996 resultados para photosystem II
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本论文研究了一系列具有不同配位环璄的锰化合物与去锰的PSII的光组装过程,得到了以下主要结果: 1. 分别对两组二核锰化合物与去锰的PSII 颗粒进行了重组研究。第一组的两个二核锰化合物中,锰原子具有相同的外围配体、氧化还原状态,但是不同的连接方式;而第二组的两个二核锰化合物中,锰原子具有相同的连接方式、氧化还原状态,但是不同的外围配体。实验结果表明,锰化合物中两个锰原子之间的连接方式及外围配体的不同都可以导致锰簇光组装效率的不同,但这两种因素引起的光组装效率的差异比锰原子的氧化还原状态引起的差别要小的多。因此我们推断,锰原子的氧化还原状态是影响光组装效率最重要的因素之一。 2. 选择了三个四核锰化合物与去锰PSII 颗粒进行重组,测定其电子传递与放氧活性。研究结果表明,具有较少配体和较小分子的两个化合物H568和WM01具有较高的重组活性,而另一个化合物Z342的活性较低。这说明化合物配体的数目以及分子的大小影响了光组装效率。另外, 化合物H568和WM01在重组过程中对CaCl2也比Z342更敏感,推测这可能是因为这两个锰化合物中有更多的的羧基可以与Ca2+发生相互作用,而这种作用有助于锰的配位,进而促进光组装。 3. 研究了Mn/Ca的簇合物与去锰的PSII 颗粒的光重组, 研究发现,尽管化合物wwg-27本身就含有Ca的成分,但它在与光系统II的光组装过程中仍然表现为外源Ca需要的趋势,而且这一化合物也表现了比MnCl2更高的光组装效率。 4. 研究了MnCl2与去锰PSII 颗粒的重组过程中,组氨酸和酪氨酸的存在对光组装效率的影响。 研究结果表明,加入一定量的组氨酸和酪氨酸均可以明显的提高样品的放氧活性,并且这两种氨基酸对光组装效率的影响均与pH值有关。
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光合作用是地球上最重要的化学反应,它主要发生在叶绿体的类囊体膜上。光能是整个光合作用反应的驱动力,因此光能的捕获和传递过程将会直接影响整个生物体的光合作用表现。在高等植物中,光系统II(PSII)的大量捕光色素蛋白复合体(LHCIIb)作为最主要的、含量最多的光能捕获和传递器官,在光合作用过程中发挥着极其重要的作用。经过数十年的研究,认为LHCIIb主要的功能有以下四个方面:捕获和传递光能、光保护和过剩能量耗散、调节光能在两个光系统中分配和维持类囊体膜的结构。同时对其空间结构也在2.72Å的水平上进行了解析,发现每个单体含有14个叶绿素分子(Chl),其中8个叶绿素 a(Chl a)和6个叶绿素 b(Chl b),2个黄体素(Lut),一个新黄质(Neo)和一个紫黄质(Vio),3个跨膜α-螺旋和2个双亲α-螺旋。尽管目前对其空间结构和基本功能有了初步的了解,但以往研究均是对LHCIIb的三个色素蛋白复合体(Lhcb1、Lhcb2和Lhcb3)的混合研究,而关于Lhcb1、Lhcb2和Lhcb3各自的氨基酸组成、色素组成、各种光谱性质和稳定性研究还处于起步阶段。对Lhcb1、Lhcb2和Lhcb3各自的特性研究可以使我们更加深刻地理解LHCIIb的结构和功能。 本论文首先利用RT-PCR技术从豌豆(Pisum sativum L.)中提取了编码大量捕光色素蛋白复合体的三个脱辅基蛋白基因,分析了它们编码蛋白的氨基酸序列,并系统地研究了三个蛋白与其他物种中的三个蛋白之间的亲缘关系;然后在体外进行了成功的表达和与色素重组,进而对重组LHCIIb的色素组成及光谱特征进行了系统地对比和研究。实验结果表明,Lhcb1和Lhcb3的保守性高于Lhcb2,且Lhcb3最高,Lhcb1和Lhcb2的蛋白序列相似程度高于Lhcb3;Lhcb1同质三聚体的Neo含量和α-螺旋含量高于Lhcb1单体,Lhcb2单体和Lhcb3单体的α-螺旋含量高于Lhcb1单体;与Lhcb1单体和Lhcb2单体相比,Lhcb1同质三聚体和Lhcb3单体的荧光发射光谱明显红移,与核心复合物的光谱特征更加接近,这一区别可能更加有利于能量向核心传递;吸收光谱中表明,Lhcb1和Lhcb2存在两个Chl a吸收峰,根据分析超快吸收得到的模型(Amerongen & Grondelle,2001),这两个吸收峰可能代表Chl a的两个吸收中心。 在对LHCIIb各种基本特性研究的基础之上,本论文使用三氟乙酸(TFA)、离液剂尿素、离子性去污剂SDS、非离子型去污剂Triton X-100对Lhcb1单体进行了处理,使用不同温度对Lhcb1单体和同质三聚体、Lhcb2单体和Lhcb3单体进行处理。研究了它们在不同条件下的稳定性,主要结果如下: 1) 低浓度的尿素不能使Lhcb1变性,但可以影响色素之间的能量传递效率和相互作用。尽管SDS可以使Lhcb1解体,但解体后的蛋白仍旧保留了部分α-螺旋结构。TFA和非离子型去污剂Triton X-100可以使Lhcb1完全解体,并且可以完全破坏蛋白α-螺旋结构,TFA主要是通过影响色素结构和增加蛋白内部的分子间排斥力来破坏Lhcb1,而Triton X-100主要是通过破坏疏水作用力来破坏Lhcb1。高温可以使LHCIIb解体,但不能使蛋白二级结构完全消失。 2) 尿素、温度和Triton X-100均不引起色素本身的破坏,SDS和三氟乙酸使氢置换叶绿素卟啉环所螯合的镁离子,产生去镁叶绿素,造成色素本身结构的严重破坏。 3) 随着温度的升高,色素蛋白复合体的结构和功能会遭到破坏。在Lhcb1和Lhcb2中首先被破坏的是长波长吸收的Chl a。 4) .就功能而言,Lhcb1同质三聚体最为稳定,其次为:Lhcb1单体 > Lhcb3单体 > Lhcb2单体;.就结构而言,Lhcb1单体和Lhcb1同质三聚体相似,稍微较Lhcb2和Lhcb3稳定。 5) 不同处理方式均发现色素蛋白复合体的变性过程依次为:以Chl a为主的相互作用消失,其后依次为以Chl b为主的相互作用消失,以类胡萝卜素为主的相互作用,最后消失的是蛋白的二级结构。在结构受到破坏的同时,能量传递最先受到影响。 6) 解体过程并不是折叠过程的逆过程。
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定点突变技术可以对某个已知基因的特定碱基进行定点改变、缺失或者插入,从而改变对应的氨基酸序列和蛋白质结构,因而成为研究蛋白质结构和功能之间的复杂关系的有力工具。对突变基因的表达产物进行研究有助于我们了解蛋白质结构和功能的关系,探讨蛋白质的结构/结构域。 植物体光系统II的大量捕光色素蛋白复合体(LHCIIb)具有多种功能,在自然界不同日光光强下分别执行捕获、传递光能或将过度激发能非光化学耗散的功能。最新的近原子分辨率LHCIIb晶体结构揭示出在LHCIIb穿膜螺旋B/C之间的环区具有复杂的超二级结构,其中一个新发现就是在此环区靠近穿膜螺旋C的区域中存在一个反平行股的结构,其功能不明。为了研究此反平行链对于LHCIIb复合体在结构和功能上的意义,我们将了这一区域的3个氨基酸(Val119、His120、Ser123)分别定点突变成Phe、Leu和Gly,并研究了这三个定点突变对LHCIIb结构和功能上的影响。结果如下:1,CD光谱揭示出该反平行链对于调节新黄质及其附近色素群的构象十分重要。虽然这三个突变只造成很少的新黄质丢失(V119F, 0.09; S123G, 0.17; and H120L, 0.26),但是却使色素构象发生了巨大变化。2,将S123突变成G导致复合物对光破坏更加敏感并且更易于聚集,在介质酸化后复合物的荧光淬灭更加显著。这些结果说明这段反平行链对于调节LHCIIb色素构象以及控制LHCIIb聚集体形成和叶绿素荧光产量具有重要作用。 以结构为基础的计算设计方法与定向进化相结合是蛋白质工程的一个发展方向。最近,通过计算设计已成功地向蛋白质引入了新的催化活性、提高了蛋白质的稳定性、设计了酶的催化活性位点、改变了酶的底物特异性等. 目前还没有见到有研究定向地,以理性方式对LHCIIb进行蛋白质设计。我们使用蛋白质的计算机辅助设计工具——RosettaDesign鉴定出一个可以显著提高LHCIIb光、热稳定性的定点突变I124L,并且突变体的的结构和功能与野生型无异。这是首次将计算机辅助设计应用于提高LHCIIb稳定性的研究。
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Phyrobilisomes (PBS) are the major light-harvesting, protein-pigment complexes in cyanobacteria and red algae. PBS absorb and transfer light energy to photosystem (PS) II as well as PS I, and the distribution of light energy from PBS to the two photosystems is regulated by light conditions through a mechanism known as state transitions. In this study the quantum efficiency of excitation energy transfer from PBS to PS I in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 was determined, and the results showed that energy transfer from PBS to PS I is extremely efficient. The results further demonstrated that energy transfer from PBS to PS I occurred directly and that efficient energy transfer was dependent upon the allophycocyanin-B alpha subunit, ApcD. In the absence of ApcD, cells were unable to perform state transitions and were trapped in state 1. Action spectra showed that light energy transfer from PBS to PS I was severely impaired in the absence of ApcD. An apcD mutant grew more slowly than the wild type in light preferentially absorbed by phyrobiliproteins and was more sensitive to high light intensity. On the other hand, a mutant lacking ApcF, which is required for efficient energy transfer from PBS to PS II, showed greater resistance to high light treatment. Therefore, state transitions in cyanobacteria have two roles: (1) they regulate light energy distribution between the two photosystems; and (2) they help to protect cells from the effects of light energy excess at high light intensities. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA
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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
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Here we describe the in vitro reconstitution of photosystem I light-harvesting complexes with pigments and proteins (Lhca1 and Lhca4) obtained by overexpression of tomato Lhca genes in Escherichia coli. Using Lhca1 and Lhca4 individually for reconstitution results in monomeric pigment-proteins, whereas a combination thereof yields a dimeric complex. Interactions of the apoproteins is highly specific, as reconstitution of either of the two constituent proteins in combination with a light-harvesting protein of photosystem II does not result in dimerization. The reconstituted Lhca1/4, but not complexes obtained with either Lhca1 or Lhca4 alone, closely resembles the native LHCI-730 dimer from tomato leaves with regard to spectroscopic properties, pigment composition, and stoichiometry. Monomeric complexes of Lhca1 or Lhca4 possess lower pigment/protein ratios, indicating that interactions of the two subunits not only facilitates pigment reorganization but also recruitment of additional pigments. In addition to higher averages of chlorophyll a/b ratios in monomeric complexes than in LHCI-730, comparative fluorescence and CD spectra demonstrate that heterodimerization involves preferential ligation of more chlorophyll b.
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Several mutant strains of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with large deletions in the D-E loop of the photosystem II (PSII) reaction center polypeptide D1 were subjected to high light to investigate the role of this hydrophilic loop in the photoinhibition cascade of PSII. The tolerance of PSII to photoinhibition in the autotrophic mutant ΔR225-F239 (PD), when oxygen evolution was monitored with 2,6-dichloro-p-benzoquinone and the equal susceptibility compared with control when monitored with bicarbonate, suggested an inactivation of the QB-binding niche as the first event in the photoinhibition cascade in vivo. This step in PD was largely reversible at low light without the need for protein synthesis. Only the next event, inactivation of QA reduction, was irreversible and gave a signal for D1 polypeptide degradation. The heterotrophic deletion mutants ΔG240-V249 and ΔR225-V249 had severely modified QB pockets, yet exhibited high rates of 2,6-dichloro-p-benzoquinone-mediated oxygen evolution and less tolerance to photoinhibition than PD. Moreover, the protein-synthesis-dependent recovery of PSII from photoinhibition was impaired in the ΔG240-V249 and ΔR225-V249 mutants because of the effects of the mutations on the expression of the psbA-2 gene. No specific sequences in the D-E loop were found to be essential for high rates of D1 polypeptide degradation.
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Mutualistic symbioses between scleractinian corals and endosymbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) are the foundation of coral reef ecosystems. For many coral-algal symbioses, prolonged episodes of thermal stress damage the symbiont's photosynthetic capability, resulting in its expulsion from the host. Despite the link between photosynthetic competency and symbiont expulsion, little is known about the effect of thermal stress on the expression of photosystem genes in Symbiodinium. This study used real-time PCR to monitor the transcript abundance of two important photosynthetic reaction center genes, psbA(encoding the D1 protein of photosystem II) and psaA (encoding the P700 protein of photosystem I), in four cultured isolates (representing ITS2-types A13, A20, B1, and F2) and two in hospite Symbiodinium spp. within the coral Pocillopora spp. (ITS2-types C1b-c and D1). Both cultured and in hospite Symbiodinium samples were exposed to elevated temperatures (32°C) over a 7-day period and examined for changes in photochemistry and transcript abundance. Symbiodinium A13 and C1b-c (both thermally sensitive) demonstrated significant declines in both psbA and psaA during the thermal stress treatment, whereas the transcript levels of the other Symbiodinium types remained stable. The downregulation of both core photosystem genes could be the result of several different physiological mechanisms, but may ultimately limit repair rates of photosynthetic proteins, rendering some Symbiodinium spp. especially susceptible to thermal stress.
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This study uses chlorophyll a fluorescence to examine the effect of environmentally relevant (1-4 h) exposures of thermal stress (35-45 [deg]C) on seagrass photosynthetic yield in seven tropical species of seagrasses. Acute response of each tropical seagrass species to thermal stress was characterised, and the capacity of each species to tolerate and recover from thermal stress was assessed. Two fundamental characteristics of heat stress were observed. The first effect was a decrease in photosynthetic yield (Fv / Fm) characterised by reductions in F and Fm'. The dramatic decline in Fv / Fm ratio, due to chronic inhibition of photosynthesis, indicates an intolerance of Halophila ovalis, Zostera capricorni and Syringodium isoetifolium to ecologically relevant exposures of thermal stress and structural alterations to the PhotoSystem II (PSII) reaction centres. The decline in Fm' represents heat-induced photoinhibition related to closure of PSII reaction centres and chloroplast dysfunction. The key finding was that Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Halodule uninervis and Thalassia hemprichii were more tolerant to thermal stress than H. ovalis, Z. capricorni and S. isoetifolium. After 3 days of 4 h temperature treatments ranging from 25 to 40 [deg]C, C. rotundata, C. serrulata and H. uninervis demonstrated a wide tolerance to temperature with no detrimental effect on Fv / Fm' qN or qP responses. These three species are restricted to subtropical and tropical waters and their tolerance to seawater temperatures up to 40 [deg]C is likely to be an adaptive response to high temperatures commonly occurring at low tides and peak solar irradiance. The results of temperature experiments suggest that the photosynthetic condition of all seagrass species tested are likely to suffer irreparable effects from short-term or episodic changes in seawater temperatures as high as 40-45 [deg]C. Acute stress responses of seagrasses to elevated seawater temperatures are consistent with observed reductions in above-ground biomass during a recent El Nino event.
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High-value fruit crops are exposed to a range of environmental conditions that can reduce fruit quality. Solar injury (SI) or sunburn is a common disorder in tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate climates and is related to: 1) high fruit surface temperature; 2) high visible light intensity; and, 3) ultraviolet radiation (UV). Positional changes in fruit that are caused by increased weight or abrupt changes that result from summer pruning, limb breakage, or other damage to the canopy can expose fruit to high solar radiation levels, increased fruit surface temperatures, and increased UV exposure that are higher than the conditions to which they are adapted. In our studies, we examined the effects of high fruit surface temperature, saturating photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR), and short-term UV exposure on chlorophyll fluorescence, respiration, and photosynthesis of fruit peel tissues from tropical and temperate fruit in a simulation of these acute environmental changes. All tropical fruits (citrus, macadamia, avocado, pineapple, and custard apple) and the apple cultivars 'Gala', 'Gold Rush', and 'Granny Smith' increased dark respiration (A0) when exposed to UV, suggesting that UV repair mechanisms were induced. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (ΦII) were unaffected, indicating no adverse effects on photosystem II (PSII). In contrast, 'Braeburn' apple had a reduced Fv/Fm with no increase in A0 on all sampling dates. There was a consistent pattern in all studies. When Fv/Fm was unaffected by UV treatment, A0 increased significantly. Conversely, when Fv/Fm was reduced by UV treatment, then A0 was unaffected. The pattern suggests that when UV repair mechanisms are effective, PSII is adequately protected, and that this protection occurs at the cost of higher respiration. However, when the UV repair mechanisms are ineffective, not only is PSII damaged, but there is additional short-term damage to the repair mechanisms, indicated by a lack of respiration to provide energy.
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To obtain data on phytoplankton dynamics with improved spatial and temporal resolution, and at reduced cost, traditional phytoplankton monitoring methods have been supplemented with optical approaches. In this thesis, I have explored various fluorescence-based techniques for detection of phytoplankton abundance, taxonomy and physiology in the Baltic Sea. In algal cultures used in this thesis, the availability of nitrogen and light conditions caused changes in pigmentation, and consequently in light absorption and fluorescence properties of cells. In the Baltic Sea, physical environmental factors (e.g. mixing depth, irradiance and temperature) and related seasonal succession in the phytoplankton community explained a large part of the seasonal variability in the magnitude and shape of Chlorophyll a (Chla)-specific absorption. The variability in Chla-specific fluorescence was related to the abundance of cyanobacteria, the size structure of the phytoplankton community, and absorption characteristics of phytoplankton. Cyanobacteria show very low Chla-specific fluorescence. In the presence of eukaryotic species, Chla fluorescence describes poorly cyanobacteria. During cyanobacterial bloom in the Baltic Sea, phycocyanin fluorescence explained large part of the variability in Chla concentrations. Thus, both Chla and phycocyanin fluorescence were required to predict Chla concentration. Phycobilins are major light harvesting pigments for cyanobacteria. In the open Baltic Sea, small picoplanktonic cyanobacteria were the main source of phycoerythrin fluorescence and absorption signal. Large filamentous cyanobacteria, forming harmful blooms, were the main source of the phycocyanin fluorescence signal and typically their biomass and phycocyanin fluorescence were linearly related. Using phycocyanin fluorescence, dynamics of cyanobacterial blooms can be detected at high spatial and seasonal resolution not possible with other methods. Various taxonomic phytoplankton pigment groups can be separated by spectral fluorescence. I compared multivariate calibration methods for the retrieval of phytoplankton biomass in different taxonomic groups. Partial least squares regression method gave the closest predictions for all taxonomic groups, and the accuracy was adequate for phytoplankton bloom detection. Variable fluorescence has been proposed as a tool to study the physiological state of phytoplankton. My results from the Baltic Sea emphasize that variable fluorescence alone cannot be used to detect nutrient limitation of phytoplankton. However, when combined with experiments with active nutrient manipulation, and other nutrient limitation indices, variable fluorescence provided valuable information on the physiological responses of the phytoplankton community. This thesis found a severe limitation of a commercial fast repetition rate fluorometer, which couldn t detect the variable fluorescence of phycoerythrin-lacking cyanobacteria. For these species, the Photosystem II absorption of blue light is very low, and fluorometer excitation light did not saturate Photosystem II during a measurement. This thesis encourages the use of various in vivo fluorescence methods for the detection of bulk phytoplankton biomass, biomass of cyanobacteria, chemotaxonomy of phytoplankton community, and phytoplankton physiology. Fluorescence methods can support traditional phytoplankton monitoring by providing continuous measurements of phytoplankton, and thereby strengthen the understanding of the links between biological, chemical and physical processes in aquatic ecosystems.
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Background: In the violaxanthin (V) cycle, V is de-epoxidized to zeaxanthin (Z) when strong light or light combined with other stressors lead to an overexcitation of photosystems. However, plants can also suffer stress in darkness and recent reports have shown that dehydration triggers V-de-epoxidation in the absence of light. In this study, we used the highly stress-tolerant brown alga Pelvetia canaliculata as a model organism, due to its lack of lutein and its non-photochemical quenching independent of the transthylakoidal-ΔpH, to study the triggering of the V-cycle in darkness induced by abiotic stressors. Results: We have shown that besides desiccation, other factors such as immersion, anoxia and high temperature also induced V-de-epoxidation in darkness. This process was reversible once the treatments had ceased (with the exception of heat, which caused lethal damage). Irrespective of the stressor applied, the resulting de-epoxidised xanthophylls correlated with a decrease in Fv/Fm, suggesting a common function in the down-regulation of photosynthetical efficiency. The implication of the redox-state of the plastoquinone-pool and of the differential activity of V-cycle enzymes on V-de-epoxidation in darkness was also examined. Current results suggest that both violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and zeaxanthin-epoxidase (ZE) have a basal constitutive activity even in darkness, being ZE inhibited under stress. This inhibition leads to Z accumulation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that V-cycle activity is triggered by several abiotic stressors even when they occur in an absolute absence of light, leading to a decrease in Fv/Fm. This finding provides new insights into an understanding of the regulation mechanism of the V-cycle and of its ecophysiological roles.
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Multi-step electron tunneling, or “hopping,” has become a fast-developing research field with studies ranging from theoretical modeling systems, inorganic complexes, to biological systems. In particular, the field is exploring hopping mechanisms in new proteins and protein complexes, as well as further understanding the classical biological hopping systems such as ribonuclease reductase, DNA photolyases, and photosystem II. Despite the plethora of natural systems, only a few biologically engineered systems exist. Engineered hopping systems can provide valuable information on key structural and electronic features, just like other kinds of biological model systems. Also, engineered systems can harness common biologic processes and utilize them for alternative reactions. In this thesis, two new hopping systems are engineered and characterized.
The protein Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin is used as a building block to create the two new hopping systems. Besides being well studied and amenable to mutation, azurin already has been used to successfully engineer a hopping system. The two hopping systems presented in this thesis have a histidine-attached high potential rhenium 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline tricarbonyl [Re(dmp)(CO)3] + label which, when excited, acts as the initial electron acceptor. The metal donor is the type I copper of the azurin protein. The hopping intermediates are all tryptophan, an amino acid mutated into the azurin at select sites between the photoactive metal label and the protein metal site. One system exhibits an inter-molecular hopping through a protein dimer interface; the other system undergoes intra-molecular multi-hopping utilizing a tryptophan “wire.” The electron transfer reactions are triggered by excitation of the rhenium label and monitored by UV-Visible transient absorption, luminescence decays measurements, and time-resolved Infrared spectroscopy (TRIR). Both systems were structurally characterized by protein X-ray crystallography.