Reactivity of glass-embedded met hemoglobin derivatives toward external NO: implications for nitrite-mediated production of bioactive NO.

ABSTRACT: Many protein reactions are exceedingly difficult to dissect under standard conditions due to low concentrations of reactants and intermediates. A case in point are several proposed reactions of hemoglobin with both nitrite and nitric oxide. In the present work, glassy matrices are used to dynamically control the rate at which externally introduced gaseous NO accesses and reacts with several different met Hb derivatives including the nitrite, nitrate, and aquomet forms. This novel yet general approach reveals a clear difference between nitrite and other ligands including nitrate, water, and an internal imidazole. For nitrate, water, and the internal distal imidazole, the observed spectral changes indicate that NO entering the distal heme pocket is effective in displacing these ligands from

SUBMITTER: Navati MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2743724 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature