Abstract
The catalase reaction has been studied in detail by using myoglobin (Mb) mutants. Compound I of Mb mutants (Mb-I), a ferryl species (Fe(IV)=O) paired with a porphyrin radical cation, is readily prepared by the reaction with a nearly stoichiometric amount of m-chloroperbenzoic acid. Upon the addition of H2O2 to an Mb-I solution, Mb-I is reduced back to the ferric state without forming any intermediates. This indicates that Mb-I is capable of performing two-electron oxidation of H2O2 (catalatic reaction). Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis of the evolved O2 from a 50:50 mixture of H2(18)O2/H2(16)O2 solution containing H64D or F43H/H64L Mb showed the formation of 18O2 (m/e = 36) and 16O2 (m/e = 32) but not 16O18O (m/e = 34). This implies that O2 is formed by two-electron oxidation of H2O2 without breaking the O-O bond. Deuterium isotope effects on the catalatic reactions of Mb mutants and catalase suggest that the catalatic reactions of Micrococcus lysodeikticus catalase and F43H/H64L Mb proceed via an ionic mechanism with a small isotope effect of less than 4.0, since the distal histidine residue is located at a proper position to act as a general acid-base catalyst for the ionic reaction. In contrast, other Mb mutants such as H64X (X is Ala, Ser, and Asp) and L29H/H64L Mb oxidize H2O2 via a radical mechanism in which a hydrogen atom is abstracted by Mb-I with a large isotope effect in a range of 10-29, due to a lack of the general acid-base catalyst.
Highlights
The catalase reaction has been studied in detail by using myoglobin (Mb) mutants
Deuterium isotope effects on the catalatic reactions of Mb mutants and catalase suggest that the catalatic reactions of Micrococcus lysodeikticus catalase and F43H/H64L Mb proceed via an ionic mechanism with a small isotope effect of less than 4.0, since the distal histidine residue is located at a proper position to act as a general acid-base catalyst for the ionic reaction
H64X (X is Ale, Ser, and Asp) mutants are almost completely oxidized to Mb compound I (Mb-I) by m-chloroperbenzoic acid, and Mb-I is completely reduced by H2O2, the reaction is about 1000 –3000-fold slower than that reported for catalase [11]
Summary
Materials—Standard chemicals were obtained from Wako Chemicals and Nacalai Tesque. 99.9% deuterium oxide was purchased from Aldrich and Cambridge Isotope Laboratories. mCPBA was obtained from Nacalai Tesque and purified as reported previously [17].
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