Structural consequences of the familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis SOD1 mutant His46Arg

The His46Arg (H46R) mutant of human copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is associated with an unusual, slowly progressing form of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). Here we describe in detail the crystal structures of pathogenic H46R SOD1 in the Zn-loaded (Zn-H46R) and metal-free (apo-H46R) forms. The Zn-H46R structure demonstrates a novel zinc coordination that involves only three of the usual four liganding residues, His 63, His 80, and Asp 83 together with a water molecule. In addition, the Asp 124 "secondary bridge" between the copper- and zinc-binding sites is disrupted, and the "electrostatic loop" and "zinc loop" elements are largely disordered. The apo-H46R structure exhibits partial disorder in the electrostatic and zinc loop elements in three of the four dimers in the asymmetric unit, while the fourth has ordered loops due to crystal packing interactions. In both structures, nonnative SOD1-SOD1 interactions lead to the formation of higher-order filamentous arrays. The disordered loop elements may increase the likelihood of protein aggregation in vivo, either with other H46R molecules or with other critical cellular components. Importantly, the binding of zinc is not sufficient to prevent the formation of nonnative interactions between pathogenic H46R molecules. The increased tendency to aggregate, even in the presence of Zn, arising from the loss of the secondary bridge is consistent with the observation of an increased abundance of hyaline inclusions in spinal motor neurons and supporting cells in H46R SOD1 transgenic rats.     

Metalation of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mutant glycine 37 to arginine superoxide dismutase (SOD1) apoprotein restores its structural and dynamical properties in solution to those of metalated wild-type SOD1

The G37R copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is one of the many mutant SOD1 proteins known to cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by an unknown mechanism. This particular mutation occurs in the beta barrel plug, a region proposed to be critical for the structural stability of the protein. The behavior of G37R asSOD1 was studied in solution where it was observed that, when the protein is fully metalated, its global structure, mobility, and stability are virtually indistinguishable from those of the nonmutated protein. By contrast, although the presence of the G37R mutation does not result in a substantial change of the overall structure of the metal-free apoprotein in solution, it does affect the key conformational features of the beta-barrel plug such that (i) apo G37R asSOD1 melts at a temperature approximately 10 degrees C lower than apo asSOD1, (ii) it aggregates more rapidly than apo asSOD1, and (iii) interaction with trifluoroethanol (TFE) can deform it into a structure with a much higher degree of alpha-helical content. The increased plasticity of the apo G37R asSOD1 mutant protein is likely responsible for its enhanced tendency to aggregate in concentrated solutions. These results suggest further that it is the metal-free apo forms of the mutant SOD1 protein that are the agents of its toxicity.     

Local unfolding in a destabilized, pathogenic variant of superoxide dismutase 1 observed with H/D exchange and mass spectrometry

Hydrogen exchange monitored by mass spectrometry has been used to study the structural behavior of the pathogenic A4V variant of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in the metal-free (apo) form. Mass spectrometric data revealed that in the disulfide-intact (S-S) form, the A4V variant is destabilized at residues 50-53, in the disulfide subloop of the dimer interface, but many other regions of the A4V protein exhibited hydrogen exchange properties identical to that of the wild type protein. Additionally, mass spectrometry revealed that A4V apoSOD1(S-S) undergoes slow localized unfolding in a large segment of the beta-barrel that included beta3, beta4, and loops II and III. In the disulfide-reduced form, A4V apoSOD1 exchanged like a "random coil" polypeptide at 20 degrees C and began to populate folded states at 4 degrees C. These local and global unfolding events could facilitate intermolecular protein-protein interactions that cause the aggregation or neurotoxicity of A4V SOD1.     

Polymorphic Variants of Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase Gene in a Romanian Population with Atheroma

Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is the main SOD isoform in the arterial wall contributing to cardiovascular defense against oxidative stress by removing the superoxide anion. In our study, the Thr40Ala and Arg213Gly polymorphic variants of the EC-SOD gene (SOD ( 3 )) were investigated for associations with atherosclerosis and other related factors in 144 subjects with significant atheroma (having one, two, or three major coronary arteries with >50% obstruction, and/or peripheral artery lesions, and/or carotid artery stenosis demonstrated by angiography and echography) and in 150 subjects with no significant atheroma. For the Arg213Gly polymorphism, only five heterozygous subjects were found. Although the difference in the genotype distribution for the Thr40Ala polymorphism was not statistically significant between patients with atheroma (AA 49.3%, AG 34.7%, GG 16.0%) and those without significant atheroma (AA 41.3%, AG 43.3%, GG 15.3%), there was an association of the Thr40 allele with diabetes (P = 0.03) and hypertension (P = 0.04).     

Hydrogen peroxide damages the zinc-binding site of zinc-deficient Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase

Mutations in Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD) account for approximately 20% of cases of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. These mutations decrease protein stability and lower zinc affinity. Zinc-deficient SOD (Cu,E SOD) has altered redox activities and is toxic to motor neurons in vitro. Using bovine SOD, we studied the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) on Cu,E SOD and Cu,Zn SOD. Hydrogen peroxide treatment of Cu,E SOD inactivated zinc binding activity six times faster than superoxide dismutase activity, whereas inactivation of dismutase activity occurred at the same rate for both Cu,Zn SOD and Cu,E SOD. Zinc binding by Cu,E SOD was also damaged by simultaneous generation of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide by xanthine oxidase plus xanthine. Although urate, xanthine, and ascorbate can protect superoxide dismutase activity of Cu,Zn SOD from inactivation, they were not effective at protecting Cu,E SOD. Hydrogen peroxide induced subtle changes in the tertiary structure but not the secondary structure of Cu,E SOD as detected by near and far UV circular dichroism. Our results suggest that low levels of hydrogen peroxide could potentially enhance the toxicity of zinc deficient SOD to motor neurons in ALS by rendering zinc loss from SOD irreversible.     

Structural Analysis of Peroxide-Soaked MnSOD Crystals Reveals Side-On Binding of Peroxide to Active-Site Manganese

The superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes are important antioxidant agents that protect cells from reactive oxygen species. The SOD family is responsible for catalyzing the disproportionation of superoxide radical to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Manganese- and iron-containing SOD exhibit product inhibition whereas Cu/ZnSOD does not. Here, we report the crystal structure of Escherichia coli MnSOD with hydrogen peroxide cryotrapped in the active site. Crystallographic refinement to 1.55 Å and close inspection revealed electron density for hydrogen peroxide in three of the four active sites in the asymmetric unit. The hydrogen peroxide molecules are in the position opposite His26 that is normally assumed by water in the trigonal bipyramidal resting state of the enzyme. Hydrogen peroxide is present in active sites B, C, and D and is side-on coordinated to the active-site manganese. In chains B and D, the peroxide is oriented in the plane formed by manganese and ligands Asp167 and His26. In chain C, the peroxide is bound, making a 70° angle to the plane. Comparison of the peroxide-bound active site with the hydroxide-bound octahedral form shows a shifting of residue Tyr34 towards the active site when peroxide is bound. Comparison with peroxide-soaked Cu/ZnSOD indicates end-on binding of peroxide when the SOD does not exhibit inhibition by peroxide and side-on binding of peroxide in the product-inhibited state of MnSOD.     

Direct detection of hydrogen bonds in monomeric superoxide dismutase: biological implications

Hydrogen bonds were directly determined via NMR with different experimental approaches at 600 and 800 MHz for reduced monomeric superoxide dismutase (Q133M2SOD, 16 kDa). This protein contains a copper and a zinc ion and shows the classical superoxide dismutase (SOD) eight-stranded beta-barrel fold. The best results for this intermediate molecular mass protein were obtained using a TROSY version of the long-range HNCO experiment at high magnetic field (800 MHz) or with a cryoprobe at 600 MHz. The backbone hydrogen bond network that defines the secondary structure of the protein was detected. Thirty-five backbone hydrogen bonds were identified. The lower limit for their detection, their relation to the TROSY R(2) rates, and the correlation between hydrogen bond detectability and signal line width are discussed. Experiments were also optimized to detect hydrogen bonds involving key side chains, which lead to the observation of five hydrogen bonds. In particular, the hydrogen bonds involving the side chain of Asp 124 were observed, which show significant differences with respect to the bonds expected on the basis of the crystal structure. The relevance of this finding relies also on the fact that Asp 124 is a key residue in determining the affinity of the protein for zinc. It has now been determined that the gain of the toxic function of peroxynitrite formation in SOD mutants related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is due to SOD species lacking the zinc ion, as a consequence of a reduced affinity for zinc. Therefore, this study provides structural hints for understanding the origin of the enzymatic behavior of the Zn-deficient SOD.     

Structural and kinetic evidence for an ordered mechanism of copper nitrite reductase

The crystallographic structures of several copper-containing nitrite reductases are now available. Despite this wealth of structural data, no definitive information is available as to whether the reaction proceeds by an ordered mechanism where nitrite binds to the oxidised type 2 site, followed by an internal electron transfer from the type 1 Cu, or whether binding occurs to the reduced type 2 Cu centre, or a random mechanism operates. We present here the first structural information on both types of Cu centres for the reduced form of NiR from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans (AxNiR) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The reduced type 2 Cu site EXAFS shows striking similarity to the EXAFS data for reduced bovine superoxide dismutase (Cu2Zn2 SOD), providing strong evidence for the loss of the water molecule from the catalytic Cu site in NiR on reduction resulting in a tri-coordinate Cu site similar to that in Cu2Zn2 SOD. The reduced type 2 Cu site of AxNiR is shown to be unable to bind inhibitory ligands such as azide, and to react very sluggishly with nitrite leading to only a slow re-oxidation of the the type 1 centre. These observations provide strong evidence that turnover of AxNiR proceeds by an ordered mechanism in which nitrite binds to the oxidised type 2 Cu centres before electron transfer from the reduced type 1 centre occurs. We propose that the two links between the Cu sites of AxNiR, namely His129-Cys130 and His89-Asp92-His94 are utilised for electron transfer and for communicating the status of the type 2 Cu site, respectively. Nitrite binding at type 2 Cu is sensed by the proton abstracting group Asp92 and the type 2 Cu ligand His94, and relayed to the type 1 Cu site via His89 thus triggering an internal electron transfer. The similarity of the type 2 Cu NiR catalytic site to the reduced Cu site of SOD is examined in some detail together with the biochemical evidence for the SOD activity of AxNiR.     

锰超氧化物歧化酶的催化原理与酶活性调节机制

锰超氧化物歧化酶(MnSOD)催化两分子超氧自由基歧化为分子氧和过氧化氢。超氧自由基被Mn³⁺SOD氧化成分子氧的反应以扩散的方式进行。超氧自由基被Mn²⁺SOD还原为过氧化氢的反应以快循环和慢循环两条途径平行进行。在慢循环途径中,Mn²⁺SOD与超氧自由基形成产物抑制复合物,然后该复合物被质子化而缓慢释放出过氧化氢。在快循环途径中,超氧自由基直接被Mn²⁺SOD转化为产物过氧化氢,快速循环有利于酶的复活与周转。本文提出温度是调节锰超氧化物歧化酶进入慢速或者快速循环催化途径的关键因素。随着在生理温度范围内的温度升高,慢速循环成为整个催化反应的主流,因而生理范围内的温度升高反而抑制该酶的活性。锰超氧化物歧化酶的双相酶促动力学特性可以用该酶保守活性中心的温度依赖性配位模型进行合理化解释。当温度降低时,1个水分子(或者OH^-)接近Mn、甚至与Mn形成配位键,从而干扰超氧自由基与Mn形成配位键而避免形成产物抑制。因此在低温下该酶促反应主要在快循环通路中进行。最后阐述了几种化学修饰模式对...     

Somatic cell mapping of bovine EC-SOD and SOD1L loci.

cDNA probes of human extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and bovine superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) genes were hybridized to Southern blots containing genomic DNAs from cow-rodent somatic cell lines segregating bovine chromosomes. The SOD1 probe identified two loci: the coding locus (SOD1), which mapped to bovine U10; and a related locus (SOD1L), which mapped to U11. EC-SOD mapped to bovine U15. The mapping of EC-SOD to human chromosome 4, and our mapping of EC-SOD to U15, further defines a region of extensive syntenic conservation between humans and domestic cows.     

The response of Azotobacter chroococcum to oxygen: superoxide-mediated effects.

Nitrogenase in Azotobacter chroococcum whole cells was inhibited by enzymically generated superoxide anion (O2-), hydrogen peroxide, and ethyl hydrogen peroxide. The degree of inhibition produced by O2- was related to the quantity of oxygen supplied to the organisms in continuous cultures. O2- also inhibited oxygen uptake by whole cells. These O2- mediated inhibitions were prevented by bovine superoxide dismutase. The quantities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase associated with cells grown under varying oxygen concentrations were determined. The role of hydrogen peroxide, and of the hydroxyl radical (.OH) in nitrogenase inhibition was examined. The response of Azotobacter chroococum to oxygen was evaluated with respect to the observed effects of O2- on the organism, and some explanation is given to account for nitrogenase sensitivity to oxygen.     

Superoxide dismutases enhance the rate of autoxidation of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid

The autoxidation of 3-hydroxyanthranilate to cinnabarinate at 37 degrees C and at pH 7.4 is hastened by superoxide dismutase (SOD). The Cu,Zn-containing enzyme from bovine erythrocytes and the Mn-containing enzyme from Escherichia coli were equally effective in this regard; whereas the H2O2-inactivated Cu,Zn enzyme was ineffective. Catalase appears to augment the effect of superoxide dismutase, because it prevents the bleaching of cinnabarinate by H2O2. It follows that O2-, which is a product of the autoxidation, slows the net autoxidation by engaging in back reactions and that SOD increases the rate of autoxidation by removal of O2- and thus by prevention of these back reactions.     

Protonation of histidine and histidine-tryptophan interaction in the activation of the M2 ion channel from influenza a virus

The M2 protein of influenza A virus forms a homotetramer ion channel in the lipid membrane. The channel is specific for proton conductance and is activated by low pH with a transition midpoint at pH 5.7. We have studied the structure of the transmembrane domain of the M2 ion channel by using UV resonance Raman spectroscopy, with special attention to the side chains of histidine (His37) and tryptophan (Trp41) residues. The Raman spectra provide direct evidence that the imidazole ring of His37 is protonated upon channel activation at low pH. Concomitantly, the UV resonance Raman scattering from Trp41 shows an unusual intensity change, which is ascribed to a cation-pi interaction between the protonated (cationic) imidazole ring of His37 and the indole ring of Trp41. The protonation of His37 and the Raman intensity change of Trp41 do not occur in the presence of amantadine that blocks the M2 ion channel. These observations clearly show that the protonation of His37 and concomitant cation-pi interaction with Trp41 is a key step in the activation of the M2 ion channel. The His37-Trp41 interaction associated with the channel activation is explained by assuming a conformational transition of His37 induced by electrostatic repulsion among the protonated imidazole rings of four His37 residues in the tetramer channel. Trp41 may play a role in stabilizing the channel open state through cation-pi interaction with His37. A molecular model for the activation of M2 ion channel is proposed on the basis of the gating mechanism.     

Comparative micelle structure. IV. The similarity between caprine alphas-casein and bovine alphas-3- casein.

The major component of caprine (goat) alphas-casein has been isolated by DEAE-and CM-cellulose chromatography in buffers containing urea and 2-mercaptoethanol. The protein has a molecular weight of 25700 as determined by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B in guanidine hydrochloride. Its composition, Asp17, Thr14, Ser14, Glu45, Pro18, Gly4, Ala10, Cys2, Val12, Met4, Ile12, Leu12, Tyr11, Phe8, His5, Lys22, Arg6, Trp2 and 7 phosphate residues, is much closer to that of bovine alphas3-casein than to bovine alphas1-casein. The caprin alphas-casein is more easily precipitated with Ca2+ than bovine alphas3-casein at 37 degrees C, pH 6.8, which in turn is more easily precipitated than bovine alphas1-casein.     

Disulfide-Reduced ALS Variants of Cu, Zn Superoxide Dismutase Exhibit Increased Populations of Unfolded Species

Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a dimeric metal-binding enzyme responsible for the dismutation of toxic superoxide to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen in cells. Mutations at dozens of sites in SOD1 induce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal gain-of-function neurodegenerative disease whose molecular basis is unknown. To obtain insights into effects of the mutations on the folded and unfolded populations of immature monomeric forms whose aggregation or self-association may be responsible for ALS, the thermodynamic and kinetic folding properties of a set of disulfide-reduced and disulfide-oxidized Zn-free and Zn-bound stable monomeric SOD1 variants were compared to properties of the wild-type (WT) protein. The most striking effect of the mutations on the monomer stability was observed for the disulfide-reduced metal-free variants. Whereas the WT and S134N monomers are > 95% folded at neutral pH and 37 °C, A4V, L38V, G93A, and L106V ranged from 50% to ∼ 90% unfolded. The reduction of the disulfide bond was also found to reduce the apparent Zn affinity of the WT monomer by 750-fold, into the nanomolar range, where it may be unable to compete for free Zn in the cell. With the exception of the S134N metal-binding variant, the Zn affinity of disulfide-oxidized SOD1 monomers showed little sensitivity to amino acid replacements. These results suggest a model for SOD1 aggregation where the constant synthesis of ALS variants of SOD1 on ribosomes provides a pool of species in which the increased population of the unfolded state may favor aggregation over productive folding to the native dimeric state.     

Mutation of residues critical for benzohydroxamic acid binding to horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme C.

Aromatic substrate binding to peroxidases is mediated through hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interactions between residues on the distal side of the heme and the substrate molecule. The effects of perturbing these interactions are investigated by an electronic absorption and resonance Raman study of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) binding to a series of mutants of horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme C (HRPC). In particular, the Phe179 --> Ala, His42 --> Glu variants and the double mutant His42 --> Glu:Arg38 --> Leu are studied in their ferric state at pH 7 with and without BHA. A comparison of the data with those previously reported for wild-type HRPC and other distal site mutants reaffirms that in the resting state mutation of His42 leads to an increase of 6-coordinate aquo heme forms at the expense of the 5-coordinate heme state, which is the dominant species in wild-type HRPC. The His42Glu:Arg38Leu double mutant displays an enhanced proportion of the pentacoordinate heme state, similar to the single Arg38Leu mutant. The heme spin states are insensitive to mutation of the Phe179 residue. The BHA complexes of all mutants are found to have a greater amount of unbound form compared to the wild-type HRPC complex. It is apparent from the spectral changes induced on complexation with BHA that, although Phe179 provides an important hydrophobic interaction with BHA, the hydrogen bonds formed between His42 and, in particular, Arg38 and BHA assume a more critical role in the binding of BHA to the resting state.     

Crystal structure of the second domain of the human copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase

The human copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (hCCS) delivers the essential copper ion cofactor to copper,zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a key enzyme in antioxidant defense. Mutations in SOD1 are linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. The molecular mechanisms by which SOD1 is recognized and activated by hCCS are not understood. To better understand this biochemical pathway, we have determined the X-ray structure of the largest domain of hCCS (hCCS Domain II) to 2. 75 A resolution. The overall structure is closely related to that of its target enzyme SOD1, consisting of an eight-stranded beta-barrel and a zinc-binding site formed by two extended loops. The first of these loops provides the ligands to a bound zinc ion, and is analogous to the zinc subloop in SOD1. The second structurally resembles the SOD1 electrostatic channel loop, but lacks many of the residues important for catalysis. Like SOD1 and yCCS, hCCS forms a dimer using a highly conserved interface. In contrast to SOD1, however, the hCCS structure does not contain a copper ion bound in the catalytic site. Notably, the structure reveals a single loop proximal to the dimer interface which is unique to the CCS chaperones.     

Crystal structure of yeast Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase. Crystallographic refinement at 2.5 A resolution.

The structure of Cu,Zn yeast superoxide dismutase has been determined to 2.5 A resolution. The enzyme crystallizes in the P2(1)2(1)2 space group with two dimeric enzyme molecules per asymmetric unit. The structure has been solved by molecular replacement techniques using the dimer of the bovine enzyme as the search model, and refined by molecular dynamics with crystallographic pseudo-energy terms, followed by conventional crystallographic restrained refinement. The R-factor for 32,088 unique reflections in the 10.0 to 2.5 A resolution range (98.2% of all possible reflections) is 0.158 for a model comprising two protein dimers and 516 bound solvent molecules, with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.016 A from the ideal bond lengths, and an average B-factor value of 29.9 A2. A dimeric molecule of the enzyme is composed of two identical subunits related by a non-crystallographic 2-fold axis. Each subunit (153 amino acid residues) has as its structural scaffolding a flattened antiparallel eight-stranded beta-barrel, plus three external loops. The overall three-dimensional structure is quite similar to the phylogenetically distant bovine superoxide dismutase (55% amino acid homology), the largest deviations can be observed in the regions of amino acid insertions. The major insertion site hosting residues Ser25A and Gly25B, occurs in the 2,3 beta-turn between strands 2b and 3c, resulting in the structural perturbations of the two neighbouring strands. The second insertion site, at the end of the 3c beta-strand in the wide Greek-key loop, hosts the Asn35A residue, having an evident effect on the structure of the loop and possibly on the neighbouring 5,4 beta-turn. The salt bridge Arg77-Asp99 and the disulphide bridge Cys55-Cys144 stabilize the loop regions containing the metal ligands. The stereochemistry of the two metal centres is conserved, with respect to the bovine enzyme. The Cu2+ ligands show an uneven distortion from a square plane, while Zn2+ co-ordination geometry is distorted tetrahedral. The imidazole ring of the His61 residue forms a bridge between Cu and Zn ions. A solvent peak compatible with a fifth ligand is observed 2.0 A away from the copper in the active site channel, which is filled by ordered water molecules that possibly contribute to the stability and function of the enzyme. The charged residues responsible for the electrostatic guidance of the substrate to the active site (Glu130, Glu131, Lys134 and Arg141) are fairly conserved in their positions, some of them showing different interactions in the four chains due to the intermolecular contacts between the dimers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Oxidation of histidine residues in copper-zinc superoxide dismutase by bicarbonate-stimulated peroxidase and thiol oxidase activities: pulse EPR and NMR studies

In this work, we investigated the oxidative modification of histidine residues induced by peroxidase and thiol oxidase activities of bovine copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-ZnSOD) using NMR and pulse EPR spectroscopy. 1D NMR and 2D-NOESY were used to determine the oxidative damage at the Zn(II) and Cu(II) active sites as well as at distant histidines. Results indicate that during treatment of SOD with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or cysteine in the absence of bicarbonate anion (HCO(3)(-)), both exchangeable and nonexchangeable protons were affected. Both His-44 and His-46 in the Cu(II) active site were oxidized based on the disappearance of NOESY cross-peaks between CH and NH resonances of the imidazole rings. In the Zn(II) site, only His-69, which is closer to His-44, was oxidatively modified. However, addition of HCO(3)(-) protected the active site His residues. Instead, resonances assigned to the His-41 residue, 11 ? away from the Cu(II) site, were completely abolished during both HCO(3)(-)-stimulated peroxidase activity and thiol oxidase activity in the presence of HCO(3)(-) . Additionally, ESEEM/HYSCORE and ENDOR studies of SOD treated with peroxide/Cys in the absence of HCO(3)(-) revealed that hyperfine couplings to the distal and directly coordinated nitrogens of the His-44 and His-46 ligands at the Cu(II) active site were modified. In the presence of HCO(3)(-), these modifications were absent. HCO(3)(-)-mediated, selective oxidative modification of histidines in SOD may be relevant to understanding the molecular mechanism of SOD peroxidase and thiol oxidase activities.