70 ns.
- El CSS de larga vida participó en las reacciones ET posteriores, imitando a los RC nativos.
Conclusiones:
- Demostró el exitoso diseño y construcción de un centro de reacción artificial funcional basado en proteínas.
- Diseño computacional automatizado integrado de proteínas con principios de túnel de electrones biológicos.
- Estableció el primer ejemplo de un centro de reacción artificial funcional basado en proteínas para la conversión de energía solar.
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