Selective resonance Raman observation of the "607 nm" form generated in the reaction of oxidized cytochrome c oxidase with hydrogen peroxide.

Resonance Raman spectra were measured selectively for the "607 nm" form, which had been assigned to a peroxy intermediate formed in the reaction of oxidized cytochrome c oxidase with hydrogen peroxide at ambient temperature. A single oxygen isotope-sensitive band was found at 803 cm-1 for the reaction with H2(16)O2 (at 769 cm-1 with H2(18)O2) upon excitation at 607 nm, the wavelength of the difference absorption maximum characteristic of the "peroxy" intermediate. Upon excitation at shorter wavelengths (down to 580 nm), the Raman spectrum simply became weaker without yielding any new features. When H2(16)O18O was used, two bands were observed at 803 and 769 cm-1 (within an accuracy of 0.5 cm-1), but with only half the intensity of those observed with H2(16)O2 or H2(18)O2, which ruled out the possibility that the 803 cm-1 band arose from the O-O or Fe-O2 stretching of the FeIII(O-O-) heme. Conversely, the 34-cm-1 downshift with 18O is in good agreement with the calculated 16O/18O shift (35 cm-1) expected for the diatomic Fe = 16O oscillator at 803 cm-1. This band exhibited an upshift by 1.3 cm-1 in 2H2O, similar to the case of compound II of horseradish peroxidase at neutral pH, and indicative of the presence of a hydrogen bond to the FeIV = O oxygen. The 803/769 cm-1 pair of resonance Raman bands were also observed upon blue excitation, as is the case for the bands found in the dioxygen cycle of this enzyme (Ogura, T., Takahashi, S., Hirota, S., Shinzawa-Itoh, K., Yoshikawa, S., Appelman, E. H., and Kitagawa, T. (1993) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115, 8527-8536). This observation provides the first direct characterization of the 607 nm form of this enzyme in its reaction with H2O2.

Resolution of the reaction sequence during the reduction of O2 by cytochrome oxidase.

Time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the reduction of dioxygen by the mitochondrial enzyme, cytochrome oxidase. In agreement with earlier reports, Fe(2+)-O2 and Fe(3+)-OH- are detected in the initial and final stages of the reaction, respectively. Two additional intermediates, a peroxy [Fe(3+)-O(-)-O-(H)] and a ferryl (Fe4+ = O), occur transiently. The peroxy species shows an oxygen-isotope-sensitive mode at 358 cm-1 that is assigned as the nu(Fe(3+)-O-) stretching vibration. Our kinetic analysis indicates that the peroxy species we detect occurs upon proton uptake from bulk solution; whether this species bridges to Cu(B) remains uncertain. For the ferryl, nu(Fe(4+) = O) is at 790 cm-1. In our time-resolved spectra, the 358 cm-1 mode appears prior to the 790 cm-1 vibration. By using kinetic parameters deduced from the time-resolved Raman work and from a variety of time-resolved optical studies from other laboratories, we have assigned rate constants to several steps in the linear reaction sequence proposed by G. T. Babcock and M. Wikström [(1992) Nature (London) 356, 301-309]. Simulations of this kinetic scheme provide insight into the temporal behavior of key intermediates in the O2 reduction process. A striking aspect of the reaction time course is that rapid O2-binding and trapping chemistry is followed by a progressive slowing down of succeeding steps in the process, which allows the various transient species to build up to concentrations sufficient for their detection by our time-resolved techniques. Our analysis indicates that this behavior reflects a mechanism in which conditions that allow efficient dioxygen bond cleavage are not inherent to the active site but are only established as the reaction proceeds. This catalytic strategy provides an effective means by which to couple the free energy available in late intermediates in the reduction reaction to the proton-pumping function of the enzyme.

Synthesis of radiofluorinated analogs of m-tyrosine as potential L-dopa tracers via direct reaction with acetylhypofluorite.

The direct electrophilic radiofluorination of m-tyrosine using [18F]acetylhypofluorite was investigated. Results showed that this reaction was both rapid and efficient with recovered decay corrected yield of 71% radiofluorinated m-tyrosines based on starting [18F]acetylhypofluorite. Specific activity of the product obtained in this study was 100-200 mCi/mmol although 1-5 Ci/mmol are easily achievable with our improved production of [18F]AcOF. Three positional isomers were found and identified by 19F-NMR to be 2-, 4-, 6-fluoro-m-tyrosine with a distribution of 36:11:52, respectively. This measured distribution allowed the assignment of the radio-HPLC peaks. Biological studies are currently underway in our laboratory using these fluoro-m-tyrosines to determine which isomer would be most suited for the evaluation of the dopamine system by positron tomography.

Catechol formation of fluoro- and bromo-substituted estradiols by hamster liver microsomes. Evidence for dehalogenation.

We have examined the validity of using fluorine-substituted estrogens as probes to assess the significance of 2- and 4-hydroxylation in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis in the hamster. Liver microsomes from castrated hamsters were incubated with 2-fluoro-, 4-fluoro-, or 2,4-difluoroestradiols and analogous bromo-substituted estradiols to determine the extent of 2- and 4-hydroxylation with these substrates. Estrogen 2- and 4-hydroxylase activity was determined by radioenzymatic assay, and the 3H-labeled monomethyl ether products were identified by high performance liquid chromatography. With unsubstituted 17 beta-estradiol as substrate, 97% of the product formed was 2-hydroxylated, and 3% was 4-hydroxylated. The monosubstituted fluoroestradiols exhibited more than a 2-fold enhanced ability to form catechol estrogens compared with their corresponding bromoestradiols. Data presented herein indicate substantial defluorination when 2-fluoroestradiol was the substrate, which amounted to 36% of the total product formed, and 32% of the rate of 2-hydroxylation found with unsubstituted 17 beta-estradiol as substrate. Interestingly, the rate of 4-hydroxylation was elevated 20- and 6.7-fold, respectively, when 2-fluoroestradiol and 2,4-difluoroestradiol were the substrates compared to the rate with 17 beta-estradiol. Moreover, both 4-fluoroestradiol and 2,4-difluoroestradiol exhibited at least a 1.6-fold greater rate of 2-hydroxylation compared with 17 beta-estradiol. In contrast, the rate of dehalogenation with 2-bromoestradiol was only 12% of that found with 2-fluoroestradiol. No debromination was obtained with 4-bromoestradiol, and essentially no catechols were formed using 2,4-dibromoestradiol as substrate with these hamster liver microsomes. These data clearly provide evidence for defluorination of these substituted estrogens, particularly at the C-2 position, and seriously hamper the use of fluoroestrogens in studies of hormonal carcinogenicity.