Detection and characterization of the lignin peroxidase compound II-veratryl alcohol cation radical complex.

Lignin peroxidases (LiP) from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium oxidize veratryl alcohol (VA) by two electrons to veratryl aldehyde, although the VA cation radical (VA.+) is an intermediate [Khindaria, A., et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 6020-6025]. It was speculated, on the basis of kinetic evidence, that VA*+ can form a catalytic complex with LiP compound II. We have used low-temperature EPR to provide direct evidence for the formation of the complex. The EPR spectrum of VA*+ obtained at 4 K was explained by a model for coupling between the oxoferryl moiety of the heme (S = 1) and VA.+ (S = 1/2) similar to the model proposed for an oxyferryl and a porphyrin pi cation radical of horseradish peroxidase. The coupling constant suggested that VA.+ was equally ferro- and antiferromagnetically coupled to the oxoferryl moiety. The spectrum was simulated with g perpendicular only marginally greater than g parallel. This was surprising since the only other known organic radical coupled to the heme iron in a peroxidase is the tryptophan cation radical in cytochrome c peroxidase which exhibits a g tensor with g parallel greater than g perpendicular. Spin concentration analysis suggested that the 1 mol of VA*+ was coupled to the oxoferryl moiety per mole of enzyme. The VA.+ signal decayed with a first-order decay constant of 1.76 s-1, in close agreement with the earlier published decay constant of 1.85 s-1 from room-temperature EPR studies. The exchange coupling between VA.+ and the oxoferryl moiety strongly advocates calling this species (VA.+ and LiP compound II) a catalytic complex.

EPR detection and characterization of lignin peroxidase porphyrin pi-cation radical.

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyzes the H2O2 dependent one- and two-electron oxidations of substrates. The catalytic cycle involves the oxidation of ferric-LiP by H2O2 by two electrons to compound I, which is an oxoferryl heme and a free radical. It has been speculated that the unpaired electron is in a pi delocalized porphyrin radical. However, no direct evidence for the presence of the free radical has been reported. We present electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) detection and characterization of compound I of LiP. The LiP compound I EPR signal is different than those reported previously for compound I of horseradish peroxidase and chloroperoxidase. However, the EPR signal of compound I of LiP (axial g tensor extending from gperpendicular = 3.42 to gparallel approximately 2) is very similar to the EPR signals of compound I of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus, in which the radical has been identified as a porphyrin pi-cation radical. On the basis of the analysis of our data and comparison with the earlier published results for compounds I of other peroxidases, we interpret the LiP compound I signal by a model for exchange coupling between an S = 1 oxyferryl [Fe = O]2+ moiety and a porphyrin pi-cation radical (S = 1/2) [Schulz, C.E., et al. (1979) FEBS Lett. 103, 102-105]. The exchange coupling is characterized by ferromagnetic rather than an antiferromagnetic interaction between the two species. The ferric-Lip EPR signal suggests that the iron in the heme is in near perfect orthogonal symmetry and provides additional evidence of the ferromagnetic interaction between the oxoferryl iron center and the porphyrin pi-cation radical.

Stabilization of the veratryl alcohol cation radical by lignin peroxidase.

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) catalyzes the H2O2-dependent oxidation of veratryl alcohol (VA) to veratryl aldehyde, with the enzyme-bound veratryl alcohol cation radical (VA.+) as an intermediate [Khindaria et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 16860-16869]. The decay constant we observed for the enzyme generated cation radical did not agree with the decay constant in the literature [Candeias and Harvey (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 16745-16748] for the chemically generated radical. Moreover, we have found that the chemically generated VA.+ formed by oxidation of VA by Ce(IV) decayed rapidly with a first-order mechanism in air- or oxygen-saturated solutions, with a decay constant of 1.2 x 10(3) s-1, and with a second-order mechanism in argon-saturated solution. The first-order decay constant was pH- independent suggesting that the rate-limiting step in the decay was deprotonation. When VA.+ was generated by oxidation with LiP the decay also occurred with a first-order mechanism but was much slower, 1.85 s-1, and was the same in both oxygen- and argon-saturated reaction mixtures. However, when the enzymatic reaction mixture was acid-quenched the decay constant of VA.+ was close to the one obtained in the Ce(IV) oxidation system, 9.7 x 10(2) s-1. This strongly suggested that the LiP-bound VA.+ was stabilized and decayed more slowly than free VA.+. We propose that the stabilization of VA.+ may be due to the acidic microenvironment in the enzyme active site, which prevents deprotonation of the radical and subsequent reaction with oxygen. We have also obtained reversible redox potential of VA.+/VA couple using cyclic voltammetery. Due to the instability of VA.+ in aqueous solution the reversible redox potential was measured in acetone, and was 1.36 V vs normal hydrogen electrode. Our data allow us to propose that enzymatically generated VA.+ can act as a redox mediator but not as a diffusible oxidant for LiP-catalyzed lignin or pollutant degradation.

The effect of veratryl alcohol on manganese oxidation by lignin peroxidase.

The extracellular peroxidase isozymes secreted by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium have been classified as manganese peroxidases (isozymes H3, H4, H5, and H9) and lignin peroxidases (isozymes H1, H2, H6, H7, H8, and H10). Recently we reported peroxidase isozyme H2 can also oxidize Mn2+ (Khindaria et al., 1995, Biochemistry 34, 7773-7779). This lignin peroxidase isozyme oxidized Mn2+ with both of the enzyme intermediates, compound I and compound II, at the same rates as manganese peroxidase isozyme H4. The results of single-turnover kinetic studies have now demonstrated that compound I of the other lignin peroxidase isozymes (H1, H6, H7, H8, and H1O) also readily oxidized Mn2+, but that the rate of Mn2+ oxidation by compound II was extremely slow. Compound III rapidly the presence of Mn2+, oxalate, and H2O2. However, upon the addition of veratryl alcohol, the results indicated that veratryl alcohol served to reduce compound II. Under such conditions, compound III did not accumulate, and a steady-state rate of Mn2+ oxidation was observed. The rate of Mn2+ oxidation was the same as for the reduction of compound II by veratryl alcohol. The dependence of the rate of Mn2+ oxidation on the concentration of veratryl alcohol was consistent with a mechanism in which Mn2+ is oxidized by compound I and veratryl oxidized by compound II. Therefore, under physiologically relevant conditions, in which both veratryl alcohol and Mn2+ are present, all lignin peroxidase isozymes would be capable of oxidizing Mn2+ to Mn3+ which can serve as a diffusible oxidant.

Veratryl alcohol oxidation by lignin peroxidase.

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) from the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyzes the H2O2-dependent oxidation of veratryl alcohol (VA), a secondary metabolite of the fungus, to veratryl aldehyde (VAD). The oxidation of VA does not seem to be simply one-electron oxidation by LiP compound I (LiPI) to its cation radical (VA.+) and the second by LiP compound II (LiPII) to VAD. Moreover, the rate constant for LiPI reduction by VA (3 x 10(5) M-1 s-1) is certainly sufficient, but the rate constant for LiPII reduction by VA (5.0 +/- 0.2 s-1) is insufficient to account for the turnover rate of LiP (8 +/- 0.4 s-1) at pH 4.5. Oxalate was found to decrease the turnover rate of LiP to 5 s-1, but it had no effect on the rate constants for LiP with H2O2 or LiPI and LiPII, the latter formed by reduction of LiPI with ferrocyanide, with VA. However, when LiPII was formed by reduction of LiPI with VA, an oxalate-sensitive burst phase was observed during its reduction with VA. This was explained by the presence of LiPII, formed by reduction of LiPI with VA, in two different states, one that reacted faster with VA than the other. Activity during the burst was sensitive to preincubation of LiPI with VA, decaying with a half-life of 0.54 s, and was possibly due to an unstable intermediate complex of VA.+ and LiPII. This was supported by an anomalous, oxalate-sensitive, LiPII visible absorption spectrum observed during steady state oxidation of VA. The first order rate constant for the burst phase was 8.3 +/- 0.2 s-1, fast enough to account for the steady state turnover rate of LiP at pH 4.5. Thus, it was concluded that oxalate decreased the turnover of LiP by reacting with VA.+ bound to LiPII. The VA.+ concentration measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was 2.2 microM at steady state (10 microM LiP, 250 microM H2O2, and 2 mM VA) and increased to 8.9 microM when measured after the reaction was acid quenched. Therefore, we assumed the presence of two states of VA.+ bound to LiPII, one ESR-active and one ESR-silent. The ESR-silent species, which could be detected after acid quenching, would be responsible for the burst phase. Both of the VA.+ species disappeared in the presence of 5 mM oxalate. The ESR-active species reached a maximum (3.5 microM) at 0.5 mM VA under steady state. From these studies, a mechanism for VA oxidation by LiP is proposed in which a complex of LiPII and VA.+ reacts with an additional molecule of VA, leading to veratryl aldehyde formation.

The effect of manganese on the oxidation of chemicals by lignin peroxidase.

It has recently been discovered that lignin peroxidase isozyme H2 (LiPH2) has the ability to oxidize Mn2+ (Khindaria et al., 1995). Furthermore, at pH 4.5, the physiological pH of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, LiPH2 oxidizes Mn2+ at a much faster rate (25 times) than veratryl alcohol (VA). The ability of Mn2+ to act as a redox mediator for indirect oxidations catalyzed by LiPH2 was therefore investigated. In the presence of physiologically relevant levels of oxalate and Mn2+, the rate of LiPH2-catalyzed oxidation of all substrates studied was dramatically increased. Up to 10-fold stimulations were observed compared to the rates of oxidation of substrate in either the presence or absence of VA. We propose that the stimulation is due to the ability of LiPH2 to oxidize Mn2+, producing the strong oxidant Mn3+, at a high rate. The rates of oxidation of the substrates showed a hyperbolic dependence on Mn2+ in the presence of oxalate, a chelator which was required for maximal activity. The oxalate dependence of the oxidation rates correlated well with the concentration of the 1:1 complex of Mn(2+)-oxalate. The relative concentrations of the substrates and H2O2 and the rate constants for their reactions with Mn3+ determined which chemical was oxidized by the enzymatically produced Mn3+. The importance of the ability of Mn(2+)-oxalate to stimulate the oxidation of chemicals by LiPH2 is discussed.

Reductions catalyzed by a quinone and peroxidases from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

A quinone produced from veratryl alcohol by lignin peroxidase from the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was tested for its ability to mediate reduction. The quinone (2-hydroxymethyl-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone), reduced chemically or by cellobiose:quinone reductase isolated from cultures of the fungus, mediated the reduction of cytochrome c in reactions containing either Mn(III), a manganese-dependent peroxidase, Mn(II) and H2O2, or lignin peroxidase and H2O2. Formation of the semiquinone, the species responsible for reducing cytochrome c, was observed by electron spin resonance spectroscopy in these reactions. The production of the quinone was observed in the extracellular fraction of cultures grown under nutrient nitrogen-deficient conditions (2.4 mM ammonium tartrate) for over 10 days, starting on Day 2, but not under nutrient nitrogen-sufficient conditions. These results suggest that a quinone produced by lignin peroxidase can serve as a physiological mediator of reductive reactions catalyzed by the fungal peroxidases.

Lignin peroxidases can also oxidize manganese.

The peroxidase isozymes secreted by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium include lignin peroxidases and manganese-dependent peroxidases. The major isozymes, called lignin peroxidases, are thought to oxidize chemicals directly. The manganese-dependent peroxidases (H3, H4, H5, and H9) are relatively minor, making up only a fraction of the total peroxidase protein. However, we have found that lignin peroxidases will also catalyze the H2O2-dependent oxidation of Mn2+ to Mn3+. We have used lignin peroxidase isozyme H2 (LiPH2) to characterize the manganese peroxidase activity of lignin peroxidases. Transient state kinetic studies were used to obtain a second-order rate constant of 4.2 x 10(4) M-1 S-1 for the reaction of LiPH2-compound I with free or chelated Mn2+ at pH 6.0. This reaction was too fast to monitor at pH 4.5. Only chelated Mn2+ could reduce LiPH2-compound II to ferric enzyme. The Mn(2+)-chelate (oxalate) first bound LiPH2-compound II with a Kd of (1.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(-5) M and then reduced LiPH2-compound II to ferric enzyme with a first order rate constant of 215 +/- 6 S-1. Steady-state kinetic studies on LiPH2 were performed by directly monitoring the formation of Mn(3+)-oxalate. These results show that oxidation of Mn2+ by a lignin peroxidase does not occur through free radical mediation as proposed previously [Popp et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 10475-10480). Electron spin resonance and oxygen evolution studies also indicate that Mn2+ is directly oxidized by LiPH2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evidence for formation of the veratryl alcohol cation radical by lignin peroxidase.

Lignin peroxidases (LiP) catalyze the H2O2-dependent two-electron oxidation of veratryl alcohol (VA) to veratryl aldehyde. We present here, electron spin resonance (ESR) evidence for the formation of the one-electron oxidized intermediate, the veratryl alcohol cation radical (VA.+). The ESR spectrum of VA.+ was first obtained in a fast-flow system with Ce(IV) as an oxidant and 10% HNO3 to stabilize the radical. This ESR signal was deconvoluted, and the hyperfine splitting constants were determined. The identity of the radical was confirmed by computer simulation of the ESR spectrum and calculation of spin and charge densities on the radical. An identical radical signal was observed with LiP, also in a fast-flow incubation containing 10 microM LiP, 2 mM VA, and 500 microM H2O2 at pH 3.5. The Fourier transforms of the ESR signals further confirmed that the spectra obtained with both Ce(IV) and LiP were due to the same radical species. The VA.+ had a distinct visible spectrum in 98% H2SO4 with an absorbance maximum at 529 nm. The extinction coefficient of the VA.+ spectral band at 529 nm was calculated to be 11,000 M-1 cm-1. The VA.+ was found to be a strong acid, as are other cation radicals, with the pKa at -1.0 pH. This value was determined by quantitating both the concentration of VA.+ by visual and ESR spectrometry and the g-value of the ESR signal at various pH values.

Oxalate-dependent reductive activity of manganese peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

The mechanism of oxalate-dependent reductive activity of a manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated. Ferric iron reduction was demonstrated in reaction mixtures containing Mn-peroxidase, Mn2+, oxalate, H2O2, ferric chloride, and 1,10-phenanthroline. Only catalytic amounts of H2O2 were required. Oxygen consumption was also observed in reaction mixtures containing Mn-peroxidase, Mn2+, oxalate, and H2O2 and was inhibited by the addition of ferric iron. Electron spin resonance studies, using the spin traps 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide and alpha-4-pyridyl-1-oxide-N-t-butylnitrone were used to obtain evidence for the production of the formate radical (CO2.-) and superoxide (O2.-) in a reaction mixture containing Mn2+, oxalate and H2O2. It was concluded that both CO2.- (anaerobic conditions) and O2.- (aerobic conditions) could reduce ferric iron. The dismutation of some O2.- would produce H2O2 to provide a constant supply of H2O2.