Characterization of the coral allene oxide synthase active site with UV-visible absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy: evidence for tyrosinate ligation to the ferric enzyme heme iron.

Coral allene oxide synthase (AOS), a hemoprotein with weak sequence homology to catalase, is the N-terminal domain of a naturally occurring fusion protein with an 8R-lipoxygenase. AOS converts 8R-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid to the corresponding allene oxide. The UV--visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of ferric AOS and of its cyanide and azide complexes, and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of native AOS (high-spin, g = 6.56, 5.22, 2.00) and of its cyanide adduct (low-spin, g = 2.86, 2.24, 1.60) closely resemble the corresponding spectra of bovine liver catalase (BLC). These results provide strong evidence for tyrosinate ligation to the heme iron of AOS as has been established for catalases. On the other hand, the positive circular dichroism bands in the Soret region for all three derivatives of ferric AOS are almost the mirror image of those in catalase. In addition, the cyanide affinity of native AOS (K(d) = 10 mM at pH 7) is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of BLC. Thus, while these results conclusively support a common tyrosinate-ligated heme in AOS as in catalase, significant differences exist in the interaction between their respective heme prosthetic groups and protein environments, and in the access of small molecules to the heme iron.

The H93G myoglobin cavity mutant as a versatile template for modeling heme proteins: ferrous, ferric, and ferryl mixed-ligand complexes with imidazole in the cavity.

One of the difficulties in preparing accurate ambient-temperature model complexes for heme proteins, particularly in the ferric state, has been the generation of mixed-ligand adducts: complexes with different ligands on either side of the heme. The difference in the accessibility of the two sides of the heme in the H93G cavity mutant of myoglobin (Mb) provides a potential general solution to this problem. To demonstrate the versatility of H93G Mb for the preparation of heme protein models, numerous mixed-ligand adducts of ferrous, ferric, and ferryl imidazole-ligated H93G (H93G(Im) Mb) have been prepared. The complexes have been characterized by electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy in comparison to analogous derivatives of wild type Mb. The starting ferric H93G(Im) Mb state spectroscopically resembles wild-type ferric Mb as expected for a complex containing a single imidazole in the proximal cavity and water bound on the distal side. Addition of a sixth ligand to ferric H93G(Im) Mb, whether charge neutral (imidazole) or anionic (cyanide and azide), results in formation of six-coordinate low-spin complexes with MCD characteristics similar to those of parallel derivatives of wild-type ferric Mb. Reduction of ferric H93G(Im) Mb and subsequent exposure to either CO, NO, or O2 produces ferrous complexes (deoxy, CO, NO, and O2) that consistently exhibit MCD spectra similar to the analogous ferrous species of wild-type ferrous Mb. Most interestingly, reaction of ferric H93G(Im) Mb with H2O2 results in the formation of a stable high-valent oxoferryl complex with MCD characteristics that are essentially identical to those of oxoferryl wild-type Mb. The generation of such a wide array of mixed-ligand heme complexes demonstrates the efficacy of the H93G Mb cavity mutant as a template for the preparation of heme protein model complexes.

Preparation and initial characterization of the compound I, II, and III states of iron methylchlorin-reconstituted horseradish peroxidase and myoglobin: models for key intermediates in iron chlorin enzymes.

To better understand the spectral properties of high valent and oxyferrous states in naturally occurring iron chlorin-containing proteins, we have prepared the oxoferryl compound I derivative of iron methylchlorin-reconstituted horseradish peroxidase (MeChl-HRP) and the compound II and oxyferrous compound III states of iron MeChl-reconstituted myoglobin. Initial spectral characterization has been carried out with UV-visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism. In addition, the peroxidase activity of iron MeChl-HRP in pyrogallol oxidation has been found to be 40% of the rate for native HRP. Previous studies of oxoferryl chlorins have employed tetraphenylchlorins in organic solvents at low temperatures; stable oxyferrous chlorins have not been previously examined. The present study describes the compound I, II, and III states of histidine-ligated iron chlorins in a protein environment for the first time.

Magnetic circular dichroism studies of the active site heme coordination sphere of exogenous ligand-free ferric cytochrome c peroxidase from yeast: effects of sample history and pH.

Electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopic data at 4 degrees C are reported for exogenous ligand-free ferric forms of cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) in comparison with two other histidine-ligated heme proteins, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and myoglobin (Mb). In particular, we have examined the ferric states of yeast wild-type CCP (YCCP), CCP (MKT) which is the form of the enzyme that is expressed in and purified from E. coli, and contains Met-Lys-Thr (MKT) at the N-terminus, CCP (MKT) in the presence of 60% glycerol, lyophilized YCCP, and alkaline CCP (MKT). The present study demonstrates that, while having similar electronic absorption spectra, the MCD spectra of ligand-free ferric YCCP and CCP (MKT) are somewhat varied from one another. Detailed spectral analyses reveal that the ferric form of YCCP, characterized by a long wavelength charge transfer (CT) band at 645 nm, exists in a predominantly penta-coordinate state with spectral features similar to those of native ferric HRP rather than ferric Mb (His/water hexa-coordinate). The electronic absorption spectrum of ferric CCP (MKT) is similar to those of the penta-coordinate states of ferric YCCP and ferric HRP including a CT band at 645 nm. However, its MCD spectrum shows a small trough at 583 nm that is absent in the analogous spectra of YCCP and HRP. Instead, this trough is similar to that seen for ferric myoglobin at about 585 nm, and is attributed (following spectral simulations) to a minor contribution (< or = 5%) in the spectrum of CCP (MKT) from a hexa-coordinate low-spin species in the form of a hydroxide-ligated heme. The MCD data indicate that the lyophilized sample of ferric YCCP (lambda CT = 637 nm) contains considerably increased amounts of hexa-coordinate low-spin species including both His/hydroxide and bis-His species. The crystal structure of a spectroscopically similar sample of CCP (MKT) (lambda CT = 637 nm) solved at 2.0 A resolution is consistent with His/hydroxide coordination. Alkaline CCP (pH 9.7) is proposed to exist as a mixture of hexa-coordinate, predominantly low-spin complexes with distal His 52 and hydroxide acting as distal ligands based on MCD spectral comparisons.

Influence of protein environment on magnetic circular dichroism spectral properties of ferric and ferrous ligand complexes of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase.

The addition of exogenous ligands to the ferric and ferrous states of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) is investigated with magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) at 4 degrees C to determine the effect the protein environment may exercise on spectral properties. The MCD spectrum of each derivative is directly compared to those of analogous forms of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and myoglobin (Mb), two well-characterized histidine-ligated heme proteins. The ferric azide adduct of CCP is a hexacoordinate, largely low-spin species with an MCD spectrum very similar to that of ferric azide HRP. This complex displays an MCD spectrum dissimilar from that of the Mb derivative, possibly because of the stabilizing interaction between the azide ligand and the distal arginine of CCP (Arg 48). For the ferric fluoride derivative all three proteins display varied MCD data, indicating that the differences in the distal pocket of each protein influences their respective MCD characteristics. The MCD data for the cyanoferric complexes are similar for all three proteins, demonstrating that a strong field ligand bound in the sixth axial position dominates the MCD characteristics of the derivative. Similarly, the ferric NO complexes of the three proteins show MCD spectra similar in feature position and shape, but vary somewhat in intensity. Reduction of CCP at neutral pH yields a typical pentacoordinate high-spin complex with an MCD spectrum similar to that of deoxyferrous HRP. Formation of the NO and cyanide complexes of ferrous CCP gives derivatives with MCD spectra similar to the analogous forms of HRP and Mb in both feature position and shape. Addition of CO to deoxyferrous CCP results in a ferrous-CO complex with MCD spectral similarity to that of ferrous-CO HRP but not Mb, indicating that interactions between the ligand and the distal residues affects the MCD characteristics. Examination of alkaline (pH 9.7) deoxyferrous CCP indicates that a pH dependent conformational change has occurred, leading to a coordination structure similar to that of ferrous cytochrome b5, a known bis-histidine complex. Exposure of this complex to CO further confirms that a conformational change has taken place in that the MCD spectral characteristics of the resulting complex are similar to those of ferrous-CO Mb but not ferrous-CO HRP.

A study of the K(+)-site mutant of ascorbate peroxidase: mutations of protein residues on the proximal side of the heme cause changes in iron ligation on the distal side.

A series of ferric and ferrous derivatives of wild-type ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and of an engineered K(+)-site mutant of APX that has had its potassium cation binding site removed have been examined by electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy at 4 degrees C. Wild-type ferric APX has spectroscopic properties that are very similar to those of ferric cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and likely exists primarily as a five-coordinate high-spin heme ligated on the proximal side by a histidine at pH 7. There is also evidence for minority contributions from six-coordinate high- and low-spin species (histidine-water, histidine-hydroxide, and bis-histidine). The K(+)-site mutant of APX varies considerably in the electronic absorption and MCD spectra in both the ferric and ferrous states when compared with spectra of the wild-type APX. The electronic absorption and MCD spectra of the engineered K(+)-site APX mutant are essentially identical to those of cytochrome b5, a known bis-imidazole (histidine) ligated heme system. It therefore appears that the K(+)-site mutant of APX has undergone a conformational change to yield a bis-histidine coordination structure in both the ferric and ferrous oxidation states at neutral pH. This conformational change is the result of mutagenesis of the protein to remove the K(+)-binding site which is located approximately 8 A from the peroxide binding pocket. Thus, mutations of protein residues on the proximal side of the heme cause changes in iron ligation on the distal side.

Engineering cytochrome c peroxidase into cytochrome P450: a proximal effect on heme-thiolate ligation.

In an effort to investigate factors required to stabilize heme-thiolate ligation, key structural components necessary to convert cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) into a thiolate-ligated cytochrome P450-like enzyme have been evaluated and the H175C/D235L CcP double mutant has been engineered. The UV-visible absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra for the double mutant at pH 8.0 are reported herein. The close similarity between the spectra of ferric substrate-bound cytochrome P450cam and those of the exogenous ligand-free ferric state of the double mutant with all three techniques support the conclusion that the latter has a pentacoordinate, high-spin heme with thiolate ligation. Previous efforts to prepare a thiolate-ligated mutant of CcP with the H175C single mutant led to Cys oxidation to cysteic acid [Choudhury et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25656-25659]. Therefore it is concluded that changing the proximal Asp235 residue to Leu is critical in forming a stable heme-thiolate ligation in the resting state of the enzyme. To further probe the versatility of the CcP double mutant as a ferric P450 model, hexacoordinate low-spin complexes have also been prepared. Addition of the neutral ligand imidazole or of the anionic ligand cyanide results in formation of hexacoordinate adducts that retain thiolate ligation as determined by spectral comparison to the analogous derivatives of ferric P450cam. The stability of these complexes and their similarity to the analogous forms of P450cam illustrates the potential of the H175C/D235L CcP double mutant as a model for ferric P450 enzymes. This study marks the first time a stable cyanoferric complex of a model P450 has been made and demonstrates the importance of the environment around the primary coordination ligands in stabilizing metal-ligand ligation.

Low-temperature stabilization and spectroscopic characterization of the dioxygen complex of the ferrous neuronal nitric oxide synthase oxygenase domain.

Nitric oxide (NO), an intercellular messenger and an immuno-cytotoxic agent, is synthesized by the family of nitric oxide synthases (NOS), which are thiolate-ligated, heme-containing monooxygenases that convert L-Arg to L-citrulline and NO in a tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-dependent manner, using NADPH as the electron donor. The dioxygen complex of the ferrous enzyme has been proposed to be a key intermediate in the NOS catalytic cycle. In this study, we have generated a stable ferrous-O2 complex of the oxygenase domain of rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) by bubbling O2 through a solution of the dithionite-reduced enzyme at -30 degrees C in a cryogenic solvent containing 50% ethylene glycol. The most stable dioxygen complex is obtained using the oxygenase domain which has been preincubated for an extended length of time at 4 degrees C with BH4/dithiothreitol and NG-methyl-L-arginine, a substrate analogue inhibitor. The O2 complex of the nNOS oxygenase domain thus prepared exhibits UV-visible absorption (maxima at 419 and 553 nm, shoulder at approximately 585 nm) and magnetic circular dichroism spectra that are nearly identical to those of ferrous-O2 cytochrome P450-CAM. Our spectral data are noticeably blue-shifted from those seen at 10 degrees C for a short-lived transient species (lambdamax = 427 nm) for the nNOS oxygenase domain using stopped-flow rapid-scanning spectroscopy [Abu-Soud, H. M., Gachhui, R., Raushel, F. M., and Stuehr, D. J. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 17349], but somewhat similar to those of a relatively stable O2 adduct of L-Arg-free full-length nNOS (lambdamax = 415-416.5 nm) generated at -30 degrees C [Bec, N., Gorren, A. C. F., Voelder, C., Mayer, B., and Lange, R. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 13502]. Compared with ferrous-O2 P450-CAM, however, the ferrous-O2 adduct of the nNOS oxygenase domain is considerably more autoxidizable and the O2-CO exchange reaction is noticeably slower. The generation of a stable ferrous-O2 adduct of the nNOS oxygenase domain, as described herein, will facilitate further mechanistic and spectroscopic investigations of this important intermediate.

Assignment of the heme axial ligand(s) for the ferric myoglobin (H93G) and heme oxygenase (H25A) cavity mutants as oxygen donors using magnetic circular dichroism.

UV-visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) data are reported for the cavity mutants of sperm whale H93G myoglobin and human H25A heme oxygenase in their ferric states at 4 degreesC. Detailed spectral analyses of H93G myoglobin reveal that its heme coordination structure has a single water ligand at pH 5.0, a single hydroxide ligand at pH 10.0, and a mixture of species at pH 7.0 including five-coordinate hydroxide-bound, and six-coordinate structures. The five-coordinate aquo structure at pH 5 is supported by spectral similarity to acidic horseradish peroxidase (pH 3.1), whose MCD data are reported herein for the first time, and acidic myoglobin (pH 3.4), whose structures have been previously assigned by resonance Raman spectroscopy. The five-coordinate hydroxide structure at pH 10.0 is supported by MCD and resonance Raman data obtained here and by comparison with those of other known five-coordinate oxygen donor complexes. In particular, the MCD spectrum of alkaline ferric H93G myoglobin is strikingly similar to that of ferric tyrosinate-ligated human H93Y myoglobin, whose MCD data are reported herein for the first time, and that of the methoxide adduct of ferric protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (FeIIIPPIXDME). Analysis of the spectral data for ferric H25A heme oxygenase at neutral pH in the context of the spectra of other five-coordinate ferric heme complexes with proximal oxygen donor ligands, in particular the p-nitrophenolate and acetate adducts of FeIIIPPIXDME, is most consistent with ligation by a carboxylate group of a nearby glutamyl (or aspartic) acid residue.

Essential thiol requirement to restore pterin- or substrate-binding capability and to regenerate native enzyme-type high-spin heme spectra in the Escherichia coli-expressed tetrahydrobiopterin-free oxygenase domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

Nitric oxide (NO) synthases (NOS) are thiolate-ligated heme-, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4))-, and flavin-containing monooxygenases which catalyze the NADPH-dependent conversion of L-arginine (L-Arg) to NO AND citrulline. NOS consists of two domains: an N-terminal oxygenase (heme- and BH(4)-bound) domain and a C-terminal reductase (FMN- and FAD-bound) domain. In this study, we have spectroscopically examined the binding of L-Agr and BH(4) to the dimeric, BH(4)-free ferric neuronal NOS (NNOS) oxygenase domain expressed in Escherichia coli separately from the reductase domain. Addition of L-Arg or its analogue inhibitors (N(G)()-methyl-L-Arg, N(G)()-nitro-L-Arg) and BH(4), together with dithiothreitol (DTT), to the pterin-free ferric low-spin oxygenase domain (gamma(MAX): 419, 538, 568 NM) and incubation for 2-3 days at 4 degrees C converted the domain to a native enzyme-type, predominantly high-spin state (gamma(MAX): approximately 395, approximately 512, approximately 650 NM). 7,8-Dihydrobiopterin and other thiols (E.G., beta-mercaptoethanol, cysteine, and glutathione, with less effectiveness) can replace BH(4) and DTT, respectively. the UV-visible absorption spectrum of L-Arg-bound ferric full length NNOS, which exhibits a relatively intense band at approximately 650 NM (epsilon equals 7.5-8 MM(-)(1) CM(-)(1)) due to the presence of a neutral flavin semiquinone, can then be quantitatively reconstructed by combining the spectra of equimolar amounts of the oxygenase and reductase domains. Of particular note, the heme spin-state conversion does not occur in the absence of a thiol even after prolonged (35-48 H) incubation of the oxygenase domain with BH(4) and/or L-Arg under anaerobic conditions. Thus, DTT (or other thiols) plays a significant role(s) beyond keeping BH(4) in its reduced form, In restoring the pterin- and/or substrate-binding capability of the E. coli-expressed, BH(4) free, dimeric NNOS oxygenase domain. Our results in combination with recently available X-ray crystallography and site-directed mutagenesis data suggest that the observed DTT effects arise from the involvement of an intersubunit disulfide bond or its rearrangement in the NOS dimer.

Haem iron-containing peroxidases.

Peroxidases are enzymes that utilize hydrogen peroxide to oxidize substrates. A histidine residue on the proximal side of the haem iron ligates most peroxidases. The various oxidation states and ligand complexes have been spectroscopically characterized. HRP-I is two oxidation states above ferric HRP. It contains an oxoferryl (= oxyferryl) iron with a pi-radical cation that resides on the haem. HRP-II is one oxidation state above ferric HRP and contains an oxoferryl iron. HRP-III is equivalent to the oxyferrous state. Only compounds I and II are part of the peroxidase reaction cycle. CCP-ES contains an oxoferryl iron but the radical cation resides on the Trp-191 residue and not on the haem. CPO is the only known peroxidase that is ligated by a cysteine residue rather than a histidine residue, on the proximal side of the haem iron. CPO is a more versatile enzyme, catalysing numerous types of reaction: peroxidase, catalase and halogenation reactions. The various CPO species are less stable than other peroxidase species and more elusive, thus needing further characterization. The roles of the amino acid residues on the proximal and distal sides of the haem need more investigation to further decipher their specific roles. Haem proteins, especially peroxidases, are structure-function-specific.

Histidine-tailed microperoxidase-10: a pH-dependent ligand switch.

The electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of ferric histidine-tailed microperoxidase-10 (His-MP10) change dramatically as the pH is raised from 1.8 to 11.8. Two distinct species are observed (pKa = 4.4). The spectra of acidic ferric His-MP10 nearly match those of ferric mesoporphyrin-reconstituted myoglobin and so the axial ligands are assigned to be histidine and water. The retention of histidine ligation below pH 4 contrasts to the behavior of myoglobin and horseradish peroxidase which convert to five-coordinate water ligated and then lose the heme prosthetic group at even lower pH. Neutral and alkaline ferric His-MP10 have spectra that are very similar to those of the imidazole complex of ferric mesoporphyrin-reconstituted myoglobin. Thus, we conclude that it is bis-histidine ligated with the C-terminal histidine bound as the sixth ligand. Thus, ferric His-MP10 exhibits a pH-dependent ligand switch with a change in axial ligation from water and histidine at low pH to bis-histidine at neutral and alkaline pH.

Notomastus lobatus chloroperoxidase and Amphitrite ornata dehaloperoxidase both contain histidine as their proximal heme iron ligand.

Two novel heme-containing peroxidases, one able to incorporate halogens into aromatic substrates and the other able to remove them, have recently been isolated from marine sources and initially characterized by Chen et al. [(1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 23909-23915; (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 4609-4612]. The haloperoxidase Notomastus lobatus chloroperoxidase (NCPO) is unusual in requiring a flavoprotein component for peroxidase activity. The dehaloperoxidase (DHP), isolated from Amphitrite ornata, is the only heme-containing peroxide-dependent dehalogenase known to be capable of removing halogens including fluorine. Both enzymes are also quite atypical in that the molecular weights of their heme-containing subunits are less than 16,000, approximately one-half to one-fifth the size of typical heme-containing peroxidases. Interestingly, we have also found that both enzymes are isolated in their oxyferrous states even though all protein purification was done in the absence of any reductant. In the present study, we have examined these two enzymes with magnetic circular dichroism and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy in order to determine the identity of their proximal heme iron ligand. Four derivatives of each enzyme, cyanoferric, deoxyferrous, oxyferrous, and (carbonmonoxy)ferrous, have been examined and spectroscopically compared to parallel derivatives of myoglobin, a well-studied histidine-ligated heme protein. The spectra observed for each derivative of the two new enzymes are very similar to each other and, in turn, to the spectra of the same derivatives of myoglobin. We conclude that both new heme enzymes contain histidine as their proximal heme iron ligand. This makes NCPO the first histidine-ligated heme-containing peroxidase capable of chlorinating halogen acceptor substrates using chloride as the halogen donor. Further, the novel reactivity of DHP is not the result of an unusual proximal ligand. The present results with NCPO and DHP challenge the current dogma of how heme-containing peroxidases function: one chlorinates substrates without having a thiolate proximal ligand, and the other both oxygenates and dehalogenates haloaromatics and yet has a histidine proximal ligand like numerous other peroxidases that are not capable of such a combined reactivity.

Crystallization and initial spectroscopic characterization of the heme-containing dehaloperoxidase from the marine polychaete Amphitrite ornata.

The heme-containing dehaloperoxidase from Amphitrite ornata was crystallized from an unbuffered solution containing 30% PEG 8000 and 200 mM ammonium sulfate by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. Dark-red bipyramidal crystals are orthorhombic in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit-cell dimensions a = 68.5, b = 68.4 and c = 61.1 A. The asymmetric unit contains two subunits related by a non-crystallographic twofold axis. The crystals scatter beyond 2 A resolution. The native data have been collected and one single-site mercury derivative has been found. SIRAS phasing was used to determine the positions of the heme Fe atoms and structure determination is in progress. A preliminary spectroscopic investigation indicates that the heme is protoporphyrin IX and its coordination sphere resembles that of a typical heme peroxidase, i.e. histidine ligated. Detailed spectroscopic and electrochemical studies are now under way.

Probing the heme iron coordination structure of pressure-induced cytochrome P420cam.

Cytochrome P450cam was subjected to high pressures of 2.2 kbar, converting the enzyme to its inactive form P420cam. The resultant protein was characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance, magnetic circular dichroism, circular dichroism, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. A range of exogenous ligands has been employed to probe the coordination structure of P420cam. The results suggest that conversion to P420cam involves a conformational change which restricts the substrate binding site and/or alters the ligand access channel. The reduction potential of P420cam is essentially the same in the presence or absence of camphor (-211 +/- 10 and -210 +/- 15 mV, respectively). Thus, the well-documented thermodynamic regulation of enzymatic activity for P450cam in which the reduction potential is coupled to camphor binding is not found with P420cam. Further, cyanide binds more tightly to P420cam (Kd = 1.1 +/- 0.1 mM) than to P450cam (Kd = 4.6 +/- 0.2 mM), reflecting a weakened iron-sulfur ligation. Spectral evidence reported herein for P420cam as well as results from a parallel investigation of the spectroscopically related inactive form of chloroperoxidase lead to the conclusion that a sulfur-derived proximal ligand is coordinated to the heme of ferric cytochrome P420cam.

Probing the heme iron coordination structure of alkaline chloroperoxidase.

The mechanism by which the heme-containing peroxidase, chloroperoxidase, is able to chlorinate substrates is poorly understood. One approach to advance our understanding of the mechanism of the enzyme is to determine those factors which contribute to its stability. In particular, under alkaline conditions, chloroperoxidase undergoes a transition to a new, spectrally distinct form, with accompanying loss of enzymatic activity. In the present investigation, ferric and ferrous alkaline chloroperoxidase (C420) have been characterized by electronic absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The heme iron oxidation state influences the transition to C420; the pKa for the alkaline transition is 7.5 for the ferric protein and 9.5 for the ferrous protein. The five-coordinate, high-spin ferric native protein converts to a six-coordinate low-spin species (C420) as the pH is raised above 7.5. The inability of ferric C420 to bind exogenous ligands, as well as the dramatically increased reactivity of the proximal Cys29 heme ligand toward modification by the sulfhydryl reagent p-mercuribenzoate, suggests that a conformational change has occurred during conversion to C420 that restricts access to the peroxide binding site while increasing the accessibility of Cys29. However, it does appear that Cys29-derived ligation is at least partially retained by ferric C420, potentially in a thiolate/imidazole coordination sphere. Ferrous C420, on the other hand, appears not to possess a thiolate ligand but instead likely has a bis-imidazole (histidine) coordination structure. The axial ligand trans to carbon monoxide in ferrous-CO C420 may be a histidine imidazole. Since chloroperoxidase functions normally through the ferric and higher oxidation states, the fact that the proximal thiolate ligand is largely retained in ferric C420 clearly indicates that additional factors such as the absence of a vacant sixth coordination site sufficiently accessible for peroxide binding may be the cause of catalytic inactivity.

Ligation of the iron in the heme-heme oxygenase complex: X-ray absorption, electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism studies.

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the first steps in the breakdown of heme to biliverdin and carbon monoxide. It is a membrane-bound protein that has been shown to exist in two isoforms, HO-1 and HO-2. Recently, a soluble, truncated form of rat HO-1 (rHO) lacking the 23 amino-acid membrane anchor has been expressed in E. coli. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data on ferric rHO and its fluoride derivative support assignment of the axial iron ligands as oxygen and/or nitrogen donors having distances similar to ferric myoglobin. The electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of the ferric and ferrous protoheme complexes of rHO as well as various ligand adducts are very similar to the corresponding spectra of myoglobin. The present study is the first investigation of the heme-heme oxygenase complex with EXAFS and MCD spectroscopy and establishes that the proximal ligand to the heme in rHO is histidine. Furthermore, the close similarity between the electronic absorption and MCD spectra of ferric rHO and myoglobin over the pH range 6 to 10 is consistent with distal heme ligation of ferric rHO as a water molecule or hydroxide ion, depending on pH. Taken together and in conjunction with the results of earlier studies, EXAFS, electronic absorption, and MCD spectroscopy solidly establish that the ligands to the heme in rHO are identical to those in myoglobin, namely, histidine/H2O at low pH and histidine/OH at high pH.

Uncoupling oxygen transfer and electron transfer in the oxygenation of camphor analogues by cytochrome P450-CAM. Direct observation of an intermolecular isotope effect for substrate C-H activation.

The hydroxylation of (1R)-camphor by cytochrome P450-CAM involves almost complete coupling of electron to oxygen transfer. Modifications at C-5 of camphor, the normal site of hydroxylation by P450-CAM, lead to as much as 98% uncoupling of electron and oxygen transfer as well as to decreases in the rate of electron uptake (up to 10-fold) and the rate of oxygenated product formation (up to 210-fold). Two modes of uncoupling are seen: (a) two-electron uncoupling in which the decrease in oxygenated product formation is balanced by increases in H2O2 formation and (b) four-electron "oxidase" uncoupling where the NADH/O2 ratio has changed from one to nearly two and relatively little H2O2 is formed. Both enantiomers of 5-methylenylcamphor are two-electron uncouplers, while (1R)- and (1S)-5,5-difluorocamphor and (1R)-9,9,9-d3-5,5-difluorocamphor are four-electron uncouplers. An intermolecular isotope effect of 11.7 is observed for oxygenation of C-9 in (1R)-5,5-difluorocamphor. With this substrate, the significant decrease in the rate of oxygenated product formation combined with the large isotope effect suggest that the rate-limiting step has switched from electron to oxygen transfer.

Identification of nitric oxide synthase as a thiolate-ligated heme protein using magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Comparison with cytochrome P-450-CAM and chloroperoxidase.

Nitric oxide (NO) has recently been recognized as an important biomolecule playing diverse physiological roles. It is synthesized in several different tissues from L-Arg and O2, using NADPH as an electron donor, by a family of heme-containing catalytically self-sufficient monooxygenases known as nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Recently, the CO complex of reduced NOS has been shown to exhibit an absorption maximum near 450 nm, a characteristic spectral feature of cytochrome P-450 (P-450). Yet, the amino acid sequences of NOS and P-450 have no homology. To further probe the active site heme coordination structure and the heme environment of NOS, we have employed magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and CD spectroscopy in the present study. MCD spectra of several derivatives of rat brain neuronal NOS strikingly resemble those of analogous derivatives of bacterial P-450-CAM and fungal chloroperoxidase, two known thiolate-ligated heme proteins. Given the proven fingerprinting capability of MCD spectroscopy, this provides convincing evidence for endogenous thiolate (cysteinate) ligation to the heme iron of NOS. Furthermore, the heme-related Soret CD bands of NOS (positive) and P-450s (negative), as represented by P-450-CAM, are almost mirror images, whereas chloroperoxidase exhibits totally different CD band shapes. This suggests that the active sites of NOS and P-450 may share some common structural features, but significant distinctions exist between their heme environments in certain aspects such as hydrophobicity or size.

Studies of the heme coordination and ligand binding properties of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC): characterization of Fe(II)sGC and Fe(II)sGC(CO) by electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopies and failure of CO to activate the enzyme.

The mechanism of activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase by NO is poorly understood although it is clear that NO interacts with a heme group in the protein via formation of a heme-nitrosyl adduct. The objective of this study is to investigate the coordination environment of the heme in the enzyme spectroscopically in the presence of known heme ligands and to correlate the spectral characteristics with other heme proteins of known structure. Comparison of the electronic and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra for ferrous bovine soluble guanylyl cyclase (Fe(II)sGC) in the absence and presence of the common heme ligand CO with those of other hemoproteins suggests that histidine is an axial ligand to the heme iron in Fe(II)sGC. Further analysis indicates that Fe(II)sGC is predominantly bis-histidine ligated; the ratio of MCD signal intensity in the visible region to that in the Soret region is most consistent with an admixture of pentacoordinate and hexacoordinate ferrous heme in Fe(II)sGC at pH 7.8. Spectral changes upon CO binding have been correlated with the activity of the enzyme to determine the relationship between coordination structure and activity. Although CO clearly binds to Fe(II)sGC to form a six-coordinate adduct, it fails to significantly activate the enzyme regardless of heme content or CO concentration. In contrast, the extent of activation of sGC by NO is dependent on the heme content in the enzyme and on the concentration of NO. These observations are consistent with a mechanism for activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase in which the bond between the heme iron and the proximal histidine must be broken for activation to take place.