| The proton gradient across the biological membrane is important for the biological systems. Bacteriorhodopsin and cytochrome c oxidase convert different energy sources into this gradient. The focus of this thesis is to understand the mechanism of these proteins using computational methods. In bacteriorhodopsin, residue ionization states were calculated in 9 crystal structures trapped in bR, early M and late M states by Multi-Conformation Continuum Electrostatics (MCC). The three groups in the central cluster are ionized in bR structures while a proton has transferred from the SB+ to Asp 85 - in the late M structures matching prior experimental results. The proton release cluster binds one proton in bR structure which is lost to water by pH 8 in late M. Modest changes in intra-protein interactions cause the charge shifts within the clusters. Motions of Arg 82 couple the proton shift in the central cluster to proton release. Changes in the total charge of the two clusters are coupled by direct long-range interactions.; Cytochrome c oxidase is a transmembrane proton pump that builds an electrochemical gradient using chemical energy from the reduction of O2. Ionization states of all residues were calculated with MCCE in seven anaerobic oxidase redox states ranging from fully oxidized to fully reduced in Rb. sphaeroides cytochrome c oxidase. At pH 7, only a hydroxide coordinated to CuB shifts its pKa from below 7 to above 7, and so picks up a proton when Heme a3 and CuB are reduced. Glu I-286, Tyr I-288, His I-334 and a second hydroxide on Heme a3 all have pKas above 7. The propionic acids near the BNC are deprotonated with pKas well below 7. This suggests electroneutrality in the BNC is not maintained during the anaerobic reduction. The electrochemical midpoint potential (E m) of Heme a is calculated to shift down when the BNC is reduced, which agrees with prior experiments. If the BNC reduction is electroneutral, then the Heme a Em is independent of the BNC redox state. |
