Oxygen binding to partially oxidized hemoglobin. Analysis in terms of an allosteric model

Scalable manufacturing platform for the production of methemoglobin as a non-oxygen carrying control material in studies of cell-free hemoglobin solutions

Methemoglobin (metHb) arises from the oxidation of ferrous hemoglobin (HbFe²⁺, Hb) to ferric hemoglobin (HbFe³⁺, metHb), which is unable to bind gaseous ligands such as oxygen (O₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), and binds to nitric oxide (NO) significantly slower compared to Hb. Therefore, metHb does not elicit vasoconstriction and systemic hypertension in vivo due to its extremely slow NO scavenging rate in comparison to cell-free Hb, but will induce oxidative tissue injury, demonstrating the potential of using metHb as a control material when studying the toxicity of cell-free Hb. Hence, the goal of this work was to develop a novel manufacturing strategy for production of metHb that is amenable to scale-up. In this study, small scale (e.g. 1 mL reaction volume) screening experiments were initially conducted to determine the optimal molar ratio of Hb to the oxidization agents hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) or sodium nitrite (NaNO₂) to achieve the highest conversion of Hb into metHb. A spectral deconvolution program was employed to determine the molar fraction of various species (hemichrome, metHb, oxyHb, metHb-NO2−, and NaNO₂) in solution during the oxidation reaction. From this analysis, either a 1:1 or 1:5 molar ratio was identified as optimal molar ratios of Hb:NaNO₂ (heme basis) that yielded the highest conversion of Hb into metHb with negligible amounts of side products. Hence in order to reduce the reaction time, a 1:5 molar ratio was chosen for large scale (i.e. 1.5 L reaction volume) synthesis of bovine metHb (metbHb) and human metHb (methHb). The biophysical properties of metHb were then characterized to elucidate the potential of using the synthesized metHb as a non-O₂ carrying control material. The haptoglobin binding kinetics of metHb were found to be similar to Hb. Additionally, the synthesized metHb was stable in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, 50 mM, pH 7.4) at 4°C for approximately one week, indicating the high stability of the material.

Interactions of haemoglobin with the Neisseria meningitidis receptor HpuAB: the role of TonB and an intact proton motive force

We have characterized the interaction of the Neisseria meningitidis TonB-dependent receptor HpuAB with haemoglobin (Hb). Protease accessibility assays indicated that HpuA and HpuB are surface exposed, HpuB interacts physically with HpuA, and TonB energization affects the conformation of HpuAB. Binding assays using [125I]-Hb revealed that the bipartite receptor has a single binding site for Hb (Kd 150 nM). Competitive binding assays using heterologous Hbs revealed that HpuAB Hb recognition was not species specific. The binding kinetics of Hb to HpuAB were dramatically altered in a TonB- mutant and in wild-type meningococci treated with the protonophore carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), indicating that TonB and an intact proton motive force are required for normal Hb binding and release from HpuAB. Our results support a model in which both HpuA and HpuB are required to form a receptor complex in the outer membrane with a single binding site, whose structure and ligand interactions are significantly affected by the TonB-mediated energy state of the receptor.

Quaternary structure dynamics and carbon monoxide binding kinetics of hemoglobin valency hybrids

The kinetics of CO binding and changes in quaternary structure for symmetric valency hybrids of human hemoglobin have been extensively studied by laser photolysis techniques. Both alpha+beta and alpha beta+ hybrids were studied with five different ferric ligands, over a broad range of CO concentrations and photolysis levels. After full CO photolysis, the hybrid tetramers switch extensively and rapidly (< 200 microseconds) to the T quaternary structure. Both R --> T and T --> R transition rates for valency hybrid tetramers with 0 and 1 bound CO have been obtained, as well as the CO association rates for alpha and beta subunits in the R and T states. The results reveal submillisecond R reversible T interconversion, and, for the first time, the changes in quaternary rates and equilibria due to binding a single CO per tetramer have been resolved. The data also show significant alpha-beta differences in quaternary dynamics and equilibria. The allosteric constants do not vary with the spin states of the ferric subunits as predicted by the Perutz stereochemical model. For the alpha beta+CN hybrid the kinetics are heterogeneous and imply partial conversion to a T-like state with very low (seconds) R reversible T interconversion.

Oxygen delivery and autoxidation of hemoglobin

Hemoglobin can be considered to exist in active and inactive states. When the iron atom is in the ferrous form, the protein is active and can bind oxygen reversibly; high and low affinity substates account for the cooperativity of ligand binding. However, like bulk metal, the iron can rust. The oxidation to the ferric form (metHb) leads to an inactive protein. The oxidation rate will therefore limit the useful lifetime of oxygen transporters; this is especially critical for cell free Hb solutions. This problem is compounded by the fact that Hb is a tetramer. A single oxidized heme effects the other three subunits within the same tetramer. The statistics are different from those for a monomeric system. For example, a random distribution of 20% ferric iron would imply 58% of the tetramers with at least one oxidized subunit. The oxidized subunits remain liganded (with water or OH) and will change the oxygenation curve for the neighbouring subunits. Since the tetramer will no longer make a full transition to the deoxy state, the oxygenation curves are shifted towards higher affinities. Thus the oxygen delivery will decrease for two reasons: the direct loss of active hemes, and the secondary influence on the remaining ferrous subunits. Control of the oxidation rate is also complicated by the intercorrelation of parameters. The rate is globally correlated with the oxygen affinity; it is also increased for hemoglobin dimers relative to tetramers. One must therefore accept a compromise of these parameters, in order to obtain a useful transporter.

Recombinant human hemoglobin: modification of the polarity of the beta-heme pocket by a valine67(E11)-->threonine mutation

Using the mutagenesis and a gene expression system previously described [Fronticelli et al. (1991) J. Protein Chem. 10, 495-501], we have replaced Val67E11 in the distal heme pocket of the beta-chains of hemoglobin with Thr. The valine to threonine substitution is isosteric and only modifies the polarity of the beta-heme environment. The absorption and CD spectra of the resultant mutant hemoglobin were essentially the same as that of wild-type protein, indicating that the mutation did not cause any large conformational changes and that a water molecule was not coordinated to the ferrous iron atom. Equilibrium measurements of oxygen binding to the mutant indicate a 2-fold decrease in overall affinity relative to native or wild-type human hemoglobin. Thermodynamic analyses of O2 binding curves, based either on the sequential Adair model or on the MWC two-state model, indicated that the overall decrease of O2 affinity in the system was due to a lower association equilibrium constant for the intermediates of oxygenation, particularly those involved at the third ligation step. The functional characteristics of the mutant hemoglobin in either the T- or R-state were not modified greatly by the mutation; however, the Bohr effect and sensitivity to C1- were increased, suggesting a role of the intermediates of oxygenation in the modulation of these parameters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regeneration of functional hemoglobin from iron(III) hemoglobin by reduction with hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst

Functional hemoglobin was regenerated from partially autoxidized hemoglobin by reduction with molecular hydrogen in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst consisting of elemental platinum embedded in an electroactive polymer. The visible spectrum of the regenerated hemoglobin was identical to that of native iron(II) hemoglobin. The regenerated hemoglobin displayed highly cooperative oxygen-binding characteristics. P50 values for oxidized-regenerated hemoglobin samples were not different from native hemoglobin. The Hill coefficients for regenerated hemoglobin were slightly lower than the controls, possibly because of small amounts of irreversibly oxidized hemoglobin arising during the initial autoxidation. The advantages of the reduction system include: (1) the heterogeneous catalyst avoids the problem of protein adsorption onto bare platinum, (2) catalyst and reducing agent are easily removed from the protein, and (3) the by-product H+ is buffered easily.

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.