Heme-modification studies of myoglobin

Dioxygen and glucose force motion of the electron-transfer switch in the iron(III) flavohemoglobin-type nitric oxide dioxygenase

Kinetic and structural investigations of the flavohemoglobin-type NO dioxygenase have suggested critical roles for transient Fe(III)O2 complex formation and O2-forced movements affecting hydride transfer to the FAD cofactor and electron-transfer to the Fe(III)O2 complex. Stark-effect theory together with structural models and dipole and internal electrostatic field determinations provided a semi-quantitative spectroscopic method for investigating the proposed Fe(III)O2 complex and O2-forced movements. Deoxygenation of the enzyme causes Stark effects on the ferric heme Soret and charge-transfer bands revealing the Fe(III)O2 complex. Deoxygenation also elicits Stark effects on the FAD that expose forces and motions that create a more restricted NADH access to FAD for hydride transfer and switch electron-transfer off. Glucose also forces the enzyme toward an off state. Amino acid substitutions at the B10, E7, E11, G8, D5, and F7 positions influence the Stark effects of O2 on resting heme spin states and FAD consistent with the proposed roles of the side chains in the enzyme mechanism. Deoxygenation of ferric myoglobin and hemoglobin A also induces Stark effects on the hemes suggesting a common 'oxy-met' state. The ferric myoglobin and hemoglobin heme spectra are also glucose-responsive. A conserved glucose or glucose-6-phosphate binding site is found bridging the BC-corner and G-helix in flavohemoglobin and myoglobin suggesting novel allosteric effector roles for glucose or glucose-6-phosphate in the NO dioxygenase and O2 storage functions. The results support the proposed roles of a ferric O2 intermediate and protein motions in regulating electron-transfer during NO dioxygenase turnover.

Modulating the nitrite reductase activity of globins by varying the heme substituents: Utilizing myoglobin as a model system

Globins, such as hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb), have gained attention for their ability to reduce nitrite (NO2(-)) to nitric oxide (NO). The molecular interactions that regulate this chemistry are not fully elucidated, therefore we address this issue by investigating one part of the active site that may control this reaction. Here, the effects of the 2,4-heme substituents on the nitrite reductase (NiR) reaction, and on the structures and energies of the ferrous nitrite intermediates, are investigated using Mb as a model system. This is accomplished by studying Mbs with hemes that have different 2,4-R groups, namely diacetyldeuteroMb (-acetyl), protoMb (wild-type (wt) Mb, -vinyl), deuteroMb (-H), and mesoMb (-ethyl). While trends on the natural charge on Fe and O-atom of bound nitrite are observed among the series of Mbs, the Fe(II)-NPyr (Pyr=pyrrole) and Fe(II)-NHis93 (His=histidine) bond lengths do not significantly change. Kinetic analysis shows increasing NiR activity as follows: diacetyldeuteroMb<wt Mb<deuteroMb<mesoMb. Nitrite binding energy calculations of the different Mb(II)-nitrite conformations demonstrate the N-bound complexes to be more stable than the O-bound complexes for all the different types of heme structures, with diacetyldeuteroMb having the greatest nitrite binding affinity. Spectral deconvolution on the final product generated from the reaction between Mb(II) and NO2(-) for the reconstituted Mbs indicates the formation of 1:1 Mb(III) and Mb(II)-NO. The electronic changes induced by the -R groups on the 2,4-positions do not alter the stoichiometric ratio of the products, resembling wt Mb.

Utility of heme analogues to intentionally modify heme-globin interactions in myoglobin

Myoglobin reconstitution with various synthetic heme analogues was reviewed to follow the consequences of modified heme-globin interactions. Utility of dimethyl sulfoxide as the solvent for water-insoluble hemes was emphasized. Proton NMR spectroscopy revealed that loose heme-globin contacts in the heme pocket eventually caused the dynamic heme rotation around the iron-histidine bond. The full rotational rate was estimated to be about 1400 s(-1) at room temperature for 1,4,5,8-tetramethylhemin. The X-ray analysis of the myoglobin containing iron porphine, the smallest heme without any side chains, showed that the original globin fold was well conserved despite the serious disruption of native heme-globin contacts. Comparison between the two myoglobins with static and rotatory prosthetic groups indicated that the oxygen and carbon monoxide binding profiles were almost unaffected by the heme motion. On the other hand, altered tetrapyrrole array of porphyrin dramatically changed the dissociation constant of oxygen from 0.0005 mm Hg of porphycene-myoglobin to ∞ in oxypyriporphyrin-myoglobin. Heme-globin interactions in myoglobin were also monitored with circular dichroism spectroscopy. The observation on several reconstituted protein revealed an unrecognized role of the propionate groups in protoheme. Shortening of heme 6,7-propionates to carboxylates resulted in almost complete disappearance of the positive circular dichroism band in the Soret region. The theoretical analysis suggested that the disappeared circular dichroism band reflected the cancellation effects between different conformers of the carboxyl groups directly attached to heme periphery. The above techniques were proposed to be applicable to other hemoproteins to create new biocatalysts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics--the design and engineering of electronic transfer cofactors, proteins and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson.

Dynamic motion and rearranged molecular shape of heme in myoglobin: structural and functional consequences

Myoglobin, a simple oxygen binding protein, was reconstituted with various types of synthetic hemes to manipulate the heme-globin interactions. From the paramagnetic NMR analysis, small heme was found to rotate rapidly about the iron-histidine bond upon. This is a novel and typical example for the fluctuation of protein. The dynamic NMR analysis indicated that the 360° rotational rate of a small heme was 1,400 s⁻¹ at room temperature. The X-ray analyses revealed that the tertiary structure of globin containing the smallest heme was closely similar to that of native protein despite extensive destruction of the specific heme-globin interactions. The functional analyses of O₂ binding showed that the loose heme-globin contacts do not significantly affect the oxygen binding. On the other hand, the rearrangement of tetrapyrrole array and the non-planar deformation in porphyrin ring significantly affect the functional properties of myoglobin. These results, taken together, indicate that the essential factors to regulate the myoglobin function are hidden under the molecular shape of prosthetic group rather than in the nonbonded heme-globin contacts.

An Escherichia coli expression–based method for heme substitution

Heme reconstitution with porphyrin analogs is a powerful approach toward understanding the molecular function of heme proteins; present methods, however, have not proven to be generally useful. Here we describe the development and application of an expression-based method for introducing modified porphyrins. The approach allows efficient incorporation of heme analogs using a widely available bacterial strain and offers an attractive alternative to present reconstitution methods that subject proteins to harsh, denaturing conditions.

The effects of heme modification on reactivity, ligand binding properties and iron-coordination structures of cytochrome P450nor

Artificial cytochrome P450nors (nitric oxide reductase) were prepared by replacing the native protoheme with various 2,4-substituted hemes: meso-, deutero-, and diacetyldeutero-hemes. For these samples, the ratio of low spin/high spin states of the ferric resting enzyme were varied, indicating that the coordination of the water molecule at the iron sixth site was affected by the electron withdrawing capacities of the heme 2,4-substituents. The binding of the water molecule reduces the rate of binding of nitric oxide (NO) to the ferric iron. In addition, the reduction reaction of the ferric-NO complex with NADH, which constitutes the second step in the NO reduction, was facilitated by the electron withdrawing capacity of 2,4-substituents. Consequently, proto- (native-) P450nor exhibited the highest overall enzymatic activity (NO reduction activity), while the enzymes containing diacetyl-, deutero-, and meso-hemes had considerably lower activities, since the NO reduction activity is determined by a balance of the reaction rates of the above two steps. The optical absorption spectra of the ferric-NO and the ferrous-CO complexes of the reconstituted enzymes show that the electron density on the heme in both states was modulated by the substituent groups. However, the resonance Raman spectral measurements showed that the Fe-NO and N-O stretching frequencies in the ferric-NO complex were insensitive to the electron density of the heme while the Fe-CO and C-O stretching frequencies in the ferrous-CO complex were sensitively varied by the electron withdrawing capacity of the 2,4-substituent. The differences are discussed in terms of the difference in the iron-ligand bond characters between the ferric-NO and the ferrous-CO complexes.

Imidazole binding to horse metmyoglobin: dependence upon pH and ionic strength

The reaction between metmyoglobin and imidazole has been studied as a function of pH between pH 4.2 and 11.5 and as a function of ionic strength at integral pH values (5 to 10) between 0.001 and 1.0 M ionic strength. The reaction between metmyoglobin and 1-methylimidazole has also been investigated as a function of pH. Comparison of the pH dependence of the association rate constants for the two ligands indicates that the negatively charged imidazolate ion does not contribute to the observed rate of imidazole binding at pH < or = 11.5. At all pH values between pH 4.2 and pH 11.5 the initial complex formed involves the neutral form of bound imidazole. At pH 11.5, the neutral imidazole complex is converted slowly (t1/2 approximately 10 s) into an imidazolate complex. The kinetic data were analyzed according to two mechanisms, one involving the binding of neutral imidazole only and one involving the direct binding of both imidazole and the imidazolium ion to metmyoglobin. Although secondary kinetic salt effects account for the ionic strength dependence of the association rate constant, evidence which indicates that metmyoglobin reacts with imidazole and with the imidazolium ion with similar rates is provided. A self-consistent analysis indicates that the rate constants for imidazole and imidazolium ion binding to metmyoglobin are 350 and 230 M-1 s-1, respectively, at neutral pH and 0.1 M ionic strength. Imidazole can react directly with hydroxymetmyoglobin with a rate of 56 M-1 s-1 at 0.1 M ionic strength, about sixfold slower than binding to aquometmyoglobin. Protonation of a second heme-linked group, thought to be His-97, has little influence on the binding of imidazole but does decrease the rate of imidazolium binding by about eightfold to 29 M-1 s-1 at 0.1 M ionic strength.

Functional comparison of the myoglobins reconstituted with symmetric deuterohemes

Deuterohemins III and XIII were coupled with apomyoglobin to examine the influence of the modified heme-globin contacts on the functions of the reconstituted holoproteins. Owing to the molecular symmetry of the prosthetic groups, the resultant proteins are free from the heme orientational disorder. The coordination structures of the two reconstituted myoglobins were found to be normal and closely similar to each other. The equilibrium ligand bindings also resembled with each other in both ferric and ferrous states. The results demonstrate that the different local heme-globin contacts affect the structure and function of the reconstituted myoglobins only slightly. The results therefore suggest that the two asymmetric deuteroheme IX isomers, which are inverted about the alpha, gamma-meso carbon axis of the heme, also exhibit very similar functions in myoglobin.

Novel ligand binding properties of the myoglobin substituted with monoazahemin

The iron complex of alpha-azamesoporphyrin XIII was combined with apomyoglobin to investigate influence of the meso nitrogen on ligand binding properties in the reconstituted protein. Stoichiometric complex formation between the two components was confirmed, and conservation of the native coordination structures in the resultant myoglobin was established with spectroscopic criteria and apparently normal ligand binding. The visible absorption spectra of various ferric and ferrous derivatives are characteristic with less intense Soret peaks and enhanced visible bands. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum with g = 5.2 suggests an anomalous intermediate spin (S = 3/2) character for the aquomet protein. The oxygen affinity of reduced azaheme myoglobin, 0.010 mm Hg, is 50 times larger than that of the native myoglobin. In addition, azaheme myoglobin forms stable complexes with imidazole, pyridine, or cyanide in ferrous state. All of these new properties were consistently explained in terms of stronger equatorial ligand field of the heme iron in a narrower coordination cavity. Similarities of azaheme to verdoheme were also pointed out.

Bohr effect in monomeric insect haemoglobins controlled by O2 off-rate and modulated by haem-rotational disorder

The monomeric insect (Chironomus thummi thummi) haemoglobins CTT III and CTT IV show an alkaline Bohr effect. The amplitude of the Bohr effect curve of CTT IV is about twice as large as that of CTT III. In particular, at low pH a time-dependent 'slow' decrease in p50 upon cyclic oxygenation/deoxygenation is observed which is larger if dithionite, instead of ascorbate, is the reducing agent. The decrease of p50 (increase in affinity) correlates with the ratio of haem-rotational components exhibiting an increase of the 'myoglobin-like' haem-rotational component with high O2 affinity and high stability of the globin-haem complex. The replacement of protohaem IX by mesohaem IX and deuterohaem IX, respectively, causes an increase in O2 affinity following the order: proto less than meso less than deutero CTT Hbs. The Bohr effect, however, seems not to be affected by these porphyrin side-group substitutions. The O2 affinity is modulated by steric effects due to the substituents in position 2 and 4 via variation of the protein-haem interactions which influence the O2 release. The replacement of iron by cobalt in proto and meso CTT IV leads to an increase of the p50 by two to three orders of magnitude. Neither central metal nor vinyl replacement affect the Bohr effect. The natural CTT Hbs III and IV analyzed for mono-componential kinetic systems exhibit pH-dependent O2 off-rate constants: 300 s-1 (at pH 5.6) and 125 s-1 (at pH 9.7) for CTT III, and 550 s-1 (at pH 5.4) and 100 s-1 (at pH 9.0) for CTT IV. Inflection points and amplitudes of the log koff/pH plots correspond to those obtained from the Bohr effect curves indicating again a larger Bohr effect for CTT IV than for CTT III. In contrast, the O2 on-rate constants are pH-independent (kon = 1.15-1.26 X 10(8) M-1 s-1). Thus, the Bohr effect is completely controlled by the off-rate constants. Analysis for bi-componential kinetic systems employing the eigenfunction expansion method clearly identifies two kinetic components for proto-IX and deutero-IX CTT Hbs which can be attributed to the two haem-rotational components x and y (x and y differ due to an 180 degree rotation of the haem group about the alpha,gamma-meso axis; y is the myoglobin-like haem-rotational component).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Kinetic study of CO and O2 binding to horse heart myoglobin reconstituted with synthetic hemes lacking methyl and vinyl side chains

Carbon monoxide- and oxygen-binding rates and affinities were measured for horse heart myoglobins reconstituted with synthetic hemes lacking peripheral methyl and vinyl groups. There is an apparent correlation between heme size and ligand specificity, i.e. larger m values (ratios of CO vs O2 association rates, l'/k') with smaller hemes. However, this correlation broke down with the most dealkylated heme. This is interpreted as resulting from protein conformational changes altering the steric crowdedness at the O2-binding site. Spectral properties and autoxidation rates also corroborate this view.

Bohr-effect and pH-dependence of electron spin resonance spectra of a cobalt-substituted monomeric insect haemoglobin

The monomeric haemoglobin IV from Chironomus thummi thummi (CTT IV) exhibits an alkaline Bohr-effect and therefore it is an allosteric protein. By substitution of the haem iron for cobalt the O2 half-saturation pressure, measured at 25 degrees C, increases 250-fold. The Bohr-effect is not affected by the replacement of the central atom. The parameters of the Bohr-effect of cobalt CTT IV for 25 degrees C are: inflection point of the Bohr-effect curve at pH 7.1, number of Bohr protons -- deltalog p1/2 (O2)/deltapH = 0.36 mol H+/mol O2 and amplitude of the Bohr-effect curve deltalogp1/2 (O2) = 0.84. The substitution of protoporphyrin for mesoporphyrin causes a 10 nm blue-shift of the visible absorption maxima in both, the native and the cobalt-substituted forms of CTT IV. Furthermore, the replacement of vinyl groups by ethyl groups at position 2 and 4 of the porphyrin system leads to an increase of O2 affinities at 25 degrees C which follows the order: proto less than meso less than deutero for iron and cobalt CTT IV, respectively. Again, the Bohr-effect is not affected by the replacement of protoporphyrin for mesoporphyrin or deuteroporphyrin. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of both, deoxy cobalt proto- and deoxy cobalt meso-CTT IV, are independent of pH. The stronger electron-withdrawing effect by protoporphyrin is reflected by the decrease of the cobalt hyperfine constants coinciding with gparallel = 2.035 and by the low-field shift of gparallel. The ESR spectra of oxy cobalt proto- and oxy cobalt meso-CTT IV are dependent of pH. The cobalt hyperfine constants coinciding with gparallel - 2.078 increase during transition from low to high pH. The pH-induced ESR spectral changes correlate with the alkaline Bohr-effect. Therefore, the two O2 affinity states can be assigned to the low-pH and high-pH ESR spectral species. The low-pH form (low-affinity state) is characterized by a smaller, the high-pH form (high-affinity state) by a larger cobalt hyperfine constant in gparallel. The correlation of the cobalt hyperfine constants of the oxy forms with the O2 affinities is discussed for several monomeric haemoglobins. The Co-O-O bond angle in cobalt oxy CTT IV is characterized by an ozonoid type of binding geometry and varies little during the pH-induced conformation transition. Due to the lack of the distal histidine in CTT IV no additional interaction via hydrogen-bonding with dioxygen is possible; this is reflected by the cobalt hyperfine constants.

The heme environment of leghemoglobins. Absorption and circular dichroism spectra of artificial leghemoglobins and myoglobins

Artificial leghemoglobins were reconstituted from apoleghemoglobin and meso-, deutero- and diacetyldeuteroheme. Absorption and circular dichroism spectra of their high-spin and low-spin derivatives in the ferrous and ferric forms were recorded in the ultraviolet and visible wavelength regions. The substitution of the 2,4-side-chains of heme induced changes in the optical activity, reflecting alterations in the heme environment. The effect on the conformation of aromatic amino acid residues around heme obviously correlates with the sixth axial ligand and the spin state of iron. Absorption and CD spectra of the aquoferric derivatives of artificial myoglobins were recorded in comparison. Strongly electron-withdrawing acetyl side-chains at the 2,4-positions of diacetyldeuteroheme caused a change in the absorption spectra of aquoferric leghemoglobin and myoglobin towards low spin. On the basis of the spectra it was suggested that the displacement of the ferric iron from the pyrrole plane in leghemoglobin derivatives would be smaller than in the corresponding myoglobin derivatives.

Influence of steric factors on oxygen binding. I. Studies on 2,4-diisopropyldeuteroheme-myoglobin

Sperm whale apomyoglobin was recombined with 2,4-diisopropyldeuterohemin to form 2,4-diisopropyldeuteroheme-myoglobin and its various physico-chemical properties were investigated to get an insight into the structural and functional role of the peripheral vinyl groups. 2,4-Diisopropyldeuteroheme-myoglobin showed a four times lower oxygen affinity at 25 degrees C and larger enthalpy and entropy changes of oxygenation than the corresponding values of native myoglobin. 2,4-Diisopropyldeuteroheme-metmyoglobin shows a pKa value of 9.68 which is higher than those of native metmyoglobin and mesoheme-metmyoglobin. The rate of autooxidation of oxy-form was about seven times larger in 2,4-diisopropyldeuteroheme-myoglobin than in native myoglobin. The electron-donating effect of isopropyl groups does not give straightforward explanation for these anomalous properties of 2,4-diisopropyldeuteroheme-myoglobin. It is proposed that site and stereospecific van der Waals' interaction between the polypeptide side chains and the peripheral 2,4-diisopropyl groups may weaken the interaction between the bound oxygen molecule and the distal His, resulting in the decrease in the stability of oxyform.

A carbon monoxide derivative of ruthenium (II) myoglobin probe of heme protein conformation

A synthetic carbon monoxide complex of ruthenium (II) myoglobin has been reconstituted from apomyoglobin and the carbon monoxide of ruthenium (II) mesoporphyrin IX. This synthetic myoglobin complex shows an absorption spectrum with normal Soret and beta bands, and a split alpha band. The alpha-band splitting is not observed in the spectrum of the carbon monoxide derivative of ruthenium (II) mesoporphyrin IX in pyridine, even though the width of the alpha band in pyridine is narrower than in theprotein. The separation between two alpha bands in the spectrum of the protein is reduced from 7.5 to 6 nm in the presence of 2 M NaCl. This observation is interpreted in terms of perturbation of concentrated NaCl on the protein. The separation between the maxima of two alpha bands in the spectrum of the ruthenium (II) myoglobin also becomes smaller with decrease in pH from 7 to 4.5, and this process involves the distal histidine. The alpha band splitting in this protein complex is interpreted in terms of rhombic distortion of the square planar symmetry of the metal porphyrin in the protein.

Oxygen binding to cobalt(II) proto-, deutero- and meso-porphyrin IX dimethyl ester complexes in organic solvents

The binding of oxygen to cobalt(II) meso, deutero- and proto-porphyrin IX dimethyl esters complexed with pyridine or 2-methylimidazole was investigated at -10 degress - -60 degrees C in toluene or DMF solution, and the thermodynamic data related with the binding were presented. The oxygen affinity of cobalt meso-porphyrin complex was larger by the factor of 2.0-1.4 than those of the other complexes where oxygen affinities were not explained by a simple electron-withdrawing capability of 2,4-substituents of the porphyrin ring. The oxygen binding property was, generally, dependent on the solvent, suggesting that the solvation affects appreciably the oxygen binding to the complexes. The oxygen affinities of cobalt porphyrin complexes in various organic solvents were compared with those of their apomyoglobin complexes. The differences of oxygen affinities between both systems decreased with increasing the size of 2,4-substituents, and it was in the following order on 2,4-substituted porphyrins: Deutero greater than Proto greater than Meso. It was suggested that the 2,4-substitutent effect on the oxygen affinity of cobalt myoglobin complexes was not only caused by the direct electronic effect on the central cobalt atom, but also controlled by the stereochemical interaction between apomyoglobin and the porphyrin.