Reactions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis truncated hemoglobin O with ligands reveal a novel ligand-inclusive hydrogen bond network

Truncated hemoglobin O (trHbO) is one of two trHbs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Remarkably, trHbO possesses two novel distal residues, in addition to the B10 tyrosine, that may be important in ligand binding. These are the CD1 tyrosine and G8 tryptophan. Here we investigate the reactions of trHbO and mutants using stopped-flow spectrometry, flash photolysis, and UV-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy. A biphasic kinetic behavior is observed for combination and dissociation of O₂ and CO that is controlled by the B10 and CD1 residues. The rate constants for combination (< 1.0 μM^-1 s^-1) and dissociation (<0.006 s^-1) of O₂ are among the slowest known, precluding transport or diffusion of O₂ as a major function. Mutation of CD1 tyrosine to phenylalanine shows that this group controls ligand binding, as evidenced by 25- and 77-fold increases in the combination rate constants for O₂ and CO, respectively. In support of a functional role for G8 tryptophan, UV resonance Raman indicates that the χ^(2,1) dihedral angle for the indole ring increases progressively from approximately 93° to at least 100° in going sequentially from the deoxy to CO to O₂ derivative, demonstrating a significant conformational change in the G8 tryptophan with ligation. Remarkably, protein modeling predicts a network of hydrogen bonds between B10 tyrosine, CD1 tyrosine, and G8 tryptophan, with the latter residues being within hydrogen bonding distance of the heme-bound ligand. Such a rigid hydrogen bonding network may thus represent a considerable barrier to ligand entrance and escape. In accord with this model, we found that changing CD1 or B10 tyrosine for phenylalanine causes only small changes in the rate of O₂ dissociation, suggesting that more than one hydrogen bond must be broken at a time to promote ligand escape. Furthermore, trHbO-CO cannot be photodissociated under conditions where the CO derivative of myoglobin is extensively photodissociated, indicating that CO is constrained near the heme by the hydrogen bonding network.