International Journal of
Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Research

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Biotechnol. Mol. Biol. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2154
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJBMBR
  • Start Year: 2010
  • Published Articles: 105

Full Length Research Paper

FRET as a tool for the studies of structural changes in full-length bacterial phytochrome, Agp1

Njimona Ibrahim
  • Njimona Ibrahim
  • Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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Ngah Yayah Emerencia
  • Ngah Yayah Emerencia
  • District Health Service Bamenda, North West Regional Delegation of Health, Ministry of Health, Cameroon.
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Mfopa Adamou
  • Mfopa Adamou
  • Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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Nkengazong Lucia
  • Nkengazong Lucia
  • Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies (IMPM), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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  •  Received: 16 November 2021
  •  Accepted: 23 May 2022
  •  Published: 31 July 2022

Abstract

Bacteriophytochromes (BphPs) are light-regulated biliprotein photoreceptors widely occurring in bacteria. BphPs exists in two spectral distinct states: the red-light absorbing state (Pr) and the far-red light-absorbing state (Pfr). BphPs are composed of an N-terminal photosensory core module and a light-controlled C-terminal histidine kinase module. The detailed mechanism on how photoconversion, initiated by a light-triggered isomerization of the biliverdin chromophore, is conducted from the N-terminal to the C-terminal domain and how the histidine kinase is modulated is still not clear. In this work Agp1 from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is used as a model phytochrome. The method of labeling full-length Agp1 mutants with single accessible Cys residue using fluorescence probes is described. Different absorption spectra showed that neither mutagenesis nor fluorescence labeling exerts significant effects on the photoconversion behavior of various Agp1 mutants. The histidine kinase activity assay revealed that the labeled holoproteins exhibit wild-types like autophosphorylation activity that depends on the Pr and the Pfr state. Fluorescence spectroscopic data suggested that fluorescence resonance energy transfer occurs from the donor Atto495 to the acceptor Atto565 in double-labeled Agp1-A362C, K514C, H554C, R603C, I653C, and V674C mutants. Red light irradiation gave rise to small changes on fluorescence emission intensity in some mutants but in some no remarkable inter-subunit distance changes occurred during the photo-conversion from Pr to Pfr in full-length Agp1. In contrast to double-labeled samples, significant changes in fluorescence intensity were observed in single-labeled samples.

 

Key words: Bacteriophytochromes (BphPs), C-terminal domain, photosensory, phytochrome.