Engineering Photosystem I Complexes with Metal Oxide Binding Peptides for Bioelectronic Applications

Bioconjug Chem. 2015 Oct 21;26(10):2097-105. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00374. Epub 2015 Sep 18.

Abstract

Conventional dye-sensitized solar cells comprise semiconducting anodes sensitized with complex synthetic organometallic dyes, a platinum counter electrode, and a liquid electrolyte. This work focuses on replacing synthetic dyes with a naturally occurring biological pigment-protein complex known as Photosystem I (PSI). Specifically, ZnO binding peptides (ZOBiP)-fused PSI subunits (ZOBiP-PsaD and ZOBiP-PsaE) and TiO2 binding peptides (TOBiP)-fused ferredoxin (TOBiP-Fd) have been produced recombinantly from Escherichia coli. The MOBiP-fused peptides have been characterized via western blotting, circular dichroism, MALDI-TOF, and cyclic voltammetry. ZOBiP-PSI subunits have been used to replace wild-type PsaD and PsaE, and TOBiP-Fd has been chemically cross-linked to the stromal hump of PSI. These MOBiP peptides and MOBiP-PSI complexes have been produced and incubated with various metal oxide nanoparticles, showing increased binding when compared to that of wild-type PSI complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bioelectric Energy Sources
  • Blotting, Western
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Ferredoxins / genetics
  • Ferredoxins / metabolism
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Peptides / metabolism*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / chemistry*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / genetics
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Engineering / methods*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism*
  • Semiconductors
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Titanium / metabolism
  • Zinc Oxide / metabolism

Substances

  • Ferredoxins
  • Peptides
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • photosystem I, psaE subunit
  • titanium dioxide
  • Titanium
  • Zinc Oxide