LOSS OF ALLOSTERIC BEHAVIOR IN RECOMBINANT HEMOGLOBIN ALPHA(2)BETA(2)92(F8)HIS-]ALA - RESTORATION UPON ADDITION OF STRONG EFFECTORS

In the stereochemical model proposed by P.erutz [1], the Fe-His(F8) bond plays a significant role in the allosteric transition in hemoglobin and the resulting cooperativity in ligand binding, When this bond is ruptured, there is a loss in the transmission of the information concerning ligand binding; examples are Hb(NO)(4) in the presence of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP), or nickel substituted Hb hybrids which, despite being liganded, exhibit deoxy-like properties, To study the effects of the loss of the iron proximal histidine bond, we have engineered the alpha(2) beta(2)(F8)H92A recombinant Hb. The replacement of the highly conserved proximal histidine F8 residue by an alanine results in a low affinity for the heme group and a loss of the allosteric properties; kinetics of CO recombination after photodissociation show only the rapid bimolecular phase, characteristic of the high affinity R-state, However, a significant amount of deoxy (T-state) kinetics are observed after addition of external effecters such as IHP. The iron-histidine bond is apparently crucial for the heme-heme interaction, but the allosteric equilibrium may still be influenced by external constraints.