title: Reaction of human myoglobin and H2O2. Involvement of a thiyl radical produced at cysteine 110.
abstract: The human myoglobin (Mb) sequence is similar to other mammalian Mb sequences, except for a unique cysteine at position 110. Reaction of wild-type recombinant human Mb, the C110A variant of human Mb, or horse heart Mb with H(2)O(2) (protein/H(2)O(2) = 1:1.2 mol/mol) resulted in formation of tryptophan peroxyl (Trp-OO( small middle dot)) and tyrosine phenoxyl radicals as detected by EPR spectroscopy at 77 K. For wild-type human Mb, a second radical (g approximately 2. 036) was detected after decay of Trp-OO( small middle dot) that was not observed for the C110A variant or horse heart Mb. When the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) was included in the reaction mixture at protein/DMPO ratios </=1:10 mol/mol, a DMPO adduct exhibiting broad absorptions was detected. Hyperfine couplings of this radical indicated a DMPO-thiyl radical. Incubation of wild-type human Mb with thiol-blocking reagents prior to reaction with peroxide inhibited DMPO adduct formation, whereas at protein/DMPO ratios >/=1:25 mol/mol, DMPO-tyrosyl radical adducts were detected. Mass spectrometry of wild-type human Mb following reaction with H(2)O(2) demonstrated the formation of a homodimer (mass of 34,107 +/- 5 atomic mass units) sensitive to reducing conditions. The human Mb C110A variant afforded no dimer under identical conditions. Together, these data indicate that reaction of wild-type human Mb and H(2)O(2) differs from the corresponding reaction of other myoglobin species by formation of thiyl radicals that lead to a homodimer through intermolecular disulfide bond formation.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Witting
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mauk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019281:Dimerization; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005609:Free Radicals; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013113:Spin Labels; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D004220:Disulfides; D005609:Free Radicals; D009211:Myoglobin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013113:Spin Labels; D014443:Tyrosine; C069977:2,2-dimethyl-5-hydroxy-1-pyrrolidinyloxy; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D003545:Cysteine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid