Inactivation of lignin peroxidase by phenylhydrazine and sodium azide

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) is rapidly inactivated in a concentration-dependent manner by H2O2 and either phenylhydrazine or sodium azide. Full inactivation of isozyme 2b (H8) requires approximately 50 eq of phenylhydrazine or 80 eq of sodium azide. Anaerobic incubation of isozyme 2b with [14C]phenylhydrazine and H2O2 results in 77% loss of catalytic activity and covalent binding of 0.45 mol radiolabel/mol of enzyme. Comparable but not identical results are obtained with an isozyme mixture. A lag period is observed before the peroxidative activity can be measured when an aliquot of an incubation with sodium azide is diluted into the mixture used to assay residual catalytic activity. This lag is associated with reversible accumulation of a catalytically inert species with a Compound III-like spectrum. No meso-phenyl, iron-phenyl, or N-phenyl adducts are formed with phenylhydrazine but a low yield of what appears to be delta-meso-azidoheme is obtained with sodium azide. LiP is thus less susceptible to meso heme additions and more susceptible to oxidative heme degradation than horseradish peroxidase. The data suggest that the active of LiP resembles the closed structure of horseradish peroxidase more than it does the open structure of the globins, catalase, chloroperoxidase, or cytochrome P450.     

The catalytic site of manganese peroxidase. Regiospecific addition of sodium azide and alkylhydrazines to the heme group.

Manganese peroxidase (MnP), which normally oxidizes Mn2+ to Mn3+, is rapidly and completely inactivated in an H2O2-dependent reaction by 2 equivalents of sodium azide. The inactivation is paralleled by formation of the azidyl radical and high yield conversion of the prosthetic heme into a meso-azido adduct. The meso-azido enzyme is oxidized by H2O2 to a Compound II-like species with the Soret band red-shifted 2 nm relative to that of native Compound II. The time-dependent decrease in this Compound II-like spectrum (t1/2 = 2.3 h) indicates that the delta-meso azido heme is more rapidly degraded by H2O2 than the prosthetic heme of control enzyme (t1/2 = 4.8 h). MnP is also inactivated by phenyl-, methyl-, and ethylhydrazine. The phenylhydrazine reaction is too rapid for kinetic analysis, but KI = 402 microM and kinact = 0.22/min for the slower inactivation by methylhydrazine. Reaction with phenylhydrazine at pH 4.5 does not yield iron-phenyl, N-phenyl, or meso-phenyl heme adducts. Ethylhydrazine inactivates the enzyme both at pH 4.5 and 7.0, but only detectably produces delta-meso-ethyl-heme at pH 7.0. Reconstitution of apo-MnP with hemin or delta-meso-ethylheme yields enzyme with, respectively, 50 and 5% of the native activity. The delta-meso-alkyl group thus suppresses most of the catalytic activity of the enzyme even though a Compound II-like species is still formed with H2O2. Finally, Co2+ inhibits the enzyme competitively with respect to Mn2+ but does not inhibit its inactivation by azide or the alkylhydrazines. The results argue that substrates interact with the heme edge in the vicinity of the delta-meso-carbon. They also suggest that Mn2+ and Co2+ bind to a common site close to the delta-meso-carbon without blocking the approach of small molecules to the heme edge. An active site model is proposed that accommodates these results.     

Small substrates and cytochrome c are oxidized at different sites of cytochrome c peroxidase.

Modeling studies suggest that electrons are transferred from cytochrome c to cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) with cytochrome c predominantly bound at a site facing the gamma-meso edge of the CcP prosthetic heme group (Poulos, T.L., and Kraut, J. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 10322-10330). As shown here, guaiacol and ferrocyanide are oxidized at a different site of CcP. Thus, the oxidations of cytochrome c and guaiacol are differentially inactivated by phenylhydrazine and sodium azide. The loss of guaiacol oxidation activity correlates with covalent binding of 1 equivalent of [14C]phenylhydrazine to the protein, whereas the slower loss of cytochrome c activity correlates with the appearance of a 428-nm absorbance maximum attributed to the formation of a sigma-phenyl-iron heme complex. The delta-meso-phenyl and 8-hydroxymethyl derivatives of heme are formed as minor products. Catalytic oxidation of azide to the azidyl radical results in inactivation of CcP and formation of delta-meso-azidoheme. Reconstitution of apo-CcP with delta-meso-azido-, -ethyl-, and -(2-phenylethyl)heme yields holoproteins that give compound I species with H2O2 and exhibit 80, 59, and 31%, respectively, of the control kcat value for cytochrome c oxidation but little or no guaiacol or ferrocyanide oxidizing activity. Conversely, CcP reconstituted with gamma-meso-ethylheme is fully active in the oxidation of guaiacol and ferrocyanide but only retains 27% of the cytochrome c oxidizing activity. These results indicate that guaiacol and ferrocyanide are primarily oxidized near the delta-meso-heme edge rather than, like cytochrome c, at a surface site facing the gamma-meso edge.     

Mechanism-based inactivation of horseradish peroxidase by sodium azide. Formation of meso-azidoprotoporphyrin IX

Catalytic turnover of sodium azide by horseradish peroxidase, which produces the azidyl radical, results in inactivation of the enzyme with KI = 1.47 mM and kinact = 0.69 min-1. Inactivation of 80% of the enzyme requires approximately 60 equiv each of NaN3 and H2O2. The enzyme is completely inactivated by higher concentrations of these two agents. meso-Azidoheme as well as some residual heme are obtained when the prosthetic group of the partially inactivated enzyme is isolated and characterized. Reconstitution of horseradish peroxidase with meso-azidoheme yields an enzyme without detectable catalytic activity even though reconstitution with heme itself gives fully active enzyme. The finding that catalytically generated nitrogen radicals add to the meso carbon of heme shows that biological meso additions are not restricted to carbon radicals. The analogous addition of oxygen radicals may trigger the normal and/or pathological degradation of heme.     

Protein control of prosthetic heme reactivity. Reaction of substrates with the heme edge of horseradish peroxidase

Incubation of horseradish peroxidase with phenylhydrazine and H2O2 markedly depresses the catalytic activity and the intensity, but not position, of the Soret band. Approximately 11-13 mol of phenylhydrazine and 25 mol of H2O2 are required per mol of enzyme to minimize the chromophore intensity. The enzyme retains some activity after such treatment, but this activity is eliminated if the enzyme is isolated and reincubated with phenylhydrazine. The prosthetic heme of the enzyme does not react with phenylhydrazine to give a sigma-bonded phenyl-iron complex, as it does in other hemoproteins, but is converted instead to the delta-mesophenyl and 8-hydroxymethyl derivatives. The loss of activity is due more to protein than heme modification, however. The inactivated enzyme reacts with H2O2 to give a spectroscopically detectable Compound I. The results imply that substrates interact with the heme edge rather than with the activated oxygen of Compounds I and II and specifically identify the region around the delta-meso-carbon and 8-methyl group as the exposed sector of the heme. Horseradish peroxidase, in contrast to cytochrome P-450, generally does not catalyze oxygen-transfer reactions. The present results indicate that oxygen-transfer reactions do not occur because the activated oxygen and the substrate are physically separated by a protein-imposed barrier in horseradish peroxidase.     

The dual oxygenase and peroxidase activities of porphobilinogen oxygenase and horseradish peroxidase: a study using the reaction with phenylhydrazine.

Porphobilinogen oxygenase and horseradish peroxidase show dual oxygenase and peroxidase activities. By treating porphobilinogen oxygenase with phenylhydrazine in the presence of H2O2 both activities were inhibited. When horseradish peroxidase was treated in the same manner only the peroxidase activity was lost while its oxygenase activity toward porphobilinogen remained unchanged. The phenylhydrazine treatment alkylated the prosthetic heme group of porphobilinogen oxygenase and N-phenylheme as well as N-phenylprotoporphyrin IX were isolated from the treated hemoprotein. In horseradish peroxidase the modified heme was mainly 8-hydroxymethylheme. The apoproteins of the alkylated enzymes were isolated and recombined with hemin IX. The oxygenase and peroxidase activities of porphobilinogen oxygenase were entirely recovered in the reconstituted enzyme, while the reconstituted horseradish peroxidase regained 75% of its peroxidase activity.     

Stabilized isoporphyrin intermediates in the inactivation of horseradish peroxidase by alkylhydrazines

The reaction of horseradish peroxidase with alkylhydrazines results in delta-meso-alkylation of the prosthetic heme group and enzyme inactivation (Ator, M. A., David, S. K., and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 14954-14960). As reported here, enzyme inactivation is associated with the accumulation of intermediates that absorb at approximately 835 nm. The properties of these intermediates, including their collapse to give meso-alkylhemes, identify them as isoporphyrins. The t1/2 values for inactivation and formation of the isoporphyrin intermediate at 25 degrees C are, respectively, 11.6 and 12.5 min for methylhydrazine (2.0 mM), 8.7 and 7.2 min for ethylhydrazine (1.0 mM), and 30 and 25 s for phenylethylhydrazine (50 microM). The isoporphyrin intermediates are surprisingly long-lived, with half-lives (35 degrees C, pH 7.0) of 9, 28, 96, and 450 min for, respectively, the phenylethyl, methyl, n-butyl, and ethyl analogues. pH studies show that protonation of a group with pKa = 5.0-6.5 accelerates isoporphyrin decay and decreases steady state isoporphyrin accumulation. Horseradish peroxidase reconstituted with delta-meso-methylheme, unlike horseradish peroxidase with a heme that has a larger meso-substituent, is catalytically active but is more sensitive to H2O2-mediated degradation of the prosthetic group than is the native enzyme. The delta-meso-methylheme prosthetic group is converted in the reaction with H2O2 to a biliverdin-like product. The results implicate highly stabilized isoporphyrin intermediates in the inactivation of horseradish peroxidase by alkylhydrazines and indicate that inactivation by the meso-alkyl groups is due to steric interference with electron delivery to the heme edge rather than to intrinsic electronic consequences of meso-alkylation. The structural features that stabilize the cationic isoporphyrins may also be involved in stabilization of the Compound I porphyrin radical cation.     

Non-deleterious inhibition of endogenous peroxidase activity (EPA) by cyclopropanone hydrate: a definitive approach

Endogenous peroxidase activity (EPA) poses a serious problem in immunoperoxidase localization of antigens unable to withstand deleterious effects of aldehyde fixatives, alcohols, and various oxidative reagents. This has forced the development of more selective inhibition methods. Of these, phenylhydrazine or azide combined with small amounts of H2O2 have proved quite effective. However, the precise mechanism of the action of these compounds on EPA generating proteins is not understood. Cyclopropanone hydrate is a compound whose inhibitory action on the heme moiety of horseradish peroxidase is well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of this compound on EPA and to compare its efficiency with that of optimal phenylhydrazine and sodium azide regimens. In addition, any gross deleteriousness of cyclopropanone hydrate towards immunoperoxidase immunolocalization of three of the most delicate lymphocyte surface antigens was investigated. Cyclopropanone hydrate was found to inhibit EPA with progressing strength between 0.15-15 mM. Over this range, H2O2 was found necessary for inhibition only for cyclopropanone hydrate concentrations up to 0.15 mM. Beyond this amount, the compound inhibited EPA equally strongly in the presence or absence of H2O2, reaching near-maximum inhibition at 15 mM. This and the H2O2-requiring regimens were found to cause no gross diminution in immunoperoxidase staining of CD4, CD6, and CD8 antigens in snap-frozen, acetone-fixed human tonsil sections. Cyclopropanone hydrate therefore provides a definitive non-deleterious mode of inhibiting EPA for immunoperoxidase staining of delicate antigens.     

Topology of the chloroperoxidase active site: regiospecificity of heme modification by phenylhydrazine and sodium azide.

Chloroperoxidase (CLP) from Caldariomyces fumago is rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by phenylhydrazine and H2O2 but not by H2O2 alone. Inactivation is characterized by a phenylhydrazine-to-CLP partition ratio of approximately 15, formation of trans-azobenzene, and formation of a sigma-bonded phenyl-iron heme complex with a characteristic absorption maximum of 472 nm. Anaerobic extraction of the heme complex from the protein, followed by exposure to dioxygen under acidic conditions, shifts the phenyl group from the iron to the porphyrin nitrogens and yields the four possible N-phenylprotoporphyrin IX regioisomers. Oxidation of the iron-phenyl complex within the intact protein by ferricyanide or high peroxide concentrations results in protein-directed phenyl migration to give exclusively the N-phenylprotoporphyrin IX regioisomers with the phenyl group on pyrrole rings A and C. CLP also catalyzes the H2O2-dependent oxidation of azide to the azidyl radical and is inactivated by azide in the presence of H2O2. Inactivation of CLP by azide and H2O2 results in loss of heme Soret absorbance and formation of delta-meso-azidoheme. These results suggest a topological model for the CLP active site and indicate that the tertiary structure of the enzyme permits substrates to interact with both the delta-meso heme edge and catalytic ferryl (FeIV = O) species, in agreement with the fact that CLP catalyzes both H2O2-dependent peroxidation and monooxygenation reactions.     

Horseradish peroxidase mutants that autocatalytically modify their prosthetic heme group: insights into mammalian peroxidase heme-protein covalent bonds

The mammalian peroxidases, including myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase, bind their prosthetic heme covalently through ester bonds to two of the heme methyl groups. These bonds are autocatalytically formed. No other peroxidase is known to form such bonds. To determine whether features other than an appropriately placed carboxylic acid residue are important for covalent heme binding, we have introduced aspartate and/or glutamic acid residues into horseradish peroxidase, a plant enzyme that exhibits essentially no sequence identity with the mammalian peroxidases. Based on superposition of the horseradish peroxidase and myeloperoxidase structures, the mutated residues were Leu(37), Phe(41), Gly(69), and Ser(73). The F41E mutant was isolated with no covalently bound heme, but the heme was completely covalently bound upon incubation with H(2)O(2). As predicted, the modified heme released from the protein was 3-hydroxymethylheme. The S73E mutant did not covalently bind its heme but oxidized it to the 8-hydroxymethyl derivative. The hydroxyl group in this modified heme derived from the medium. The other mutations gave unstable proteins. The rate of compound I formation for the F41E mutant was 100 times faster after covalent bond formation, but the reduction of compound I to compound II was similar with and without the covalent bond. The results clearly establish that an appropriately situated carboxylic acid group is sufficient for covalent heme attachment, strengthen the proposed mechanism, and suggest that covalent heme attachment in the mammalian peroxidases relates to peroxidase biology or stability rather than to intrinsic catalytic properties.     

Inactivation of catalase by phenylhydrazine. Formation of a stable aryl-iron heme complex

Catalase promotes the H2O2-dependent oxidation of phenylhydrazine to benzene but simultaneously is subject to a pseudo-first order inactivation process. Each inactivation event is subtended by catalytic turnover of three molecules of phenylhydrazine and 52 molecules of H2O2. The dimethyl ester of N-phenylprotoporphyrin IX is extracted with acidic methanol from the inactivated enzyme, but the prosthetic heme with a phenyl sigma-bonded to the iron atom is obtained by gentle extraction with 2-butanone. The absolute chirality of N-ethylprotoporphyrin IX isolated from catalase inactivated with ethylhydrazine confirms that the prosthetic heme has the same chiral orientation in the active site as it does in hemoglobin. The known inactivation of methemoglobin by phenylhydrazine is shown to depend on H2O2 but not oxygen. The results demonstrate that the H2O2-dependent oxidation of phenylhydrazine by catalase and other hemoproteins results in sigma-coordination of a phenyl residue to the prosthetic heme iron. This process may play a role not only in phenylhydrazine-mediated erythrocyte lysis but also in the activation of guanylate cyclase.     

Magnetic circular dichroism studies on acid and alkaline forms of horseradish peroxidase.

The heme vicinities of the acid and alkaline forms of native (Fd(III)) horseradish peroxidase were investigated in terms of the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy. The MCD spectrum of the acid form of native horseradish peroxidase was characteristic of a ferric high spin heme group. The resemblance in the MCD spectrum between the acid form and acetato-iron (III)protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester suggests that the heme iron of the acid form has the electronic structure similar to that in a pentocoordinated heme complex. The MCD spectra of native horseradish peroxidase did not shown any substantial pH dependence in the pH range from 5.20 to 9.00. The MCD spectral change indicated the pK value for the equilibrium between the acid and alkaline forms to be 11.0 which agrees with the results from other methods. The alkaline form of native horseradish peroxidase at pH 12.01 exhibited the MCD spectrum of a low spin complex. The near infrared MCD spectrum suggests that the alkaline form of native horseradish peroxidase has a 6th ligand somehow different from a normal nitrogen ligand such as histidine or lysine. It implicates that the alkaline form has an overall ligand field strength of between the low spin component of metmyoglobin hydroxide and metmyoglobin azide.     

Formation of DNA adducts by microsomal and peroxidase activation of p-cresol: role of quinone methide in DNA adduct formation.

We have investigated the activation of p-cresol to form DNA adducts using horseradish peroxidase, rat liver microsomes and MnO(2). In vitro activation of p-cresol with horseradish peroxidase produced six DNA adducts with a relative adduct level of 8.03+/-0.43 x 10(-7). The formation of DNA adducts by oxidation of p-cresol with horseradish peroxidase was inhibited 65 and 95% by the addition of either 250 or 500 microM ascorbic acid to the incubation. Activation of p-cresol with phenobarbital-induced rat liver microsomes with NADPH as the cofactor; resulted in the formation of a single DNA adduct with a relative adduct level of 0.28+/-0.08 x 10(-7). Similar incubations of p-cresol with microsomes and cumene hydroperoxide yielded three DNA adducts with a relative adduct level of 0.35+/-0.03 x 10(-7). p-Cresol was oxidized with MnO(2) to a quinone methide. Reaction of p-cresol (QM) with DNA produced five major adducts and a relative adduct level of 20.38+/-1.16 x 10(-7). DNA adducts 1,2 and 3 formed by activation of p-cresol with either horseradish peroxidase or microsomes, are the same as that produced by p-cresol (QM). This observation suggests that p-cresol is activated to a quinone methide intermediate by these activation systems. Incubation of deoxyguanosine-3'-phosphate with p-cresol (QM) resulted in a adduct pattern similar to that observed with DNA; suggesting that guanine is the principal site for modification. Taken together these results demonstrate that oxidation of p-cresol to the quinone methide intermediate results in the formation of DNA adducts. We propose that the DNA adducts formed by p-cresol may be used as molecular biomarkers of occupational exposure to toluene.     

Chemical and transient state kinetic studies on the formation and decomposition of horseradish peroxidase compounds XI and XII

Previous studies on the chlorination reaction catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase using chlorite as the source of chlorine detected the formation of a chlorinating intermediate that was termed Compound X (Shahangian, S., and Hager, L.P. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 11529-11533). These studies indicated that at pH 10.7, the optical absorption spectrum of Compound X was similar to the spectrum of horseradish peroxidase Compound II. Compound X was shown to be quite stable at alkaline pH values. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between the oxidation state of the iron protoporphyrin IX heme prosthetic group in Compound X and the chemistry of the halogenating intermediate. The experimental results show that the optical absorption properties and the oxidation state of the heme prosthetic group in horseradish peroxidase are not directly related to the presence of the activated chlorine atom in the intermediate. The oxyferryl porphyrin heme group in alkaline Compound X can be reduced to a ferric heme species that still retains the activated chlorine atom. Furthermore, the reaction of chlorite with horseradish peroxidase at acidic pH leads to the secondary formation of a green intermediate that has the spectral properties of horseradish peroxidase Compound I (Theorell, H. (1941) Enzymologia 10, 250-252). The green intermediate also retains the activated chlorine atom. By analogy to peroxidase Compound I chemistry, the heme prosthetic group in the green chlorinating intermediate must be an oxyferryl porphyrin pi-cation radical species (Roberts, J. E., Hoffman, B. M., Rutter, R. J., and Hager, L. P. (1981) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 7654-7656). To be consistent with traditional peroxidase nomenclature, the red alkaline form of Compound X has been renamed Compound XII, and the green acidic form has been named Compound XI. The transfer of chlorine from the chlorinating intermediate to an acceptor molecule follows an electrophilic (rather than a free radical) path. A mechanism for the reaction is proposed in which the activated chlorine atom is bonded to a heteroatom on an active-site amino acid side chain. Transient state kinetic studies show that the initial intermediate, Compound XII, is formed in a very fast reaction. The second-order rate constant for the formation of Compound XII is approximately 1.1 x 10(7) M-1 s-1. The rate of formation of Compound XII is strongly pH-dependent. At pH 9, the second-order rate constant for the formation of Compound XII drops to 1.5 M-1 s-1. At acidic pH values, Compound XII undergoes a spontaneous first-order decay to yield Compound XI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Reaction of horseradish peroxidase with azide and some implications for the heme environmental structure. NMR and kinetic studies.

The azide complex of horseradish peroxidase was studied by high resolution 1H and 15N NMR spectroscopy and by the temperature-jump method. The heme peripheral methyl proton peaks and the ligand 15N resonance were resolved to show that binding of azide by horseradish peroxidase occurs only in acidic solution below pH 6.5. It was also found that the chemical exchange rate of azide with the ferric enzyme was much faster on the 1H and 15N NMR time scale. This was further substantiated by kinetics of azide binding by horseradish peroxidase where the chemical exchange rate was confirmed to be in the microseconds range at pH 5.0 and 23 degrees C. This rate is salient in usual ligand exchange reactions in hemoproteins so far reported. pH dependences of the first order association and dissociation rate constants were also studied by the temperature-jump method to suggest a strong linkage of the azide binding with a proton uptake of an amino acid residue on the enzyme. These results were compared with the case of horse metmyoglobin and were interpreted to indicate that a heme-linked ionizable group on the enzyme facilitates the fast entry of the ligand to the coordination site. A histidyl residue is a possible candidate for the ionizable group of the enzyme.     

Spin trapping of the azidyl radical in azide/catalase/H2O2 and various azide/peroxidase/H2O2 peroxidizing systems

The azidyl radical is formed during the oxidation of sodium azide by the catalase/hydrogen peroxide system, as detected by the ESR spin-trapping technique. The oxidation of azide by horseradish peroxidase, chloroperoxidase, lactoperoxidase, and myeloperoxidase also forms azidyl radical. It is suggested that the evolution of nitrogen gas and nitrogen oxides reported in the azide/catalase/hydrogen peroxide system results from reactions of the azidyl radical. The azide/horseradish peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide system consumes oxygen, and this oxygen uptake is inhibited by the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide, presumably due to the competition with oxygen for the azidyl radical. Although azide is used routinely as an inhibitor of myeloperoxidase and catalase, some consideration should be given to the biochemical consequences of the formation of the highly reactive azidyl radical by the peroxidase activity of these enzymes.     

Reactions of heme peroxidases with peroxynitrite

The interaction of peroxynitrite, produced by ozonation of azide, with two heme peroxidases (horseradish peroxidase and lactoperoxidase) was studied. Enzymes retained full activity after incubation with peroxynitrite at neutral pH. Lactoperoxidase alone was found to catalyze peroxynitrite decomposition, whereas horseradish peroxidase accelerated peroxynitrite decomposition only in the presence of certain substrates. For example, in the presence of guaiacol the catalyzing effect was clear, but in the presence of trolox was only noticeable.     

Nanosecond transient resonance Raman spectra of the FeII-CO and FeIII-NO photolysis products of horseradish peroxidase

Resonance Raman spectra, obtained with 7 ns pulsed laser excitation, are reported for the photoproducts of the FeII-CO and FeIII-NO adducts of horseradish peroxidase. The porphyrin skeletal frequencies are the same as those observed for unligated FeII and FeIII (native) horseradish peroxidase, respectively. The absence of unrelaxed spectra is discussed in relation to the photoproduct frequency shifts and relaxations observed previously for hemoglobin. It is proposed that protein conformational changes which are likely to be associated with the hydrogen-bonding interactions in the horseradish peroxidase heme pocket may not produce detectable changes in the porphyrin skeletal mode frequencies.     

Structural characterization of lactoperoxidase in the heme environment by proton NMR spectroscopy

The heme environmental structures of lactoperoxidase (LP) have been studied by the use of hyperfine-shifted proton NMR and optical absorption spectra. The NMR spectra of the enzyme in native and cyanide forms in H2O indicated that the fifth ligand of the heme iron is the histidyl imidazole with an anionic character and that the sixth coordination site is possibly vacant. These structural characteristics are quite similar to those of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), suggesting that these may be prerequisite to peroxidase activity. The pH dependences of the spectra of LP in cyanide and azide forms showed the presence of two ionizable groups with pK values of 6 and 7.4 in the heme vicinity, which is consistent with the kinetic results. The group with pK = 7.4 is associated with azide binding to LP in a slow NMR exchange limit, which is in contrast to the fast entry of azide to HRP.     

The active site structure of E. coli HPII catalase. Evidence favoring coordination of a tyrosinate proximal ligand to the chlorin iron.

E. coli produces 2 catalases known as HPI and HPII. While the heme prosthetic group of the HPII catalase has been established to be a dihydroporphyrin or chlorin, the identity of the proximal ligand to the iron has not been addressed. The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectrum of native ferric HPII catalase is very similar to those of a 5-coordinate phenolate-ligated ferric chlorin complex, a model for tyrosinate proximal ligation, as well as of chlorin-reconstituted ferric horseradish peroxidase, a model for 5-coordinate histidine ligation. However, further MCD comparisons of chlorin-reconstituted myoglobin with parallel ligand-bound adducts of the catalase clearly rule out histidine ligation in the latter, leaving tyrosinate as the best candidate for the proximal ligand.