Roles of Ile209 and Ile210 on the heme pocket structure and regulation of histidine kinase activity of oxygen sensor FixL from Rhizobium meliloti

FixL is a sensor histidine kinase having a heme-containing domain as an O(2) sensing site. In the study presented here, Ile209 and Ile210 located near the heme iron of the heme domain of Rhizobium meliloti FixL (RmFixL) were mutated, and the mutational effects on the regulation of the kinase activity and the heme pocket structure were examined by the autophosphorylation assay and UV-visible absorption and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies. The mutation of these residues disrupted the regulation of the kinase activity by the sensor (heme) domain, indicating that Ile209 and Ile210 play important roles in the signal transduction between the heme and the kinase domains. By measurement of the resonance Raman and optical absorption spectra of Ile209 and Ile210 mutants in several oxidation, spin, and ligation states, it was found that both residues are highly flexible, and their side chains sterically interact with the O(2) ligand, when it binds to the heme iron. On the basis of the results, we propose an O(2) sensing mechanism of RmFixL; the kinase activity is regulated via conformational changes of Ile209 and Ile210 induced by the O(2) binding to the sensory center.     

Role of arginine 220 in the oxygen sensor FixL from Bradyrhizobium japonicum

In the heme-based oxygen sensor protein FixL, conformational changes induced by oxygen binding to the heme sensor domain regulate the activity of a neighboring histidine kinase, eventually restricting expression of specific genes to hypoxic conditions. The conserved arginine 220 residue is suggested to play a key role in the signal transduction mechanism. To obtain detailed insights into the role of this residue, we replaced Arg(220) by histidine (R220H), glutamine (R220Q), glutamate (R220E), and isoleucine (R220I) in the heme domain FixLH from Bradyrhizobium japonicum. These mutations resulted in dramatic changes in the O(2) affinity with K(d) values in the order R220I < R220Q < wild type < R220H. For the R220H and R220Q mutants, residue 220 interacts with the bound O(2) or CO ligands, as seen by resonance Raman spectroscopy. For the oxy-adducts, this H-bond modifies the pi acidity of the O(2) ligand, and its strength is correlated with the back-bonding-sensitive nu(4) frequency, the k(off) value for O(2) dissociation, and heme core-size conformational changes. This effect is especially strong for the wild-type protein where Arg(220) is, in addition, positively charged. These observations strongly suggest that neither strong ligand fixation nor the displacement of residue 220 into the heme distal pocket are solely responsible for the reported heme conformational changes associated with kinase activity regulation, but that a significant decrease of the heme pi(*) electron density because of strong back-bonding toward the oxygen ligand also plays a key role.     

Role of distal arginine in early sensing intermediates in the heme domain of the oxygen sensor FixL

FixL is a bacterial heme-based oxygen sensor, in which release of oxygen from the sensing PAS domain leads to activation of an associated kinase domain. Static structural studies have suggested an important role of the conserved residue arginine 220 in signal transmission at the level of the heme domain. To assess the role of this residue in the dynamics and properties of the initial intermediates in ligand release, we have investigated the effects of R220X (X = I, Q, E, H, or A) mutations in the FixLH heme domain on the dynamics and spectral properties of the heme upon photolysis of O(2), NO, and CO using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Comparison of transient spectra for CO and NO dissociation with steady-state spectra indicated less strain on the heme in the ligand dissociation species for all mutants compared to the wild type (WT). For CO and NO, the kinetics were similar to those of the wild type, with the exception of (1) a relatively low yield of picosecond NO rebinding to R220A, presumably related to the increase in the free volume of the heme pocket, and (2) substantial pH-dependent picosecond to nanosecond rebinding of CO to R220H, related to formation of a hydrogen bond between CO and histidine 220. Upon excitation of the complex bound with the physiological sensor ligand O(2), a 5-8 ps decay phase and a nondecaying (>4 ns) phase were observed for WT and all mutants. The strong distortion of the spectrum associated with the decay phase in WT is substantially diminished in all mutant proteins, indicating an R220-induced role of the heme in the primary intermediate in signal transmission. Furthermore, the yield of dissociated oxygen after this phase ( approximately 10% in WT) is increased in all mutants, up to almost unity in R220A, indicating a key role of R220 in caging the oxygen near the heme through hydrogen bonding. Molecular dynamics simulations corroborate these findings and suggest motions of O(2) and arginine 220 away from the heme pocket as a second step in the signal pathway on the 50 ps time scale.     

Crystal structures of deoxy and CO-bound bjFixLH reveal details of ligand recognition and signaling

Rhizobia directly regulate the expression of genes required for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in response to oxygen concentration via the sensor protein FixL. The N-terminal PAS domain of FixL contains a histidine-coordinated heme and regulates the activity of its effector domain, a C-terminal histidine kinase, in response to binding of oxygen and other ligands at the heme. To further investigate ligand-induced inhibition of FixL, we have determined the crystal structures of the heme domain in both the deoxy state and bound to carbon monoxide, a weak inhibitor of FixL kinase activity. Structures collected at room temperature are presented in each state from two crystallographic space groups at 1.8 and 2 A resolution. These structures reveal displacement of the residues of the H(beta) and I(beta) strands by Leu236 upon CO binding, and this structural change propagates more than 15 A to a region of the structure implicated in signal transduction in PAS proteins. Displacement of residues Ile215, Ile216, and Gly217 in the FG loop is also evident, accompanied by the movement of heme propionate 6 upon change in iron ligation. CO binding increases the temperature factors in the FG loop of the protein and disorders the side chain of Arg206, a conserved residue involved in the FG loop switch mechanism. We relate these results to structural changes in other PAS sensor domains and their involvement in catalytic control.     

Sensory mechanism of oxygen sensor FixL from Rhizobium meliloti: crystallographic, mutagenesis and resonance Raman spectroscopic studies

FixL of Rhizobium meliloti (RmFixL) is a sensor histidine kinase of the two-component system, which regulates the expression of the genes related to nitrogen fixation in the root nodule in response to the O(2) levels. The crystal structure of the sensor domain of FixL (RmFixLH), which contains a heme (Fe-porphyrin) as a sensing site, was determined at 1.4 A resolution. Based on the structural and spectroscopic analyses, we propose the O(2) sensing mechanism that differs from the case proposed in BjFixLH as follows; conformational changes in the F/G loop, which are induced by steric repulsion between the bent-bound O(2) and the Ile209 side-chain, would be transmitted to the histidine kinase domain. Interaction between the iron-bound O(2) and Ile209 was also observed in the resonance Raman spectra of RmFixLH as evidenced by the fact that the Fe-O(2) and Fe-CN stretching frequencies were shifted from 575 to 570 cm(-1) (Fe-O(2)), and 504 to 499 cm(-1), respectively, as the result of the replacement of Ile209 with an Ala residue. In the I209A mutant of RmFixL, the O(2) sensing activity was destroyed, thus confirming our proposed mechanism.     

Characterization of conformational changes coupled to ligand photodissociation from the heme binding domain of FixL

Using transient absorption spectroscopy and photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC), we have characterized carbon monoxide photodissociation and rebinding to two forms of the heme domain of Bradyrhizobium japonicum FixL. Transient absorption results for the complete heme domain (FixL residues 140-270) and a truncated heme domain (missing 11 residues on the N-teminal end and 14 amino acid residues on the C-terminal end of the full length heme domain) show similar rates for ligand rebinding to the five-coordinate heme domain and the absence of any transient intermediate on a microsecond time scale. Results from PAC studies show that both the truncated and complete heme domains undergo a contraction upon ligand photolysis. In addition, CO photolysis from the complete heme domain gives rise to an intermediate with a lifetime of approximately 150 ns which is absent in the truncated heme domain. We attribute the 150 ns phase to ligand release to the solvent which may be accelerated in the case of the truncated domain. The initial contraction is attributed to changes in the charge distribution due to reorganization of the surface salt bridge formed between Glu182 and Arg227 or possibly to reorientation of Arg206. Changes in the charge distribution may play an important role in communication between the sensor domain and the regulatory domain and thus may be part of the signal transduction pathway.     

Functional implications of the propionate 7-arginine 220 interaction in the FixLH oxygen sensor from Bradyrhizobium japonicum

BjFixL from Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a heme-based oxygen sensor implicated in the signaling cascade that enables the bacterium to adapt to fluctuating oxygen levels. Signal transduction is initiated by the binding of O(2) to the heme domain of BjFixL, resulting in protein conformational changes that are transmitted to a histidine kinase domain. We report structural changes of the heme and its binding pocket in the Fe(II) deoxy and Fe(III) met states of the wild-type BjFixLH oxygen sensor domain and four mutants of the highly conserved residue arginine 220. UV-visible, electron paramagnetic resonance, and resonance Raman spectroscopies all showed that the heme iron of the R220H mutant is unexpectedly six-coordinated at physiological pH in the Fe(III) state but undergoes pH- and redox-dependent coordination changes. This behavior is unprecedented for FixL proteins, but is reminiscent of another oxygen sensor from E. coli, EcDos. All mutants in their deoxy states are five-coordinated Fe(II), although we report rupture of the residue 220-propionate 7 interaction and structural modifications of the heme conformation as well as propionate geometry and flexibility. In this work, we conclude that part of the structural reorganization usually attributed to O(2) binding in the wild-type protein is in fact due to rupture of the Arg220-P7 interaction. Moreover, we correlate the structural modifications of the deoxy Fe(II) states with k(on) values and conclude that the Arg220-P7 interaction is responsible for the lower O(2) and CO k(on) values reported for the wild-type protein.     

Cytochrome b6 arginine 214 of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, a key residue for quinone-reductase site function and turnover of the cytochrome bf complex

Quinone-reductase (Q(i)) domains of cyanobacterial/chloroplast cytochrome bf and bacterial/mitochondrial bc complexes differ markedly, and the cytochrome bf Q(i) site mechanism remains largely enigmatic. To investigate the bf Q(i) domain, we constructed the mutation R214H, which substitutes histidine for a conserved arginine in the cytochrome b(6) polypeptide of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. SPCC 7002. At high light intensity, the R214H mutant grew approximately 2.5-fold more slowly than the wild type. Slower growth arose from correspondingly slower overall turnover of the bf complex. Specifically, as shown in single flash turnover experiments of cytochrome b(6) reduction and oxidation, the R214H mutation partially blocked electron transfer to the Q(i) site, mimicking the effect of the Q(i) site inhibitor 2-N-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide. The kinetics of cytochrome b(6) oxidation were largely unaffected by hydrogen-deuterium exchange in the mutant but were slowed considerably in the wild type. This suggests that although protonation events influenced the kinetics of cytochrome b(6) oxidation at the Q(i) site in the wild type, electron flow limited this reaction in the R214H mutant. Redox titration of membranes revealed midpoint potentials (E(m,7)) of the two b hemes similar to those in the wild type. Our data define cytochrome b(6) Arg(214) as a key residue for Q(i) site catalysis and turnover of the cytochrome bf complex. In the recent cytochrome bf structures, Arg(214) lies near the Q(i) pocket and the newly discovered c(i) or x heme. We propose a model for Q(i) site function and a role for Arg(214) in plastoquinone binding.     

Critical role of the neuronal nitric-oxide synthase heme proximal side residue, Arg418, in catalysis and electron transfer.

Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-Arg in the P450-type heme active site of nitric-oxide synthase (NOS). The internal axial ligand of the heme, Cys415, may hydrogen-bond to the side chain of the conserved Arg418 residue in neuronal NOS (nNOS). To understand the role of Arg418, we generated the nNOS mutants, Arg418Ala and Arg418Leu. NO formation activities with the mutants using both L-Arg and NHA as substrates were less than 0.1 nmol/min/nmol heme, in contrast to rates of 34-35 nmol/min/nmol heme with the wild-type enzyme. The heme reduction rate of the mutants was very slow, less than 10(-2) min(-1), in contrast with that (more than 10 min(-1)) of the wild type. The backbone amide group of Arg418 interacts with the Cys415 thiolate through van der Waals contact, whereas the carbonyl oxygen of Cys415 and the guanidino N(epsilon) atom of Arg418 form a tight hydrogen bond. The results suggest that Arg418 is critical in preserving the heme proximal structure and thus, is indirectly involved in both catalysis and electron transfer from the reductase domain to the heme.     

Very high resolution structure of a trematode hemoglobin displaying a TyrB10-TyrE7 heme distal residue pair and high oxygen affinity

Monomeric hemoglobin from the trematode Paramphistomum epiclitum displays very high oxygen affinity (P(50)<0.001 mm Hg) and an unusual heme distal site containing tyrosyl residues at the B10 and E7 positions. The crystal structure of aquo-met P. epiclitum hemoglobin, solved at 1.17 A resolution via multiwavelength anomalous dispersion techniques (R-factor=0.121), shows that the heme distal site pocket residue TyrB10 is engaged in hydrogen bonding to the iron-bound ligand. By contrast, residue TyrE7 is unexpectedly locked next to the CD globin region, in a conformation unsuitable for heme-bound ligand stabilisation. Such structural organization of the E7 distal residue differs strikingly from that observed in the nematode Ascaris suum hemoglobin (bearing TyrB10 and GlnE7 residues), which also displays very high oxygen affinity. The oxygenation and carbonylation parameters of wild-type P. epiclitum Hb as well as of single- and double-site mutants, with residue substitutions at positions B10, E7 and E11, have been determined and are discussed here in the light of the protein atomic resolution crystal structure.     

Critical role of the heme axial ligand, Met95, in locking catalysis of the phosphodiesterase from Escherichia coli (Ec DOS) toward Cyclic diGMP

Heme-regulated phosphodiesterase from Escherichia coli (Ec DOS) is a gas-sensor enzyme that hydrolyzes cyclic dinucleotide-GMP, and it is activated by O(2) or CO binding to the Fe(II) heme. In contrast to other well known heme-regulated gas-sensor enzymes or proteins, Ec DOS is not specific for a single gas ligand. Because Arg(97) in the heme distal side in Ec DOS interacts with the O(2) molecule and Met(95) serves as the axial ligand on the distal side of the Fe(II) heme-bound PAS domain of Ec DOS, we explored the effect of mutating these residues on the activity and gas specificity of Ec DOS. We found that R97A, R97I, and R97E mutations do not significantly affect regulation of the phosphodiesterase activities of the Fe(II)-CO and Fe(II)-NO complexes. The phosphodiesterase activities of the Fe(II)-O(2) complexes of the mutants could not be detected due to rapid autoxidation and/or low affinity for O(2). In contrast, the activities even of the gas-free M95A and M95L mutants were similar to that of the gas-activated wild-type enzyme. Interestingly, the activity of the M95H mutant was partially activated by O(2), CO, and NO. Spectroscopic analysis indicated that the Fe(II) heme is in the 5-coordinated high-spin state in the M95A and M95L mutants but that in the M95H mutant, like wild-type Ec DOS, it is in the 6-coordinated low-spin state. These results suggest that Met(95) coordination to the Fe(II) heme is critical for locking the system and that global structural changes around Met(95) caused by the binding of the external ligands or mutations at Met(95) releases the catalytic lock and activates catalysis.     

Recognition and discrimination of gases by the oxygen-sensing signal transducer protein HemAT as revealed by FTIR spectroscopy

The determination of ligand binding properties is a key step in our understanding of gas sensing and discrimination by gas sensory proteins. HemAT is a newly discovered signal transducer heme protein that recognizes O(2) and discriminates against other gases such as CO and NO. We have used FTIR spectroscopy on CO- and NO-bound sensor domain HemAT and sensor domain distal mutants Y70F, T95A, R91A, and L92A to gain insight into the structure of the iron-bound ligand at ambient temperature. These mutations were designed to perturb the electrostatic field near the iron-bound gaseous ligand and also allow us to investigate the communication pathway between the distal residues of the protein and the heme. We show the formation of both H-bonded and non-H-bonded conformations in the CO-bound forms. In addition, we report the presence of multiple conformations in the NO-bound forms. Such distal H-bonding is crucial for ligand binding and activation by the heme. The comparison of the O(2), NO, and CO data demonstrates that Thr95 and Tyr70 are crucial for ligand recognition and discrimination and, thus, for specific sensing of gases, and L92 is crucial for controlling the conformational changes of the Thr95 and Tyr70 residues upon NO binding.     

A proximal arginine R206 participates in switching of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum FixL oxygen sensor

In oxygen-sensing PAS domains, a conserved polar residue on the proximal side of the heme cofactor, usually arginine or histidine, interacts alternately with the protein in the "on-state" or the heme edge in the "off-state" but does not contact the bound ligand directly. We assessed the contributions of this residue in Bradyrhizobium japonicum FixL by determining the effects of an R206A substitution on the heme-PAS structure, ligand affinity, and regulatory capacity. The crystal structures of the unliganded forms of the R206A and wild-type BjFixL heme-PAS domains were similar, except for a more ruffled porphyrin ring in R206A BjFixL and a relaxation of the H214 residue and heme propionate 7 due to their lost interactions. The oxygen affinity of R206A BjFixL (Kd approximately 350 microM) was 2.5 times lower than that of BjFixL, and this was due to a higher off-rate constant for the R206A variant. The enzymatic activities of the unliganded "on-state" forms, either deoxy or met-R206A BjFixL, were comparable to each other and slightly lower (twofold less) than those of the corresponding BjFixL species. The most striking difference between the two proteins was in the enzymatic activities of the liganded "off-state" forms. In particular, saturation with a regulatory ligand (the Fe(III) form with cyanide) caused a >2000-fold inhibition of the BjFixL phosphorylation of BjFixJ, but a 140-fold inhibition of this catalytic activity in R206A BjFixL. Thus, in oxygen-sensing PAS domains, the interactions of polar residues with the heme edge couple the heme-binding domain to a transmitter during signal transduction.     

A cooperative oxygen binding hemoglobin from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Stabilization of heme ligands by a distal tyrosine residue

The homodimeric hemoglobin (HbN) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis displays an extremely high oxygen binding affinity and cooperativity. Sequence alignment with other hemoglobins suggests that the proximal F8 ligand is histidine, the distal E7 residue is leucine, and the B10 position is occupied by tyrosine. To determine how these heme pocket residues regulate the ligand binding affinities and physiological functions of HbN, we have measured the resonance Raman spectra of the O(2), CO, and OH(-) derivatives of the wild type protein and the B10 Tyr --> Leu and Phe mutants. Taken together these data demonstrate a unique distal environment in which the heme bound ligands strongly interact with the B10 tyrosine residue. The implications of these data on the physiological functions of HbN and another heme-containing protein, cytochrome c oxidase, are considered.     

Understanding how the distal environment directs reactivity in chlorite dismutase: spectroscopy and reactivity of Arg183 mutants

The chlorite dismutase from Dechloromonas aromatica (DaCld) catalyzes the highly efficient decomposition of chlorite to O(2) and chloride. Spectroscopic, equilibrium thermodynamic, and kinetic measurements have indicated that Cld has two pH sensitive moieties; one is the heme, and Arg183 in the distal heme pocket has been hypothesized to be the second. This active site residue has been examined by site-directed mutagenesis to understand the roles of positive charge and hydrogen bonding in O-O bond formation. Three Cld mutants, Arg183 to Lys (R183K), Arg183 to Gln (R183Q), and Arg183 to Ala (R183A), were investigated to determine their respective contributions to the decomposition of chlorite ion, the spin state and coordination states of their ferric and ferrous forms, their cyanide and imidazole binding affinities, and their reduction potentials. UV-visible and resonance Raman spectroscopies showed that DaCld(R183A) contains five-coordinate high-spin (5cHS) heme, the DaCld(R183Q) heme is a mixture of five-coordinate and six-coordinate high spin (5c/6cHS) heme, and DaCld(R183K) contains six-coordinate low-spin (6cLS) heme. In contrast to wild-type (WT) Cld, which exhibits pK(a) values of 6.5 and 8.7, all three ferric mutants exhibited pH-independent spectroscopic signatures and kinetic behaviors. Steady state kinetic parameters of the chlorite decomposition reaction catalyzed by the mutants suggest that in WT DaCld the pK(a) of 6.5 corresponds to a change in the availability of positive charge from the guanidinium group of Arg183 to the heme site. This could be due to either direct acid-base chemistry at the Arg183 side chain or a flexible Arg183 side chain that can access various orientations. Current evidence is most consistent with a conformational adjustment of Arg183. A properly oriented Arg183 is critical for the stabilization of anions in the distal pocket and for efficient catalysis.     

Structure and ligand binding properties of leucine 29(B10) mutants of human myoglobin.

Site-specific mutants of human myoglobin (Mb) have been prepared, in which Leu29 (B10) is replaced by Ala(L29A) or Ile(L29I), in order to examine the influence of this highly conserved residue in the hydrophobic clusters of the heme distal site on the heme environmental structure and ligand binding properties of Mb. Structural characterizations of these recombinant Mbs are studied by electronic absorption, infrared (IR), one- and two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, and ligand-binding kinetics by laser photolysis measurements under ambient and high pressures (up to 2000 bar). Multiple split carbon monoxide (CO) stretch bands in the IR spectra of mutant Mbs exhibit a relative decrease of the 1945 cm-1 band (approximately 50%) which is associated with an upright binding geometry of CO, accompanied by an increase of the tilted CO conformer at 1932 cm-1. On the basis of these results, replacement of Leu29(B10) by Ala or Ile appears to allow bound CO to rotate from a conformation pointing toward the beta meso carbon of the heme group to the one pointing toward the alpha meso carbon atom, presumably filling the space left by removal of the delta 2 carbon atom of Leu29(B10). These substitutions cause the rate constants for CO and O2 association to decrease almost 3-5-fold. Present results show that CO and O2 bindings to the heme iron of Mb are controlled by Leu29(B10) by influencing the structure of close vicinity of the heme and the geometry of iron-bound ligand. Further, mutant Mbs (Leu72(E15)----Ala and Leu104 (G5)----Ala) which have altered residues in another hydrophobic clusters around proximal and distal site are also examined.     

Tryptophan 409 controls the activity of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase by regulating nitric oxide feedback inhibition.

The heme of neuronal nitric-oxide synthase participates in oxygen activation but also binds self-generated NO during catalysis resulting in reversible feedback inhibition. We utilized point mutagenesis to investigate if a conserved tryptophan residue (Trp-409), which engages in pi-stacking with the heme and hydrogen bonds to its axial cysteine ligand, helps control catalysis and regulation by NO. Surprisingly, mutants W409F and W409Y were hyperactive compared with the wild type regarding NO synthesis without affecting cytochrome c reduction, reductase-independent N-hydroxyarginine oxidation, or Arg and tetrahydrobiopterin binding. In the absence of Arg, NADPH oxidation measurements showed that electron flux through the heme was actually slower in the Trp-409 mutants than in wild-type nNOS. However, little or no NO complex accumulated during NO synthesis by the mutants, as opposed to the wild type. This difference was potentially related to mutants forming unstable 6-coordinate ferrous-NO complexes under anaerobic conditions even in the presence of Arg and tetrahydrobiopterin. Thus, Trp-409 mutations minimize NO feedback inhibition by preventing buildup of an inactive ferrous-NO complex during the steady state. This overcomes the negative effect of the mutation on electron flux and results in hyperactivity. Conservation of Trp-409 among different NOS suggests that the ability of this residue to regulate heme reduction and NO complex formation is important for enzyme physiologic function.     

Ligand interactions in the distal heme pocket of Mycobacterium tuberculosis truncated hemoglobin N: roles of TyrB10 and GlnE11 residues

The crystallographic structure of oxygenated trHbN from Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed an extended heme distal site hydrogen-bonding network that includes Y(B10), Q(E11), and the bound O(2) (Milani, M., et al. (2001) EMBO J. 20, 3902-3909). In the present work, we analyze the effects that substitutions at the B10 and E11 positions exert on the heme and its coordinated ligands, using steady-state resonance Raman spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Our results show that (1) residues Y(B10) and Q(E11) control the binding and the ionization state of the heme-bound water molecules in ferric trHbN and are important in keeping the sixth coordination position vacant in deoxy trHbN; (2) residue Q(E11) plays a role in maintaining the integrity of the proximal Fe-His bond in deoxy trHbN; (3) in wild-type oxy-trHbN, the size and hydrogen-bonding capability of residue E11 is important to sustain proper interaction between Y(B10) and the heme-bound O(2); (4) CO-trHbN is in a conformational equilibrium, where either the Y(B10) or the Q(E11) residue interacts with the heme-bound CO; and (5) Y(B10) and Q(E11) residues control the conformation (and likely the dynamics) of the protein matrix tunnel gating residue F(E15). These findings suggest that the functional processes of ligand binding and diffusion are controlled in trHbN through the dynamic interaction of residues Y(B10), Q(E11), F(E15), and the heme ligand.