Structure-based design of novel Chlamydomonas reinhardtii D1-D2 photosynthetic proteins for herbicide monitoring

The D1-D2 heterodimer in the reaction center core of phototrophs binds the redox plastoquinone cofactors, QA and QB, the terminal acceptors of the photosynthetic electron transfer chain in the photosystem II (PSII). This complex is the target of the herbicide atrazine, an environmental pollutant competitive inhibitor of QB binding, and consequently it represents an excellent biomediator to develop biosensors for pollutant monitoring in ecosystems. In this context, we have undertaken a study of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii D1-D2 proteins aimed at designing site directed mutants with increased affinity for atrazine. The three-dimensional structure of the D1 and D2 proteins from C. reinhardtii has been homology modeled using the crystal structure of the highly homologous Thermosynechococcus elongatus proteins as templates. Mutants of D1 and D2 were then generated in silico and the atrazine binding affinity of the mutant proteins has been calculated to predict mutations able to increase PSII affinity for atrazine. The computational approach has been validated through comparison with available experimental data and production and characterization of one of the predicted mutants. The latter analyses indicated an increase of one order of magnitude of the mutant sensitivity and affinity for atrazine as compared to the control strain. Finally, D1-D2 heterodimer mutants were designed and selected which, according to our model, increase atrazine binding affinity by up to 20 kcal/mol, representing useful starting points for the development of high affinity biosensors for atrazine.