Direct measurement by laser flash photolysis of intraprotein electron transfer in a rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Intraprotein interdomain electron transfer (IET) from flavin mononucleotide (FMN) to heme is essential in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by NO synthase (NOS). Our previous laser flash photolysis studies have provided a direct determination of the kinetics of IET between the FMN and heme domains in truncated oxyFMN constructs of rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) and murine inducible NOS (iNOS), in which only the oxygenase and FMN domains along with the calmodulin (CaM) binding site are present [Feng, C. J.; Tollin, G.; Holliday, M. A.; Thomas, C.; Salerno, J. C.; Enemark, J. H.; Ghosh, D. K. Biochemistry 2006, 45, 6354-6362. Feng, C. J.; Thomas, C.; Holliday, M. A.; Tollin, G.; Salerno, J. C.; Ghosh, D. K.; Enemark, J. H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 3808-3811]. Here, we report the kinetics of IET between the FMN and heme domains in a rat nNOS holoenzyme in the presence and absence of added CaM using laser flash photolysis of CO dissociation in comparative studies on partially reduced NOS and a single domain NOS oxygenase construct. The IET rate constant in the presence of CaM is 36 s-1, whereas no IET was observed in the absence of CaM. The kinetics reported here are about an order of magnitude slower than the kinetics in a rat nNOS oxyFMN construct with added CaM (262 s-1). We attribute the slower IET between FMN and heme in the holoenzyme to the additional step of dissociation of the FMN domain from the reductase complex before reassociation with the oxygenase domain to form the electron-transfer competent output state complex. This work provides the first direct measurement of CaM-controlled electron transfer between catalytically significant redox couples of FMN and heme in a nNOS holoenzyme.     

Mechanism of Nitric Oxide Synthase Regulation: Electron Transfer and Interdomain Interactions

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a flavo-hemoprotein, tightly regulates nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and thereby its dual biological activities as a key signaling molecule for vasodilatation and neurotransmission at low concentrations, and also as a defensive cytotoxin at higher concentrations. Three NOS isoforms, iNOS, eNOS and nNOS (inducible, endothelial, and neuronal NOS), achieve their key biological functions by tight regulation of interdomain electron transfer (IET) process via interdomain interactions. In particular, the FMN-heme IET is essential in coupling electron transfer in the reductase domain with NO synthesis in the heme domain by delivery of electrons required for O(2) activation at the catalytic heme site. Compelling evidence indicates that calmodulin (CaM) activates NO synthesis in eNOS and nNOS through a conformational change of the FMN domain from its shielded electron-accepting (input) state to a new electron-donating (output) state, and that CaM is also required for proper alignment of the domains. Another exciting recent development in NOS enzymology is the discovery of importance of the the FMN domain motions in modulating reactivity and structure of the catalytic heme active site (in addition to the primary role of controlling the IET processes). In the absence of a structure of full-length NOS, an integrated approach of spectroscopic (e.g. pulsed EPR, MCD, resonance Raman), rapid kinetics (laser flash photolysis and stopped flow) and mutagenesis methods is critical to unravel the molecular details of the interdomain FMN/heme interactions. This is to investigate the roles of dynamic conformational changes of the FMN domain and the docking between the primary functional FMN and heme domains in regulating NOS activity. The recent developments in understanding of mechanisms of the NOS regulation that are driven by the combined approach are the focuses of this review. An improved understanding of the role of interdomain FMN/heme interaction and CaM binding may serve as the basis for the design of new selective inhibitors of NOS isoforms.     

Mutation in the flavin mononucleotide domain modulates magnetic circular dichroism spectra of the iNOS ferric cyano complex in a substrate-specific manner

We have obtained low-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra for ferric cyano complexes of the wild type and E546N mutant of a human inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) oxygenase/flavin mononucleotide (oxyFMN) construct. The mutation at the FMN domain has previously been shown to modulate the MCD spectra of the l-arginine-bound ferric iNOS heme (Sempombe, J.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6940-6941). The addition of l-arginine to the wild-type protein causes notable changes in the CN(-)-adduct MCD spectrum, while the E546N mutant spectrum is not perturbed. Moreover, the MCD spectral perturbation observed with l-arginine is absent in the CN(-) complexes incubated with N-hydroxy-L-arginine, which is the substrate for the second step of NOS catalysis. These results indicate that interdomain FMN-heme interactions exert a long-range effect on key heme axial ligand-substrate interactions that determine substrate oxidation pathways of NOS.     

Pulsed ENDOR determination of relative orientation of g-frame and molecular frame of imidazole-coordinated heme center of iNOS

Mammalian nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is a flavo-hemoprotein that catalyzes the oxidation of L-arginine to nitric oxide. Information about the relative alignment of the heme and FMN domains of NOS is important for understanding the electron transfer between the heme and FMN centers, but no crystal structure data for NOS holoenzyme are available. In our previous work [Astashkin, A. V.; Elmore, B. O.; Fan, W.; Guillemette, J. G.; Feng, C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 12059-12067], the distance between the imidazole-coordinated low-spin Fe(III) heme and FMN semiquinone in a human inducible NOS (iNOS) oxygenase/FMN construct has been determined by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The orientation of the Fe-FMN radius vector, R(Fe-FMN), with respect to the heme g-frame was also determined. In the present study, pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) investigation of the deuterons at carbons C2 and C5 in the deuterated coordinated imidazole was used to determine the relative orientation of the heme g-frame and molecular frame, from which R(Fe-FMN) can be referenced to the heme molecular frame. Numerical simulations of the ENDOR spectra showed that the g-factor axis corresponding to the low-field EPR turning point is perpendicular to the heme plane, whereas the axis corresponding to the high-field turning point is in the heme plane and makes an angle of about 80° with the coordinated imidazole plane. The FMN-heme domain docking model obtained in the previous work was found to be in qualitative agreement with the combined experimental results of the two pulsed EPR works.     

The high-potential flavin and heme of nitric oxide synthase are not magnetically linked: implications for electron transfer

Background: The homodimeric nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes conversion of l-arginine to l-citrulline and nitric oxide. Each subunit contains two flavins and one protoporphyrin IX heme. A key component of the reaction is the transfer of electrons from the flavins to the heme. The NOS gene encodes two domains linked by a short helix containing a calmodulin-recognition sequence. The reductase domain binds the flavin cofactors, while the oxygenase domain binds heme and l-arginine and additionally mediates the dimerization of the NOS subunits. We investigated the origin of the unusual magnetic properties (rapid-spin relaxation) of an air-stable free radical localized to a reductase domain flavin cofactor.Results: We characterized the air-stable flavin in wild-type NOS, both in the presence and absence of calcium and calmodulin, the imidazole-bound heme complex of wild-type NOS, the NOS Cys415→Ala mutant, and the isolated reductase domain. All preparations of NOS had the same flavin electron-spin relaxation behavior. No half-field transitions or temperature-dependent changes in the linewidth of the radical spin signal were detected.Conclusions: These data suggest that the observed relaxation enhancement of the NOS flavin radical is caused by the environment provided by the reductase domain. No magnetic interaction between the heme and flavin cofactors was detected, suggesting that the flavin and heme centers are probably separated by more than 15 A.     

Collisional cooling enhances the ability to observe non-covalent interactions within the inducible nitric oxide synthase oxygenase domain: Dimerization,complexation, and dissociation

The investigation of protein quaternary structure, protein-cofactor, and protein-ligand interactions by mass spectrometry is often limited by the fragility of such interactions under experimental conditions. To develop more gentle conditions of perhaps general use, we used as a model for study the oxygenase domain of murine inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which is homodimeric, binds heme and tetrahydrobiopterin H(4)B cofactors, and the substrate L-arginine. The energetics of the collisions in q2 and in the lens region of the mass spectrometer were manipulated for varying the degree of solvation around the non-covalently bound ions. Furthermore, the number of low-energy collisions in the collision cell of the instrument was varied, focusing and dampening the ion beam. Under gentle source collision conditions, and using multiple low-energy collisions in the collision cell of the mass spectrometer, dimers of the iNOS oxygenase domain containing heme, H(4)B, and arginine were observed intact after electrospraying at pH values near neutrality; a mutant of this protein (Trp188 --> Phe) was monomeric and did not bind cofactors. The pH dependence of the iNOS oxygenase domain under acidic conditions was also studied; while heme remained bound to the protein between pH 2.5 and 4.0, the dimeric structure was disrupted. Our findings confirm that non-covalently bound macromolecular complexes are retained and observable using electrospray mass spectrometry under the appropriate experimental conditions.     

Pulsed ENDOR determination of the arginine location in the ferrous-NO form of neuronal NOS

Mammalian nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are enzymes responsible for oxidation of L-arginine (L-Arg) to nitric oxide (NO). Mechanisms of reactions at the catalytic heme site are not well understood, and it is of current interest to study structures of the heme species that activates O(2) and transforms the substrate. The NOS ferrous-NO complex is a close mimic of the obligatory ferric (hydro)peroxo intermediate in NOS catalysis. In this work, pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) was used to probe the position of the l-Arg substrate at the NO(?)-coordinated ferrous heme center(s) in the oxygenase domain of rat neuronal NOS (nNOS). The analysis of (2)H and (15)N ENDOR spectra of samples containing d(7)- or guanidino-(15)N(2) labeled L-Arg has resulted in distance estimates for the nearby guanidino nitrogen and the nearby proton (deuteron) at C(δ). The L-Arg position was found to be noticeably different from that in the X-ray crystal structure of nNOS ferrous-NO complex [Li et al. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem.2006, 11, 753-768], with the nearby guanidino nitrogen being ~0.5 ? closer to, and the nearby H(δ) about 1 ? further from, the NO ligand than in the X-ray structure. The difference might be related to the structural constraints imposed on the protein by the crystal. Importantly, in spite of its closer position, the guanidino nitrogen does not form a hydrogen bond with the NO ligand, as evidenced by the absence of significant isotropic hfi constant for N(g1). This is consistent with the previous reports that it is not the L-Arg substrate itself that would most likely serve as a direct proton donor to the diatomic ligands (NO and O(2)) bound to the heme.     

Picosecond photoreduction of inducible nitric oxide synthase by rhenium(I)-diimine wires

In a continuing effort to unravel mechanistic questions associated with metalloenzymes, we are developing methods for rapid delivery of electrons to deeply buried active sites. Herein, we report picosecond reduction of the heme active site of inducible nitric oxide synthase bound to a series of rhenium-diimine electron-tunneling wires, [Re(CO)3LL']+, where L is 4,7-dimethylphenanthroline and L' is a perfluorinated biphenyl bridge connecting a rhenium-ligated imidazole or aminopropylimidazole to a distal imidazole (F8bp-im (1) and C3-F8bp-im (2)) or F (F9bp (3) and C3-F9bp (4)). All four wires bind tightly (Kd in the micromolar to nanomolar range) to the tetrahydrobiopterin-free oxidase domain of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOSoxy). The two fluorine-terminated wires displace water from the active site, and the two imidazole-terminated wires ligate the heme iron. Upon 355-nm excitation of iNOSoxy conjugates with 1 and 2, the active site Fe(III) is reduced to Fe(II) within 300 ps, almost 10 orders of magnitude faster than the naturally occurring reduction.     

Catalytic reduction of NO to N2O by a designed heme copper center in myoglobin: implications for the role of metal ions

The effects of metal ions on the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) with a designed heme copper center in myoglobin (F43H/L29H sperm whale Mb, CuBMb) were investigated under reducing anaerobic conditions using UV-vis and EPR spectroscopic techniques as well as GC/MS. In the presence of Cu(I), catalytic reduction of NO to N2O by CuBMb was observed with turnover number of 2 mol NO.mol CuBMb-1.min-1, close to 3 mol NO.mol enzyme-1.min-1 reported for the ba3 oxidases from T. thermophilus. Formation of a His-heme-NO species was detected by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopy. In comparison to the EPR spectra of ferrous-CuBMb-NO in the absence of metal ions, the EPR spectra of ferrous-CuBMb-NO in the presence of Cu(I) showed less-resolved hyperfine splitting from the proximal histidine, probably due to weakening of the proximal His-heme bond. In the presence of Zn(II), formation of a five-coordinate ferrous-CuBMb-NO species, resulting from cleavage of the proximal heme Fe-His bond, was shown by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopic studies. The reduction of NO to N2O was not observed in the presence of Zn(II). Control experiments using wild-type myoglobin indicated no reduction of NO in the presence of either Cu(I) or Zn(II). These results suggest that both the identity and the oxidation state of the metal ion in the CuB center are important for NO reduction. A redox-active metal ion is required to deliver electrons, and a higher oxidation state is preferred to weaken the heme iron-proximal histidine toward a five-coordinate key intermediate in NO reduction.     

L-arginine binding to human inducible nitric oxide synthase: an antisymmetric funnel route toward isoform-specific inhibitors?

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule produced by a family of enzymes called nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Because NO is involved in various pathological conditions, the development of potent and isoform-selective NOS inhibitors is an important challenge. In the present study, the dimer of oxygenase domain of human iNOS (iNOSoxy) complexed to its natural substrate L-arginine (L-Arg) and both heme and tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH4) cofactors was studied through multiple molecular dynamics simulations. Starting from the X-ray structure available for that complex (PDB: 1NSI ), a 16 ns equilibration trajectory was first obtained. Twelve dynamics of slow extraction of L-Arg out from the iNOSoxy active site were then performed. The steered molecular dynamics (SMD) approach was used starting from three different points of the reference trajectory for a total simulation time of 35 ns. A probable unbinding/binding pathway of L-Arg was characterized. It was suggested that a driving force directed the substrate toward the heme pocket. Key intermediate steps/residues along the access route to the active site were identified along this "funnel shape" pathway and compared to existing data. A quasi-normal mode analysis performed on the SMD data suggested that large collective motions of the protein may be involved in L-Arg binding and that opening the route to the active site in one monomer promoted an inverse, closing motion in the second monomer. Finally, our findings might help to rationalize the design of human iNOS isoform competitive inhibitors.     

Probing heme coordination states of inducible nitric oxide synthase with a ReI(imidazole-alkyl-nitroarginine) sensitizer-wire

Mammalian inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) catalyzes the production of l-citrulline and nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine and O2. The Soret peak in the spectrum of the iNOS heme domain (iNOSoxy) shifts from 423 to 390 nm upon addition of a sensitizer-wire, [ReI-imidazole-(CH2)8-nitroarginine]+, or [ReC8argNO2]+, owing to partial displacement of the water ligand in the active site. From analysis of competitive binding experiments with imidazole, the dissociation constant (Kd) for [ReC8argNO2]+-iNOSoxy was determined to be 3.0+/-0.1 microM, confirming that the sensitizer-wire binds with higher affinity than both L-arginine (Kd=22+/-5 microM) and imidazole (Kd=14+/-3 microM). Laser excitation (355 nm) of [ReC8argNO2]+-iNOSoxy triggers electron transfer to the active site of the enzyme, producing a ferroheme in less than approximately 1 micros.     

Highly sensitive voltammetric biosensor for nitric oxide based on its high affinity with hemoglobin

Although heme protein-based, amperometric nitric oxide (NO) biosensors have been well documented in previous studies, most have been conducted in anaerobic conditions. Herein we report a novel hemoglobin-based NO biosensor that is not only very sensitive but also usable in air. The heme protein was entrapped in a sodium montmorillonite film, which was immobilized at a pyrolytic graphite electrode surface. Film-entrapped hemoglobin can directly exchange electrons with the electrode, and this process has proven to favor the catalytic reduction of oxygen. In addition, NO induced a cathodic potential shift of the catalytic reduction peak of oxygen. This potential shift was proportional to the logarithm of NO concentration ranging from 4.0 × 10⁻¹¹ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L. The detection limit has been estimated to be 20 pM, approximately four orders lower than previously reported amperometric detectors.     

Subsecond separation of cellular flavin coenzymes by microchip capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection

In this article, it was demonstrated that a subsecond separation of cellular metabolites such as riboflavin (RF), flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was achieved using microchip capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. The influences of crucial parameters that governed analysis time (e.g., channel length and electric field for separation) and separation resolution (e.g., sample size) were investigated, both in theoretical aspects and experimental practice. Quantitative analyses were performed that exhibited linear dynamic range of two orders of magnitude, with calculated detection limits of 34, 201, and 127 nM for RF, FAD, and FMN, respectively. To test the validity of the method, it was successfully applied to characterize several recombinant flavin-binding domains in a human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.     

Intramolecular electron transfer in a bacterial sulfite dehydrogenase

Sulfite dehydrogenase (SDH) from Starkeya novella, a sulfite-oxidizing molybdenum-containing enzyme, has a novel tightly bound alphabeta-heterodimeric structure in which the Mo cofactor and the c-type heme are located on different subunits. Flash photolysis studies of intramolecular electron transfer (IET) in SDH show that the process is first-order, independent of solution viscosity, and not inhibited by sulfate, which strongly indicates that IET in SDH proceeds directly through the protein medium and does not involve substantial movement of the two subunits relative to each other. The IET results for SDH contrast with those for chicken and human sulfite oxidase (SO) in which the molybdenum domain is linked to a b-type heme domain through a flexible loop, and IET shows a remarkable dependence on sulfate concentration and viscosity that has been ascribed to interdomain docking. The results for SDH provide additional support for the interdomain docking hypothesis in animal SO and clearly demonstrate that dependence of IET on viscosity and sulfate is not an inherent property of all sulfite-oxidizing molybdenum enzymes.     

Heme flattening is sufficient for signal transduction in the H-NOX family

The H-NOX family of nitric oxide (NO) sensing proteins has received considerable attention because its members include the mammalian NO sensor, soluble guanylate cyclase. Despite this attention, the mechanism of signal transduction has not been elucidated. Structural studies of bacterial members of the family have revealed that the H-NOX heme cofactor is extremely distorted from planarity. Furthermore, it has been determined that heme distortion is maintained primarily by a conserved proline residue located in the proximal heme pocket. It has been suggested that changes in heme planarity may contribute to signal transduction. Here we demonstrate that heme flattening is, indeed, sufficient for signal transduction in the H-NOX family. Using our previously described H-NOX/diguanylate cyclase functional partners from Shewanella woodyi, we demonstrate that mutation of the conserved proline (P117 in SwH-NOX) to alanine, which results in heme flattening, has the same affect on phosphodiesterase activity as NO binding to wildtype SwH-NOX. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that heme flattening mimics the activated, NO-bound state of H-NOX and suggests that NO binding induces heme flattening as part of the signal transduction mechanism in the H-NOX family.     

Calreticulin Transacetylase Mediates the Acetylation of Nitric Oxide Synthase by Polyphenolic Acetate

Our earlier investigations identified acetoxy drug: protein transacetylase (TAase), a unique enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) catalyzing the transfer of acetyl groups from polyphenolic acetates (PA) to certain functional proteins. Recently we have established the identity of TAase with ER protein calreticulin (CR) and subsequently transacetylase function of CR was termed calreticulin transacetylase (CRTAase). CRTAase was purified and characterized from human placenta. CRTAase catalyzed the acetylation of a receptor protein nNOS, by a model PA 7, 8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC), which was visually confirmed by using antiacetyl lysine. The aim of this report was to provide tacit proof by providing mass spectrometry evidence for CRTAase catalyzed acetylation of purified nNOS by DAMC. For this purpose, purified nNOS was incubated with DAMC and CRTAase, the modified nNOS was analyzed by nanoscale LC-MS/MS, which recorded 11 distinct peptides with a significant score as acetylated on lysine residues. The distribution was in order: lysines-24, -33, -38, -131, and -229 of the PDZ domain, Lys-245 of the oxygenase domain, Lys-754 and -856 of FMN binding domain, Lys-989 of connecting domain and Lys-1300, -1321, and -1371 of the NADPH-binding domain were acetylated. The results documented in this paper highlighted for the first time modification of nNOS by way of acetylation. Our earlier work recorded the profound activation of platelet NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase and the acetylation of the reductase protein by DAMC, which also remarkably enhanced intracellular levels of nitric oxide. The results reported here coupled with the aforementioned previous observations strongly implicate the possible role of the acetylation of the reductase domain of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the NOS activation. In addition, the acetylation of nNOS can be expected to potentiate the interaction with CR, eventually leading to the augmented catalytic activity of NOS and expression of the related biological effects.     

Binding of YC-1 or BAY 41-2272 to soluble guanylyl cyclase induces a geminate phase in CO photolysis

Soluble guanylyl/guanylate cyclase (sGC), a heme-containing heterodimeric protein of approximately 150 kDa, is the primary receptor for nitric oxide, an endogenous molecule of immense physiological importance to animals. Recent studies have identified compounds such as YC-1 and BAY 41-2272 that stimulate sGC independently of NO binding, properties of importance for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction and other diseases linked to malfunctioning NO signaling pathways. We have developed a novel expression system for sGC from Manduca sexta (the tobacco hornworm) that retains the N-terminal two-thirds of both subunits, including heme, but is missing the catalytic domain. Here, we show that binding of compounds YC-1 or BAY 41-2272 to the truncated protein leads to a change in the heme pocket such that photolyzed CO cannot readily escape from the protein matrix. Geminate recombination of the trapped CO molecules with heme takes place with a measured rate of 6 x 10(7) s(-1). These findings provide strong support for an allosteric regulatory model in which YC-1 and related compounds can alter the sGC heme pocket conformation to retain diatomic ligands and thus activate the enzyme alone or in synergy with either NO or CO.     

Design and synthesis of C5 methylated L-arginine analogues as active site probes for nitric oxide synthase

The role of nitric oxide (NO) as a biological signaling molecule is well established. NO is produced by the nitric oxide synthases (NOSs, EC 1.14.13.39), a class of heme proteins capable of converting l-arginine to NO and l-citrulline. Despite the large body of knowledge associated with the NOSs, mechanistic details relating to the unique oxidative chemistry performed by these enzymes remain to be fully elucidated. Furthermore, a number of disease states are associated with either the over- or underproduction of NO, making the NOS pathway an attractive target for the development of therapeutics. For these reasons, molecular tools capable of providing mechanistic insights into the production of NO and/or the inhibition of the NOSs remain of interest. We report here the stereospecific synthesis and testing of a number of new l-arginine analogues bearing a minimal substitution, methylation at position 5 of the amino acid side chain (such analogues have not been previously reported). The synthetic approach employed a modified photolysis procedure whereby irradiation of the appropriate diacylperoxide precursors at 254 nm gave access to the required unnatural amino acids in good yields. A heme domain construct of the inducible NOS isoform (iNOSheme) was used to assess the binding of each compound to the enzyme active site. The compounds were also investigated as either inhibitors of, or alternate substrates for, the inducible NOS isoform. The results obtained provide new insight into the steric and stereochemical tolerance of the enzyme active site. These findings also further support the role of a conserved active site water molecule previously proposed to be necessary for NOS catalysis.     

Substrate- and isoform-specific dioxygen complexes of nitric oxide synthase

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) catalyzes the formation of NO via a consecutive two-step reaction. In the first step, L-arginine (Arg) is converted to N-hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA). In the second step, NOHA is further converted to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). To assess the mechanistic differences between the two steps of the reaction, we have used resonance Raman spectroscopy combined with a homemade continuous-flow rapid solution mixer to study the structural properties of the metastable dioxygen-bound complexes of the oxygenase domain of inducible NOS (iNOSoxy). We identified the O-O stretching frequency of the substrate-free enzyme at 1133 cm-1. This frequency is insensitive to the presence of tetrahydrobiopterin, but it shifts to 1126 cm-1 upon binding of Arg, which we attribute to H-bonding interactions to the terminal oxygen atom of the heme iron-bound dioxygen. In contrast, the addition of NOHA to the enzyme did not bring about a shift in the frequency of the O-O stretching mode, because, unlike Arg, there is no H-bond associated with the terminal oxygen atom of the dioxygen. The substrate-specific H-bonding interactions play a critical role in determining the fate of the key peroxy intermediate. In the first step of the reaction, the H-bonds facilitate the rupture of the O-O bond, leading to the formation of the active ferryl species, which is essential for the oxidation of the Arg. On the other hand, in the second step of the reaction, the absence of the H-bonds prevents the premature O-O bond cleavage, such that the peroxy intermediate can perform a nucleophilic addition reaction to the substrate, NOHA.     

Direct electron transfer to the oxygenase domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS): exploring unique redox properties of NOS enzymes

Thin film direct electrochemistry shows that the oxygenase domain of neuronal nitric oxide synthase undergoes reversible electron transfer with an underlying electrode. The midpotential of the FeIII/FeII couple is found to be modulated by both the binding of the tetrahydropterin cofactor and the pH of the buffer medium.