Notice

¹⁷O NMR studies of ¹⁷O enriched water solutions containing superoxide dismutase have been performed between pH 7.5 and 11.7. Whereas T₁ measurements do not reveal any interaction between ¹⁷O and the paramagnetic copper center, the linewidth results appreciably increased with increasing pH with an apparent pK_a of 11.3. Comparison with ¹H NMR relaxation studies allows to interpret the present data as due to binding to the copper ion of an OH^? anion at high pH. The binding position should be of “equatorial” type, not involving the binding position of the coordinated water.