CO Binding Properties Research Articles

Role of copper during carbon monoxide binding to terminal oxidases

Under fully reduced conditions, reassociation kinetics of CO were studied in several terminal oxidases containing copper in their binuclear center. The purified Paracoccus denitrificans ba 3-type quinol oxidase was found to recombine with CO monophasically ( τ 25–30 ms) like oxidases of the bo type from Escherichia coli, the caa 3 type from Bacillus halodurans FTU, and the bo type from Methylobacillus flagellatum KT. Oxidase of the aa 3 type from bovine heart recombined with CO monophasically at a higher rate ( τ 16–19 ms) than the studied copper-containing bacterial oxidases. After prolonged incubation in the presence of CO, oxidases of the ba 3 and aa 3 types changed their CO-binding properties. The contribution of the slow component was diminished while new fast components arose. Measurement of the metal content in the oxidases indicated that during the incubation, the enzymes lost their copper, the process being accompanied by the appearance of a fast CO recombination rate resembling that of the non-copper oxidases of the bd type from E. coli and the bb type from Bacillus halodurans FTU. This points to a role of copper in CO binding by terminal oxidases.

Biphenyl-Strapped Diphenylporphyrins: Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of a Series of Porphyrins with Ether-Linked Straps. Preliminary CO Binding Properties of Their Iron(II) Derivatives.

The synthesis of a series of meso-5,15-diphenylporphyrins strapped by 2,2'-disubstituted biphenyl units (6H(2), 7H(2), 8H(2)) is described. The biphenyl straps used are linked via their 3,3'-positions by CH(2)O groups to ortho-positions of the phenyl rings of the 5,15-diphenylporphyrins. The straps of these porphyrins have their 2,2'-positions occupied by H (6H(2)), Me (7H(2)), and OMe (8H(2)). The electronic spectral properties of these strapped porphyrins are given, and their conformational properties, which have been studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, are described. The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of several iron(II) and iron(III) derivatives of these porphyrins with different axial bases are also presented. The X-ray structure of the chloroiron(III) derivative of the diphenylporphyrin dianion 6 has been determined. Violet crystals of composition 6-FeCl.CH(3)OH.CH(2)Cl(2) have been obtained by slow evaporation of CH(2)Cl(2)/MeOH solutions of 6-FeCl. These crystals belong to the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c, with a = 10.164(3) Å, b = 28.977(9) Å, c = 14.283(4) Å, beta = 106.22(2) degrees, and Z = 4. The iron atom of 6-FeCl is five-coordinate, high-spin. The axial chloride ligand lies opposite to the strap. The average Fe-N(p) bond distance is 2.046(6) Å, and the Fe-Cl bond length equals 2.234(2) Å. The porphyrin is slightly domed and ruffled with the iron atom lying at 0.45(1) Å out of the 4N(p) mean-plane and 0.49(1) Å out of the 24-atom core mean-plane of the porphyrin ring. Ferrous carbonyl adducts of these porphyrins have been obtained in various solvents in the presence or absence of nitrogenous bases. Their structures have been studied by (1)H NMR and IR spectroscopy. Two CO stretching vibrations differing by 20 cm(-)(1) occur in the IR spectra of 6-Fe(CO)(B) (B = py, ImH, NMeIm). The possible origin of these two nu(CO) bands is discussed.

The Oxygen and Carbon Monoxide Reactions of Heme Oxygenase

The O2 and CO reactions with the heme, alpha-hydroxyheme, and verdoheme complexes of heme oxygenase have been studied. The heme complexes of heme oxygenase isoforms-1 and -2 have similar O2 and CO binding properties. The O2 affinities are very high, KO2 = 30-80 microM-1, which is 30-90-fold greater than those of mammalian myoglobins. The O2 association rate constants are similar to those for myoglobins (kO2' = 7-20 microM-1 s-1), whereas the O2 dissociation rates are remarkably slow (kO2 = 0.25 s-1), implying the presence of very favorable interactions between bound O2 and protein residues in the heme pocket. The CO affinities estimated for both isoforms are only 1-6-fold higher than the corresponding O2 affinities. Thus, heme oxygenase discriminates much more strongly against CO binding than either myoglobin or hemoglobin. The CO binding reactions with the ferrous alpha-hydroxyheme complex are similar to those of the protoheme complex, and hydroxylation at the alpha-meso position does not appear to affect the reactivity of the iron atom. In contrast, the CO affinities of the verdoheme complexes are >10,000 times weaker than those of the heme complexes because of a 100-fold slower association rate constant (kCO' approximately 0. 004 microM-1 s-1) and a 300-fold greater dissociation rate constant (kCO approximately 3 s-1) compared with the corresponding rate constants of the protoheme and alpha-hydroxyheme complexes. The positive charge on the verdoporphyrin ring causes a large decrease in reactivity of the iron.

A cytochrome ba3 functions as a quinol oxidase in Paracoccus denitrificans. Purification, cloning, and sequence comparison.

A quinol oxidase has been purified from the cytoplasmic membrane of Paracoccus denitrificans; its heme composition and CO binding properties identify it as a cytochrome ba3. On SDS gels, the purified enzyme complex is separated into five polypeptides. Using partial peptide sequence information for subunit II, the gene locus has been cloned and sequenced. In a typical operon pattern, four genes were identified: qoxA, -B, -C, and -D, coding for subunits II, I, III, and IV. DNA-derived amino acid sequence comparisons reveal extensive similarities to other members of the terminal oxidase superfamily.

Structural determinants of the stretching frequency of CO bound to myoglobin.

In order to assess the relative importance of polar versus steric interactions, infrared spectra and overall CO binding properties were measured at room temperature for 41 different recombinant myoglobins containing mutations at His64(E7), Val68(E11), Phe43(CD1), Arg45(CD3), Phe46(CD4), and Leu29(B10). The results were compared to the crystal structures of wild-type, Phe29, Val46, Ala68, Phe68, Gln64, Leu64, and Gly64 sperm whale CO-myoglobin and that of Thr68 pig CO-myoglobin. As observed in several previous studies, replacement of the distal histidine (His64) with aliphatic amino acids results in the appearance of a single IR band in the 1960-1970-cm-1 region and in large increases in CO affinity (KCO). More complex behavior is observed for Gly, Ala, Gln, Met, and Trp substitutions at position 64, but in each case there is a net increase in the intensity of this high-frequency component. Replacement of Val68 with Ala, Leu, Ile, and Phe produces little effect on the IR spectrum, whereas these mutations cause 20-fold changes in KCO, presumably due to steric effects. Replacement of Val68 with Thr decreases KCO 4-5-fold, whereas the position of the major IR band increases from 1945 to 1961 cm-1. Replacement of Val68 with Asn also causes a large decrease in KCO, but in this case, the peak position of the major IR band decreases from 1945 to 1916 cm-1. Nine replacements were made in the CD corner at positions 43, 45, and 46. All of the resultant mutants show increased stretching frequencies that can be correlated with movement of the imidazole side chain of His64 away from the bound ligand. All five substitutions at position 29 cause changes in the IR spectra. The Leu29-->Phe mutation had the largest effect, producing a single band centered at 1932 cm-1. Together these data demonstrate that there is little direct correlation between affinity, vCO, and Fe-C-O geometry. The major factor governing vCO appears to be the electrostatic potential surrounding the bound ligand and not steric hindrance. The presence of positive charges from proton donors, such as N epsilon of His64 and N delta of Asn68, cause a decrease in the bond order and stretching frequency of bound CO. In contrast, the negative portion of the Thr68 dipole points directly toward the bound ligand and increases the C-O bond order and stretching frequency. Movement of His64 away from the bound ligand or replacement of this residue with aliphatic amino acids prevents hydrogen-bonding interactions, causing vCO to increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Function and CO binding properties of the NiFe complex in carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum.

Adding 1,10-phenanthroline to carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum results in the complete loss of the NiFeC EPR signal and the CO/acetyl-CoA exchange activity. Other EPR signals characteristic of the enzyme (the gav = 1.94 and gav = 1.86 signals) and the CO oxidation activity are completely unaffected by the 1,10-phenanthroline treatment. This indicates that there are two catalytic sites on the enzyme; the NiFe complex is required for catalyzing the exchange and acetyl-CoA synthase reactions, while some other site is responsible for CO oxidation. The strength of CO binding to the NiFe complex was examined by titrating dithionite-reduced enzyme with CO. During the titration, the NiFeC EPR signal developed to a final spin intensity of 0.23 spin/alpha beta. The resulting CO titration curve (NiFeC spins/alpha beta vs CO pha beta) was fitted using two reactions: binding of CO to the oxidized NiFe complex, and reduction of the CO-bound species to a form that exhibits the NiFeC signal. Best fits yielded apparent binding constants between 6000 and 14,000 M-1 (Kd = 70-165 microM). This sizable range is due to uncertainty whether CO binds to all or only a small fraction (approximately 23%) of the NiFe complexes. Reduction of the CO-bound NiFe complex is apparently required to activate it for catalysis. The electron used for this reduction originates from the CO oxidation site, suggesting that delivery of a low-potential electron to the CO-bound NiFe complex is the physiological function of the CO oxidation reaction catalyzed by this enzyme.

Purification and spectral characterization of a b-type cytochrome from the plasma membrane of the archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

For the first time the purification of a heme- b containing cytochrome from the plasma membrane of an extremely thermoacidophilic archaebacterium is described. The detergent solubilized 30 kDa polypeptide contains two heme- b centers and one copper ion. According to its low temperature spectra and CO-binding properties, it is likely to function as a cytochrome- o like terminal oxidase in the membrane. The purified cytochrome does not retain catalytic activity, however.

Coupling of ferric iron spin and allosteric equilibrium in hemoglobin

The allosteric transition in triply ferric hemoglobin has been studied with different ferric ligands. This valency hybrid permits observation of oxygen or CO binding properties to the single ferrous subunit, whereas the liganded state of the other three ferric subunits can be varied. The ferric hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer in the absence of effectors is generally in the high oxygen affinity (R) state; addition of inositol hexaphosphate induces a transition towards the deoxy (T) conformation. The fraction of T-state formed depends on the ferric ligand and is correlated with the spin state of the ferric iron complexes. High-spin ferric ligands such as water or fluoride show the most T-state, whereas low-spin ligands such as cyanide show the least. The oxygen equilibrium data and kinetics of CO recombination indicate that the allosteric equilibrium can be treated in a fashion analogous to the two-state model. The binding of a low-spin ferric ligand induces a change in the allosteric equilibrium towards the R-state by about a factor of 150 (at pH 6.5), similar to that of the ferrous ligands oxygen or CO; however, each high-spin ferric ligand induces a T to R shift by a factor of 40.

Spectral and potentiometric analysis of cytochromes from Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis cytoplasmic membranes contain several cytochromes which are linked to the respiratory chain. At least six different cytochromes have been separated and identified by ammonium sulphate fractionation and ion-exchange chromatography. They include two terminal oxidases with CO-binding properties and cyanide sensitivity. One of these is an aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase which has characteristic absorption maxima in the reduced-oxidized difference spectrum at 601 nm in the alpha-band and at 443 nm in the Soret band regions. In the alpha-band two separate electron transitions with Em = +205 mV and Em = +335 mV can be discriminated by redox potentiometric titration. The other CO-binding cytochrome c oxidase contains two cytochrome b components with alpha-band maxima at 556 nm and 559 nm. Cytochrome b556 can be reduced by ascorbate and has an Em + +215 mV, whereas cytochrome b559 has an Em = +140 mV. Furthermore a complex consisting of a cytochrome b564 (Em = +140 mV) associated with a cytochrome c554 (Em = +250 mV) was found. This cytochrome c554, which can be reduced by ascorbate, appears to have an asymmetrical alpha-peak and stains for heme-catalyzed peroxidase activity on SDS-containing polyacrylamide gels. A protein with a molecular mass of about 30 kDa is responsible for this activity. A cytochrome b559 (Em = +65 mV) appears to be an essential part of succinate dehydrogenase. Finally a cytochrome c550 component with an apparent mid-point potential of Em = +195 mV has been detected.

Ligand-controlled dissociation of Chromatium vinosum cytochrome c'

Carbon monoxide binding to Chromatium vinosum ferrocytochrome c' has been studied by high-precision equilibrium methods. In contrast to the CO binding properties of Rhodospirillum molischianum cytochrome c' [Doyle, M. L., Weber, P. C., & Gill, S. J. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 1987-1991], CO binding to C. vinosum cytochrome c' is found to be unusual in the following ways. The binding curve is found to be cooperative with typical Hill coefficients equal to 1.25. The shape of the binding curve is asymmetrical. The heat of CO ligation is measured by two independent methods, both of which yield large endothermic values of approximately 10 kcal [mol of CO(aq)]-1. The overall affinity for CO increases as the concentration of cytochrome c' decreases. These observations suggest the CO binding properties of C. vinosum cytochrome c' are complicated by CO-linked association-dissociation processes. Further investigation by gel filtration chromatography shows that at micromolar concentrations the dimeric state is tightly associated in both the reduced and oxidized forms of the cytochrome but addition of saturating concentrations of CO causes the reduced ligated dimer to dissociate largely into monomers. A model is presented that quantitatively fits the data, involving a ligand-linked dimer-monomer dissociation reaction. In this model, CO binds to the dimer form noncooperatively with an intrinsic affinity constant equal to 5600 +/- 1200 M-1 at 25 degrees C. The unligated dimer form is tightly associated, but addition of CO causes dissociation of the dimer into the monomer with a monomer-dimer association constant equal to 450 +/- 200 M-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Kinetics of carbon monoxide binding to phenobarbital-induced cytochrome P-450 from rat liver microsomes: a simple bimolecular process.

The kinetics of carbon monoxide binding to phenobarbital-induced cytochrome P-450 (P-450PB) and to its enzymatically inactive form P-420PB have been investigated by both stopped-flow and flash-photolysis spectrophotometry. When the simultaneous presence of both forms of the enzyme is taken into account, the binding of CO to these two proteins can be described in terms of two bimolecular processes with rate constants of 4.5 X 10(6) M-1.S-1 and 4.7 X 10(5) M-1.S-1 for P-450PB and 1.7 X 10(7) M-1.S-1 and 1.5 X 10(6) M-1.S-1 for P-420PB. From kinetic studies of the binding of CO to P-450PB under different experimental conditions, investigations of the homogeneity of our P-450PB preparations, and comparative kinetic investigations of P-450s from different sources, we conclude that CO binding to reduced P-450PB is a simple bimolecular process and that the observed biphasic traces are due to heterogeneity of the proteins. This conclusion is in contrast with previous reports of complex reaction mechanisms for the binding of CO to P-450PB. Optical spectroscopy studies indicate the existence of an equilibrium between P-450PB and P-420PB, at least for the reduced carbonyl derivatives of the enzymes. The interconversion is strongly influenced by the aggregation state of the protein. Large differences between the CO binding properties of P-450PB and those of P-420PB are found. These are discussed in terms of possible effects of the proximal ligation state of the iron on heme reactivity.

Spectral and carbon monoxide binding properties of Fe(II) picket-fence porphyrin and protoheme bound to liposomes

Spectral and CO binding properties of liposome bound heme compounds, Fe(II) picket-fence porphyrin and protoheme, were examined. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were used to make liposomes. Liposome-bound protoheme showed a very low CO affinity, whereas liposome-bound Fe(II) picket-fence porphyrin showed a high affinity. Addition of the ligand, 1-methylimidazole, modulated the CO affinities of both types of complexes to a level comparable to that of hemoglobin. However, autoxidation rates of the liposome bound heme compounds were still considerably high, and no stable oxygenated form could be observed.

Studies on ligand binding to sulphaemoglobin

Equilibrium studies show that, at low protein concentrations, sulphaemoglobin, in the ferrous form, binds carbon monoxide at pH 6.0 in a non co-operative manner with a Hill coefficient of 1.15 and an affinity constant of 8 · 10−7 M. At both pH 6.0 and pH 9.0 the kinetics of CO binding show the presence of a simple mono-exponential process with a second-order rate constant of 8·103 M−1·s−1. The rate of dissociation of CO from sulphaemoglobin is approx. 0.01 s−1. The activation energy of the binding process is calculated as 40 kJ · mol−1. A comparison is presented between the CO binding properties of sulphaemoglobin, myoglobin and haemoglobin and a mechanism whereby the CO binding parameters of sulphaemoglobin are modified is proposed.

Studies on ligand binding to sulphaemoglobin

Equilibrium studies show that, at low protein concentrations, sulphaemoglobin, in the ferrous form, binds carbon monoxide at pH 6.0 in a non co-operative manner with a Hill coefficient of 1.15 and an affinity constant of 8 · 10 −7 M. At both pH 6.0 and pH 9.0 the kinetics of CO binding show the presence of a simple mono-exponential process with a second-order rate constant of 8·10 3 M −1·s −1. The rate of dissociation of CO from sulphaemoglobin is approx. 0.01 s −1. The activation energy of the binding process is calculated as 40 kJ · mol −1. A comparison is presented between the CO binding properties of sulphaemoglobin, myoglobin and haemoglobin and a mechanism whereby the CO binding parameters of sulphaemoglobin are modified is proposed.

CO binding to mitochondrial mixed valence state cytochrome oxidase at low temperatures

The kinetics and thermodynamics of the reaction of mixed valence state membrane-bound cytochrome oxidase with CO over the 178–203 K range has been studied by multichannel optical spectroscopy at three wavelength pairs (444–463 nm in the Soret region, and 590–630 and 608–630 nm in the α region) and analysed by non-linear optimization techniques. As in the case of the fully reduced membrane-bound cytochrome oxidase-CO reaction (Clore, G.M. and Chance, E.M. (1978) Biochem. J. 175, 709–725), the normalized progress curves at the three wavelength pairs are significantly different indicating, on the basis of Beer's law, the presence of a minimum of three optically distinct species. The only model that satisfies the triple statistical requirement of a standard deviation within the standard error of the data, a random distribution of residuals and good determination of the optimized parameters, is a two species sequential mechanism: flash photolysis of the mixed valence state cytochrome oxidase-CO complex (species II MC) yields unliganded mixed valence state cytochrome oxidase (species E M) and free CO which then recombine to form species I MC; species I MC is then converted into species II MC. All the thermodynamic parameters describing the model are calculated and compared to those obtained for the fully reduced membrane-bound cytochrome oxidase-CO reaction (Clore and Chance (1978) Biochem. J. 175, 709–725). Although there are some qualitative similarities in the kinetics and thermodynamics of the reactions of mixed valence state ( a 2+ 3Cu + B · a 3+Cu 2+ A) and fully reduced ( a 2+ 3Cu + B · a 2+Cu + A) cytochrome oxidase with CO, there are large and significant quantitative differences in zero-point activation energies and frequency factors; over the temperature range studied, the mixed valence state cytochrome oxidase-CO reaction is found to proceed at a significantly slower rate than the fully reduced cytochrome oxidase-CO reaction. These differences indicate that changing the valence states of cytochrome a and Cu A has a significant effect on the CO binding properties of cytochrome a 3 and possibly Cu B.

Carbon monoxide binding properties of hemoglobin M Iwate.

The kinetic and equilibrium CO binding properties of hemoglobin (Hb) M Iwate (alpha2 87 His leads to Tyr beta2) have been investigated. The results show that the alpha(Met) beta2 (CO) tetramer of this protein has a low affinity for CO, as indicated by the stopped-flow and flash-photolysis kinetic, as well as the CO binding equilibrium, measurements. However, it has been found that the phosphate-free alpha2(Met)beta2(CO) tetramer does tend to dimerize extensively (K4.2 = 55 muM). The high-affinity forms seen in earlier kinetic measurements may be explained by this fact. When dimers are accounted for in the functional studies, the results show that the tetramer binds CO noncooperatively either with or without the allosteric cofactor, inositol hexaphosphate (IHP). IHP appears to influence the functional properties of a solution of Hb M Iwate by stabilizing the tetrameric state of aggregation, thereby greatly reducing the population of high-affinity dimers. When the CO "off" rate with IHP present (0.23 s-1) and the CO "on" rate to the tetramer either with or without IHP (1.9 X 10(5) M-1 s-1) at 25 degrees C are sued to calculate the equilibrium constant, the value obtained (8.3 X 10(5) M-1 s-1) is similar to that in equilibrium binding measurements on the phosphate-free tetramer (9.5 X 10(5) M-1) estimated from the observed P 1/2 value at 0.48 mM total heme concentration. By showing that dimers account for the high-affinity component seen in earlier kinetic experiments with Hg M Iwate, we can now more strongly suggest that cooperative CO binding to this tetramer is minimal or absent, with both of the active beta-hemes presenting a very low affinity.

Apocytochrome P-450: reconstitution of functional cytochrome with hemin in vitro.

Synthesis of microsomal cytochrome P-450 in rat liver requires synthesis of apoprotein in rough endoplasmic reticulum and of heme in mitochondria. Dissociation of apoprotein and heme synthesis by concomitant treatment of rats with inducers of cytochrome P-450 (i.e., phenobarbital) and inhibitors of heme synthesis (i.e., cobalt) resulted in a relative excess of apocytochrome P-450. Under these circumstances, it was possible to reconstitute the holocytochrome by addition of hemin in vitro. The holocytochrome was detected spectrophotometrically by its CO-binding properties and functionally by its increased oxidative activity. Heme-mediated reconstitution was most efficient in cell fractions rich in mitochondria-rough endoplasmic reticulum complexes (640 times g fraction), suggesting that the structural association of these two organelles may represent a functional unit essential for the synthesis of holocytochrome P-450. These findings indicate that phenobarbital-mediated induction of apocytochrome P-450 is independent of heme synthesis. It is suggested that synthesis of the apocytochrome may be the primary and rate-limiting event in the formation of cytochrome P-450.