1. |
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2. |
- Biasin, Elisa, et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond X-Ray Scattering Study of Ultrafast Photoinduced Structural Dynamics in Solvated[Co(terpy)2]2$
- 2016
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In: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 1079-7114 .- 0031-9007. ; 117:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the structural dynamics of photoexcited [Co(terpy)2]2+ in an aqueous solution with ultrafast x-ray diffuse scattering experiments conducted at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Through direct comparisons with density functional theory calculations, our analysis shows that the photoexcitation event leads to elongation of the Co-N bonds, followed by coherent Co-N bond length oscillations arising from the impulsive excitation of a vibrational mode dominated by the symmetrical stretch of all six Co-N bonds. This mode has a period of 0.33 ps and decays on a subpicosecond time scale. We find that the equilibrium bond-elongated structure of the high spin state is established on a single-picosecond time scale and that this state has a lifetime of ∼7 ps.
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3. |
- Brunner, Sandra, et al.
(author)
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Overexpression of RPGR leads to male infertility in mice due to defects in flagellar assembly
- 2008
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In: Biology of Reproduction. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3363 .- 1529-7268. ; 79:4, s. 608-617
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Male infertility is one possible consequence of a group of disorders arising from dysfunction of cilia. Ciliopathies include primary ciliary dyskinesia, polycystic kidney disease, Usher syndrome, nephronophthisis, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Alstrom syndrome, and Meckel-Gruber syndrome as well as some forms of retinal degenerations. Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator gene (RPGR) are best known for leading to retinal degeneration but have also been associated with ciliary dysfunctions affecting other tissues. To further study the involvement of RPGR in ciliopathies, transgenic mouse lines overexpressing RPGR were generated. Animals carrying the transgene in varying copy numbers were investigated. We found that infertility due to aberrant spermatozoa correlated with increased copy numbers. In animals with moderately increased gene copies of Rpgr, structural disorganization in the flagellar midpiece, outer dense fibers, and fibrous sheath was apparent. In contrast, in animals with high copy numbers, condensed sperm heads were present, but the flagellum was absent in the vast majority of spermatozoa, although early steps of flagellar biogenesis were observed. This complexity of defects in flagellar assembly suggests a role of RPGR in intraflagellar transport processes.
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4. |
- Chatterjee, Ruchira, et al.
(author)
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XANES and EXAFS of dilute solutions of transition metals at XFELs
- 2019
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In: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. - : INT UNION CRYSTALLOGRAPHY. - 0909-0495 .- 1600-5775. ; 26, s. 1716-1724
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This work has demonstrated that X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), both Mn XANES and EXAFS, of solutions with millimolar concentrations of metal is possible using the femtosecond X-ray pulses from XFELs. Mn XAS data were collected using two different sample delivery methods, a Rayleigh jet and a drop-on-demand setup, with varying concentrations of Mn. Here, a new method for normalization of XAS spectra based on solvent scattering that is compatible with data collection from a highly variable pulsed source is described. The measured XANES and EXAFS spectra of such dilute solution samples are in good agreement with data collected at synchrotron sources using traditional scanning protocols. The procedures described here will enable XFEL-based XAS on dilute biological samples, especially metalloproteins, with low sample consumption. Details of the experimental setup and data analysis methods used in this XANES and EXAFS study are presented. This method will also benefit XAS performed at high-repetition-rate XFELs such as the European XFEL, LCLS-II and LCLS-II-HE.
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5. |
- Fuller, Franklin D, et al.
(author)
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Drop-on-demand sample delivery for studying biocatalysts in action at X-ray free-electron lasers
- 2017
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In: Nature Methods. - : Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. - 1548-7091 .- 1548-7105. ; 14, s. 443-449
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy, both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing insights into the interplay between the protein structure and dynamics and the chemistry at an active site. The implementation of such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly affects the data quality. We present here a robust way of delivering controlled sample amounts on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.
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6. |
- Haldrup, Kristoffer, et al.
(author)
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Ultrafast X-Ray Scattering Measurements of Coherent Structural Dynamics on the Ground-State Potential Energy Surface of a Diplatinum Molecule
- 2019
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 122:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report x-ray free electron laser experiments addressing ground-state structural dynamics of the diplatinum anion Pt2POP4 following photoexcitation. The structural dynamics are tracked with <100 fs time resolution by x-ray scattering, utilizing the anisotropic component to suppress contributions from the bulk solvent. The x-ray data exhibit a strong oscillatory component with period 0.28 ps and decay time 2.2 ps, and structural analysis of the difference signal directly shows this as arising from ground-state dynamics along the PtPt coordinate. These results are compared with multiscale Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations and demonstrate how off-resonance excitation can be used to prepare a vibrationally cold excited-state population complemented by a structure-dependent depletion of the ground-state population which subsequently evolves in time, allowing direct tracking of ground-state structural dynamics.
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7. |
- Kjær, Kasper S., et al.
(author)
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Finding intersections between electronic excited state potential energy surfaces with simultaneous ultrafast X-ray scattering and spectroscopy
- 2019
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In: Chemical Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2041-6520 .- 2041-6539. ; 10:22, s. 5749-5760
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Light-driven molecular reactions are dictated by the excited state potential energy landscape, depending critically on the location of conical intersections and intersystem crossing points between potential surfaces where non-adiabatic effects govern transition probabilities between distinct electronic states. While ultrafast studies have provided significant insight into electronic excited state reaction dynamics, experimental approaches for identifying and characterizing intersections and seams between electronic states remain highly system dependent. Here we show that for 3d transition metal systems simultaneously recorded X-ray diffuse scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy at sub-70 femtosecond time-resolution provide a solid experimental foundation for determining the mechanistic details of excited state reactions. In modeling the mechanistic information retrieved from such experiments, it becomes possible to identify the dominant trajectory followed during the excited state cascade and to determine the relevant loci of intersections between states. We illustrate our approach by explicitly mapping parts of the potential energy landscape dictating the light driven low-to-high spin-state transition (spin crossover) of [Fe(2,2′-bipyridine)3]2+, where the strongly coupled nuclear and electronic dynamics have been a source of interest and controversy. We anticipate that simultaneous X-ray diffuse scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy will provide a valuable approach for mapping the reactive trajectories of light-triggered molecular systems involving 3d transition metals.
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8. |
- Kjær, Kasper S., et al.
(author)
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Solvent control of charge transfer excited state relaxation pathways in [Fe(2,2′-bipyridine)(CN)4]2-
- 2018
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In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 20:6, s. 4238-4249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The excited state dynamics of solvated [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2-, where bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, show significant sensitivity to the solvent Lewis acidity. Using a combination of optical absorption and X-ray emission transient spectroscopies, we have previously shown that the metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state of [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- has a 19 picosecond lifetime and no discernable contribution from metal centered (MC) states in weak Lewis acid solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile.1,2 In the present work, we use the same combination of spectroscopic techniques to measure the MLCT excited state relaxation dynamics of [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- in water, a strong Lewis acid solvent. The charge-transfer excited state is now found to decay in less than 100 femtoseconds, forming a quasi-stable metal centered excited state with a 13 picosecond lifetime. We find that this MC excited state has triplet (3MC) character, unlike other reported six-coordinate Fe(ii)-centered coordination compounds, which form MC quintet (5MC) states. The solvent dependent changes in excited state non-radiative relaxation for [Fe(bpy)(CN)4]2- allows us to infer the influence of the solvent on the electronic structure of the complex. Furthermore, the robust characterization of the dynamics and optical spectral signatures of the isolated 3MC intermediate provides a strong foundation for identifying 3MC intermediates in the electronic excited state relaxation mechanisms of similar Fe-centered systems being developed for solar applications.
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9. |
- Kunnus, Kristjan, et al.
(author)
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Vibrational wavepacket dynamics in Fe carbene photosensitizer determined with femtosecond X-ray emission and scattering
- 2020
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The non-equilibrium dynamics of electrons and nuclei govern the function of photoactive materials. Disentangling these dynamics remains a critical goal for understanding photoactive materials. Here we investigate the photoinduced dynamics of the [Fe(bmip)2]2+ photosensitizer, where bmip = 2,6-bis(3-methyl-imidazole-1-ylidine)-pyridine, with simultaneous femtosecond-resolution Fe Kα and Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray solution scattering (XSS). This measurement shows temporal oscillations in the XES and XSS difference signals with the same 278 fs period oscillation. These oscillations originate from an Fe-ligand stretching vibrational wavepacket on a triplet metal-centered (3MC) excited state surface. This 3MC state is populated with a 110 fs time constant by 40% of the excited molecules while the rest relax to a 3MLCT excited state. The sensitivity of the Kα XES to molecular structure results from a 0.7% average Fe-ligand bond length shift between the 1 s and 2p core-ionized states surfaces.
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10. |
- Lindqvist, Richard, et al.
(author)
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Fast type I interferon response protects astrocytes from flavivirus infection and virus-induced cytopathic effects
- 2016
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In: Journal of Neuroinflammation. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1742-2094. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Neurotropic flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) are causative agents of severe brain-related diseases including meningitis, encephalitis, and microcephaly. We have previously shown that local type I interferon response within the central nervous system (CNS) is involved in the protection of mice against tick-borne flavivirus infection. However, the cells responsible for mounting this protective response are not defined. Methods: Primary astrocytes were isolated from wild-type (WT) and interferon alpha receptor knock out (IFNAR(-/-)) mice and infected with neurotropic flaviviruses. Viral replication and spread, IFN induction and response, and cellular viability were analyzed. Transcriptional levels in primary astrocytes treated with interferon or supernatant from virus-infected cells were analyzed by RNA sequencing and evaluated by different bioinformatics tools. Results: Here, we show that astrocytes control viral replication of different TBEV strains, JEV, WNV, and ZIKV. In contrast to fibroblast, astrocytes mount a rapid interferon response and restrict viral spread. Furthermore, basal expression levels of key interferon-stimulated genes are high in astrocytes compared to mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Bioinformatic analysis of RNA-sequencing data reveals that astrocytes have established a basal antiviral state which contributes to the rapid viral recognition and upregulation of interferons. The most highly upregulated pathways in neighboring cells were linked to type I interferon response and innate immunity. The restriction in viral growth was dependent on interferon signaling, since loss of the interferon receptor, or its blockade in wild-type cells, resulted in high viral replication and virus-induced cytopathic effects. Astrocyte supernatant from TBEV-infected cells can restrict TBEV growth in astrocytes already 6 h post infection, the effect on neurons is highly reinforced, and astrocyte supernatant from 3 h post infection is already protective. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the combination of an intrinsic constitutive antiviral response and the fast induction of type I IFN production by astrocytes play an important role in self-protection of astrocytes and suppression of flavivirus replication in the CNS.
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11. |
- Perakis, Fivos, et al.
(author)
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Coherent X-rays reveal the influence of cage effects on ultrafast water dynamics
- 2018
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The dynamics of liquid water feature a variety of time scales, ranging from extremely fast ballistic-like thermal motion, to slower molecular diffusion and hydrogen-bond rearrangements. Here, we utilize coherent X-ray pulses to investigate the sub-100 fs equilibrium dynamics of water from ambient conditions down to supercooled temperatures. This novel approach utilizes the inherent capability of X-ray speckle visibility spectroscopy to measure equilibrium intermolecular dynamics with lengthscale selectivity, by measuring oxygen motion in momentum space. The observed decay of the speckle contrast at the first diffraction peak, which reflects tetrahedral coordination, is attributed to motion on a molecular scale within the first 120 fs. Through comparison with molecular dynamics simulations, we conclude that the slowing down upon cooling from 328 K down to 253 K is not due to simple thermal ballistic-like motion, but that cage effects play an important role even on timescales over 25 fs due to hydrogen-bonding.
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12. |
- Peter, Hannes, 1982-
(author)
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Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning : Redundancy and Resilience in Freshwater Bacterial Communities
- 2011
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Bacteria are immensely diverse and hold key-positions in essentially all biogeochemical cycles. In freshwater ecosystems, bacteria degrade and mineralize organic compounds, linking the pool of dissolved organic matter to higher trophic levels. Aware of the global biodiversity loss, ecologists have started identifying the relationship of diversity and ecosystem functioning. Central to this is the question if species can functionally replace other species, hence being functionally redundant. Functional redundancy might allow communities to maintain functioning when diversity is lost. Due to their large numbers and great diversity, bacterial communities have been suspected to harbor large amounts of redundancy. The central aim of this thesis is to investigate the coupling of diversity and ecosystem functioning of bacterial communities and to understand how environmental perturbation affects this relationship. I manipulated the diversity of complex communities by a dilution technique, and measured the performance of bacterioplankton and biofilm-forming communities at different diversities. Reduction of bacterial diversity differently affected different functions, and that the presence or absence of certain species might be causing this pattern. However, for ecosystems to function, the interplay of multiple functions, i.e. multifunctionality, has to be sustained over long periods of time. In bacterial biofilm communities reduced diversity affected multifunctionality, as reflected by extracellular enzyme activities. A continuous cultivation system was used to address the importance of diversity for resistance and resilience upon environmental perturbation. The analysis of co-occurrence of bacterial taxa showed that the communities form a dense network before the perturbation and that these patterns are disturbed by the environmental perturbation. The final chapter of the thesis presents experimental evidence for the positive effects of temporal and spatial refuges for bacterial communities and the functions they provide. Overall, I found several indications for a lower amount of functional redundancy as previously assumed and it becomes apparent from this thesis that a multifunctional perspective and the consideration of environmental heterogeneity is pivotal.
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13. |
- Tatsuno, Hideyuki, et al.
(author)
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Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light-Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X-ray Emission Spectroscopy
- 2020
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In: Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. - : Wiley. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 59:1, s. 364-372
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Iron N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub-ps X-ray spectroscopy study of an FeIINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot 3MLCT state, from the initially excited 1MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the 3MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed 3MLCT state. The relaxed 3MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the 3MC state. The 3MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The 5MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the 3MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition-metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.
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14. |
- Young, Iris D., et al.
(author)
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Structure of photosystem II and substrate binding at room temperature
- 2016
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In: Nature. - : Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 540:7633, s. 453-457
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Light-induced oxidation of water by photosystem II (PS II) in plants, algae and cyanobacteria has generated most of the dioxygen in the atmosphere. PS II, a membrane-bound multi-subunit pigment protein complex, couples the one-electron photochemistry at the reaction centre with the four-electron redox chemistry of water oxidation at the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Under illumination, the OEC cycles through five intermediate S-states (S0 to S4)1, in which S1 is the dark-stable state and S3 is the last semi-stable state before O–O bond formation and O2 evolution2,3. A detailed understanding of the O–O bond formation mechanism remains a challenge, and will require elucidation of both the structures of the OEC in the different S-states and the binding of the two substrate waters to the catalytic site4–6. Here we report the use of femtosecond pulses from an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) to obtain damage-free, room temperature structures of dark-adapted (S1), two-flash illuminated (2F; S3-enriched), and ammonia-bound two-flash illuminated (2F-NH3; S3-enriched) PS II. Although the recent 1.95 Å resolution structure of PS II at cryogenic temperature using an XFEL7 provided a damage-free view of the S1 state, measurements at room temperature are required to study the structural landscape of proteins under functional conditions8,9, and also for in situ advancement of the S-states. To investigate the water-binding site(s), ammonia, a water analogue, has been used as a marker, as it binds to the Mn4CaO5 cluster in the S2 and S3 states10. Since the ammonia-bound OEC is active, the ammonia-binding Mn site is not a substrate water site10–13. This approach, together with a comparison of the native dark and 2F states, is used to discriminate between proposed O–O bond formation mechanisms.
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