Adrenodoxin reductase-adrenodexin complex.

Adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin have been shown (Chu, J.-W., and Kimura, T. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 5183-5187) to form a low dissociation constant, 1:1 complex when both proteins are in the oxidized form. We have found that when adrenodoxin: adrenodoxin reductase ratios are varied by increasing the adrenodoxin concentration, with adrenodoxin reductase held constant, an increasing rate of cytochrome c reduction, with NADPH as reductant, is seen up to a ratio of 1:1, indicating that cytochrome c reduction occurs via the protein-protein complex. Spectra observed during titration of this protein-protein complex with NADH were resolved into components by the linear programming method, using a computer program written in Fortran IV. Analysis of the data has shown that the flavoprotein is reduced prior to the iron sulfur protein, and that the midpoint oxidation-reduction potentials (pH 7.5) of the two proteins are -295 and -331 mV, respectively, when both are present in the complex. Complex formation does not alter the potential of adrenodoxin reductase, but changes that of adrenodoxin by -40 mV. Equilibrium constants derived from potential measurements show that the strength of the protein-protein interaction in the complex is unaltered by reduction of adrenodoxin reductase, but is decreased by about 1 kcal due to reduction of adrenodoxin. The low dissociation constants for both oxidized reduced forms of the adrenodoxin reductase-adrenodoxin complex indicate that the complex must remain associated throughout its catalytic cycle. Titration of the adrenodoxin reductase-adrenodoxin complex with the physiologic reductant, NADPH, was followed by EPR and visible spectra, and yielded an order of reduction of the components identical with that seen when NADH was used as reductant. Reduction of the protein-protein complex with NADPH yielded a ternary complex between NADP+, flavoprotein, and iron sulfur protein, with the two electrons located in a "charge transfer" complex between flavoprotein and pyridine nucleotide.     

Inhibition of adrenodoxin reductase by NADP+ and NADPH

Adrenodoxin reductase (EC 1.18.1.2) catalyzes the oxidation of NADPH by 1.4-benzoquinone. The catalytic constant of this reaction at pH 7.0 is equal to 25-28 s-1. NADP+ acts as the mixed-type nonlinear inhibitor of enzyme increasing Km of NADPH and decreasing catalytic constant. NADP+ and NADPH act as mutually exclusive inhibitors relative to reduced adrenodoxin reductase. The patterns of 2',5'-ADP inhibition are analogous to that of NADP+. These data support the conclusion about the existence of second nicotinamide coenzyme binding centre in adrenodoxin reductase.     

Characterization of multiple active forms of the NADPH dehydrogenase component of the oxidase complex from rabbit peritoneal neutrophils by photolabeling with an arylazido derivative of NADP+

A NADPH cytochrome c oxidoreductase purified from membranes of rabbit peritoneal neutrophil was shown to behave as the NADPH dehydrogenase component of the O2- generating oxidase complex. A photoactivable derivative of NADP+, azido nitrophenyl-gamma-aminobutyryl NADP+ (NAP4-NADP+), was synthesized in its labeled [3H] form and used to photolabel the NADPH cytochrome c reductase at different stages of the purification procedure. Control assays performed in dim light indicated that the reduced form of NADP4-NADP+ generated by reduction with glucose-6-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was oxidized at virtually the same rate as NADPH. Upon photoirradiation of the purified reductase in the presence of [3H]NAP4-NADP+ and subsequent separation of the photolabeled species by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, radioactivity was found to be present predominantly in a protein band with a molecular mass of 77-kDa and accessorily in bands of 67-kDa and 57-kDa. Evidence is provided that the 67-kDa and 57-kDa proteins arose from the 77-kDa protein by proteolysis. Despite removal of part of the sequence, the proteolyzed proteins were still active in catalyzing electron transport from NADPH to cytochrome c and in binding the photoactivable derivative of NADP+.     

Interaction of NADP(H) with oxidized and reduced P450 reductase during catalysis. Studies with nucleotide analogues

Previous studies have shown that the interaction of P450 reductase with bound NADP(H) is essential to ensure fast electron transfer through the two flavin cofactors. In this study we investigated in detail the interaction of the house fly flavoprotein with NADP(H) and a number of nucleotide analogues. 1,4,5,6-Tetrahydro-NADP, an analogue of NADPH, was used to characterize the interaction of P450 reductase with the reduced nucleotide. This analogue is inactive as electron donor, but its binding affinity and rate constant of release are very close to those for NADPH. The 2'-phosphate contributes about 5 kcal/mol of the binding energy of NADP(H). Oxidized nicotinamide does not interact with the oxidized flavoprotein, while reduced nicotinamide contributes 1.3 kcal/mol of the binding energy. Oxidized P450 reductase binds NADPH with a K(d) of 0.3 microM, while the affinity of the reduced enzyme is considerably lower, K(d) = 1.9 microM. P450 reductase catalyzes a transhydrogenase reaction between NADPH and oxidized nucleotides, such as thionicotinamide-NADP(+), acetylpyridine-NADP(+), or [(3)H]NADP(+). The reverse reaction, reduction of [(3)H]NADP(+) by the reduced analogues, is also catalyzed by P450 reductase. We define the mechanism of the transhydrogenase reaction as follows: NADPH binding, hydride ion transfer, and release of the NADP(+) formed. An NADP(+) or its analogue binds to the two-electron-reduced flavoprotein, and the electron-transfer steps reverse to transfer hydride ion to the oxidized nucleotide, which is released. Measurements of the flavin semiquinone content, rate constant for NADPH release, and transhydrogenase turnover rates allowed us to estimate the steady-state distribution of P450 reductase species during catalysis, and to calculate equilibrium constants for the interconversion of catalytic intermediates. Our results demonstrate that equilibrium redox potentials of the flavin cofactors are not the sole factor governing rapid electron transfer during catalysis, but conformational changes must be considered to understand P450 reductase catalysis.     

Adrenodoxin reductase and adrenodoxin. Mechanisms of reduction of ferricyanide and cytochrome c.

Adrenodoxin reductase, the flavoprotein moiety of the adrenal cortex mitochondrial steroid hydroxylating system, participates in adrenodoxin-dependent cytochrome c and adrenodoxin-independent ferricyanide reduction, with NADPH as electron donor for both of these 1-electron reductions. For ferricyanide reduction, adrenodoxin reductase cycles between oxidized and 2-electron-reduced forms, reoxidation proceeding via the neutral flavin (FAD) semiquinone form (Fig. 9). Addition of adrenodoxin has no effect upon the kinetic parameters of flavoprotein-catalyzed ferricyanide reduction. For cytochrome c reduction, the adrenodoxin reductase-adrenodoxin 1:1 complex has been shown to be the catalytically active species (Lambeth, J. D., McCaslin, D. R., and Kamin, H. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 7545-7550). Present studies, using stopped flow techniques, have shown that the 2-electron-reduced form of the complex (produced by reaction with 1 eq of NADPH) reacts rapidly with 1 eq of cytochrome c (k approximately or equal to 4.6 s-1), but only slowly with a second cytochrome c (k = 0.1 to 0.3 s-1). However, when a second NADPH is included, two more equivalents of cytochrome are reduced rapidly. Thus, the adrenodoxin reductase-adrenodoxin complex appears to cycle between 1- and 3-electron reduced states, via an intermediate 2-electron-containing form produced by reoxidation by cytochrome (Fig. 10). For ferricyanide reduction by adrenodoxin reductase, the fully reduced and semiquinone forms of flavin each transfer 1 electron at oxidation-reduction potentials which differ by approximately 130 mV. However, adrenodoxin in a complex with adrenodoxin reductase allows electrons of constant potential to be delivered from flavin to cytochrome c via the iron sulfur center...     

A negative cooperativity between NADPH and adrenodoxin on binding to NADPH:adrenodoxin reductase

Adrenodoxin stimulated the oxidation of NADPH by 1,4-benzoquinone, catalyzed by NADPH:adrenodoxin reductase. It prevented the enzyme inhibition by NADPH and formed an additional pathway of benzoquinone reduction presumably via reduced adrenodoxin. In the presence of 100-400 microM NADP+, which increased the Km of NADPH, adrenodoxin acted as a partial competitive inhibitor for NADPH decreasing its TN/Km by a limiting factor of 3. Ki of adrenodoxin decreased on the NADP+ concentration decrease and was estimated to be about 10(-8) M in the absence of NADP+.     

Properties of crystalline reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-adrenodoxin reductase from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria. II. Essential histidyl and cysteinyl residues at the NADPH binding site of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase.

The binding site of NADPH in NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase was examined using crystalline enzyme from bovine adrenocortical mitochondria by studies on the effects of photooxidation and chemical modifications of amino acid residues in the reductase. (1) Photoxication decreased the enzymatic activity of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase. Photooxidation of the reductase was prevented by NADP+, adrenodoxin, or reduced glutathione, but not NAD+. Photoinactivation caused loss of a histidyl residue, but not of tyrosyl, tryptophanyl, cysteinyl, or methionyl residues of the reductase. It did not affect the circular dichroism spectrum of the reductase appreciably. (2) NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase activity was inhibited by diethyl pyrocarbonate and the inhibition was partially reversed by addition of hydroxylamine. The inhibition was prevented by NADP+, but not NAD+. (3) NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase activity was inhibited by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) and the inhibition was reversed by reduced glutathione. It was also protected by NADP+, but not NAD+. The results indicate that a histidyl residue and a cysteinyl residue of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase are essential for the binding of NADPH by the reductase.     

NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase from rat liver: purification by affinity chromatography and characterization.

(NADPH)-cytochrome P-450 reductase was purified to apparent homogeneity by a procedure utilizing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-Sepharose affinity column chromatography. The purified flavoprotein has a molecular weight of 79 700 and catalyzes cytochrome P-450 dependent drug metabolism, as well as reduction of exogenous electron acceptors. Aerobic titration of cytochrome P-450 reductase with NADPH indicates that an air-stable reduced form of the enzyme is generated by the addition of 0.5 mol of NADPH per mole of flavin, as judged by spectral characteristics. Further addition of NADPH causes no other changes in the absorbance spectrum. A Km value for NADPH of 5 micron was observed when either cytochrome P-450 or cytochrome c was employed as electron acceptor. A Km value of 8 +/- 2 micron was determined for cytochrome c and a Km of 0.09 +/- 0.01 micron was estimated for cytochrome P-450.     

Rapid-scan stopped-flow studies of the flavoenzyme mercuric reductase during catalytic turnover

Time-resolved absorption spectra of the FAD-containing enzyme mercuric reductase were recorded during the catalytic reaction at 25 degrees C, pH 7.3. With an excess of NADPH over Hg2+ there was a rapid (k = 43 s-1) initial formation of a spectral species similar to that previously assigned to an NADPH complex of two-electron-reduced enzyme, EH2-NADPH. This spectrum persisted during the quasisteady-state phase of the reaction suggesting that EH2-NADPH is a true catalytic intermediate and that the rate of catalysis is limited by the oxidation of EH2-NADPH by Hg2+. Also with an excess of Hg2+ over NADPH a spectrum similar to that of EH2-NADPH was rapidly formed. As the NADPH was exhausted, the spectrum of oxidized enzyme, E, did not reappear but rather a spectrum similar to that previously assigned to an NADP+ complex of two-electron-reduced enzyme, EH2-NADP+. These results suggest that EH2-HADP+ cannot rapidly reduce the Hg2+ substrate. However, eventually all reducing equivalents from NADPH added to oxidized, activated enzyme are utilized for the reduction of Hg2+. A mechanism model is proposed that does not involve the free, oxidized enzyme in the catalytic cycle.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis FprA, a novel bacterial NADPH-ferredoxin reductase.

The gene fprA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, encoding a putative protein with 40% identity to mammalian adrenodoxin reductase, was expressed in Escherichia coli and the protein purified to homogeneity. The 50-kDa protein monomer contained one tightly bound FAD, whose fluorescence was fully quenched. FprA showed a low ferric reductase activity, whereas it was very active as a NAD(P)H diaphorase with dyes. Kinetic parameters were determined and the specificity constant (kcat/Km) for NADPH was two orders of magnitude larger than that of NADH. Enzyme full reduction, under anaerobiosis, could be achieved with a stoichiometric amount of either dithionite or NADH, but not with even large excess of NADPH. In enzyme titration with substoichiometric amounts of NADPH, only charge transfer species (FAD-NADPH and FADH2-NADP+) were formed. At NADPH/FAD ratios higher than one, the neutral FAD semiquinone accumulated, implying that the semiquinone was stabilized by NADPH binding. Stabilization of the one-electron reduced form of the enzyme may be instrumental for the physiological role of this mycobacterial flavoprotein. By several approaches, FprA was shown to be able to interact productively with [2Fe-2S] iron-sulfur proteins, either adrenodoxin or plant ferredoxin. More interestingly, kinetic parameters of the cytochrome c reductase reaction catalyzed by FprA in the presence of a 7Fe ferredoxin purified from M. smegmatis were determined. A Km value of 30 nm and a specificity constant of 110 microM(-1) x s(-1) (10 times greater than that for the 2Fe ferredoxin) were determined for this ferredoxin. The systematic name for FprA is therefore NADPH-ferredoxin oxidoreductase.     

Electron transfer by ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase. Rapid-reaction evidence for participation of a ternary complex

Rapid reaction studies presented herein show that ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR, EC 1.18.1.2) catalyzes electron transfer from spinach ferredoxin (Fd) to NADP+ via a ternary complex, Fd X FNR X NADP+. In the absence of NADP+, reduction of ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase by Fd was much slower than the catalytic rate: 37-80 s-1 versus at least 445 e-s-1; dissociation of oxidized spinach ferredoxin (Fdox) from one-electron reduced ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase (FNRsq) limited the reduction of FNR. This confirms the steady-state kinetic analysis of Masaki et al. (Masaki, R., Yoshikaya, S., and Matsubara, H. (1982) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 700, 101-109). Occupation of the NADP+ binding site of FNR by NADP+ or by 2',5'-ADP (a nonreducible NADP+ analogue) greatly increased the rate of electron transfer from Fd to FNR, releiving inhibition by Fdox. NADP+ (and 2',5'-ADP) probably facilitate the dissociation of Fdox; equilibrium studies have shown that nucleotide binding decreases the association of Fd with FNR (Batie, C. J. (1983) Ph.D. dissertation, Duke University; Batie, C. J., and Kamin, H. (1982) in Flavins and Flavoproteins VII (Massey, V., and Williams, C. H., Jr., eds) pp. 679-683, Elsevier, New York; Batie, C.J., and Kamin, H. (1982) Fed. Proc. 41, 888; and Batie, C.J., and Kamin, H. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 8832-8839). Premixing Fd with FNR was found to inhibit the reaction of the flavoprotein with NADP+ and with NADPH; thus, substrate binding may be ordered, NADP+ first, then Fd. FNRred and NADP+ very rapidly formed an FNRred X NADP+ complex with flavin to nicotinamide charge transfer bands. The Fdred X NADP+ complex then relaxed to an equilibrium species; the spectrum indicated a predominance of FNRox X NADPH charge-transfer complex. However, charge-transfer species were not observed during turnover; thus, their participation in catalysis of electron transfer from Fd to NADP+ remains uncertain. The catalytic rate of Fd to NADP+ electron transfer, as well as the rates of electron transfer from Fd to FNR, and from FNR to NADP+ were decreased when the reactants were in D2O; diaphorase activity was unaffected by solvent. On the basis of the data presented, a scheme for the catalytic mechanism of catalysis by FNR is presented.     

Inhibition of ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase activity by the hexacyanochromate (III) ion

The small inorganic complex Cr(CN)6(3-) is a clean inhibitor of the ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase-catalysed oxidation of reduced spinach ferredoxin by NADP+. Independent spectrophotometric measurements show that millimolar additions of Cr(CN)6(3-) to mixtures of ferredoxin and ferredoxin NADP+ reductase give a marked attenuation of the difference spectrum characteristic of ferredoxin-ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase complex formation. Since there is no evidence, from NMR studies, for significant binding of Cr(CN)6(3-) to ferredoxin, these results indicate that Cr(CN)6(3-) binds to ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase at a site which is crucial to its interaction with the electron-transfer protein. The effective kinetic binding constant for Cr(CN)6(3-), measured at low ferredoxin concentration, is 445 M-1 (ie Kdiss congruent to 2 mM) at 25 degrees, pH7.5, I = 0.10 M. With assumption of a simple electrostatic interaction, an enzyme domain with an effective charge of 3+/4+ is proposed.     

The reduction of putidaredoxin reductase by reduced pyridine nucleotides

Putidaredoxin reductase (PdR), an FAD-containing protein, mediates the transfer of electrons from NADH to putidaredoxin in the cytochrome P-450cam-dependent oxidation of camphor. Using stopped-flow spectrophotometry, reduction of putidaredoxin reductase by NADH (70 microM) at 4 degrees C appeared to be a pseudo-first-order process with a rate constant in excess of 600 s-1. The reduction of putidaredoxin reductase by NADPH was much slower with a second-order rate constant of 530 s-1 M-1 at 4 degrees C. The reduction of the enzyme was monitored at several wavelengths: 455 nm to follow flavin reduction; 700 nm to follow the appearance of the long-wavelength charge-transfer complex; and 513 nm to detect the presence of a semiquinone form of the flavoprotein. There was no apparent semiquinone formation observed during reduction. The charge-transfer complex can be formed in the presence of NAD+, whereas, no charge-transfer band could be detected when PdR was reduced with NADPH. The titration of chemically or NADPH-reduced putidaredoxin reductase with either a stoichiometric or an excess amount of NAD+ resulted in the formation of a charge-transfer complex, indicating that the reduced form of PdR has a high affinity for NAD+ regardless of the method of reduction. The data presented indicate that putidaredoxin reductase is reduced without the formation of semiquinone intermediate and, upon reduction, forms a tight complex with NAD+. The Keq for the reduction of PdR by NADPH is 1.1 and the midpoint potential for this reaction is -317 +/- 5 mV.     

Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance and electronic spectroscopic studies of adrenodoxin reductase and its binary complex with NADP+

The 31P NMR spectra of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase and its complex with NADP+ are reported. The spectrum of adrenodoxin reductase showed two doublets arising from the phosphorus nuclei in the pyrophosphate group of FAD. Both doublets were shifted upfield to different extents in comparison with those of free FAD. Further, one of the doublets of phosphorus nuclei of the pyrophosphate group of bound NADP+ in the complex of adrenodoxin reductase and NADP+ was considerably shifted upfield in comparison with that of free NADP+. The spectrum of the complex of the reductase and NADP+ showed that the resonance of the 2'-phosphate group of NADP+ bound to the reductase was shifted downfield by 1.37 ppm compared with that of free NADP+ in the dianionic state. The 2'-phosphate resonance of bound NADP+ was independent of pH within the physiological range, whereas that of free NADP+ changed according to its ionization. The resonance of the 2'-phosphate group of NADP+ bound to the reductase also revealed that the ratio for the complex of NADP+ and the reductase was 1:1, and that this complex formation was inhibited by a high KCl concentration. These results were confirmed by electronic spectroscopic studies.     

Ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase. Equilibria in binary and ternary complexes with NADP+ and ferredoxin

Ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase, EC 1.18.1.2) was shown to form a ternary complex with its substrates ferredoxin (Fd) and NADP(H), but the ternary complex was less stable than the separate binary complexes. Kd for oxidized binary Fd-ferredoxin NADP+ reductase complex was less than 50 nM; Kd(Fd) increased with NADP+ concentration, approaching 0.5-0.6 microM when the flavoprotein was saturated with NADP+ K(NADP+) also increased from about 14 microM to about 310 microM, on addition of excess Fd. The changes in Kd were consistent with negative cooperativity between the associations of Fd and NADP+ and with our unpublished observations which suggest that product dissociation is rate-limiting in the reaction mechanism. Similar interference in binding was observed in more reduced states; NADPH released much ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase from Fd-Sepharose whether the proteins were initially oxidized or reduced. Complexation between Fd and ferredoxin: NADP+ reductase was found to shield each center from paramagnetic probes; charge specificity suggested that the active sites of Fd and ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase were, respectively, negatively and positively charged.     

Steroidogenic electron transport in adrenal cortex mitochondria

Summary The flavoprotein NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase and the iron sulfur protein adrenodoxin function as a short electron transport chain which donates electrons one-at-a-time to adrenal cortex mitochondrial cytochromes P-450. The soluble adrenodoxin acts as a mobile one-electron shuttle, forming a complex first with NADPH-reduced adrenodoxin reductase from which it accepts an electron, then dissociating, and finally reassociating with and donating an electron to the membrane-bound cytochrome P-450 (Fig. 9). Dissociation and reassociation with flavoprotein then allows a second cycle of electron transfers. A complex set of factors govern the sequential protein-protein interactions which comprise this adrenodoxin shuttle mechanism; among these factors, reduction of the iron sulfur center by the flavin weakens the adrenodoxinadrenodoxin reductase interaction, thus promoting dissociation of this complex to yield free reduced adrenodoxin. Substrate (cholesterol) binding to cytochrome P-450_scc both promotes the binding of the free adrenodoxin to the cytochrome, and alters the oxidation-reduction potential of the heme so as to favor reduction by adrenodoxin. The cholesterol binding site on cytochrome P-450_scc appears to be in direct communication with the hydrophobic phospholipid milieu in which this substrate is dissolved. Specific effects of both phospholipid headgroups and fatty acyl side-chains regulate the interaction of cholesterol with its binding side. Cardiolipin is an extremely potent positive effector for cholesterol binding, and evidence supports the existence of a specific effector lipid binding site on cytochrome P.450_scc to which this phospho-lipid binds.     

Modification of a lysine residue of adrenodoxin reductase, essential for complex formation with adrenodoxin

The NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity of NADPH-adrenodoxin reductase from NADPH to cytochrome c via adrenodoxin was inhibited by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and other reagents that modified the lysine residues. However, the NADPH-ferricyanide reductase activity was not affected. Loss of the cytochrome c reductase activity could be prevented by adrenodoxin, but not by NADP+. One lysine residue of the adrenodoxin reductase could be protected from the modification with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate by complex formation with adrenodoxin. Loss of the NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was not due to the conformational change of the modified adrenodoxin reductase, judging from circular dichroism spectrometric studies.     

The liver microsomal FAD-containing monooxygenase. Spectral characterization and kinetic studies.

A FAD-containing monooxygenase isolated from pig liver microsomes migrates as a single band upon electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels in the presence of dodecyl sulfate. The minimum molecular weight based on mass of amino acids per mole of flavin is 64,000. However, the catalytically active enzyme exists as aggregating units of the monomer. Neither oxygen nor organic substrates perturbed the spectrum of the oxidized flavoprotein and their binding to this form of the enzyme could not be detected. Anaerobically NADPH bleaches the flavoprotein, and in the presence of both NADPH and oxygen a remarkably stable intermediate form of the enzyme, with an absorption band at 375 nm, is observed. The spectrum of the intermediate resembles that of a peroxyflavin. The monooxygenase catalyzes NADPH- and oxygen-dependent oxygenations of nucleophilic nitrogen- or sulfur-containing compounds. Kinetic studies carried out with a model organic nitrogen substrate (trimethylamine) and a sulfur substrate (methimazole) gave similar patterns. The kinetic data are consistent with an ordered Ter-Bi mechanism with an irreversible step between the second and third substrate where NADPH is added first, followed by oxygen, and the oxidizable organic substrate is added last. If NADPH is the first substrate added, then NADP+ must be the last product released since NADP+ is competitive with NADPH.     

Effect of monovalent anions on the mechanism of phenol hydroxylase

The mechanism of phenol hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.7) has been studied by steady state and rapid reaction kinetic techniques. Both techniques give results consistent with the Bi Uni Uni Bi ping-pong mechanism proposed for other flavin-containing aromatic hydroxylases. The enzyme binds phenolic substrate and NADPH in that order, followed by reduction of the flavin and release of NADP+. A transient charge transfer complex between reduced enzyme and NADP+ can be detected. Molecular oxygen then reacts with the reduced enzyme-substrate complex. Two to three flavin-oxygen intermediates can be detected in the oxidative half-reaction depending on the substrate, provided monovalent anions are present. Oxygen transfer is complete with the formation of the second intermediate. Based on its UV absorption spectrum and on the fact that oxygen transfer has taken place, the last of these intermediates is presumably the flavin C(4a)-hydroxide. Monovalent anions are uncompetitive inhibitors of phenol hydroxylase. The mechanistic step most affected is the dehydration of the flavin C(4a)-hydroxide to give oxidized enzyme. Chloride also kinetically stabilizes the blue flavin semiquinone of phenol hydroxylase during photoreduction. These data suggest binding of monovalent anions results in stabilization of a proton on the N(5) position of the flavin.