Factor analysis of spectroelectrochemical reduction of FAD reveals the pKa of the reduced state and the reduction pathway

The free flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor is known to exhibit a pH‐dependent midpoint potential involving a simultaneous two‐electron transfer step (n = 2). Uv‐vis spectroelectrochemical reductions of FAD at constant pH, ranging from 5 to 9, were recorded and analyzed by factor analysis. Principal factor analysis was used to determine the number of species present at each pH. The results indicate that only two composite forms of FAD are present: the oxidized and the reduced forms. Window factor analysis was used to extract the concentration profiles of the controlling species. The oxidized form was found to be a single pH‐independent species, whereas the reduced form consists of two species. The pH‐dependent spectroscopic changes of reduced FAD were best modeled by a single proton transfer step involving two different ionization states with an apparent pK_a = 6.3. This value compares favorably with those obtained from NMR and from midpoint potential measurements. At pH 6, the reduction of FAD was found to be first order, whereas at pH 9 the reduction is zero order; these observations are explained in terms of the reaction pathway involving xanthine oxidase, its substrate, and the pH. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.