| Abstract: | The haem-rotational disorder (insertion of haem into globin rotated about the alpha, gamma-meso axis by 180 degrees) has been investigated in the cyano-Met form of the monomeric allosteric insect haemoglobins, CTT III and CTT IV, by resonance Raman spectroscopy. The effect of haem disorder on the resonance Raman spectra has been observed in proto-IX, deutero-IX, and meso-IX CTTs. Most importantly, in the absence of overlapping vinyl vibrations, we have identified two Fe-C-N bending vibrations at 401 cm-1 and 422 cm-1 (pH 9.5) for 57Fe deutero-IX CTT IV ligated with 13C15N-, which are attributed to the two haem-rotational components. One Fe-C-N bending mode at 422 cm-1 shows a pH-induced shift to 424 cm-1 (pH 5.5) indicating the t----r conformational transition, whereas the other bending mode is pH-insensitive, representing a non-allosteric component. By replacing the unsymmetrical porphyrins with the "symmetrical" protoporphyrin-III we eliminate the haem disorder. Then, sharpening of the Fe-N epsilon(His) (at 313 cm-1) and Fe-CN (at 453 cm-1) stretching modes is observed and a single Fe-C-N bending mode (at 412 cm-1) appears. In cyano-Met proto-IX CTT III two vinyl bending vibrations at 412 cm-1 and 591 cm-1 assigned by deuteration of the vinyl groups also reflect the haem disorder. The 412 cm-1 vinyl vibration is intensity-enhanced via through-space coupling with one of the Fe-C-N bending modes (at 412 cm-1). In the cyano-Met form of proto-III CTT III this vinyl vibration is shifted to 430 cm-1 resulting in a dramatic drop in intensity. It is most likely that the specific vinyl-protein interaction at position 4 in one of the haem-rotational components is the origin of the coupling between the Fe-C-N and vinyl bending modes. The Fe-N epsilon(proximal His) and the Fe-CN stretching vibrations as well as the Fe-C-N bending vibration have been identified by 54Fe/57Fe and 13C15N/12C15N/13C14N/12C14N isotope exchange. |
