The flavoHbs 1 belong to a 1.8 billion-year-old family of globin molecules that includes O 2 -binding Hbs and Mbs isolated from animals, plants, fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and worms (1-6). FlavoHbs have a unique two-domain structure containing linked Hb and reductase domains with extensive homology to the mammalian Hbs and metHb reductases (1, 7). Other Hbs appear to be co-expressed with associated metHb reductases (8). An O 2 transport or storage function, like that of the erythrocytic Hbs and muscle Mbs, has been suggested for some microbial and plant (flavo)Hbs (4, 9); however, other functions including the catalysis of oxidations have long seemed more likely (10 -12).Recently, we described an NO dioxygenase (NOD) produced by Escherichia coli that utilizes O 2 and NAD(P)H to convert NO to nitrate (Equation 1) and identified it as a flavoHb (13,14). Subsequent studies have shown that related bacterial and yeast flavoHbs display a similar NOD activity.A role for flavoHbs in NO detoxification is supported by the ability of flavoHbs to protect bacteria against NO or nitroso compounds (13, 14, 16 -18) and by their induction in bacteria exposed to NO, nitrate, nitrite, or nitroso compounds (13, 14, 17, 19 -22). However, the mechanism of NO detoxification, and thus the function of the flavoHbs, is obscured by the possibility of multiple reaction mechanisms involving NO. Other NO detoxifying activities for flavoHbs, including denitrosylation of nitrosothiols (17), NO reduction (17, 23), and NO sequestration (16, 23), have been offered to explain the protection flavoHbs afford to bacteria against NO and nitrosoglutathione. Thus, an understanding of the biological function(s) of the flavoHbs demands a greater knowledge of their various activities.In this report, steady-state, reduction, and ligand binding kinetics of the E. coli NOD (flavoHb) were measured in order to define its function and the mechanism of NO dioxygenation. We also examined the effects of amino acid substitutions at the highly conserved Tyr(B10) position on NOD activity, reduction, and ligand binding kinetics (7,24). Key differences between flavoHb and other Hbs are discussed in light of this specialized but perhaps ancient NO dioxygenation and detoxification function of hemoglobin.
MATERIALS AND METHODSCells and Reagents-The flavoHb-deficient E. coli strain RB9060 (25) was generously provided by Alex Ninfa (University of Michigan). Plasmid pAlter containing the E. coli hmp gene was prepared as described previously (13). FAD, NADPH, and bovine hemin were purchased from Sigma. NADH, bovine liver catalase (260,000 units/ml), and deoxyribonuclease were obtained from Roche Molecular Biochemicals. Saturated NO was prepared as described previously (26). Saturated O 2 (1.14 mM) was prepared by vigorously scrubbing a solution of 50 mM potassium phosphate, pH 7.8, containing 0.1 mM EDTA (buffer A) at 25°C and atmospheric pressure with 99.993% O 2 (Praxair, Bethlehem, PA) in a rubber septum-sealed glass vial vented with a syringe needle. Manganese-containing...