Catalytic turnover of sodium azide by horseradish peroxidase, which produces the azidyl radical, results in inactivation of the enzyme with KI = 1.47 mM and kinact = 0.69 min-1. Inactivation of 80% of the enzyme requires approximately 60 equiv each of NaN3 and H2O2. The enzyme is completely inactivated by higher concentrations of these two agents. meso-Azidoheme as well as some residual heme are obtained when the prosthetic group of the partially inactivated enzyme is isolated and characterized. Reconstitution of horseradish peroxidase with meso-azidoheme yields an enzyme without detectable catalytic activity even though reconstitution with heme itself gives fully active enzyme. The finding that catalytically generated nitrogen radicals add to the meso carbon of heme shows that biological meso additions are not restricted to carbon radicals. The analogous addition of oxygen radicals may trigger the normal and/or pathological degradation of heme.

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, 208 (1986). Sterically hindered porphyrins having a fully hydrophobic cavity have been prepared. The cavity is capped with a 2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene moiety containing at the 1,4-positions methylene -(CH2),,-chains ( n = 4, 5, 7) bonded at trans pyrrole rings of a porphyrin that is alkylated with methyl or ethyl groups at the other P-pyrrolic positions. The iron(II1) chloride derivative of the 4,4-durene-capped base has been obtained as single crystals, and subjected to X-ray structural analysis. The typical high spin, square pyramidal geometry of five-coordinate hemin chlorides is maintained; the porphyrin core is strongly distorted and there is no interaction between the phenyl group of the strap and the iron.