J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 262, Issue 23, 11046-11051, Aug, 1987
The reaction of cytochromes c and c2 with the Rhodospirillum rubrum reaction center involves the heme crevice domain
J Hall, M Ayres, XH Zha, P O'Brien, B Durham, D Knaff and F Millett
In order to define the interaction domain on Rhodospirillum rubrum
cytochrome c2 for the photosynthetic reaction center, positively charged
lysine amino groups on cytochrome c2 were modified to form negatively
charged carboxydinitrophenyl lysines. The reaction mixture was separated
into six different fractions by ion exchange chromatography on
carboxymethylcellulose and sulfopropyl-Sepharose. Peptide mapping studies
indicated that fraction A consisted of a mixture of singly labeled
derivatives modified at lysines 58, 81, and 109 on the back of cytochrome
c2. Fractions C1, C2, C3, and C4 were found to be mixtures of singly
labeled derivatives modified at lysines 9, 13, 75, 86, and 88 on the front
of cytochrome c2 surrounding the heme crevice. The photooxidation of the
carboxydinitrophenyl-cytochrome c2 derivatives by reaction centers purified
from R. rubrum was measured following excitation with a laser pulse. The
second-order rate constant of fraction A modified at backside lysines was
found to be 2.3 X 10(7) M-1 s-1, nearly the same as that of native
cytochrome c2, 2.6 X 10(7) M- 1 s-1. However, the rate constants of
fractions C1-C4 were found to be 6 to 12-fold smaller than that of native
cytochrome c2. These results indicate that lysines surrounding the heme
crevice of cytochrome c2 are involved in electrostatic interactions with
carboxylate groups at the binding site of the reaction center. The reaction
rates of horse heart cytochrome c derivatives modified at single lysine
amino groups with trifluoroacetyl or trifluoromethylphenylcarbamoyl were
also measured. Modification of lysines 8, 13, 25, 27, 72, 79, or 87
surrounding the heme crevice was found to significantly lower the rate of
reaction, while modification of lysines in other regions had no effect.
This indicates that the reaction of horse heart cytochrome c with the
reaction center also involves the heme crevice domain.