The rate-limiting step in O ₂ reduction by cytochrome ba ₃ from Thermus thermophilus

Cytochrome ba ₃ (ba ₃) of Thermus thermophilus (T. thermophilus) is a member of the heme-copper oxidase family, which has a binuclear catalytic center comprised of a heme (heme a ₃) and a copper (Cu _B). The heme-copper oxidases generally catalyze the four electron reduction of molecular oxygen in a sequence involving several intermediates. We have investigated the reaction of the fully reduced ba ₃ with O ₂ using stopped-flow techniques. Transient visible absorption spectra indicated that a fraction of the enzyme decayed to the oxidized state within the dead time (~ 1 ms) of the stopped-flow instrument, while the remaining amount was in a reduced state that decayed slowly (k = 400 s ^{- 1}) to the oxidized state without accumulation of detectable intermediates. Furthermore, no accumulation of intermediate species at 1 ms was detected in time resolved resonance Raman measurements of the reaction. These findings suggest that O ₂ binds rapidly to heme a ₃ in one fraction of the enzyme and progresses to the oxidized state. In the other fraction of the enzyme, O ₂ binds transiently to a trap, likely Cu _B, prior to its migration to heme a ₃ for the oxidative reaction, highlighting the critical role of Cu _B in regulating the oxygen reaction kinetics in the oxidase superfamily. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Respiratory Oxidases.