On the influence of ATP on the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of methemoglobin

Multiple heme pocket subconformations of methemoglobin associated with distal histidine interactions

Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of methemoglobin reveal that, in addition to the major tetragonal high-spin aqueous complex and the low-spin hydroxide complex, three other complexes associated with the interaction of the distal histidine are resolved. These are a rhombic high-spin and two classes of low-spin bis-histidine complexes. By freeze-quenching experiments it is shown that the rhombic high-spin and one of the low-spin bis-histidine complexes (B) are at equilibrium with the dominant species. Incubation in the 210-260 K temperature range shifts the total equilibrium toward a low-energy state with the distal histidine coordinated to the iron (complex C).

Low-temperature formation of a distal histidine complex in hemoglobin: a probe for heme pocket flexibility

Pocket dynamics of horse deoxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin in the temperature range from 80 to 260 K is investigated. In both hemoglobins reversible conversion to a low-spin iron complex is observed at temperatures as low as 210 K. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and Mössbauer data assigned this low-spin iron complex to the coordination of N tau-His-E7 as a sixth nitrogenous ligand. The bonding of this ligand located 4 A from the iron indicates the presence of a thermally available conformation that exhibits a high degree of flexibility in the heme pocket. In deoxyhemoglobin, the formation of the bis(histidine) complex was accompanied by excitations of conformational fluctuations manifested through the temperature dependence of the Mössbauer-Lamb factor. The rate for the formation of this complex, with an associated energy barrier (greater than 60 KJ mol-1), is shown to serve as an index of heme pocket flexibility. Measurements performed on partially liganded (carbonmonoxy) hemoglobin indicate that partial ligation enhances conversion of the unliganded subunits to the bis(histidine) complex, suggesting that pocket dynamics is affected by subunit interactions.

The influence of beta-93 sulfhydryl groups, organic phosphate and heme concentration on methemoglobin reduction

Native and modified methemoglobin (beta-93-SH groups blocked) were reduced by NADH-dependent methemoglobin reductase in the absence and the presence of organic phosphate (inositol hexaphosphate). These experiments were performed with dilute as well as concentrated methemoglobin solutions (physiological heme concentration). It is shown that: (a) in dilute solutions the blockage of beta-93-SH groups lowers the rate of methemoglobin reduction in the absence of organic phosphate but the rates of native and modified methemoglobin reduction are similar in the presence of organic phosphate; (b) at physiological heme concentration the blockage of beta-93-SH groups does not affect the rate of reduction but the organic phosphate stimulates the reduction of both native and modified methemoglobins in a similar fashion, as it does in dilute solutions. It is concluded that, although in dilute solutions the blockage of beta-93-SH groups alters the reduction rate, at physiological heme concentration the presence of free beta-93-SH groups does not have any significant effect on methemoglobin reduction. On the contrary, the organic phosphates do accelerate the rate of reduction at all ranges of heme concentration.

Differential effects of pH and inositol hexaphosphate on the spectroscopic properties of the alpha and beta subunits in methemoglobins M Milwaukee and A

The effect of pH and inositol hexaphosphate on the electron spin resonance spectra of the alpha-hemes (g = 6.0) and the beta-hemes (g = 6.7) has been measured in methemoglobin M Milwaukee and compared with that of methemoglobin A (g = 6.0). The beta-hemes are found to be comparatively insensitive to both effectors while the alpha-hemes behave in a manner similar to the heme groups of methemoglobin A. Binding of inositol hexaphosphate enhances the high spin ESR signal of the alpha-hemes in both methemoglobins. Comparison of the optical properties of methemoglobins A and M Milwaukee over the pH range from 5.0 to 8.1 shows that inositol hexaphosphate has a differential effect on the subunit types in these two methemoglobins. At low pH the spectral changes observed upon inositol hexaphosphate binding arise primarily from the beta-hemes, while at neutral and alkaline pH these changes arise from both subunit types. The beta-heme spectral changes appear to be pH independent while those arising from the alpha-hemes are strongly pH dependent. It is concluded that it is the hydroxymet form of the alpha-hemes which undergoes spectral change upon inositol hexaphosphate binding to the beta-subunits. In methemoglobin A the spin state and paramagnetic susceptibility increase only in the neutral and alkaline pH ranges upon inositol hexaphosphate binding (Gupta, R.K. and Mildvan, R.S. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 246; Perutz, M.F., Sanders, J.K.M., Chenery, D.H., Noble, R.W., Penelly, R.R., Fung, L.W.-M., Ho, C., Giannini, I., Porschke, D. and Winkler, H. (1978) Biochemistry 17, 3640). Therefore the hydroxymet form of the alpha-hemes which is responsible for the observed spectral changes must also be responsible for these increases in the magnetic properties of methemoglobin A. Inositol hexaphosphate can bind to methemoglobin at alkaline pH if the beta-hemes are in the high spin form.

Evidence for the existence of a low spin complex in acidic methemoglobin: its structure and formation

By means of electron spin resonance and magneto-optical rotation, specific low spin complexes in acidic methemoglobin are obtained. The formation of these complexes is explained by a specific stereochemical arrangement of the distal histidine in the absence of allosteric effectors inducing the formation of a low spin ligand at room temperature. At low temperature, however, the distal histidine is directly bound to the heme iron. As the formation of the low spin complexes depends on allosteric effectors it is suggested that via the distal histidine the affinity of heme iron ligands is modified.

An interpretation of the three line EPR spectrum of nitric oxide hemeproteins and related model systems: the effect of the heme environment

The EPR spectra of the nitric oxide (NO) derivatives of structurally perturbed Fe (II) hemeproteins show various patterns, all of which are characterized by the conspicuous three-line hyperfine splitting due to 14NO, in contrast to that of the native proteins. For the purpose of obtaining structural information from these three line spectra, the model systems were studied, which consist of NO, heme (or TPP-Fe(II), where TTP means alpha, beta, gamma, delta-tetraphenylporphine) and the nitrogenous base, pyridine or quinoline, which, respectively, give the native type or the three line (perturbed type) EPR spectrum. The ring proton paramagnetic shift of quinoline in this system shows that it is not coordinated to NO-TPP-Fe(II) as a normal axial ligand, in contrast to pyridine which gives the shift pattern of the ordinary axial ligation. This observation suggests that in the NO-hemeproteins some perturbations of the protein structure cause the rupture or distortion of the bond between the imidazole nitrogen on the fifth coordination site and the heme iron, resulting in the three line spectrum. The EPR study of the model systems, the pentacoordinated complex, NO-heme and NO-TPP-Fe(II), in various media revealed that the pentacoordinated species indeed exhibits, depending upon its environment, a variety of spectra, which closely reproduce the three line patterns observed in the perturbed proteins and some related model systems. Such spectral variation can be attributed to the difference in the degree of quenching the internal motion and/or the structural heterogeneity caused by molecular environment.

Conformation studies of various hemoglobins by natural-abundance 13 C NMR spectroscopy

Studies of variously liganded hemoglobins (both from human and rabbit) by natural-abundance (13)C NMR spectroscopy have revealed apparent conformational differences that have been interpreted on the basis of two quaternary structures for the alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer, and variable tertiary structures for the individual alpha and beta subunits. In solution, rabbit hemoglobins appear to have somewhat more flexibility than human hemoglobins.