Oxidation of heme to beta- and delta-biliverdin by Pseudomonas aeruginosa heme oxygenase as a consequence of an unusual seating of the heme

The origin of the unusual regioselectivity of heme oxygenation, i.e. the oxidation of heme to delta-biliverdin (70%) and beta-biliverdin (30%), that is exhibited by heme oxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (pa-HO) has been studied by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and resonance Raman spectroscopies. Whereas resonance Raman indicates that the heme-iron ligation in pa-HO is homologous to that observed in previously studied alpha-hydroxylating heme oxygenases, the NMR spectroscopic studies suggest that the heme in this enzyme is seated in a manner that is distinct from that observed for all other alpha-hydroxylating heme oxygenase enzymes for which a structure is known. In pa-HO, the heme is rotated in-plane approximately 110 degrees, so the delta-meso-carbon of the major orientational isomer is located within the HO-fold in the place where the alpha-hydroxylating enzymes typically place the alpha-meso-carbon. The unusual heme seating displayed by pa-HO places the heme propionates so that these groups point in the direction of the solvent-exposed heme edge and appears to originate in large part from the absence of stabilizing interactions between the polypeptide and the heme propionates, which are typically found in alpha-hydroxylating heme oxygenase enzymes. These interactions typically involve Lys-16 and Tyr-112, in Neisseriae meningitidis HO, and Lys-16 and Tyr-134, in human and rat HO-1. The corresponding residues in pa-HO are Asn-19 and Phe-117, respectively. In agreement with this hypothesis, we found that the Asn-19 Lys/Phe-117 Tyr double mutant of pa-HO exists as a mixture of molecules exhibiting two distinct heme seatings; one seating is identical to that exhibited by wild-type pa-HO, whereas the alternative seating is very similar to that typical of alpha-hydroxylating heme oxygenase enzymes and is related to the wild-type seating by approximately 110 degrees in-plane rotation of the heme. Furthermore, each of these heme seatings in the pa-HO double mutant gives rise to a subset of two heme isomeric orientations that are related to each other by 180 degrees rotation about the alpha-gamma-meso-axis. The coexistence of these molecules in solution, in the proportions suggested by the corresponding area under the peaks in the (1)H NMR spectrum, explains the unusual regioselectivity of heme oxygenation observed with the double mutant, which we found produces alpha- (55%), delta- (35%), and beta-biliverdin (10%). Alpha-biliverdin is obtained by oxidation of the heme seated similar to that of alpha-hydroxylating enzymes, whereas beta- and delta-biliverdin are formed from the oxidation of heme seated as in wild-type pa-HO.     

Angle-resolved photoemission and valence band dispersions for GaAs: Direct vs indirect models

Angle-resolved photoemission measurements for GaAs(110) have been extended to hv= 100 eV. These results show that dominant emission peaks are due to direct transitions. Weaker one-dimensional density of states features sometimes observed are due to surface umklapp/secondary cone and lifetime effects. Accurate band dispersions

for all four valence bands GaAs along the [110] direction are given using simple normal emission and off-normal emission methods. Electron and hole lifetimes are directly determined.     

Fitting of deuterium quadrupole echo spectra with multiple motional models

Dynamic information is generally extracted from deuterium quadrupole echo spectra by matching a spectrum calculated for a particular motional model to the experimental spectrum. In this work, a set of computer programs has been written to facilitate fitting of calculated spectra to experimental spectra that represent from one to five motional models. The fitting program requires pre-calculated libraries of spectra for the models of interest, and accomplishes the fitting either by a systematic method or by simulated annealing. The systematic method is convenient for fitting with one or two motional models, but the simulated annealing method is faster for two or more models, if the libraries are made up of hundreds of spectra. The parameter Q, with the standard deviation of the spectral points estimated as the standard deviation of the baseline noise, provides a stringent measure of goodness of fit. Acceptable fits of experimental data as judged by this criterion have not been found, even in the case of ring flip motion in phenylalanine-d(5) in which the fit may be judged acceptable by eye. An example of fitting with isotropic and methyl rotation motional models of alanine-d(3), which have distinct spectral patterns, shows that it is possible to obtain reasonably accurate estimates of the relative amounts of deuterium representing the different models, even from poorly fitted spectra.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.     

Angular dependent photon-stimulated desorption of ions from a V2O5(010) surface

Using a display-type analyzer, we have measured the angular and energy distribution of O⁺ ions desorbed from a V₂O₅(010) surface by incident photons. The desorbed ions were mass-analyzed using time-of-flight gating techniques. The angular distribution of desorbed ions was found to be strongly peaked in the direction of the surface normal. This strongly directional desorption pattern reflects the local bonding geometry of the topmost oxygen atoms in the surface. The observed photoexcitation spectrum of the ion yiel can be explained with the core level Auger decay model formulated by Knotek and Feibelman.