A cysteine residue near the propionate side chain of heme is the radical site in ascorbate peroxidase

The radical scavenger 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy (TEMPO(*)) and the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) were used in conjunction with mass spectrometry to identify the protein-based radical sites of the H(2)O(2)-tolerant ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of the red alga Galdieria partita and the H(2)O(2)-sensitive stromal APX of tobacco. A cysteine residue in the vicinity of the propionate side chain of heme in both enzymes was labeled with TEMPO(*) and DMPO in an H(2)O(2)-dependent manner, indicating that these cysteine residues form thiyl radicals through interaction of APX with H(2)O(2). TEMPO(*) bound to the cysteine thiyl radicals, and sulfinylated and sulfonylated them. Other oxidized cysteine residues were found in both APXs. Experiments with a cysteine-to-serine point mutation showed that formation of TEMPO adducts and subsequent oxidation of the cysteine residue located near the propionate group of heme leads to loss of enzyme activity, in particular in the Galdieria APX. When treated with glutathione and H(2)O(2), both cysteine residues in both enzymes were glutathionylated. These results suggest that, under oxidative stress in vivo, cysteine oxidation is involved in the inactivation of APXs in addition to the proposed H(2)O(2)-mediated crosslinking of heme to the distal tryptophan residue [Kitajima S, Shimaoka T, Kurioka M & Yokota A (2007) FEBS J274, 3013-3020], and that glutathione protects APX from irreversible oxidation of the cysteine thiol and loss of enzyme activity by binding to the cysteine thiol group.     

Chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase is the primary target of methylviologen-induced photooxidative stress in spinach leaves: its relevance to monodehydroascorbate radical detected with in vivo ESR

Methylviologen (MV) induces oxidative damages in leaves. In order to understand its mechanism we studied initial biochemical events under light in MV-fed spinach leaves. When isolated chloroplasts were illuminated in the presence of MV, both stromal and thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidases (APX) were inactivated rapidly at the same rates, and their inactivation was retarded by ascorbate (AsA) at higher concentrations. Since MV accelerates the photoproduction of O2- in Photosystem (PS) I and simultaneously inhibits the photoreduction of monodehydroascorbate (MDA) to AsA, the inactivation of APX was attributed to the loss of AsA and accumulation of H2O2 in the stroma. Following APX, superoxide dismutase and NADP(+)-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, both of which are vulnerable to H2O2, were inactivated by MV plus light. Dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, PS II, PS I and ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase were far less sensitive to the treatment. In the treated leaves, cytosolic APX and guaiacol-specific peroxidase were also inactivated, but slower than chloroplastic APXs were. Catalase was not inactivated. Thus the MV-induced photooxidative damages of leaves are initiated with the inactivation of chloroplastic APXs and develop via the inactivation of other H2O2-sensitive targets. The decay half-life of the MDA signal after a short illumination in the leaves, as determined by in vivo electron spin resonance spectrometry (ESR), was prolonged when the H2O2-scavenging capacity of the leaf cells was abolished by the inactivation of chloroplastic and cytosolic APXs. The measurement of MDA in leaves by ESR, therefore, allows to estimate in vivo cellular capacity to scavenge the photoproduced H2O2.     

Autocatalytic formation of a covalent link between tryptophan 41 and the heme in ascorbate peroxidase

Electronic spectroscopy, HPLC analyses, and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF and MS/MS) have been used to show that a covalent link from the heme to the distal Trp41 can occur on exposure of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) to H2O2 under noncatalytic conditions. Parallel analyses with the W41A variant and with APX reconstituted with deuteroheme clearly indicate that the covalent link does not form in the absence of either Trp41 or the heme vinyl groups. The presence of substrate also precludes formation of the link. Formation of a protein radical at Trp41 is implicated, in a reaction mechanism that is analogous to that proposed [Ghiladi, R. A., et al. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 15093-15105] for formation of a covalent Trp-Tyr-Met link in the closely related catalase peroxidase (KatG) enzymes. Collectively, the data suggest that radical formation at the distal tryptophan position is not an exclusive feature of the KatG enzymes and may be used more widely across other members of the class I heme peroxidase family.     

Characterization of ascorbate peroxidases from unicellular red alga Galdieria partita

Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga isolated from acidic hot springs and tolerant to sulfur dioxide, has at least two ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isozymes. This was the first report to demonstrate that two isozymes of APX are found in algal cells. Two isozymes were separated from each other at the hydrophobic chromatography step of purification and named APX-A and APX-B after the elution order in the chromatography. APX-B accounted for 85% of the total activity. Both isozymes were purified. APXs from Galdieria were monomers whose molecular weights were about 28,000, similar to stromal APX of higher plants. APX-A cross-reacted with monoclonal antibody raised against APX of Euglena gracilis in immunoblotting, but APX-B did not, although the antibody can recognize all other APXs tested. The amino-terminal sequences of APX-A and -B from Galdieria had some homology with each other but little homology with those from other sources. Their Km values for ascorbate and hydrogen peroxide were comparable with those of APX from higher plants. Unlike the green algal enzymes, the donor specificities of Galdieria APXs were as high as those of plant chloroplastic APX. On the contrary, these APXs reduced tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide as an electron acceptor as APXs from Euglena and freshwater Chlamydomonas do. The inhibition of APX-A and -B by cyanide and azide, and characteristics of their light absorbance spectra indicated that they were heme peroxidases.     

植物抗坏血酸过氧化物酶的表达调控以及对非生物胁迫的耐受作用

抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(Ascorbate peroxidase, APX)属于I型血红素过氧化物酶, 它催化H2O2依赖的L-抗坏血酸氧化作用, 对抗坏血酸表现出高度的专一性。植物APX基因家族由4个亚家族组成, 分别为细胞质、叶绿体、线粒体和过氧化物酶体基因亚家族, 每个亚家族中又含有不同的APX同工酶。作为植物抗坏血酸-谷胱甘肽循环中的一个关键组分, APX在细胞H₂O₂代谢过程中起着至关重要的作用。研究表明植物APX是氧化还原信号系统中调节细胞水平H₂O₂非常重要的一种酶, APX同工酶的表达机制非常复杂, 细胞质APX受多种信号调节表达, 两种叶绿体APX通过选择性剪接进行组织特异性调节。通过调控产生的APX可调节细胞中的氧化还原信号, 进而提高植物对非生物胁迫的耐受性。文章综述了植物APX的催化机制、表达调控机理以及响应植物非生物逆境胁迫的重要作用。     

Engineering the proximal heme cavity of catalase-peroxidase

Catalase-peroxidases (KatGs) are prokaryotic heme peroxidases with homology to yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and plant ascorbate peroxidases (APXs). KatGs, CCP and APXs contain identical amino acid triads in the heme pocket (distal Arg/Trp/His and proximal His/Trp/Asp), but differ dramatically in their reactivities towards hydrogen peroxide and various one-electron donors. Only KatGs have high catalase activity in addition to a peroxidase activity of broad specificity. Here, we investigated the effect of mutating the conserved proximal triad on KatG catalysis. With the exception of W341F, all variants (H290Q, W341A, D402N, D402E) exhibited a catalase activity <1% of wild-type KatG and spectral properties indicating alterations in heme coordination and spin states. Generally, the peroxidase activity was much less effected by these mutations. Compared with wild-type KatG the W341F variant had a catalase and halogenation activity of about 40% and an even increased overall peroxidase activity. This variant, for the first time, allowed to monitor the hydrogen peroxide mediated transitions of ferric KatG to compound I and back to the resting enzyme. Compound I reduction by aromatic one-electron donors (o-dianisidine, pyrogallol, aniline) was not influenced by exchanging Trp by Phe. The findings are discussed in comparison with the data known from CCP and APX and a reaction mechanism for the multifunctional activity of the W341F variant is suggested.     

New insights into the heme cavity structure of catalase-peroxidase: a spectroscopic approach to the recombinant synechocystis enzyme and selected distal cavity mutants

Catalase-peroxidases (KatGs) are heme peroxidases with homology to yeast cytochrome cperoxidase (CCP) and plant ascorbate peroxidases (APXs). KatGs exhibit a peroxidase activity of broad specificity and a high catalase activity, which strongly depends on the presence of a distal Trp as part of the conserved amino acid triad Arg-Trp-His. By contrast, both CCP and APX do not have a substantial catalase activity despite the presence of the same triad. Thus, to elucidate structure-function relationships of catalase-peroxidases (for which no crystal structure is available at the moment), we performed UV-Vis and resonance Raman studies of recombinant wild-type KatG from the cyanobacterium SynechocystisPCC 6803 and the distal side variants (His123-->Gln, Glu; Arg119-->Ala, Asn; Trp122-->Phe, Ala). The distal cavity of KatG is very similar to that of the other class I peroxidases. A H-bond network involving water molecules and the distal Trp, Arg, and His is present, which connects the distal and proximal sides of the heme pocket. However, distal mutation not only affects the heme Fe coordination state and perturbs the proximal Fe-Im bond, as previously observed for other peroxidases, but also alters the stability of the heme architecture. The charge of the distal residues appears particularly important for maintaining the heme architecture. Moreover, the Trp plays a significant role in the distal H-bonding, much more pronounced than in CCP. The relevance of these findings for the catalase activity of KatG is discussed in light of the complete loss of catalase activity in the distal Trp mutants.     

Stable form of ascorbate peroxidase from the red alga Galdieria partita similar to both chloroplastic and cytosolic isoforms of higher plants

Depletion of the electron donor ascorbate causes rapid inactivation of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of higher plants, while cytosolic APX is stable under such conditions. Here we report the cloning of cDNA from Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga, encoding a novel type of APX (APX-B). The electrophoretic mobility, Km values, kcat and absorption spectra of recombinant APX-B produced in Escherichia coli were measured. Recombinant APX-B remained active for at least 180 min after depletion of ascorbate. The amino-terminal half of APX-B, which forms the distal pocket of the active site, was richer in amino acid residues conserved in chloroplastic APXs of higher plants rather than cytosolic APXs. In contrast, the sequence of the carboxyl-terminal half, which forms the proximal pocket, was similar to that of the cytosolic isoform. The stability of APX-B might be due to its cytosolic isoform-like structure of the carboxyl-terminal half.     

Rapid inactivation of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase is responsible for oxidative modification to Rubisco in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) under cadmium stress

To investigate the sensitive site of antioxidant systems in chloroplast under cadmium stress and its consequence on reactive oxygen species production and action, the sub-organellar localization of chloroplast superoxide dismutases (SOD,EC 1.15.1.1) and ascorbic peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) isoenzymes and changes of enzymes activities under cadmium stress were investigated in tomato seedlings. Two APX isoforms, one thylakoid-bound and one stromal, were detected. Cd at 50 μM induced a moderate increase of SOD activities but a rapid inactivation of both APX isoenzymes. APX inactivation was mainly related to the decrease of ascorbate concentration, as supported by in vitro treatment of exogenous ascorbate and APX kinetic properties under Cd stress. H2O2 accumulation in chloroplast, as a consequence of APX inactivation,was associated with a 60% loss of Rubisco (EC 4.1.1.39) activity, which could be partially accounted for by a 10% loss of Rubisco content. Protein oxidation assay found that the Rubisco large subunit was the most prominent carbonylated protein; the level of carbonylated Rubisco large subunit increased fivefold after Cd exposure. Thiol groups in the Rubisco large subunit were oxidized, as indicated by non-reducing electrophoresis. Treating crude extract with H2O2 resulted in a similar pattern of protein oxidation and thiols oxidation with that observed in Cd-treated plants. Our study indicates that APXs in the chloroplast is a highly sensitive site of antioxidant systems under Cd stress, and the inactivation of APX could be mainly responsible for oxidative modification to Rubisco and subsequent decrease in its activity.     

Expression of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase in roots of rice seedlings in response to NaCl and H2O2

The accumulation of H2O2 by NaCl was observed in the roots of rice seedlings. Treatment with NaCl caused an increase in the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) and the expression of OsAPX and OsGR in rice roots. Exogenously applied H2O2 also enhanced the activities of APX and GR and the expression of OsAPX and OsGR in rice roots. The accumulation of H2O2 in rice roots in response to NaCl was inhibited by the NADPH oxidase inhibitors, diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) and imidazole (IMD). However, DPI, IMD, and dimethylthiourea, a H2O2 trap, did not reduce NaCl-enhanced activities of APX and GR and expression of OsAPX and OsGR. It appears that H2O2 is not involved in the regulation of NaCl-induced APX and GR activities and OsAPX and OsGR expression in rice roots.     

Stable Form of Ascorbate Peroxidase from the Red Alga Galdieria partita Similar to Both Chloroplastic and Cytosolic Isoforms of Higher Plants

Depletion of the electron donor ascorbate causes rapid inactivation of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of higher plants, while cytosolic APX is stable under such conditions. Here we report the cloning of cDNA from Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga, encoding a novel type of APX (APX-B). The electrophoretic mobility, K _m values, k _cat and absorption spectra of recombinant APX-B produced in Escherichia coli were measured. Recombinant APX-B remained active for at least 180 min after depletion of ascorbate. The amino-terminal half of APX-B, which forms the distal pocket of the active site, was richer in amino acid residues conserved in chloroplastic APXs of higher plants rather than cytosolic APXs. In contrast, the sequence of the carboxyl-terminal half, which forms the proximal pocket, was similar to that of the cytosolic isoform. The stability of APX-B might be due to its cytosolic isoform-like structure of the carboxyl-terminal half.     

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.     

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.     

Modulation of the activities of catalase-peroxidase HPI of Escherichia coli by site-directed mutagenesis

Catalase-peroxidases have a predominant catalatic activity but differ from monofunctional catalases in exhibiting a substantial peroxidatic reaction which has been implicated in the activation of the antitubercular drug isoniazid in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Hydroperoxidase I of Escherichia coli encoded by katG is a catalase-peroxidase, and residues in its putative active site have been the target of a site directed-mutagenesis study. Variants of residues R102 and H106, on the distal side of the heme, and H267, the proximal side ligand, were constructed, all of which substantially reduced the catalatic activity and, to a lesser extent, the peroxidatic activity. In addition, the heme content of the variants was reduced relative to the wild-type enzyme. The relative ease of heme loss from HPI and a mixture of tetrameric enzymes with 2, 3, and 4 hemes was revealed by mass spectrometry analysis. Conversion of W105 to either an aromatic (F) or aliphatic (I) residue caused a 4-5-fold increase in peroxidatic activity, coupled with a >99% inhibition of catalatic activity. The peroxidatic-to-catalatic ratio of the W105F variant was increased 2800-fold such that compound I could be identified by both electronic and EPR spectroscopy as being similar to the porphyrin cation radical formed in other catalases and peroxidases. Compound I, when generated by a single addition of H(2)O(2), decayed back to the native or resting state within 1 min. When H(2)O(2) was generated enzymatically in situ at low levels, active compound I was evident for up to 2 h. However, such prolonged treatment resulted in conversion of compound I to a reversibly inactivated and, eventually, to an irreversibly inactivated species, both of which were spectrally similar to compound I.     

The tuberculosis prodrug isoniazid bound to activating peroxidases

Isoniazid (INH, isonicotinic acid hydrazine) is one of only two therapeutic agents effective in treating tuberculosis. This prodrug is activated by the heme enzyme catalase peroxidase (KatG) endogenous to Mycobacterium tuberculosis but the mechanism of activation is poorly understood, in part because the binding interaction has not been properly established. The class I peroxidases ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) have active site structures very similar to KatG and are also capable of activating isoniazid. We report here the first crystal structures of complexes of isoniazid bound to APX and CcP. These are the first structures of isoniazid bound to any activating enzymes. The structures show that isoniazid binds close to the delta-heme edge in both APX and CcP, although the precise binding orientation varies slightly in the two cases. A second binding site for INH is found in APX at the gamma-heme edge close to the established ascorbate binding site, indicating that the gamma-heme edge can also support the binding of aromatic substrates. We also show that in an active site mutant of soybean APX (W41A) INH can bind directly to the heme iron to become an inhibitor and in a different mode when the distal histidine is replaced by alanine (H42A). These structures provide the first unambiguous evidence for the location of the isoniazid binding site in the class I peroxidases and provide rationalization of isoniazid resistance in naturally occurring KatG mutant strains of M. tuberculosis.     

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.     

Diffusion of extracellular hydrogen peroxide into intracellular compartments of human neutrophils. Studies utilizing the inactivation of myeloperoxidase by hydrogen peroxide and azide

It is well known that catalase is transformed to nitric oxide-Fe2+-catalase by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plus azide. In this report, we show that myeloperoxidase is also inactivated by H2O2 plus azide. Utilizing this system, we studied the presence and source of intracellular H2O2 generated by activated neutrophils. Stimulation of neutrophils with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 100 ng/ml) plus azide (5 mM) for 30 min completely inactivated intragranular myeloperoxidase and reduced cytosolic catalase to 35% of resting cells. This intracellular inactivation of heme enzymes did not occur in normal neutrophils incubated with either PMA or azide alone or in neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CDG) which cannot produce H2O2 in response to PMA. Incubation of neutrophils with azide and a H2O2 generating system (glucose-glucose oxidase) inactivated 41% of neutrophil myeloperoxidase. Glutathione-glutathione peroxidase (GSH-GSH peroxidase), an extracellular H2O2 scavenger, totally protected neutrophil myeloperoxidase from inactivation by azide plus glucose-glucose oxidase. In addition, when a mixture of normal and CGD cells was stimulated with PMA in the presence of azide, 90% of the myeloperoxidase in CGD neutrophils was inactivated. Therefore, H2O2 released extracellularly from activated neutrophils can diffuse into cells. In contrast, myeloperoxidase in normal polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated with PMA in the presence of azide and GSH-GSH peroxidase was 75% inactivated. Thus, the results indicate that a GSH-GSH peroxidase-insensitive pool of H2O2 is also generated, presumably at the plasma membrane, and this pool of H2O2 can undergo direct internal diffusion to inactivate myeloperoxidase.     

Identification of protein radicals formed in the human neuroglobin-H2O2 reaction using immuno-spin trapping and mass spectrometry

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a recently discovered protein that shows only minor sequence similarity with myoglobin and hemoglobin but conforms to the typical 3-over-3 alpha-helical fold characteristic of vertebrate globins. An intriguing feature of Ngb is its heme hexacoordination in the absence of external ligands, observed both in the ferrous and in the ferric (met) forms. In Ngb, the imidazole of a histidine residue (His-64) in the distal position, above the heme plane, provides the sixth coordination bond. In this work, a valine residue was introduced at position 64 (H64V variant) to clarify the possible role(s) of the distal residue in protecting the heme iron of Ngb from attack by strong oxidants. SDS-PAGE analyses revealed that the oxidation of the H64V variant of metNgb by H 2O 2 resulted in the formation of dimeric and trimeric products in contrast to the native protein. Dityrosine cross-links were shown by their fluorescence to be present in the oligomeric products. When the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) was included in the reaction mixture, nitrone adducts were detected by immuno-spin trapping. The specific location of the DMPO adducts on the H64V variant protein was determined by a mass spectrometry method that combines off-line immuno-spin trapping and chromatographic procedures. This method revealed Tyr-88 to be the site of modification by DMPO. The presence of His-64 in the wild-type protein results in the nearly complete loss of detectable radical adducts. Together, the data support the argument that wild-type Ngb is protected from attack by H 2O 2 by the coordinated distal His.