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Zheng H, Li J, Feng C. An isoform-specific pivot modulates the electron transfer between the flavin mononucleotide and heme centers in inducible nitric oxide synthase. J Biol Inorg Chem 2020; 25:1097-1105. [PMID: 33057871 PMCID: PMC7669679 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-020-01824-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Intraprotein interdomain electron transfer (IET) between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and heme centers is an obligatory step in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. An isoform-specific pivotal region near Leu406 in the heme domain of human inducible NOS (iNOS) was proposed to mediate the FMN-heme domain-domain alignment (J Inorg Biochem 153:186-196, 2015). The FMN-heme IET rate is a measure of the interdomain FMN/heme complex formation. In this work, the FMN-heme IET kinetics in the wild type (wt) human iNOS oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct were directly measured by laser flash photolysis with added synthetic peptide related to the pivotal region, in comparison with the wt construct alone. The IET rates were decreased by the iNOS HKL peptide in a dose-saturable fashion, and the inhibitory effect was abolished by a single L406 → E mutation in the peptide. A similar trend in change of the NO synthesis activity of wt iNOS holoenzyme by the peptides was observed. These data, along with the kinetics and modeling results for the L406T and L406F mutant oxyFMN proteins, indicated that the Leu406 residue modulates the FMN-heme IET through hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the IET rates were analyzed for the wt iNOS oxyFMN protein in the presence of nNOS or eNOS-derived peptide related to the equivalent pivotal heme domain site. These results together indicate that the isoform-specific pivotal region at the heme domain specifically interacts with the conserved FMN domain surface, to facilitate proper interdomain docking for the FMN-heme IET in NOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayu Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Jinghui Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Changjian Feng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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2
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Li J, Zheng H, Feng C. Effect of Macromolecular Crowding on the FMN-Heme Intraprotein Electron Transfer in Inducible NO Synthase. Biochemistry 2019; 58:3087-3096. [PMID: 31251033 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous biochemical studies of nitric oxide synthase enzymes (NOSs) were conducted in diluted solutions. However, the intracellular milieu where the proteins perform their biological functions is crowded with macromolecules. The effect of crowding on the electron transfer kinetics of multidomain proteins is much less understood. Herein, we investigated the effect of macromolecular crowding on the FMN-heme intraprotein interdomain electron transfer (IET), an obligatory step in NOS catalysis. A noticeable increase in the IET rate in the bidomain oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) and the holoprotein of human inducible NOS (iNOS) was observed upon addition of Ficoll 70 in a nonsaturable manner. Additionally, the magnitude of IET enhancement for the holoenzyme is much higher than that that of the oxyFMN construct. The crowding effect is also evident at different ionic strengths. Importantly, the enhancing extent is similar for the iNOS oxyFMN protein with added Ficoll 70 and Dextran 70 that give the same solution viscosity, showing that specific interactions do not exist between the NOS protein and the crowder. Moreover, the population of the docked FMN-heme state is significantly increased upon addition of Ficoll 70 and the fluorescence lifetime values do not correspond to those in the absence of Ficoll 70. The steady-state cytochrome c reduction by the holoenzyme is noticeably enhanced by the crowder, while the ferricyanide reduction is unchanged. The NO production activity of the iNOS holoenzyme is stimulated by Ficoll 70. The effect of macromolecular crowding on the kinetics can be rationalized on the basis of the excluded volume effect, with an entropic origin. The intraprotein electron transfer kinetics, fluorescence lifetime, and steady-state enzymatic activity results indicate that macromolecular crowding modulates the NOS electron transfer through multiple pathways. Such a mechanism should be applicable to electron transfer in other multidomain redox proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Li
- College of Pharmacy , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States
| | - Huayu Zheng
- College of Pharmacy , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States
| | - Changjian Feng
- College of Pharmacy , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology , University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico 87131 , United States
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3
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Li J, Zheng H, Wang W, Miao Y, Sheng Y, Feng C. Role of an isoform-specific residue at the calmodulin-heme (NO synthase) interface in the FMN - heme electron transfer. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:2425-2431. [PMID: 29904908 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The interface between calmodulin (CaM) and the NO synthase (NOS) heme domain is the least characterized interprotein interface that the NOS isoforms must traverse through during catalysis. Our previous molecular dynamics simulations predicted a salt bridge between K497 in human inducible NOS (iNOS) heme domain and D118(CaM). Herein, the FMN - heme interdomain electron transfer (IET) rate was found to be notably decreased by charge-reversal mutation, while the IET in the iNOS K497D mutant is significantly restored by the CaM D118K mutation. The results of wild-type protein with added synthetic peptides further demonstrate the critical nature of K497 relative to the rest of the peptide sequence in modulating the IET. These data provide definitive evidence supporting the regulatory role of the isoform-specific K497 residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Huayu Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Yubin Miao
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yinghong Sheng
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, College of Arts & Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, USA
| | - Changjian Feng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Li J, Zheng H, Feng C. Deciphering mechanism of conformationally controlled electron transfer in nitric oxide synthases. FRONT BIOSCI-LANDMRK 2018; 23:1803-1821. [PMID: 29772530 PMCID: PMC11167721 DOI: 10.2741/4674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Electron transfer is a fundamental process in life that is very often coupled to catalysis within redox enzymes through a stringent control of protein conformational movements. Mammalian nitric oxide synthase (NOS) proteins are redox flavo-hemoproteins consisting of multiple modular domains. The NOS enzyme is exquisitely regulated in vivo by its partner, the Ca2+ sensing protein calmodulin (CaM), to control production of nitric oxide (NO). The importance of functional domain motion in NOS regulation has been increasingly recognized. The significant size and flexibility of NOS is a tremendous challenge to the mechanistic studies. Herein recent applications of modern biophysical techniques to NOS problems have been critically analyzed. It is important to note that any current biophysical technique alone can only probe partial aspects of the conformational dynamics due to limitations in the technique itself and/or the sample preparations. It is necessary to combine the latest methods to comprehensively quantitate the key conformational aspects (conformational states and distribution, conformational change rates, and domain interacting interfaces) governing the electron transfer. This is to answer long-standing central questions about the NOS isoforms by defining how specific CaM-NOS interactions and regulatory elements underpin the distinct conformational behavior of the NOS isoform, which in turn determine unique electron transfer and NO synthesis properties. This review is not intended as comprehensive, but as a discussion of prospects that promise impact on important questions in the NOS enzymology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Huayu Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Changjian Feng
- University of New Mexico, MSC 09 5360, Albuquerque, NM 87131,
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Chen L, Zheng H, Li W, Li W, Miao Y, Feng C. Role of a Conserved Tyrosine Residue in the FMN-Heme Interdomain Electron Transfer in Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase. J Phys Chem A 2016; 120:7610-7616. [PMID: 27633182 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.6b08207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The interdomain electron transfer (IET) between the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and heme domains is essential in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO) by the NO synthase (NOS) enzymes. A conserved tyrosine residue in the FMN domain (Y631 in human inducible NOS) was proposed to be a key part of the electron transfer pathway in the FMN/heme docked complex model. In the present study, the FMN-heme IET kinetics in the Y631F mutant and wild type of a bidomain oxygenase/FMN construct of human inducible NOS were determined by laser flash photolysis. The rate constant of the Y631F mutant is significantly decreased by ∼75% (compared to the wild type), showing that the tyrosine residue indeed facilitates the FMN-heme IET through the protein medium. The IET rate constant of the wild type protein decreases from 345 to 242 s-1 on going from H2O to 95% D2O, giving a solvent kinetic isotope effect of 1.4. In contrast, no deuterium isotope effect was observed for the Tyr-to-Phe mutant. Moreover, an appreciable change in the wild type iNOS IET rate constant value was observed upon changing pH. These results indicate that the FMN-heme IET is proton coupled, in which the conserved tyrosine residue may play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Huayu Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Wenbing Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Wei Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Yubin Miao
- Radiology, University of Colorado Denver , Denver, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Changjian Feng
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
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Sheng Y, Zhong L, Guo D, Lau G, Feng C. Insight into structural rearrangements and interdomain interactions related to electron transfer between flavin mononucleotide and heme in nitric oxide synthase: A molecular dynamics study. J Inorg Biochem 2015; 153:186-196. [PMID: 26277414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Calmodulin (CaM) binding to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enables a conformational change, in which the FMN domain shuttles between the FAD and heme domains to deliver electrons to the active site heme center. A clear understanding of this large conformational change is critical, since this step is the rate-limiting in NOS catalysis. Herein molecular dynamics simulations were conducted on a model of an oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct of human inducible NOS (iNOS). This is to investigate the structural rearrangements and the domain interactions related to the FMN-heme interdomain electron transfer (IET). We carried out simulations on the iNOS oxyFMN·CaM complex models in [Fe(III)][FMNH(-)] and [Fe(II)][FMNH] oxidation states, the pre- and post-IET states. The comparison of the dynamics and conformations of the iNOS construct at the two oxidation states has allowed us to identify key factors related to facilitating the FMN-heme IET process. The computational results demonstrated, for the first time, that the conformational change is redox-dependent. Predictions of the key interacting sites in optimal interdomain FMN/heme docking are well supported by experimental data in the literature. An intra-subunit pivot region is predicted to modulate the FMN domain motion and correlate with existence of a bottleneck in the conformational sampling that leads to the electron transfer-competent state. Interactions of the residues identified in this work are proposed to ensure that the FMN domain moves with appropriate degrees of freedom and docks to proper positions at the heme domain, resulting in efficient IET and nitric oxide production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghong Sheng
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, College of Arts & Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA.
| | - Linghao Zhong
- Pennsylvania State University at Mont Alto, 1 Campus Drive, Mont Alto, PA 17237, USA
| | - Dahai Guo
- Department of Bioengineering and Software Engineering, U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
| | - Gavin Lau
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, College of Arts & Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers, FL 33965, USA
| | - Changjian Feng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Feng C, Chen L, Li W, Elmore BO, Fan W, Sun X. Dissecting regulation mechanism of the FMN to heme interdomain electron transfer in nitric oxide synthases. J Inorg Biochem 2013; 130:130-40. [PMID: 24084585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2013.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a flavo-hemoprotein, is responsible for biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO) in mammals. Three NOS isoforms, iNOS, eNOS and nNOS (inducible, endothelial, and neuronal NOS), achieve their biological functions by tight control of interdomain electron transfer (IET) process through interdomain interactions. In particular, the FMN-heme IET is essential in coupling electron transfer in the reductase domain with NO synthesis in the heme domain by delivery of electrons required for O2 activation at the catalytic heme site. Emerging evidence indicates that calmodulin (CaM) activates NO synthesis in eNOS and nNOS by a conformational change of the FMN domain from its shielded electron-accepting (input) state to a new electron-donating (output) state, and that CaM is also required for proper alignment of the FMN and heme domains in the three NOS isoforms. In the absence of a structure of full-length NOS, an integrated approach of spectroscopic, rapid kinetic and mutagenesis methods is required to unravel regulation mechanism of the FMN-heme IET process. This is to investigate the roles of the FMN domain motions and the docking between the primary functional FMN and heme domains in regulating NOS activity. The recent developments in this area that are driven by the combined approach are the focuses of this review. A better understanding of the roles of interdomain FMN/heme interactions and CaM binding may serve as a basis for the rational design of new selective modulators of the NOS enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjian Feng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Haque MM, Tejero J, Bayachou M, Wang ZQ, Fadlalla M, Stuehr DJ. Thermodynamic characterization of five key kinetic parameters that define neuronal nitric oxide synthase catalysis. FEBS J 2013; 280:4439-53. [PMID: 23789902 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Revised: 06/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
NO synthase (NOS) enzymes convert L-arginine to NO in two sequential reactions whose rates (k(cat1) and k(cat2)) are both limited by the rate of ferric heme reduction (k(r)). An enzyme ferric heme-NO complex forms as an immediate product complex and then undergoes either dissociation (at a rate that we denote as k(d)) to release NO in a productive manner, or reduction (k(r)) to form a ferrous heme-NO complex that must react with O2 (at a rate that we denote as k(ox)) in a NO dioxygenase reaction that regenerates the ferric enzyme. The interplay of these five kinetic parameters (k(cat1), k(cat2), k(r), k(d) and k(ox)) determines NOS specific activity, O2 concentration response, and pulsatile versus steady-state NO generation. In the present study, we utilized stopped-flow spectroscopy and single catalytic turnover methods to characterize the individual temperature dependencies of the five kinetic parameters of rat neuronal NOS. We then incorporated the measured kinetic values into computer simulations of the neuronal NOS reaction using a global kinetic model to comprehensively model its temperature-dependent catalytic behaviours. The results obtained provide new mechanistic insights and also reveal that the different temperature dependencies of the five kinetic parameters significantly alter neuronal NOS catalytic behaviours and NO release efficiency as a function of temperature.
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Li W, Chen L, Lu C, Elmore BO, Astashkin AV, Rousseau DL, Yeh SR, Feng C. Regulatory role of Glu546 in flavin mononucleotide-heme electron transfer in human inducible nitric oxide synthase. Inorg Chem 2013; 52:4795-801. [PMID: 23570607 DOI: 10.1021/ic3020892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) production by mammalian NO synthase (NOS) is believed to be regulated by the docking of the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) domain in one subunit of the dimer onto the heme domain of the adjacent subunit. Glu546, a conserved charged surface residue of the FMN domain in human inducible NOS (iNOS), is proposed to participate in the interdomain FMN/heme interactions [Sempombe et al. Inorg. Chem.2011, 50, 6869-6861]. In the present work, we further investigated the role of the E546 residue in the FMN-heme interdomain electron transfer (IET), a catalytically essential step in the NOS enzymes. Laser flash photolysis was employed to directly measure the FMN-heme IET kinetics for the E546N mutant of human iNOS oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct. The temperature dependence of the IET kinetics was also measured over the temperature range of 283-304 K to determine changes in the IET activation parameters. The E546N mutation was found to retard the IET by significantly raising the activation entropic barrier. Moreover, pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance data showed that the geometry of the docked FMN/heme complex in the mutant is basically the same as in the wild type construct, whereas the probability of formation of such a complex is about twice lower. These results indicate that the retarded IET in the E546N mutant is not caused by an altered conformation of the docked FMN/heme complex, but by a lower population of the IET-active conformation. In addition, the negative activation entropy of the mutant is still substantially lower than that of the holoenzyme. This supports a mechanism by which the FMN domain can modify the IET through altering probability of the docked state formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
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Li W, Fan W, Chen L, Elmore BO, Piazza M, Guillemette JG, Feng C. Role of an isoform-specific serine residue in FMN-heme electron transfer in inducible nitric oxide synthase. J Biol Inorg Chem 2012; 17:675-85. [PMID: 22407542 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-012-0887-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2011] [Accepted: 02/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
In the crystal structure of a calmodulin (CaM)-bound FMN domain of human inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the CaM-binding region together with CaM forms a hinge, and pivots on an R536(NOS)/E47(CaM) pair (Xia et al. J Biol Chem 284:30708-30717, 2009). Notably, isoform-specific human inducible NOS S562 and C563 residues form hydrogen bonds with the R536 residue through their backbone oxygens. In this study, we investigated the roles of the S562 and C563 residues in the NOS FMN-heme interdomain electron transfer (IET), the rates of which can be used to probe the interdomain FMN/heme alignment. Human inducible NOS S562K and C563R mutants of an oxygenase/FMN (oxyFMN) construct were made by introducing charged residues at these sites as found in human neuronal NOS and endothelial NOS isoforms, respectively. The IET rate constant of the S562K mutant is notably decreased by one third, and its flavin fluorescence intensity per micromole per liter is diminished by approximately 24 %. These results suggest that a positive charge at position 562 destabilizes the hydrogen-bond-mediated NOS/CaM alignment, resulting in slower FMN-heme IET in the mutant. On the other hand, the IET rate constant of the C563R mutant is similar to that of the wild-type, indicating that the mutational effect is site-specific. Moreover, the human inducible NOS oxyFMN R536E mutant was constructed to disrupt the bridging CaM/NOS interaction, and its FMN-heme IET rate was decreased by 96 %. These results demonstrated a new role of the isoform-specific serine residue of the key CaM/FMN(NOS) bridging site in regulating the FMN-heme IET (possibly by tuning the alignment of the FMN and heme domains).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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