The combination of carbon monoxide–haem with apoperoxidase

Abstract

1. Static titrations reveal an exact stoicheiometry between various haem derivatives and apoperoxidase prepared from one isoenzyme of the horseradish enzyme. 2. Carbon monoxide–protohaem reacts rapidly with apoperoxidase and the kinetics can be accounted for by a mechanism already applied to the reaction of carbon monoxide–haem derivatives with apomyoglobin and apohaemoglobin. 3. According to this mechanism a complex is formed first whose combination and dissociation velocity constants are 5×108m−1sec.−1 and 103sec.−1 at pH9·1 and 20°. The complex is converted into carbon monoxide–haemoprotein in a first-order process with a rate constant of 235sec.−1 for peroxidase and 364sec.−1 for myoglobin at pH9·1 and 20°. 4. The effects of pH and temperature were examined. The activation energy for the process of complex-isomerization is about 13kcal./mole. 5. The similarity in the kinetics of the reactions of carbon monoxide–haem with apoperoxidase and with apomyoglobin suggests structural similarities at the haem-binding sites of the two proteins.