HNO-Binding in Heme Proteins: Effects of Iron Oxidation State, Axial Ligand, and Protein Environment

Azanone (HNO): generation, stabilization and detection

HNO (nitroxyl, azanone), joined the 'biologically relevant reactive nitrogen species' family in the 2000s. Azanone is impossible to store due to its high reactivity and inherent low stability. Consequently, its chemistry and effects are studied using donor compounds, which release this molecule in solution and in the gas phase upon stimulation. Researchers have also tried to stabilize this elusive species and its conjugate base by coordination to metal centers using several ligands, like metalloporphyrins and pincer ligands. Given HNO's high reactivity and short lifetime, several different strategies have been proposed for its detection in chemical and biological systems, such as colorimetric methods, EPR, HPLC, mass spectrometry, fluorescent probes, and electrochemical analysis. These approaches are described and critically compared. Finally, in the last ten years, several advances regarding the possibility of endogenous HNO generation were made; some of them are also revised in the present work.

HNO to NO Conversion Mechanism with Copper Zinc Superoxide Dismutase, Comparison with Heme Protein Mediated Conversions, and the Origin of Questionable Reversibility

The interconversion of NO and HNO, via copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), is important in biomedicine and for HNO detection. Many mechanistic questions, including the decades-long debate on reversibility, were resolved in this work. Calculations of various active-site and full-protein models show that the basic mechanism is proton-coupled electron transfer with a computed barrier of 10.98 kcal mol^-1 , which is in excellent agreement with experimental results (10.62 kcal mol^-1 ), and this nonheme protein-mediated reaction has many significant mechanistic differences compared with the conversions mediated by heme proteins due to geometric and electronic factors. The reasons for the irreversible nature of this conversion and models with the first thermodynamically favorable and kinetically feasible mechanism for the experimental reverse reaction were discovered. Such results are the first for nonheme enzyme mediated HNO to NO conversions, which shall facilitate other related studies and HNO probe development.

Proton Transfer versus Hydrogen Bonding in a Reduced Iron Porphyrin Nitrosyl Complex

The ¹H NMR spectra of Fe(OEP)(HNO), which was formed from Fe(OEP)(NO)^- in the presence of 3,5-dichlorophenol, were studied as a function of temperature. The chemical shift of the HNO proton showed a unique behavior which could be explained based on the equilibrium between the protonated complex, Fe(OEP)(HNO), and the hydrogen-bonded complex, Fe(OEP)(NO)^-···HOPh. This equilibrium was consistent with UV/visible spectroscopy and the voltammetric data. UV/visible stopped-flow experiments showed that the hydrogen-bonded complex, which was formed when weak acids such as phenol were added, and the Fe(OEP)(HNO) complex were quite similar. In addition to the HNO proton resonance, the meso-resonances were consistent with the proposed equilibrium. Density functional theory calculations of various Fe(OEP)(NO)^-/Fe(OEP)(HNO) species were calculated, and the results were consistent with experimental data.

Axial ligands tailoring the ORR activity of cobalt porphyrin

In an effort to provide visualization and understanding to the electronic "push effect" of axial ligands on the catalytic activity of cobalt macrocyclic molecules, we design a simple model system involving an [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin]cobalt(II) (TMMPCo) monolayer axially-coordinated on thiol ligand modified Au electrode and explore the activity of the axial-ligand coordinated TMPPCo toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic medium. Three different ligands, with a decreasing order of coordinating ability as: 4-mercaptopyridine (MPy) > 4-aminothiolphenol (APT) > 4-mercaptobenzonitrile (MBN) are used and a maximum difference in ORR onset potential of 80 mV is observed between the MPy (highest onset potential) and MBN systems (lowest onset potential). The ORR activity of TMPPCo increases with the increase in binding strength of the axial ligand. A detailed mechanism study reveals that ORR on the three ligand coordinated TMPPCo systems shares the same 2-electron mechanism with H₂O₂ as the terminal product. Theoretical calculation into the structure of the ligand coordinated cobalt porphyrins uncovers the variation in atomic charge of the Co(II) center and altered frontier molecular orbital distribution among the three ligand systems. Both properties have great influence on the back-bonding formation between the Co(II) center and O₂ molecules, which has been suggested to be critical toward the O₂ adsorption and subsequent activation process.

Mechanistic Investigation of Biocatalytic Heme Carbenoid Si-H Insertions

Recent studies reported the development of biocatalytic heme carbenoid Si-H insertions for the selective formation of carbon-silicon bonds, but many mechanistic questions remain unaddressed. To this end, a DFT mechanistic investigation was performed which reveals an FeII-based concerted hydride transfer mechanism with early transition state feature. The results from these computational analyses are consistent with experimental data of radical trapping, kinetic isotope effects, and structure-reactivity data using engineered variants of hemoproteins. Detailed geometric and electronic profiles along the heme catalyzed Si-H insertion pathways were provided to help understand the origin of experimental reactivity trends. Quantitative relationships between reaction barriers and some properties such as charge transfer from substrate to heme carbene and Si-H bond length change from reactant to transition state were found. Results suggest catalyst modifications to facilitate the charge transfer from the silane substrate to the carbene, which was determined to be a major electronic driving force of this reaction, should enable the development of improved biocatalysts for Si-H carbene insertion reactions.

Double-Blind Clinical Trial of Arginine Supplementation in the Treatment of Adult Patients with Sickle Cell Anaemia

Background

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is the most prevalent monogenic disease in Brazil. In SCA, haemoglobin S (HbS) is formed, which modifies red blood cell morphology. Intravascular haemolysis occurs, in which free Hb and free radicals degrade nitric oxide (NO) and release arginase, which reduces arginine levels. Because arginine is a substrate for NO formation, this decrease leads to reduced NO (vasodilator) synthesis. SCA treatment uses hydroxyurea (HU) to maintain high foetal haemoglobin (HbF) levels and reduces HbS to avoid haemolytic episodes.

Objective

To analyse the efficacy of L-arginine as an adjuvant in the treatment of SCA patients.

Setting

The State Blood Centre of Ceará, Brazil.

Methods

This was a randomized double-blind clinical study of adults with SCA with continuous use of HU at the State Blood Centre of Ceará. The clinical study enrolled 25 patients receiving HU + L-arginine (500 mg) and 25 patients receiving HU + placebo. The treatment was carried out over four months. Laboratory tests were performed to determine the levels of the following: (1) complete blood count; (2) nitrite + nitrate; (3) HbF; and (4) reticulocytes. The clinical experiments were performed by a haematologist. The main outcome measures were nitrite and pain.

Results

Statistical analysis showed that the levels of NO were increased in the study group, and there was also a reduction in pain frequency using a pain frequency scale by day, week, and month. The levels of nitrite plus nitrate in the group receiving placebo plus HU did not change among the times evaluated (38.27 ± 17.27 mg/L, 39.49 ± 12.84 mg/L, 34.45 ± 11.25 mg/L, p >0.05), but in the patients who received supplementation with L-arginine plus HU, a significant increase in nitrite plus nitrate levels was observed between M0 and M4 (36.55 ± 20.23 mg/L versus 48.64 ± 20.63 mg/L, p =0.001) and M2 and M4 (35.71 ± 15.11 mg/L versus 48.64 ± 20.63 mg/L, p <0.001). It is important to note that the increase in nitrite plus nitrate levels occurred only in the fourth month of follow-up of patients in the treatment group, showing that at least 4 months of supplementation with L-arginine is necessary to show an increase in these metabolites in the serum.

Conclusion

The use of L-arginine as a coadjuvant in the treatment of sickle cell anaemia may function as a potential tool for pain relief, consequently improving the life of patients.

Mechanisms of HNO Reactions with Ferric Heme Proteins

Many HNO-scavenging pathways exist to regulate its biological and pharmacological activities. Such reactions often involve ferric heme proteins and form an important basis for HNO probe development. However, mechanisms of HNO reactions with ferric heme proteins are largely unknown. We performed a computational investigation using metmyoglobin and catalase as representative ferric heme proteins with neutral and negatively charged axial ligands to provide the first detailed pathways. The results reproduced experimental barriers well with an average error of 0.11 kcal mol-1 . The rate-limiting step was found to be dissociation of the resting ligand or HNO coordination when there is no resting ligand. For both heme proteins, in contrast to the non-heme case, the reductive nitrosylation step was found to be barrierless proton-coupled electron transfer, which provides the major thermodynamic driving force for the overall reaction. The origin of the difference in reactivity between metmyoglobin and catalase was also revealed.

Nitrosyl Myoglobins and Their Nitrite Precursors: Crystal Structural and Quantum Mechanics and Molecular Mechanics Theoretical Investigations of Preferred Fe -NO Ligand Orientations in Myoglobin Distal Pockets

The globular dioxygen binding heme protein myoglobin (Mb) is present in several species. Its interactions with the simple nitrogen oxides, namely, nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite, have been known for decades, but the physiological relevance has only recently become more fully appreciated. We previously reported the O-nitrito mode of binding of nitrite to ferric horse heart wild-type (wt) MbIII and human hemoglobin. We have expanded on this work and report the interactions of nitrite with wt sperm whale (sw) MbIII and its H64A, H64Q, and V68A/I107Y mutants whose dissociation constants increase in the following order: H64Q < wt < V68A/I107Y < H64A. We also report their X-ray crystal structures that reveal the O-nitrito mode of binding of nitrite to these derivatives. The MbII-mediated reductions of nitrite to NO and structural data for the wt and mutant MbII-NOs are described. We show that their FeNO orientations vary with distal pocket identity, with the FeNO moieties pointing toward the hydrophobic interiors when the His64 residue is present but toward the hydrophilic exterior when this His64 residue is absent in this set of mutants. This correlates with the nature of H-bonding to the bound NO ligand (nitrosyl O vs N atom). Quantum mechanics and hybrid quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations help elucidate the origin of the experimentally preferred NO orientations. In a few cases, the calculations reproduce the experimentally observed orientations only when the whole protein is taken into consideration.

Cyclopropanations via Heme Carbenes: Basic Mechanism and Effects of Carbene Substituent, Protein Axial Ligand, and Porphyrin Substitution

Catalytic carbene transfer to olefins is a useful approach to synthesize cyclopropanes, which are key structural motifs in many drugs and biologically active natural products. While catalytic methods for olefin cyclopropanation have largely relied on rare transition-metal-based catalysts, recent studies have demonstrated the promise and synthetic value of iron-based heme-containing proteins for promoting these reactions with excellent catalytic activity and selectivity. Despite this progress, the mechanism of iron-porphyrin and hemoprotein-catalyzed olefin cyclopropanation has remained largely unknown. Using a combination of quantum chemical calculations and experimental mechanistic analyses, the present study shows for the first time that the increasingly useful C=C functionalizations mediated by heme carbenes feature an Fe^II-based, nonradical, concerted nonsynchronous mechanism, with early transition state character. This mechanism differs from the Fe^IV-based, radical, stepwise mechanism of heme-dependent monooxygenases. Furthermore, the effects of the carbene substituent, metal coordinating axial ligand, and porphyrin substituent on the reactivity of the heme carbenes was systematically investigated, providing a basis for explaining experimental reactivity results and defining strategies for future catalyst development. Our results especially suggest the potential value of electron-deficient porphyrin ligands for increasing the electrophilicity and thus the reactivity of the heme carbene. Metal-free reactions were also studied to reveal temperature and carbene substituent effects on catalytic vs noncatalytic reactions. This study sheds new light into the mechanism of iron-porphyrin and hemoprotein-catalyzed cyclopropanation reactions and it is expected to facilitate future efforts toward sustainable carbene transfer catalysis using these systems.