Flavocytochromes c: transient kinetics of photoreduction by flavin analogues

Kinetics of reduction of phototrophic bacterial flavocytochromes c by exogenous flavin semiquinones and fully reduced flavins generated by laser flash photolysis have been studied. The mechanisms of reduction of Chromatium and Chlorobium flavocytochromes c are more similar to one another than previously thought. Neither protein is very reactive with neutral flavin semiquinones (k less than 10(7) M-1 s-1), and the reactions with fully reduced flavins are slower than expected on the basis of comparison with other electron-transfer proteins of similar redox potentials. Deazaflavin radical is reactive with the flavocytochromes c by virtue of its low redox potential, but this reaction is also slower than expected on the basis of comparison with other electron-transfer proteins. These experiments indicate that the active site for reduction of flavocytochrome c is relatively buried and probably inaccessible to solvent. Fully reduced FMN does not show an ionic strength effect in its reaction with flavocytochrome c, which demonstrates that the active site is uncharged. Sulfite, which forms an adduct with protein-bound FAD, partially blocks heme reduction. This shows that heme is reduced via the FAD. The rate constant for intramolecular electron transfer between FAD and heme must be on the order of 10(4) s-1 or larger.     

Laser-flash-photolysis studies of p-cresol methylhydroxylase. Electron-transfer properties of the flavin and haem components.

p-Cresol methylhydroxylase, a heterodimer consisting of one flavoprotein subunit and one cytochrome c subunit, may be resolved into its subunits, and the holoenzyme may then be fully reconstituted from the pure subunits. In the present study we have characterized the reduction kinetics of the intact enzyme and its subunits, by using exogenous 5-deazariboflavin semiquinone radical generated in the presence of EDTA by the laser-flash-photolysis technique. Under anaerobic conditions the 5-deazariboflavin semiquinone radical reacts rapidly with the native enzyme with a rate constant approaching that of a diffusion-controlled reaction (k = 2.8 X 10(9) M-1 X s-1). Time-resolved difference spectra at pH 7.6 indicate that both flavin and haem are reduced initially by the deazariboflavin semiquinone radical, followed by an additional slower intramolecular electron transfer (k = 220 s-1) from the endogenous neutral flavin semiquinone radical to the oxidized haem moiety of the native enzyme. During the steady-state photochemical titration of the native enzyme at pH 7.6 with deazariboflavin semiquinone radical generated by light-irradiation the haem appeared to be reduced before the protein-bound flavin and was followed by the formation of the protein-bound anionic flavin radical. This result suggests that the redox potential of the haem is higher than that of the flavin, and that deprotonation of the flavin neutral radical occurred during the photochemical titration. Reduction kinetics of the flavoprotein and cytochrome subunits were also investigated by laser-flash photolysis. The protein-bound flavin of the isolated flavin subunit was reduced rapidly by the deazariboflavin semiquinone radical (k = 2.2 X 10(9) M-1 X s-1), as was the haem of the pure cytochrome c subunit (k = 3.7 X 10(9) M-1 X s-1). Flash-induced difference spectra obtained for the flavoprotein and cytochrome subunits at pH 7.6 were consistent with the formation of neutral flavin semiquinone radical and reduced haem, respectively. Investigation of the kinetic properties of the neutral flavin semiquinone radical of the flavoprotein subunit at pH 7.6 and at longer times (up to 5s) were consistent with a slow first-order deprotonation reaction (k = 1 s-1) of the neutral radical to its anionic form.     

Redox potentials of flavocytochromes c from the phototrophic bacteria, Chromatium vinosum and Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum.

The redox potentials of flavocytochromes c (FC) from Chromatium vinosum and Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum have been studied as a function of pH. Chlorobium FC has a single heme which has a redox potential of +98 mV at pH 7 (N = 1) that is independent of pH between 6 and 8. The average two-electron redox potential of the flavin extrapolated to pH 7 is +28 mV and decreases 35 mV/pH between pH 6 and 7. The anionic form of the flavin semiquinone is stabilized above pH 6. The redox potential of Chromatium FC is markedly lower than for Chlorobium. The two hemes in Chromatium FC appear to have a redox potential of 15 mV at pH 7 (N = 1), although they reside in very different structural environments. The hemes of Chromatium FC have a pH-dependent redox potential, which can be fit in the simplest case by a single ionization with pK = 7.05. The flavin in Chromatium FC has an average two-electron redox potential of -26 mV at pH 7 and decreases 30 mV/pH between pH 6 and 8. As with Chlorobium, the anionic form of the flavin semiquinone of Chromatium FC is stabilized above pH 6. The unusually high redox potential of the flavin, a stabilized anion radical, and sulfite binding to the flavin in both Chlorobium and Chromatium FCs are characteristics shared by the flavoprotein oxidases. By analogy with glycolate oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase for which there are three-dimensional structures, the properties of the FCs are likely to be due to a positively charged amino acid side chain in the vicinity of the N1 nitrogen of the flavin.     

Covalent structure of the diheme cytochrome subunit and amino-terminal sequence of the flavoprotein subunit of flavocytochrome c from Chromatium vinosum.

The complete sequence of the 21-kDa cytochrome subunit of the flavocytochrome c (FC) from the purple phototrophic bacterium Chromatium vinosum has been determined to be as follows: EPTAEMLTNNCAGCHG THGNSVGPASPSIAQMDPMVFVEVMEGFKSGEIAS TIMGRIAKGYSTADFEKMAGYFKQQTYQPAKQSF DTALADTGAKLHDKYCEKCHVEGGKPLADEEDY HILAGQWTPYLQYAMSDFREERRPMEKKMASKL RELLKAEGDAGLDALFAFYASQQ. The sequence is the first example of a diheme cytochrome in a flavocytochrome complex. Although the locations of the heme binding sites and the heme ligands suggest that the cytochrome subunit is the result of gene doubling of a type I cytochrome c, as found with Azotobacter cytochrome c4, the extremely low similarity of only 7% between the two halves of the Chromatium FC heme subunit rather suggests that gene fusion is at the evolutionary origin of this cytochrome. The two halves also require a single residue internal deletion for alignment. The first half of the Chromatium FC heme subunit is 39% similar to the monoheme subunit of the FC from the green phototrophic bacterium Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum, but the second half is only 9% similar to the Chlorobium subunit. The N-terminal sequence of the Chromatium FC flavin subunit was determined up to residue 41 as AGRKVVVVGGGTGGATAAKYIKLADPSIEVTLIEP NTKYYT. It shows more similarity to the Chlorobium FC flavin subunit (60%) than do the two heme subunits. The N terminus of the flavin subunit is homologous to a number of flavoproteins, including succinate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase, and monamine oxidase. There is no obvious homology to the Pseudomonas putida FC flavin subunit, which suggests that the two types of flavocytochrome c arose by convergent evolution. This is consistent with the dissimilar enzyme activities of FC as sulfide dehydrogenase in the phototrophic bacteria and as p-cresol methylhydroxylase in Pseudomonas. We also present a sequence "fingerprint" pattern for the recognition of FAD-binding proteins which is an extended version of the consensus sequence previously presented (Wierenga, R. K., Terpstra, P., and Hol, W. G. J. (1986) J. Mol. Biol. 187, 101-107) for nucleotide binding sites.     

Expression of spinach glycolate oxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: purification and characterization.

Glycolate oxidase from spinach has been expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The active enzyme was purified to near-homogeneity (purification factor approximately 1400-fold) by means of hydroxyapatite and anion-exchange chromatography. The purified glycolate oxidase is nonfluorescent and has absorbance peaks at 448 (epsilon = 9200 M-1 cm-1) and 346 nm in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 8.3. The large bathochromic shift of the near-UV band indicates that the N(3) position is deprotonated at pH 8.3. A pH titration revealed that the pK of the N(3) is shifted from 10.3 in free flavin to 6.4 in glycolate oxidase. Glycolate oxidase is competitively inhibited by oxalate with a Kd of 0.24 mM at 4 degrees C in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 8.3. Three pieces of evidence demonstrate that glycolate oxidase stabilizes a negative charge at the N(1)-C(2 = O) locus: the enzyme forms a tight sulfite complex with a Kd of 2.7 x 10(-7) M and stabilizes the anionic flavosemiquinone and the benzoquinoid form of 8-mercapto-FMN. Steady-state analysis at pH 8.3, 4 degrees C, yielded a Km = 1 x 10(-3) M for glycolate and Km = 2.1 x 10(-4) M for oxygen. The turnover number has been determined to be 20 s-1. Stopped-flow studies of the reductive (k = 25 s-1) and oxidative (k = 8.5 x 10(4) M-1 s-1) half-reactions have identified the reduction of glycolate oxidase to be the rate-limiting step.     

Chromatium flavocytochrome c: kinetics of reduction of the heme subunit, and the flavocytochrome c-mitochondrial cytochrome c complex

The kinetics of reduction of Chromatium vinosum flavocytochrome c heme subunit by exogenous flavin neutral semiquinones generated by laser flash photolysis have been investigated. Unlike the holoprotein, the isolated heme subunit was appreciably reactive with lumiflavin neutral semiquinone. The measured rate constant for the reaction (2.7 X 10(7) M-1 S-1) was comparable to those of c-type cytochromes having similar redox potentials. The ionic strength dependence of the reaction with FMN neutral radical indicated that the heme subunit had a small negative charge at the site of reduction. Taken together, these results suggest that the active site of the heme subunit is buried on complexation with the flavin subunit in the holoprotein. Horse cytochrome c formed a strong complex with Chromatium, but not Chlorobium, flavocytochrome c. Possible physiological electron acceptors such as HiPIP, cytochrome c', and cytochrome c-555 apparently did not bind to the flavocytochromes c. The rate constant for reduction by lumiflavin radical of horse cytochrome c complexed to flavocytochrome c was about twofold smaller than for reduction of horse cytochrome c alone. Flavocytochrome c was itself unreactive with exogenous flavin semiquinones. The ionic strength dependence of the reduction of the complex by FMN radical was also smaller than for horse cytochrome c in the absence of flavocytochrome c. Sulfite, which forms an adduct with the protein-bound FAD (FAD is bound in an 8-alpha-S-cysteinyl linkage), did not affect the reduction of horse cytochrome c in its complex with flavocytochrome c. We conclude that horse cytochrome c is reduced directly by exogenous flavins in its complex with flavocytochrome c, although the kinetics are slightly modified. These results are not unlike observations made with complexes of mitochondrial cytochrome c with cytochrome oxidase or cytochrome b5.     

Regulation of dehydrogenases/one-electron transferases by modification of flavin redox potentials. Effect of product binding on semiquinone stabilization in yeast flavocytochrome b2

Spectroscopic and potentiometric measurements have been carried out, at room temperature, during anaerobic titrations of Hansenula anomala L-lactate cytochrome c oxidoreductase (or flavocytochrome b2) both in the presence and in the absence of pyruvate (the physiological reaction product). Under the same conditions, the flavin spectral contribution was estimated and the flavosemiquinone proportion was directly determined by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. In the present study, we show the visible light absorption and paramagnetic characteristics of the flavin radical at 18 degrees C and also the dramatic effect of pyruvate on the redox potential of each monoelectronic couple of the flavin. Thermodynamic stabilization of the semiquinone form, in the presence of pyruvate, is interpreted as a mode of regulation of flavocytochrome b2 activity. Taking into account that analogous controls have been observed with two other flavoenzymes belonging to this class of dehydrogenases/one-electron transferases, we suggest that redox potential modulation could be a type of regulation effective for the whole class of enzymes in which a semiquinone is an obligate intermediate.     

Complete amino acid sequence of the cytochrome subunit and amino-terminal sequence of the flavin subunit of flavocytochrome c (sulfide dehydrogenase) from Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum

The complete amino acid sequence of the 86-residue heme subunit of flavocytochrome c (sulfide dehydrogenase) from the green phototrophic bacterium Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum strain Tassajara has been determined as follows: APEQSKSIPRGEILSLSCAGCHGTDGKSESIIPTIYGRSAEYIESALLDFKSGA- RPSTVMGRHAKGYSDEEIHQIAEYFGSLSTMNN. The subunit has a single heme-binding site near the N terminus, consisting of a pair of cysteine residues at positions 18 and 21. The out-of-plane ligands are apparently contributed by histidine 22 and methionine 60. The molecular weight including heme is 10,014. The heme subunit is apparently homologous to small cytochromes c by virtue of the location of the heme-binding site and its extraplanar ligands. However, the amino acid sequence is closer to Paracoccus sp. cytochrome c554(548) (37%) than it is to the heme subunit from Pseudomonas putida p-cresol methylhydroxylase flavocytochrome c (20%). The flavocytochrome c heme subunit is only 14% similar to the small cytochrome c555 also found in Chlorobium. Secondary structure predictions suggest N- and C-terminal helices as expected, but the midsection of the protein probably folds somewhat differently from the small cytochromes of known three-dimensional structure such as Pseudomonas cytochrome c551. Analyses of the residues near the exposed heme edges of the cytochrome subunits of P. putida and C. thiosulfatophilum flavocytochromes c (assuming homology to proteins of known structure) indicate that charged residues are not conserved, suggesting that electrostatic interactions are not involved in the association of the heme and flavin subunits. The N-terminal sequence of the flavoprotein subunit of flavocytochrome has also been determined. It shows no similarity to the comparable region of the p-cresol methylhydroxylase flavoprotein subunit from P. putida. The flavin-binding hexapeptide, isolated and sequenced earlier (Kenney, W. C., McIntire, W., and Yamanaka, T. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 483, 467-474), is situated at positions 40-46.     

Electron-transfer reactions of cytochrome f with flavin semiquinones and with plastocyanin. Importance of protein-protein electrostatic interactions and of donor-acceptor coupling.

Reduction of turnip ferricytochrome f by flavin semiquinones and oxidation of this ferrocytochrome f by French bean cupriplastocyanin are studied by laser flash photolysis over a wide range of ionic strengths. Second-order rate constants (+/- 15%) at extreme values of ionic strength, all at pH 7.0 and 22 degrees C, are as follows: with FMN semiquinone at 1.00 and 0.0040 M, 5.0 x 10(7) and 3.9 x 10(8) M-1 s-1; with riboflavin semiquinone at 1.00 and 0.0040 m, 1.7 x 10(8) and 1.9 x 10(8) M-1 s-1; with lumiflavin semiquinone at 1.00 and 0.0045 M, 1.8 x 10(8) and 4.5 x 10(8) M-1 s-1; with cupriplastocyanin at 1.00 and 0.100 M, 1.4 x 10(6) and 2.0 x 10(8) M-1 s-1. These reactions of cytochrome f are governed by the local positive charge of the interaction domain (the exposed heme edge), not by the overall negative charge of the protein. Lumiflavin semiquinone behaves as if it carried a small negative charge, probably because partial localization of the odd electron gives this electroneutral molecule some polarity; local charge seems to be more important than overall charge even for relatively small redox agents. The dependence of the rate constants on ionic strength was fitted to the equation of Watkins; this model recognizes the importance of local charges of the domains through which redox partners interact. There is kinetic evidence that a noncovalent complex between cytochrome f and plastocyanin exists at low ionic strength.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Laser flash photolysis study of the kinetics of electron transfer reactions of flavocytochrome b2 from Hansenula anomala: further evidence for intramolecular electron transfer mediated by ligand binding.

Intramolecular electron transfer between the heme and flavin cofactors of flavocytochrome b2 is an obligatory step during the enzymatic oxidation of L-lactate and subsequent reduction of cytochrome c. Previous kinetic studies using both steady-state and transient methods have suggested that such intramolecular electron transfer is inhibited when pyruvate, the two-electron oxidation product of L-lactate, is bound at the active site of Hansenula anomala flavocytochrome b2. In contrast to this, we have recently demonstrated using laser flash photolysis that intramolecular electron transfer could be observed in the flavocytochrome b2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae only when pyruvate was present [Walker, M., & Tollin, G. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 5546-5555], despite a large thermodynamic driving force of 100 mV and apparently favorable cofactor geometry as indicated by crystallographic studies. In the present study, we have utilized laser flash photolysis to investigate intramolecular electron transfer in the flavocytochrome b2 from H. anomala in an effort to address these apparently conflicting interpretations with respect to the influence of pyruvate on enzyme properties. The results obtained are closely comparable to those we reported using the protein from Saccharomyces. Thus, in the absence of pyruvate, bimolecular reduction of both the heme and FMN cofactors by deazaflavin semiquinone occurs (k approximately 10(9) M-1 s-1), followed by a protein concentration dependent intermolecular electron transfer from the semiquinone form of the FMN cofactor to the heme (k approximately 10(7) M-1 s-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Redox properties of flavocytochrome c3 from Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400

The thermodynamic and catalytic properties of flavocytochrome c3 from Shewanella frigidimarina have been studied using a combination of protein film voltammetry and solution methods. As measured by solution kinetics, maximum catalytic efficiencies for fumarate reduction (kcat/Km = 2.1 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 at pH 7.2) and succinate oxidation (kcat/Km = 933 M-1 s-1 at pH 8.5) confirm that flavocytochrome c3 is a unidirectional fumarate reductase. Very similar catalytic properties are observed for the enzyme adsorbed to monolayer coverage at a pyrolytic graphite "edge" electrode, thus confirming the validity of the electrochemical method for providing complementary information. In the absence of fumarate, the adsorbed enzyme displays a complex envelope of reversible redox signals which can be deconvoluted to yield the contributions from each active site. Importantly, the envelope is dominated by the two-electron signal due to FAD [E degrees ' = -152 mV vs the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) at pH 7.0 and 24 degrees C] which enables quantitative examination of this center, the visible spectrum of which is otherwise masked by the intense absorption bands due to the hemes. The FAD behaves as a cooperative two-electron center with a pH-dependent reduction potential that is modulated (pKox at 6.5) by ionization of a nearby residue. In conjunction with the kinetic pKa values determined for the forward and reverse reactions (7.4 and 8.6, respectively), a mechanism for fumarate reduction, incorporating His365 and an anionic form of reduced FAD, is proposed. The reduction potentials of the four heme groups, estimated by analysis of the underlying envelope, are -102, -146, -196, and -238 mV versus the SHE at pH 7.0 and 24 degrees C and are comparable to those determined by redox potentiometry.     

Flavin-protein interactions in flavocytochrome b2 as studied by NMR after reconstitution of the enzyme with 13C- and 15N-labelled flavin.

A new procedure was devised for reversibly removing the flavin from flavocytochrome b2. It allowed reconstitution with selectively enriched 13C- and 15N-labelled FMN for an NMR analysis of the chemical shifts of the enriched positions as well as that of 31P. From these measurements, it was possible to deduce information about the hydrogen-bonding pattern of FMN in the protein, the hybridization states of the nitrogen atoms and (in part) the pi-electron distribution. The carbonyl groups at C(2) and C(4) and the nitrogen atoms N(1) and N(5) form hydrogen bonds to the apoenzyme in both redox states. Nevertheless, according to 15N-chemical shifts, the bond from the protein to N(3) is very weak in both redox states, whereas that to N(5) is strong for the oxidized state, and is weakened upon flavin reduction. On the other hand, the 13C-NMR results indicate that the C(2) and C(4) carbonyl oxygens form stronger hydrogen bonds with the enzyme than most other flavoproteins in both redox states. From coupling constant measurements it is shown that the N(3) proton is not solvent accessible. Although no N-H coupling constant could be measured for N(5) in the reduced state due to lack of resolution, N(5) is clearly protonated in flavocytochrome b2 as in all other known flavoproteins. With respect to N(10), it is more sp3-hybridized in the oxidized state than in free FMN, whereas the other nitrogen atoms show a nearly planar structure. In the reduced state, N(5) and N(10) in bound FMN are both more sp3-hybridized than in free FMN, but N(5) exhibits a higher degree of sp3-hybridization than N(10), which is only slightly shifted out of the isoalloxazine plane. In addition, two-electron reduction of the enzyme leads to anion formation on N(1), as indicated by its 15N-chemical shift of N(1) and characteristic upfield shifts of the resonances of C(2), C(4) and C(4a) compared to the oxidized state, as observed for most flavoproteins. 31P-NMR measurements show that the phosphate geometry has changed in enzyme bound FMN compared to the free flavin in water, indicating a strong interaction of the phosphate group with the apoenzyme.     

The role of the C-terminal tail of flavocytochrome b2.

A flavocytochrome b2 (L-lactate dehydrogenase) mutant was constructed in which the C-terminal tail (23 amino acid residues) had been deleted (Gly-489----Stop). This tail appears to form many intersubunit contacts in the tetrameric wild-type protein, and it was expected that its removal might lead to the formation of monomeric flavocytochrome b2. The isolated tail-deleted mutant enzyme (TD-b2), however, was found to be tetrameric (Mr 220,000). TD-b2 shows Km and kcat. values (at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5) of 0.96 +/- 0.06 mM and 165 +/- 6 s-1 respectively compared with 0.49 +/- 0.04 mM and 200 +/- 10 s-1 for the wild-type enzyme. The kinetic isotope effect with [2-2H]lactate as substrate seen for TD-b2, with ferricyanide as electron acceptor, was essentially the same as that observed for the wild-type enzyme. TD-b2 exhibited loss of activity during turnover in a biphasic process. The rate of the faster of the two phases was dependent on L-lactate concentration and at saturating concentrations showed a first-order deactivation rate constant, kf(deact.), of 0.029 s-1 (at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5). The slower phase, however, was independent of L-lactate concentration and gave a first-order deactivation rate constant, ks(deact.), of 0.01 s-1 (at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5). This slower phase was found to correlate with dissociation of FMN, which is one of the prosthetic groups of the enzyme. Thus fully deactivated TD-b2, which was also tetrameric, was found to be completely devoid of FMN. Much of the original activity of TD-b2 could be recovered by re-incorporation of FMN. Thus the C-terminal tail of flavocytochrome b2 appears to be required for the structural integrity of the enzyme around the flavin active site even though the two are well separated in space.     

A temperature-jump study of the electron transfer reactions in Hansenula anomala flavocytochrome b2

Temperature-jump experiments on flavocytochrome b2 were carried out at different levels of heme reduction at pH 7.0 and 6.0, and as a function of pyruvate concentration. The relaxation, corresponding to an increase in the concentration of reduced heme, is in no case a simple process. AtpH 7.0 the mean reciprocal relaxation time is 1/tau* = 190 s-1, independent of enzyme concentration, wavelength of observation and percentage of heme reduction. Flavin semiquinone has been identified as the major electron donor to the heme in this process. At the same pH the presence of pyruvate in the millimolar concentration range increases the relaxation rate and affects its amplitude. The latter effect could be accounted for by a change in redox equilibria between heme and flavin upon pyruvate binding. At pH 6.0 the relaxation pattern depends more clearly on the level of heme reduction. A rapid process (tau-1 = 2500 s-1), predominant at high percentages of reduced heme, has been assigned to the reduction of heme by flavin hydroquinone, while the slower process (tau-1 = 350 s-1), essentially the only one present at or below 50% of heme reduction, has been ascribed to the reduction of heme by flavin semiquinone. These results are discussed in relation to the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.     

An N1-hydrogen bonding model for flavin coenzyme.

A model flavin possessing a specific hydrogen bond to the N1-position has been synthesized. The redox potential has been measured in aqueous buffer and found to be shifted +21 mV as compared to a similar flavin lacking this hydrogen bond. The reaction of the N1-hydrogen-bonding model with sulfite and 1-benzyl-dihydronicotinamide were examined and compared with the non-hydrogen-bonded flavin. The N1-hydrogen bond did not accelerate the rate of sulfite ion or hydride addition to N5, however the N5-sulfite complex was stabilized by nearly 4-fold over a non-hydrogen-bonding model. The model flavins were also studied computationally.     

The effects of pH and semiquinone formation on the oxidation-reduction potentials of flavin mononucleotide. A reappraisal.

Calculation shows that there is poor agreement between frequently cited values for the midpoint redox potentials of the two one-electron steps in the reduction of flavin mononucleotide and equations for the lines that relate these potentials to pH and that use the published pKa values for the three redox states of the flavin [Draper, R. & Ingraham, L.L. (1969) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 125, 802-808]. Equilibrium data for the first step in the reduction obtained by pulse radiolysis [Anderson, R.F. (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 722, 158-162] show much closer agreement with theory and lead to values for the semiquinone formation constant of flavin mononucleotide that are close to those derived from measurements of the radical concentration using ESR spectroscopy. It is concluded that the data from the second method are more reliable. The redox potentials for flavin mononucleotide at pH 7.0 and 20 degrees C are calculated to be -0.207 V for the overall two-electron reduction (Em), -0.313 V for reduction of the oxidized flavin to the semiquinone (E2) and -0.101 V for the reduction of the semiquinone to the hydroquinone (E1). Information is provided to allow calculation of the three redox potentials at other pH values in the physiological range.     

Kinetics of electron entry, exit, and interflavin electron transfer during catalysis by sarcosine oxidase.

Sarcosine oxidase contains 1 mol of covalently bound plus 1 mol of noncovalently bound FAD per active site. The first phase of the anaerobic reduction of the enzyme with sarcosine converts oxidized enzyme to an equilibrium mixture of two-electron-reduced forms (EH2) and occurs at a rate (2700 min-1, pH 8.0) similar to that determined for the maximum rate of aerobic turnover in steady-state kinetic studies (2600 min-1). The second phase of the anaerobic half-reaction converts EH2 to the four-electron-reduced enzyme (EH4) and occurs at a rate (k = 350 min-1) which is 7-fold slower than aerobic turnover. Reaction of EH2 with oxygen is 1.7-fold faster (k = 4480 min-1) than aerobic turnover and 13-fold faster than the anaerobic conversion of EH2 to EH4. The results suggest that the enzyme cycles between fully oxidized and two-electron-reduced forms during turnover with sarcosine. The long wavelength absorbance observed for EH2 is attributable to a flavin biradical (FADH.FAD.-) which is generated in about 50% yield at pH 8.0 and in nearly quantitative yield at pH 7.0. The rate of biradical formation is determined by the rate of electron transfer from sarcosine to the noncovalent flavin since electron equilibration between the two flavins (k = 750 s-1 or 45,000 min-1, pH 8.0) is nearly 20-fold faster, as determined in pH-jump experiments. Only two of the three possible isoelectronic forms of EH2 are likely to transfer electrons to oxygen since the reaction is known to occur at the covalent flavin. However, equilibration among EH2 forms is probably maintained during reoxidation, consistent with the observed monophasic kinetics, since interflavin electron transfer is 10-fold faster than electron transfer to oxygen.     

Sulfide dehydrogenase activity of the monomeric flavoprotein SoxF of Paracoccus pantotrophus

Flavocytochrome c-sulfide dehydrogenases (FCSDs) are complexes of a flavoprotein with a c-type cytochrome performing hydrogen sulfide-dependent cytochrome c reduction in vitro. The amino acid sequence analysis revealed that the phylogenetic relationship of different flavoproteins reflected the relationship of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The flavoprotein SoxF of Paracoccus pantotrophus is 29-67% identical to the flavoprotein subunit of FCSD of phototrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Purification of SoxF yielded a homogeneous emerald-green monomeric protein of 42 797 Da. SoxF catalyzed sulfide-dependent horse heart cytochrome c reduction at the optimum pH of 6.0 with a k(cat) of 3.9 s(-1), a K(m) of 2.3 microM for sulfide, and a K(m) of 116 microM for cytochrome c, as determined by nonlinear regression analysis. The yield of 1.9 mol of cytochrome c reduced per mole of sulfide suggests sulfur or polysulfide as the product. Sulfide dehydrogenase activity of SoxF was inhibited by sulfur (K(i) = 1.3 microM) and inactivated by sulfite. Cyanide (1 mM) inhibited SoxF activity at pH 6.0 by 25% and at pH 8.0 by 92%. Redox titrations in the infrared spectral range from 1800 to 1200 cm(-1) and in the visible spectral range from 400 to 700 nm both yielded a midpoint potential for SoxF of -555 +/- 10 mV versus Ag/AgCl at pH 7.5 and -440 +/- 20 mV versus Ag/AgCl at pH 6.0 (-232 mV versus SHE') and a transfer of 1.9 electrons. Electrochemically induced FTIR difference spectra of SoxF as compared to those of free flavin in solution suggested a strong cofactor interaction with the apoprotein. Furthermore, an activation/variation of SoxF during the redox cycles is observed. This is the first report of a monomeric flavoprotein with sulfide dehydrogenase activity.     

Inhibition and pH dependence of phosphite dehydrogenase

Phosphite dehydrogenase (PTDH) catalyzes the NAD-dependent oxidation of phosphite to phosphate, a reaction that is 15 kcal/mol exergonic. The enzyme belongs to the family of D-hydroxy acid dehydrogenases. Five other family members that were analyzed do not catalyze the oxidation of phosphite, ruling out the possibility that this is a ubiquitous activity of these proteins. PTDH does not accept any alternative substrates such as thiophosphite, hydrated aldehydes, and methylphosphinate, and potential small nucleophiles such as hydroxylamine, fluoride, methanol, and trifluoromethanol do not compete with water in the displacement of the hydride from phosphite. The pH dependence of k(cat)/K(m,phosphite) is bell-shaped with a pK(a) of 6.8 for the acidic limb and a pK(a) of 7.8 for the basic limb. The pK(a) of 6.8 is assigned to the second deprotonation of phosphite. However, whether the dianionic form of phosphite is the true substrate is not clear since a reverse protonation mechanism is also consistent with the available data. Unlike k(cat)/K(m,phosphite), k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m,NAD) are pH-independent. Sulfite is a strong inhibitor of PTDH that is competitive with respect to phosphite and uncompetitive with respect to NAD(+). Incubation of the enzyme with NAD(+) and low concentrations of sulfite results in a covalent adduct between NAD(+) and sulfite in the active site of the enzyme that binds very tightly. Fluorescent titration studies provided the apparent dissociation constants for NAD(+), NADH, sulfite, and the sulfite-NAD(+) adduct. Substrate isotope effect studies with deuterium-labeled phosphite resulted in small normal isotope effects (1.4-2.1) on both k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m,phosphite) at pH 7.25 and 8.0. Solvent isotope effects (SIEs) on k(cat) are similar in size; however, the SIE of k(cat)/K(m,phosphite) at pH 7.25 is significantly larger (4.4), whereas at pH 8.0, it is the inverse (0.6). The pH-rate profile of k(cat)/K(m,phosphite), which predicts that the observed SIEs will have a significant thermodynamic origin, can account for these effects.     

Chromatium vinosum cytochrome c-552. Reduction by photoreduced flavins and intramolecular electron transfer

Cytochrome c-552 from Chromatium vinosum is an unusual heme protein in that it contains two hemes and one flavin per molecule. To investigate whether intramolecular electron transfer occurs in this protein, we have studied its reduction by external photoreduced flavin by using pulsed-laser excitation. This approach allows us to measure reduction kinetics on the mirosecond time scale. Both fully reduced lumiflavin and lumiflavin semiquinone radical reduce cytochrome c-552 with second-order rate constants of approximately 1.4 x 10(6) M-1s-1 and 1.9 x 10(8) M-1 s-1, respectively. Kinetic and spectral data and the results of similar studies with riboflavin indicate that both the flavin and heme moieties of cytochrome c-552 are reduced simultaneously on a millisecond time scale, with the transient formation of a protein-bound flavin anion radical. This is suggested to be due to rapid intramolecular electron transfer. Further, steric restrictions play an important role in the reduction reaction. Studies were conducted on the redox processes following photolysis of CO-ferrocytochrome c-552 in which the flavin was partly oxidized to resolve the kinetics of electron transfer between the heme and flavin of cytochrome c-552. Based on these results, we conclude that intramolecular electron transfer from ferrous heme to oxidized flavin occurs with a first-order rate constant of greater than 1.4 x 10(6) s-1.