The Myoglobin-Derived Radical Formed on Reaction of Metmyoglobin with Hydrogen Peroxide is not a Tyrosine Peroxyl Radical

Abstract

The reductive cleavage of hydrogen peroxide by metmyoglobin produces a protein-derived, motionally restricted free radical detectable by the spin-trapping EPR technique. In order to determine if the detected radical was a peroxyl radical, ¹⁷O₂ and anoxic conditions were employed. The EPR spectra of the metmyoglobin-derived radical adduct detected under nitrogen incubations were identical to those of the oxygenated systems in both intensity and form. No additional hyperfme couplings were detected in the EPR spectrum when 1702 was used. Both of these results indicate that a peroxyl radical derived from molecular oxygen was not found. Additionally, spectra of spin trapped metmyoglobin from four different mammalian species were examined. No significant difference was seen among any of the species, even though one of the species, sperm whale, has one more tyrosine residue than the others.

Key Words:

• EPR
• metmyoglobin
• spin trapping
• peroxyl radical
• hydrogen peroxide