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Title: Oxygen infrared spectra of oxyhemoglobins and oxymyoglobins. Evidence of two major liganded O/sub 2/ structures

Journal Article · · Biochemistry; (United States)
OSTI ID:5943038

The dioxygen stretch bands in infrared spectra for solutions of oxy species of human hemoglobin A and its separated subunits, human mutant hemoglobin Zurich (..beta..63His to Arg), rabbit hemoglobin, lamprey, hemoglobin, sperm whale myoglobin, bovine myoglobin, and a sea worm chlorocruorin are examined. Each protein exhibits multiple isotope-sensitive bands between 1160 and 1060 cm/sup -1/ for the liganded /sup 16/O/sub 2/, /sup 17/O/sub 2/, and /sup 18/O/sub 2/. The O-O stretch bands for each of the mammalian myoglobins and hemoglobins are similar, with frequencies that differ between proteins by only 3-5 cm/sup -1/. The spectra for the lamprey and sea worm hemoglobins exhibit greater diversity. For all proteins an O-O stretch band expected to occur near 1125 cm/sup -1/ for /sup 16/O/sub 2/ and /sup 17/O/sub 2/, but not /sup 18/O/sub 2/, appears split by approx.25 cm/sup -1/ due to an unidentified perturbation. The spectrum for each dioxygen isotope, if unperturbed, would contain two strong bands for the mammalian myoglobins (1150 and 1120 cm/sup -1/) and hemoglobins (1155 and 1125 cm/sup -1/). Two strong bands separated by approx.30 cm/sup -1/ for each oxy heme protein subunit indicate that two major protein conformations (structure) that differ substantially in O/sub 2/ bonding are present. The two dioxygen structures can result from a combination of dynamic distal and proximal effects upon the O/sub 2/ ligand bound in a bent-end-on stereochemistry.

Research Organization:
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins
OSTI ID:
5943038
Journal Information:
Biochemistry; (United States), Vol. 26:15
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English