Flash photolysis of the serum albumin-heme-CO complex.

Protoheme-CO in aqueous solution does not exhibit a geminate ligand recombination reaction. Addition of a protein, either globin or serum albumin, to which heme binds strongly, leads to an observable geminate reaction in aqueous solution. The bimolecular kinetic data for the albumin-heme-CO complex show two stable components, one heme-like in rate and difference spectrum, and one hemoglobin-like. The geminate reaction correlates spectrally with the hemoglobin-like component.