Ferric haem forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase probed by EPR spectroscopy: Their stability and interplay with pH

Low temperature EPR spectroscopy was used to characterise Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase-peroxidase in its resting ferric haem state. Several high spin ferric haem forms and no low spin forms were found in the enzyme samples frozen in methanol on dry ice. The EPR spectra depended not only on the pH but also on the buffer type. As a general trend, the higher the pH, the greater the ‘rhombic’ fraction of the high spin ferric haem that was observed. The rhombic form was characterised by well separated two lines in the g = 6 region whereas in the ‘axial’ form the two lines overlap. This pH dependence of the equilibrium of axial and rhombic ferric haem forms is also seen in rapidly freeze-quenched samples. Different high spin ferric haem forms were monitored during a 3 week storage of the enzyme at 4 °C. For some forms, extremal dependences, i.e. those progressing via maxima or minima over storage time, were found. This indicates that the mechanism of the time-dependent transition from one high spin ferric haem form to another must be more complex than a simple single site oxidation.     

Near-infrared magnetic and natural circular dichroism of cytochrome c oxidase.

A detailed study is presented of the room-temperature absorption, natural and magnetic circulation-dichroism (c.d. and m.c.d.) spectra of cytochrome c oxidase and a number of its derivatives in the wavelength range 700-1900 nm. The spectra of the reduced enzyme show a strong negative c.d. band peaking at 1100nm arising from low-spin ferrous haem a and a positive m.c.d. peak at 780nm assigned to high-spin ferrous haem a3. Addition of cyanide ion doubles the intensity of the low-spin ferrous haem c.d. band and abolishes reduced carbonmonoxy derivative the haem a32+-CO group shows no c.d. or m.c.d. bands at wavelengths longer than 700nm. A comparison of the m.c.d. spectra of the oxidized and cyanide-bound oxidized forms enables bands characteristic of the high-spin ferric form of haem a33+ to be identified between 700 and 1300nm. At wavelengths longer than 1300nm a broad positive m.c.d. spectrum, peaking at 1600nm, is observed. By comparison with the m.c.d. spectrum of an extracted haem a-bis-imidazole complex this m.c.d. peak is assigned to one low-spin ferric haem, namely haem a3+. On binding of cyanide to the oxidized form of the enzyme a new, weak, m.c.d. signal appears, which is assigned to the low-spin ferric haem a33+-CN species. A reductive titration, with sodium dithionite, of the cyanide-bound form of the enzyme leads to a partially reduced state in which low-spin haem a2+ is detected by means of an intense negative c.d. peak at 1100 nm and low-spin ferric haem a33+-CN gives a sharp positive m.c.d. peak at 1550nm. The c.d. and m.c.d. characteristics of the 830nm absorption band in oxidized cytochrome c oxidase are not typical of type 1 blue cupric centres.     

Mixed-valence cytochrome oxidase-formate complex. A steady-state intermediate.

At neutral pH, formate binds to the haem a3 component of cytochrome c oxidase to give a complex that reacts differently from the non-liganded enzyme with reducing agents. Addition of sodium dithionite to the formate complex leads directly to the formation of the fully reduced species, whereas reduction with ascorbate/tetramethylenephenylene-diamine can lead to the production of a mixed-valence species. The stability of this mixed-valence form was studied, and the species appears to represent a 'steady-state' situation that is stable only in the presence of an excess of O2 and reducing equivalents. Characterization of the mixed-valence complex by electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetic circular dichroism reveals the presence of reduced low-spin haem a together with reduced detectable copper and high-spin ferric haem a3.     

Variable-temperature magnetic-circular-dichroism spectra of cytochrome c oxidase and its derivatives

A detailed study of the effect of temperature on the m.c.d. (magnetic circular dichroism) spectra of cytochrome c oxidase and some of its derivatives was undertaken to characterize the spin states of haem a and a(3). The fully reduced enzyme contains haem a(3) (2+) in its high-spin form and haem a(2+) in the low-spin state. This conclusion is reached by comparing the spectrum with that of the mixed-valence CO derivatives and its photolysis product. The cyanide derivative of the fully reduced enzyme contains both haem a and a(3) in the low-spin ferrous form. The m.c.d. spectra of the fully oxidized derivatives are consistent with the presence of one low-spin ferric haem group, assigned to a, which remains unaltered in the presence of ligands. Haem a(3) is high spin in the resting enzyme and the fluoride derivatives, and low spin in the cyanide form. The partially reduced formate and cyanide derivatives have temperature-dependent m.c.d. spectra due to the presence of high- and low-spin haem a(3) (3+) respectively. Haem a is low-spin ferrous in both. A comparison of the magnitude of the temperature-dependence of haem a(3) (3+) in the fully oxidized and partially reduced forms shows a marked difference which is tentatively ascribed to the presence of anti-ferromagnetic coupling in the fully oxidized form of the enzyme, and to its absence from the partially reduced derivatives, owing to the reduction of both Cu(2+) ions.     

The cytochromes of anaerobically grown Escherichia coli. An electron-paramagnetic-resonance study of the cytochrome bd complex in situ.

The e.p.r. signals attributable to a cytochrome bd-type ubiquinol:O2 oxidoreductase (cytochrome b-558-b-595-d) were studied in a cytoplasmic membrane preparation of Escherichia coli that had been grown on glycerol with fumarate as respiratory-chain oxidant. Two major high-spin ferric haem signals were resolved on the basis of their potentiometric behaviour: a rhombic high-spin species (gx = 6.25, gy = 5.54) was assigned to haem b-595, and an axial high-spin (gx = 5.97, gy = 5.96) species was assigned to the haem d. These signals titrated with Em.7 values of 154 and 261 mV respectively, corresponding closely to optically determined values for haem b-595 and haem d. At high potentials (greater than 300 mV) the rhombic species attributable to haem b-595 underwent a partial transition to a second rhombic species with g-values of 6.24 (gx) and 5.67 (gy). The high-spin ferric haem spectra were affected by O2, CO, cyanide and pH. A low-spin ferric haem signal was observed at g = 3.3 (gz), which titrated with an Em.7 of 226 mV, and this was assigned to haem b-558. The data support a model for cytochrome bd with two ligand-binding sites, a single haem d and a single haem b-595.     

A study of the magnetic properties of haem a3 in cytochrome c oxidase by using magnetic-circular-dichroism spectroscopy.

M.c.d. (magnetic-circular-dichroism) spectroscopy was used to study the magnetization properties of the haem centres in cytochrome c oxidase with magnetic fields of between 0 and 5.3 T over the temperature range 1.5--200 K. The oxidized, oxidized cyanide and partially reduced cyanide forms of the enzyme were studied. In the oxidized state only cytochrome a3+ is detectable by m.c.d. spectroscopy, and its magnetization characteristics show it to be a low-spin ferric haem. In the partially reduced cyanide form of the enzyme cytochrome a is in the diamagnetic low-spin ferrous form, whereas cytochrome a3--CN is e.p.r.-detectable and gives an m.c.d.-magnetization curve typical of a low-spin ferric haem. In the oxidized cyanide form of the enzyme both cytochrome a and cytochrome a3--CN are detectable by m.c.d. spectroscopy, although only cytochrome a gives an e.p.r. signal. The magnetization characteristics of haem a3--CN show clearly that its ground state is an electronic doublet and that another state, probably a spin singlet, lies greater than 10 cm-1 above this. These features are well accounted for by an electronic state of spin S = 1 with a predominantly axial distortion, which leaves the doublet, Ms = +/- 1, as the ground state and the component Ms = 0 as the excited state. This state would not give an e.p.r. signal. Such an electronic state could arise either from a ferromagnetic coupling between haem a3+(3)-CN and the cupric ion, Cua3, or form a haem in the Fe(IV) state.     

Two structurally and kinetically distinct forms of Wolinella succinogenes nitrite reductase.

It is shown that the oxidized form of the hexa-haem nitrite reductase of Wolinella succinogenes exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms, termed 'resting' and 'redox-cycled'. The nitrite reductase as initially isolated, termed 'resting', has five low-spin ferrihaem groups and one high-spin ferrihaem group. The reduction of these haem groups by Na2S2O4 occurs in two kinetically and spectrally distinct phases. In the slower phase the haem groups are reduced by dithionite with a limiting rate of 4 s-1. If the enzyme is re-oxidized after reduction with dithionite or with methyl viologen, the resulting ferric form, termed 'redox-cycled', possesses only low-spin haem centres and a rate of reduction in the slower phase that is no longer limited. In the resting form of the enzyme the high-spin ferrihaem group is weakly exchange-coupled to a low-spin haem group. It is proposed that in the redox-cycled form the exchange coupling occurs between two low-spin ferric haem groups. This change in spin state allows a more rapid rate of electron transfer to the coupled pair.     

Redox-linked spin-state changes in the di-haem cytochrome c-551 peroxidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Magnetic-c.d., e.p.r. and optical-absorption spectra are reported for the half-reduced form of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c-551 peroxidase, a di-haem protein, and its fluoride derivative. Comparison of this enzyme species with oxidized peroxidase shows the occurrence of spin-state changes at both haem sites. The high-potential haem changes its state from partially high-spin to low-spin upon reduction. This is linked to a structural alteration at the ferric low-potential haem group, causing it to change from low-spin to high-spin. Low-temperature spectra demonstrate photolysis of an endogenous ligand of the high-potential haem. In addition, an inactive form of enzyme is examined in which the structural change at the ferric low-potential haem does not occur on reduction of the high-potential haem.     

A proton magnetic relaxation study of ferric myoglobin and haemoglobin in water/ethanediol solutions.

Structural alterations of the haem vicinity of the high-spin derivatives of bovine ferric myoglobin (metmyoglobin) and human haemoglobin and the changes of the interaction with inositol hexaphosphate induced by ethanediol were monitored by solvent-proton magnetic relaxation. On addition of ethanediol up to 60% the fluoromet derivatives exhibit a gradual increase in the accessibility of the haem for the molecules from the solvent. In aquomethaemoglobin solutions with more than 25% ethanediol there is no unique explanation of proton magnetic relaxation. Ethanediol enhances the binding of inositol hexaphosphate to methaemoglobin, but the structural consequences of this binding on the haem-pockets seem to be diminished. The mechanisms of the observed structural and functional alterations of myoglobin as well as haemoglobin tetramer are discussed here.     

Assignment of the axial ligands of the haem in milk lactoperoxidase using magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy

The absorption and MCD spectra of ferric lactoperoxidase from milk and its cyanide and fluoride derivatives have been measured in the near infrared and visible wavelength regions both at room temperature and at 4.2 K. By comparison with the MCD spectra of haemoproteins of known axial ligation, which also contain protohaem IX, it has been possible to arrive at suggestions for the axial ligation in lactoperoxidase. At room temperature oxidized lactoperoxidase has the haem iron in the high-spin state, and the results indicate that the proximal ligand of the haem iron is a histidine imidazole and that the sixth ligand is probably a carboxylate ion. At 4.2 K oxidized lactoperoxidase converts almost totally to a low-spin form, changing the sixth ligand to a histidine imidazole, which is in the imidazolate form.     

Effects of mutation of the conserved glutamic acid-286 in subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides

We have studied the effects of mutations, E286Q and E286D, of the conserved glutamate in subunit I of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides with a view to evaluating the role of this residue in redox-linked proton translocation. The mutation E286D did not have any dramatic effects on enzyme properties and retained 50% of wild-type catalytic activity. For E286Q a fraction of the binuclear center was trapped in an unreactive, spectrally distinct form which is most likely due to misfolded protein, but the majority of E286Q reacted normally with formate and cyanide in the oxidized state, and with carbon monoxide and cyanide in the dithionite-reduced form. The mutation also had little effect on the pH-dependent redox properties of haem a in the reactive fraction. However, formation of the P state from oxidized enzyme with hydrogen peroxide or by aerobic incubation with carbon monoxide was inhibited. In particular, only an F-type product was obtained, at less than 25% yield, in the reaction with hydrogen peroxide. The aerobic steady state in the presence of ferrous cytochrome c was characterized by essentially fully reduced haem a and ferric haem a3, suggesting that the mutation hinders electron transfer from haem a to the binuclear center. Under these conditions or after reoxidation, on a seconds time scale, of haem a3 following anaerobiosis, there was no indication of accumulation of significant amounts of P state. We propose that the glutamate is implicated in several steps in the catalytic cycle, O --> R, P --> F, and, possibly, F --> O. The results are discussed in relation to the "glutamate trap" model for proton translocation.     

Hydroxyl-radical production in physiological reactions. A novel function of peroxidase.

Peroxidases catalyze the dehydrogenation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) of various phenolic and endiolic substrates in a peroxidatic reaction cycle. In addition, these enzymes exhibit an oxidase activity mediating the reduction of O2 to superoxide (O2.-) and H2O2 by substrates such as NADH or dihydroxyfumarate. Here we show that horseradish peroxidase can also catalyze a third type of reaction that results in the production of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) from H2O2 in the presence of O2.-. We provide evidence that to mediate this reaction, the ferric form of horseradish peroxidase must be converted by O2.- into the perferryl form (Compound III), in which the haem iron can assume the ferrous state. It is concluded that the ferric/perferryl peroxidase couple constitutes an effective biochemical catalyst for the production of .OH from O2.- and H2O2 (iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss reaction). This reaction can be measured either by the hydroxylation of benzoate or the degradation of deoxyribose. O2.- and H2O2 can be produced by the oxidase reaction of horseradish peroxidase in the presence of NADH. The .OH-producing activity of horseradish peroxidase can be inhibited by inactivators of haem iron or by various O2.- and .OH scavengers. On an equimolar Fe basis, horseradish peroxidase is 1-2 orders of magnitude more active than Fe-EDTA, an inorganic catalyst of the Haber-Weiss reaction. Particularly high .OH-producing activity was found in the alkaline horseradish peroxidase isoforms and in a ligninase-type fungal peroxidase, whereas lactoperoxidase and soybean peroxidase were less active, and myeloperoxidase was inactive. Operating in the .OH-producing mode, peroxidases may be responsible for numerous destructive and toxic effects of activated oxygen reported previously.     

An investigation of the ligand-binding properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa nitrite reductase.

The low-temperature e.p.r. and m.c.d. (magnetic-circular-dichroism) spectra of Pseudomonas aeruginosa nitrite reductase, together with those of its partially and fully cyanide-bound derivatives, were investigated. The m.c.d. spectra in the range 600-2000 nm indicate that the native axial ligands to haem c are histidine and methionine, and furthermore that it is the methionine ligand that must be displaced before cyanide binding at this haem. The m.c.d. spectra in the range 1000-2000 nm contain no charge-transfer bands arising from low-spin ferric haem d1, a chlorin. New optical transitions in the region 700-850 nm were found for the cyanide adduct of haem d1. The g-values of haem d1 in the native enzyme are 2.51, 2.43 and 1.71, suggesting co-ordination by two histidine ligands in the oxidized state. There is clear evidence in the e.p.r. data of an interaction between the c and d1 haem groups. This is not apparent in the optical spectra. The results are interpreted in terms of haem groups that are remote from each other, their interaction being mediated through protein conformational changes. The possible implications of this in relation to reduction processes catalysed by the enzyme are considered.     

Comparison of microsomal and solubilized monooxygenases from rat and rabbit by proton magnetic relaxation.

The paper presents results of a comparative study of the haem environment, by proton magnetic relaxation, in P-450 and P-448 monooxygenases from rat and rabbit, induced by phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene, in both species. It was established that the method yields information on the accessibility of the haem iron for solvent molecules (protons), both in microsomes and in solubilized samples of various degrees of purification, i.e. association. The state of micelles in the solutions does not alter the haem iron accessibility. A slight difference was found for the microsomes suspended in a phosphate vs. pyrophosphate buffer, but this is without any consequence with regard to the species and form differences. The correlation time for the highly purified LM2 fraction of rabbit P-450 could not be determined more precisely than before for a sample of lower purity, because the relaxation rates are frequency independent. The correlation time for the rat P-448 monooxygenase was determined by dispersion measurements to be (4.1 +/- 0.4) x 10(-11) s. It was found that the PMRx behaviours of rabbit and rat monooxygenases are more alike in microsomes than in the partially purified solubilized form. The solubilization produces a pronounced alteration of the PMRx temperature dependence only for the rat 3-MC induced monooxygenase P-448. For the P-450 form the haem iron becomes less accessible on solubilization, both for the rabbit and the rat liver monooxygenases, whereas in case of rat liver P-448 the accessibility is considerably enhanced on solubilization. There is a substantial structural specificity of the haem environments from the two animal species, the one from rat being tighter. The reduced, NO-bound rabbit liver monooxygenase was studied also, but the results are not yet conclusive, except the fact that the unpaired spin from NO is thoroughly shielded from the solvent compared with the haem iron from the original sample. The following series of increased haem-iron accessibility emerges from the PMRx studies known so far: rat (P-448) less than rabbit (P-448) less than rat (P-450) less than rabbit (P-450) in microsomes, and rabbit (P-448, with 3-MC bound?) less than Pseudomonas putida (P-450) rat less than (P-448), less than rat (P-450) less than rabbit (P-450) from solubilized samples. For the latter, it appears that increased enzymic specificity goes along with a closing of the haem cleft.     

Unusual flexibility of distal and proximal histidine residues in the haem pocket of Drosophila melanogaster haemoglobin

Several pH-dependent low-spin ferric haem forms are identified in a frozen solution of the ferric 121Cys→Ser mutant of Drosophila melanogaster haemoglobin (DmHb1*) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques. Different forms with EPR parameters typical of bis-histidine coordinated haem iron centers were observed. Strong pH-dependent changes in the EPR signatures were observed related to changes in the haem pocket. The pulsed EPR data indicate that both the distal and proximal histidine exhibit a large libration around the Fe-N(His) axis. The resonance Raman spectra of the CO-ligated ferrous form of Drosophila melanogaster haemoglobin are typical of an open conformation, with little stabilization of the CO ligand by the surrounding amino-acid residues. The EPR data of the cyanide-ligated ferric DmHb1* indicates a close similarity with cyanide-ligated ferric myoglobin. The structural characteristics of DmHb1* are found to clearly differ from those of other bis-histidine-coordinated globins.     

Mechanisms of iron and haem transport by Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis, is a virulent foodborne Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, with 20-30% mortality. It has a broad ability to transport iron, either in the form of ferric siderophores, or by extracting it from mammalian iron binding proteins. In this review we focus on the mechanisms of ferric siderophore and haem transport into the listerial cell. Despite the fact that it does not synthesize siderophores, L. monocytogenes transports ferric siderophores in the wild environment by the actions of cytoplasmic membrane ABC-transporter systems. The bacterium acquires haem, on the other hand, by two mechanisms. At low (nanomolar) concentrations, sortase B-dependent, peptidoglycan-anchored proteins scavenge the iron porphyrin in human or animal tissues, and transfer it to the underlying ABC-transporters in the cytoplasmic membrane for uptake. At concentrations at or above 50 nM, however, haem transport becomes sortase-independent, and occurs by direct interactions of the iron porphyrin with the same ABC-transporter complexes. The architecture of the Gram-positive cell envelope plays a fundamental role in these mechanisms, and the haem acquisition abilities of L. monocytogenes are an element of its ability to cause infectious disease.     

Infrared magnetic circular dichroism of myoglobin derivatives.

By use of a newly constructed CD instrument, infrared magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra were observed for various myoglobin derivatives. The ferric high spin myoglobin derivatives such as fluoride, water and hydroxide complexes, commonly exhibited the MCD spectra consisting of positive A terms. Therefore, the results reinforced the assignment that the infrared band is the charge transfer transition to the degenerate excited state (eg (dpi)). Since the fraction of A term estimated was approximately 80% for myoglobin fluoride and approximately 35% for myoglobin water, the effective symmetry for myoglobin fluoride is determined to be as close as D4h, while that for myoglobin water seems to have lower symmetry components. The ferric low spin derivatives such as myoglobin cyanide, myoglobin imidazole and myoglobin azide showed positive MCD spectra which are very similar to the electronic absorption spectra. These MCD spectra were assigned to the charge transfer transitions from porphyrin pi to iron d orbitals on the ground that they were observed only for the ferric low spin groups and insensitive to the axial ligands. The lack of temperature dependence in the MCD magnitude indicated that the MCD spectra are attributable to the Faraday B terms. Deoxymyoglobin, the ferrous high spin derivative, had fairly strong positive MCD around 760 nm with an anisotropy factor (delta epsilon/epsilon) of 1.4-10(-4). It shows some small MCD bands from 800 to 1800 nm. Among the ferrous low spin derivatives, carbonmonoxymyoglobin did not give any observable MCD in the infrared region while oxymyoglobin seemed to have significant MCD in the range from 700 to 1000 nm.     

NMR and electron-paramagnetic-resonance studies of a dihaem cytochrome from Pseudomonas stutzeri (ATCC 11607) (cytochrome c peroxidase)

A dihaem cytochrome (Mr 37 400) with cytochrome c peroxidase activity was purified from Pseudomonas stutzeri (ATCC 11 607). The haem redox potentials are far apart: one of the haems is completely ascorbate-reducible and the other is only reduced by dithionite. The coordination, spin states and redox properties of the covalently bound haems were probed by visible, NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies in three oxidation states. In the oxidized state, the low-temperature EPR spectrum of the native enzyme is a complex superimposition of three components: (I) a low-spin haem indicating a histidinyl-methionyl coordination; (II) a low-spin haem indicating a histidinyl-histidinyl coordination; and (III) a minor high-spin haem component. At room temperature, NMR and optical studies indicate the presence of high-spin and low-spin haems, suggesting that for one of the haems a high-spin to low-spin transition is observed when temperature is decreased. In the half-reduced state, the component I (high redox potential) of the EPR spectrum disappears and induces a change in the g-values and linewidth of component II; the high-spin component II is no longer detected at low temperature. Visible and NMR studies reveal the presence of a high-spin ferric and a low-spin (methionyl-coordinated) ferrous state. The NMR data fully support the haem-haem interaction probed by EPR. In the reduced state, the NMR spectrum indicates that the low-potential haem is high-spin ferrous.     

Haemoprotein b-590 (Escherichia coli); redesignation of a bacterial 'cytochrome a1'

A 'soluble' fraction from anaerobically grown Escherichia coli contains a haemoprotein with spectral properties, notably an alpha-band in the reduced form at 585 to 595 nm, similar to cytochrome a1. Haem extraction of either the soluble preparation or whole cells yields haem b, but not haem a. In view of this, and the spectral similarities of the a1-like component to well-known high-spin haem b proteins, we propose that the name 'haemoprotein b-590' be used to describe cytochrome a1-like pigments in bacteria.     

The reaction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c-551 oxidase with oxygen.

The reaction of ascorbate-reduced Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase with oxygen was studied by using stopped-flow techniques at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C. The observed time courses were complex, the reaction consisting of three phases. Of these, only the fastest process, with a second-order rate constant of 3.3 X 10(4) M-1.S-1, was dependent on oxygen concentration. The two slower processes were first-order reactions with rates of 1.0 +/- 0.4s-1 and 0.1 +/- 0.03s-1. A kinetic titration experiment revealed that the enzyme had a relatively low affinity constant for oxygen, approx. 10(4)M-1. Kinetic difference spectra were determined for all three reaction phases, showing each to have different characteristics. The fast-phase difference spectrum showed that changes occurred at both the haem c and haem d1 components of the enzyme during this process. These changes were consistent with the haem c becoming oxidized, but with the haem d1 assuming a form that did not correspond to the normal oxidized state, a situation that was not restored even after the second kinetic phase, which reflected further changes in the haem d1 component. The results are discussed in terms of a kinetic scheme.