Allostery in the nitric oxide dioxygenase mechanism of flavohemoglobin

The substrates O(2) and NO cooperatively activate the NO dioxygenase function of Escherichia coli flavohemoglobin. Steady-state and transient kinetic measurements support a structure-based mechanistic model in which O(2) and NO movements and conserved amino acids at the E11, G8, E2, E7, B10, and F7 positions within the globin domain control activation. In the cooperative and allosteric mechanism, O(2) migrates to the catalytic heme site via a long hydrophobic tunnel and displaces LeuE11 away from the ferric iron, which forces open a short tunnel to the catalytic site gated by the ValG8/IleE15 pair and LeuE11. NO permeates this tunnel and leverages upon the gating side chains triggering the CD loop to furl, which moves the E and F-helices and switches an electron transfer gate formed by LysF7, GlnE7, and water. This allows FADH(2) to reduce the ferric iron, which forms the stable ferric–superoxide–TyrB10/GlnE7 complex. This complex reacts with internalized NO with a bimolecular rate constant of 10(10) M(−1) s(−1) forming nitrate, which migrates to the CD loop and unfurls the spring-like structure. To restart the cycle, LeuE11 toggles back to the ferric iron. Actuating electron transfer with O(2) and NO movements averts irreversible NO poisoning and reductive inactivation of the enzyme. Together, structure snapshots and kinetic constants provide glimpses of intermediate conformational states, time scales for motion, and associated energies.