Reaction of polymer-heme complexes with carbon monoxide or molecular oxygen.

Interactions of some polymer-heme complexes with carbon monoxide or molecular oxygen were studied spectrophotometrically and manometrically. Effects of additives on the reactions were also studied. It was found that the carbon monoxide equilibrium curve of the complex with poly-L-lysine was sigmoid and its cooperative parameter for the reaction was determined to be 2.1 by the Hill's plots. In the reaction with molecular oxygen, it was also sigmoid. However, other polymer-ligands except poly-L-lysine showed no cooperativity. From the results of the additive effects, it was suggested that a helical conformation of the polymer-ligand may play an important part in raising cooperativity.