The role of copper binding in the conformation of stellacyanin

The binding of Cu²⁺ to apostellacyanin occurs in two steps. The first step consists of a fast equilibrium reaction involving binding of copper to the protein in a non-native, though specific way, as shown by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. All the spectroscopic properties of native stellacyanin are recovered in a slower monomolecular process (k = 7.5 × 10^?3 sec^?1 at 25 °C) characterized by high activation energy (ΔH_a = 22 kcal mole^?1) and low activation entropy (ΔS_a = 3.0 cal deg^?1 mole^?1). The second step parallels a conformational change of the copper-bound protein molecule. A large difference of the tyrosyl residues pKs is found between holo- and apostellacyanin. In the latter the tyrosyl residues appear to be more exposed to solvent perturbations. Ammonia or monovalent anions such as N₃^?, SCN^?, and Cl^? have a catalytic effect on the second step of the reaction, roughly proportional to their first binding constant to aqueous copper. It is suggested that they may compete for a non-native bond of the copper to the protein, thus rendering the conformational change easier.The effect of Ag³ and Hg²⁺ on the recombination reaction with copper is discussed in terms of conformation of the metal-bound protein.