Several hemoglobins were explored by UV-Vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy to define sulfheme complex formation. Evaluation of these proteins upon the reaction with H2O2 or O2 in the presence of H2S suggest: (a) the formation of the sulfheme derivate requires a HisE7 residue in the heme distal site with an adequate orientation to form an active ternary complex; (b) that the ternary complex intermediate involves the HisE7, the peroxo or ferryl species, and the H2S molecule. This moiety precedes and triggers the sulfheme formation.

Propionates, as peripheral groups of the heme active center in hemeproteins have been described to contribute in the modulation of heme reactivity and ligand selection. These electronic characteristics prompted the question of whether the presence of hydrogen bonding networks between propionates and distal amino acids present in the heme ligand moiety can modulate physiological relevant events, like ligand binding association and dissociation activities. Here, the role of these networks was evaluated by NMR spectroscopy using the hemoglobin I PheB10Tyr mutant from Lucina pectinata as model for TyrB10 and GlnE7 hemeproteins. 1H-NMR results for the rHbICN PheB10Tyr derivative showed chemical shifts of TyrB10 OHη at 31.00ppm, GlnE7 Nε1H/Nε2H at 10.66ppm/−3.27ppm, and PheE11 CδH at 11.75ppm, indicating the presence of a crowded, collapsed, and constrained distal pocket. Strong dipolar contacts and inter-residues crosspeaks between Gln E7/6-propionate group, GlnE7/TyrB10 and TyrB10/CN suggest that this hydrogen bonding network loop between GlnE7, TyrB10, 6-propionate group, and the heme ligand contribute significantly to the modulation of the heme iron electron density as well as the ligand stabilization mechanism. Therefore, the network loop presented here support the fact that the electron withdrawing character of the hydrogen bonding is controlled by the interaction of the propionates and the nearby electronic environments contributing to the modulation of the heme electron density state. Thus, we hypothesize that in hemeproteins with similar electrostatic environment the flexibility of the heme-6-propionate promotes a hydrogen bonding network loop between the 6-propionate, the heme ligand and nearby amino acids, tailoring in this way the electron density in the hemeligand moiety.

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