Développement de la RMN pour la caractérisation structurale et dynamique à haute résolution de protéines fluorescentes phototransformables

The discovery of Phototransformable Fluorescent proteins (PTFPs) over the last decades has revolutionized the field of microscopy. Reversibly photo-switchable fluorescent proteins (RSFPs), in particular, are currently routinely used for Super Resolution Microscopy techniques, such as RESOLFT (REversible Saturable OpticaL Fluorescence Transitions). Photo-induced switching between a fluorescent "on"- and a dark "off"-state, in combination with advanced illumination schemes has allowed for imaging nanometer sized compartments in biological cells. Crystallographic studies of such RSFPs have provided useful mechanistic explanations for their photophysical behaviour and has guided fluorescent protein engineering into designing better tags. However, the crystal forms of such proteins studied at cryogenic temperatures fail to capture dynamics present in RSFPs which could potentially play a significant role in their photophysics. So far, only a single NMR study for the RSFP Dronpa has been reported in the literature (Mizuno, 2008). During my PhD thesis, I was able to complement crystallographic studies of rsFolder, a green RSFP, with a dynamic perspective using multidimensional solution NMR spectroscopy.Using a portable in-situ laser illumination device coupled with the NMR spectrometer, I was able to extract quantitative local dynamic information for both the fluorescent "on"- and "off"-states of rsFolder, characterized by a primarily cis and trans chromophore, respectively. NMR signatures of residues in the non-fluorescent "off"-state were identified using LASER-driven Exchange NMR experiments. The metastable photo-induced "off"-state of rsFolder appears more dynamic on the millisecond timescale than the fluorescent "on"-state. NMR investigations of the chromophore resulted in the deciphering of four configurations, populated in a pH-dependent fashion. Moreover, pH-induced cis-trans isomerization of the chromophore was observed, in the absence of light. NMR-derived values of activation energies for isomerization and free energy differences between the cis and trans chromophore enabled the mapping of the ground-state free energy landscape of rsFolder at different pH values and buffer compositions. Lastly, comparing NMR observables with optical measurements on rsFolder and mutants highlights the potential role that NMR can play in the field of RSFP engineering. Altogether, my PhD work yielded in not only a reliable in-situ illumination set-up accompanied with relevant NMR experiments to study RSFPs, but also highlighted the importance of dynamics in understanding RSFPs' photophysical properties.La découverte de protéines fluorescentes photo-transformables (PTFP) au cours des dernières décennies a révolutionné le domaine de la microscopie optique. Les protéines fluorescentes réversiblement commutables (RSFP), en particulier, sont couramment utilisées pour les techniques de microscopie à super-résolution comme en RESOLFT (REversible Saturable OpticaL Fluorescence Transitions) par exemple. Par photoactivation, les RSFP passent d'un état "on" - fluorescent - à un état "off" - éteint - qui, combiné à des systèmes d'illumination avancés permet d'imager des composants cellulaires préalablement marqués à une résolution nanométrique. De nombreuses études cristallographiques sur les RSFP ont apporté des informations structurelles importantes et ont permis de dresser des hypothèses quant à leur comportement photo-physique. Elles ont également guidé l'ingénierie des protéines fluorescentes afin d'améliorer leur conception et leur utilisation in vivo. Cependant, les cristaux de ces protéines qui sont étudiées à des températures cryogéniques ne permettent pas de capturer la dynamique moléculaire des RSFP dans le but de comprendre, voir d'améliorer leur propriétés photo-physique. C'est pourquoi au cours de ma thèse, j'ai majoritairement utilisé la résonance magnétique nucléaire (RMN) en solution multidimensionnelle sur une RSFP verte - appelée rsFolder - afin de compléter et améliorer nos connaissances sur ces protéines. À l'aide d'un dispositif d'éclairage laser in situ portatif couplé au spectromètre RMN, j'ai pu extraire des informations dynamiques locales quantitatives concernant les états "on" et "off" fluorescents de rsFolder qui sont respectivement caractérisés par un chromophore en conformation cis et trans. Les signatures des résidus dans l'état "off" non fluorescent ont été identifiées à l'aide d'expériences de RMN d'échange induite par LASER. L'état "off" métastable de rsFolder apparaît plus dynamique dans l'échelle de temps de la milliseconde que l'état "on" fluorescent. La RMN a également permis de mettre en lumière quatre configurations du chromophore possible qui sont pH dépendante. De plus, j'ai observé pour la première fois l'isomérisation du chromophore induite par le pH cis-trans. Les valeurs dérivées de la RMN des énergies d'activation concernant l'isomérisation et les différences d'énergie libre entre le chromophore cis et trans ont permis de cartographier le paysage d'énergie libre de l'état fondamental de rsFolder à différents pH. Enfin, la comparaison de données de RMN et des mesures optiques sur rsFolder ainsi que sur différents mutants a mis en évidence le rôle important que la RMN peut jouer dans le domaine de l'ingénierie des RSFPs.Dans l'ensemble, mes travaux de thèse ont permis non seulement d'établir un système d'illumination in situ fiable, accompagné d'expériences de RMN pertinentes dans le but d'étudier les RSFP mais aussi de souligner l'importance de la dynamique moléculaire dans la compréhension des propriétés photo-physiques des RSFPs

BEST and SOFAST experiments for resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in 13C/15N labeled proteins

International audienceAromatic amino-acid side chains are essential components for the structure and function of proteins. We present herein a set of NMR experiments for time-efficient resonance assignment of histidine and tyrosine side chains in uniformly 13C/15N-labeled proteins. The use of band-selective 13C pulses allows to deal with linear chains of coupled spins, thus avoiding signal loss that occurs in branched spin systems during coherence transfer. Furthermore, our pulse schemes make use of longitudinal 1H relaxation enhancement, Ernst-angle excitation, and simultaneous detection of 1H and 13C steady-state polarization to achieve significant signal enhancements

Disentangling Chromophore States in a Reversibly Switchable Green Fluorescent Protein: Mechanistic Insights from NMR Spectroscopy

International audienceThe photophysical properties of fluorescent proteins, including phototransformable variants used in advanced microscopy applications, are influenced by the environmental conditions in which they are expressed and used. Rational design of improved fluorescent protein markers requires a better understanding of these environmental effects. We demonstrate here that solution NMR spectroscopy can detect subtle changes in the chemical structure, conformation, and dynamics of the photoactive chromophore moiety with atomic resolution, providing such mechanistic information. Studying rsFolder, a reversibly switchable green fluorescent protein, we have identified four distinct configurations of its p-HBI chromophore, corresponding to the cis and trans isomers, with each one either protonated (neutral) or deprotonated (anionic) at the benzylidene ring. The relative populations and interconversion kinetics of these chromophore species depend on sample pH and buffer composition that alter in a complex way the strength of H-bonds that contribute in stabilizing the chromophore within the protein scaffold. We show in particular the important role of histidine-149 in stabilizing the neutral trans chromophore at intermediate pH values, leading to ground-state cis-trans isomerization with a peculiar pH dependence. We discuss the potential implications of our findings on the pH dependence of the photoswitching contrast, a critical parameter in nanoscopy applications

NMR Reveals Light-Induced Changes in the Dynamics of a Photoswitchable Fluorescent Protein

International audienceThe availability of fluorescent proteins with distinct phototransformation properties is crucial for a wide range of applications in advanced fluorescence microscopy and biotechnology. To rationally design new variants optimized for specific applications, a detailed understanding of the mechanistic features underlying phototransformation is essential. At present, little is known about the conformational dynamics of fluorescent proteins at physiological temperature and how these dynamics contribute to the observed phototransformation properties. Here, we apply high-resolution NMR spectroscopy in solution combined with in situ sample illumination at different wavelengths to investigate the conformational dynamics of rsFolder, a GFPderived protein that can be reversibly switched between a green fluorescent state and a nonfluorescent state. Our results add a dynamic view to the static structures obtained by x-ray crystallography. Including a custom-tailored NMR toolbox in fluorescent protein research provides new opportunities for investigating the effect of mutations or changes in the environmental conditions on the conformational dynamics of phototransformable fluorescent proteins and their correlation with the observed photochemical and photophysical properties

Time-resolved crystallography captures light-driven DNA repair

International audiencePhotolyase is an enzyme that uses light to catalyze DNA repair. To capture the reaction intermediates involved in the enzyme’s catalytic cycle, we conducted a time-resolved crystallography experiment. We found that photolyase traps the excited state of the active cofactor, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), in a highly bent geometry. This excited state performs electron transfer to damaged DNA, inducing repair. We show that the repair reaction, which involves the lysis of two covalent bonds, occurs through a single-bond intermediate. The transformation of the substrate into product crowds the active site and disrupts hydrogen bonds with the enzyme, resulting in stepwise product release, with the 3′ thymine ejected first, followed by the 5′ base

Rational Control of Off‐State Heterogeneity in a Photoswitchable Fluorescent Protein Provides Switching Contrast Enhancement**

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