RESUMO
Investigation of the heme iron dynamics in cytochrome c with Mössbauer spectroscopy and especially nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy requires the replacement of the natural abundant heme iron with the (57)Fe isotope. For demetallization, we use a safer and milder ferrous sulfate-hydrochloric acid method in addition to the harsher commonly used hydrofluoric acid-based procedure. The structural integrity of the (57)Fe-reconstituted protein in both oxidation states is confirmed from absorption spectra and a detailed analysis of the rich resonance Raman spectra. These results reinforce the application of metal-substituted heme c proteins as reliable models for the native proteins.
Assuntos
Citocromos c/química , Espectroscopia de Mossbauer , Citocromos c/metabolismo , Compostos Ferrosos/química , Heme/química , Ácido Clorídrico/química , Isótopos de Ferro/química , Modelos Moleculares , Oxirredução , Análise Espectral Raman , VibraçãoRESUMO
Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) and Raman spectroscopy on (54)Fe- and (57)Fe-enriched cytochrome c (cyt c) identify multiple bands involving vibrations of the heme Fe. Comparison with predictions from Fe isotope shifts reveals that 70% of the NRVS signal in the 300-450 cm(-1) frequency range corresponds to vibrations resolved in Soret-enhanced Raman spectra. This frequency range dominates the "stiffness", an effective force constant determined by the Fe vibrational density of states (VDOS), which measures the strength of nearest-neighbor interactions with Fe. The stiffness of the low-spin Fe environment in both oxidation states of cyt c significantly exceeds that for the high-spin Fe in deoxymyoglobin, where the 200-300 cm(-1) frequency range dominates the VDOS. This situation is reflected in the shorter Fe-ligand bond lengths in the former with respect to the latter. The longer Fe-S(Met80) in oxidized cyt c with respect to reduced cyt c leads to a decrease in the stiffness of the iron environment upon oxidation. Comparison with NRVS measurements allows us to assess assignments for vibrational modes resolved in this region of the heme Raman spectrum. We consider the possibility that the 372 cm(-1) band in reduced cyt c involves the Fe-S(Met80) bond.