Heme proteins that have been reconstituted with certain hemins may contain substantial fractions of a minor component in which the orientation of the heme in the folded pocket differs from the major (“native”) conformation by a 180° rotation about the α‐γ meso axis. In fact, this minor component has also been shown to exist in some native proteins, including several mammalian globins. While resonance Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful probe of active site structure of heme proteins, no systematic study has yet been undertaken to elucidate the specific spectral changes associated with this disorder. In the present work, combined analyses of the temporal behavior of both NMR and RR data sets have been completed to permit the extraction of a unique RR spectrum for the disoriented form, documenting rather dramatic changes associated with this rotational disorder. In addition, the use of protohemes bearing selectively deuterated peripheral methyl groups has permitted the association of the observed modes with specific fragments of the heme residing in the reversed orientation. The studies conducted here clearly illustrate the exquisite sensitivity of low frequency heme deformation modes to altered protein‐heme interactions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 89: 179–186, 2008. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley. com

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase transfers electrons from NADPH to cytochromes P450 via its FAD and FMN.To understand the biochemical and structural basis of electron transfer from FMN-hydroquinone to its partners, three deletion mutants in a conserved loop near the FMN were characterized. Comparison of oxidized and reduced wild type and mutant structures reveals that the basis for the air stability of the neutral blue semiquinone is protonation of the flavin N5 and strong H-bond formation with the Gly-141 carbonyl. The ⌬Gly-143 protein had moderately decreased activity with cytochrome P450 and cytochrome c. It formed a flexible loop, which transiently interacts with the flavin N5, resulting in the generation of both an unstable neutral blue semiquinone and hydroquinone. The ⌬Gly-141 and ⌬G141/E142N mutants were inactive with cytochrome P450 but fully active in reducing cytochrome c. In the ⌬Gly-141 mutants, the backbone amide of Glu/Asn-142 forms an H-bond to the N5 of the oxidized flavin, which leads to formation of an unstable red anionic semiquinone with a more negative potential than the hydroquinone. The semiquinone of ⌬G141/E142N was slightly more stable than that of ⌬Gly-141, consistent with its crystallographically demonstrated more rigid loop. Nonetheless, both ⌬Gly-141 red semiquinones were less stable than those of the corresponding loop in cytochrome P450 BM3 and the neuronal NOS mutant (⌬Gly-810). Our results indicate that the catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase is a function of the length, sequence, and flexibility of the 140s loop and illustrate the sophisticated variety of biochemical mechanisms employed in fine-tuning its redox properties and function.

Resonance Raman spectroscopy is employed to characterize heme site structural changes arising from conformational heterogeneity in deoxyMb and ligated derivatives, i.e., the ferrous CO (MbCO) and ferric cyanide (MbCN) complexes. The spectra for the reversed forms of these derivatives have been extracted from the spectra of reconstituted samples. Dramatic changes in the low-frequency spectra are observed, where newly observed RR modes of the reversed forms are assigned using protohemes that are selectively deuterated at the four methyl groups or at the four methine carbons. Interestingly, while substantial changes in the disposition of the peripheral vinyl and propionate groups can be inferred from the dramatic spectral shifts, the bonds to the internal histidyl imidazole ligand and those of the Fe−CO and Fe−CN fragments are not significantly affected by the heme rotation, as judged by lack of significant shifts in the ν(Fe−NHis), ν(Fe−C), and ν(C−O) modes. In fact, the apparent lack of an effect on these key vibrational parameters of the Fe−NHis, Fe−CO, and Fe−CN fragments is entirely consistent with previously reported equilibrium and kinetic studies that document virtually identical functional properties for the native and reversed forms.

The structural basis of the regulation of microsomal cytochrome P450 (P450) activity was investigated by mutating the highly conserved heme binding motif residue, Phe429, on the proximal side of cytochrome P450 2B4 to a histidine. Spectroscopic, pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetic, thermodynamic, theoretical, and structural studies of the mutant demonstrate that formation of an H-bond between His429 and the unbonded electron pair of the Cys436 axial thiolate significantly alters the properties of the enzyme. The mutant lost >90% of its activity; its redox potential was increased by 87 mV, and the half-life of the oxyferrous mutant was increased ∼37-fold. Single-crystal electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the mutant was reduced by a small dose of X-ray photons. The structure revealed that the δN atom of His429 forms an H-bond with the axial Cys436 thiolate whereas the εN atom forms an H-bond with the solvent and the side chain of Gln357. The amide of Gly438 forms the only other H-bond to the tetrahedral thiolate. Theoretical quantification of the histidine–thiolate interaction demonstrates a significant electron withdrawing effect on the heme iron. Comparisons of structures of class I–IV P450s demonstrate that either a phenylalanine or tryptophan is often found at the location corresponding to Phe429. Depending on the structure of the distal pocket heme, the residue at this location may or may not regulate the thermodynamic properties of the P450. Regardless, this residue appears to protect the thiolate from solvent, oxidation, protonations, and other deleterious reactions.