Methyl rotors in flavoproteins

Abstract

In this contribution we present the study of the thermal dependence of the ENDOR spectra of flavodoxin at low temperatures which reveals the dynamics of the methyl groups bound to the flavin moiety in flavoproteins. The methyl groups behave as quantum rotors locked by a deep rotational well and undergoing a tunneling process. At room temperature, methyl rotors are locked and the hopping motion is slow. This picture of the dynamics of the methyl groups of the flavin ring is quite different from the one usually accepted and has relevant consequences on the understanding of the mechanisms of flavoproteins.