Probing the Structure of [NiFeSe] Hydrogenase with QM/MM Computations

oleh: Samah Moubarak, N. Elghobashi-Meinhardt, Daria Tombolelli, Maria Andrea Mroginski

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-01-01

Deskripsi

The geometry and vibrational behavior of selenocysteine [NiFeSe] hydrogenase isolated from <i>Desulfovibrio vulgaris</i> Hildenborough have been investigated using a hybrid quantum mechanical (QM)/ molecular mechanical (MM) approach. Structural models have been built based on the three conformers identified in the recent crystal structure resolved at 1.3 &#197; from X-ray crystallography. In the models, a diamagnetic Ni<sup>2+</sup> atom was modeled in combination with both Fe<sup>2+</sup> and Fe<sup>3+</sup> to investigate the effect of iron oxidation on geometry and vibrational frequency of the nonproteic ligands, CO and CN-, coordinated to the Fe atom. Overall, the QM/MM optimized geometries are in good agreement with the experimentally resolved geometries. Analysis of computed vibrational frequencies, in comparison with experimental Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) frequencies, suggests that a mixture of conformers as well as Fe<sup>2+</sup> and Fe<sup>3+</sup> oxidation states may be responsible for the acquired vibrational spectra.