The nitric oxide complex of ferrous soybean lipoxygenase-1. Substrate, pH, and ethanol effects on the active-site iron.

Soybean lipoxygenase is a non-heme iron enzyme that catalyzes the hydroperoxidation of linoleic acid by dioxygen. Exposure of ferrous lipoxygenase to nitric oxide yields a species displaying an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum characteristic of a nearly axial S = 3/2 electronic spin system arising from the ferrous-nitrosyl complex. That spectrum is pH-sensitive, reflecting changes in the environment of the metal ion between pH 7 and 11. Addition of ethanol abolishes the effects of pH in a saturable fashion, resulting in a spectrum similar to that seen at pH 7. Exchange of lipoxygenase into H2(17)O leads to no significant line broadening in the low field portion of the spectrum, suggesting no coordination of water. The ferrous enzyme displays greater affinity for NO at pH 9 (where the enzyme is most active) than at pH 7. The binding of linoleic acid is competitive with that of NO at pH 9, but not at pH 7. These results are interpreted in terms of a model including only one iron site for exogenous ligands and an otherwise relatively stable iron coordination environment.