Reaction Mechanism of Enzyme Studied by Pulse Radiolysis

Spectral Studies of Intermediate Species Formed in One-electron Reactions of Bovine Liver Catalase at Room and Low Temperatures. A Comparison with Peroxidase Reactions

The reactions of native bovine catalase with superoxide and solvated electrons have been investigated using three different methods for generation of these reducing substrates: gamma-radiolysis of oxygenated or deaerated buffer solutions in the presence of an OH radical scavenger; either xanthine or acetaldehyde with xanthine oxidase; and low-temperature (77 K) gamma-radiolysis of buffered ethylene glycol/water solutions with subsequent annealing of samples at 183 K. The first spectral evidence for catalase compound II formation from native catalase via reaction with superoxide was obtained. The results are compared with results for peroxidase compound II or III formation observed under the same experimental conditions. A scheme is proposed to explain these observations involving intermediate formation of catalase compounds I and III and the ferrous enzyme. The one-electron reduction of catalase and peroxidase by radiolytically-generated solvated electrons was compared. In the present study the first absorption spectrum of a high-spin ferrous catalase which has peaks at 561 and 594 nm is reported, in comparison with a hemochromogen low-spin ferrous peroxidase observed under the same experimental conditions (peaks at 527 and 556 nm). Both spectra were recorded at 77 K. Data presented in this work also provide the first spectral evidence indicating the low temperature (183 K) conversion of high-spin ferrous catalase into compound III (oxycatalase) in the presence of dioxygen. Under the same experimental conditions low-spin ferrous peroxidase was converted into the high-spin ferrous form without oxyperoxidase formation.