NOE AND 2-DIMENSIONAL CORRELATED H-1-NMR SPECTROSCOPY OF CYTOCHROME-C' FROM CHROMATIUM-VINOSUM

H-1 two-dimensional (nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and two-dimensional correlated spectroscopy (COSY) spectra of cytochrome c' from Chromatium vinosum have been obtained. The protein is of medium size (M(r) 28 000), essentially high spin (S = 5/2) although some quantum mechanical spin admixing with S = 3/2 may be present. Under these circumstances NOESY cross peaks have been revealed between geminal protons (alpha-CH2 propionate and beta-CH2 protons of the bound histidine) and between alpha-CH2 propionate protons and the heme methyl groups. COSY maps have confirmed the geminal nature of the proton pairs, even with a linewidth as large as 900 Hz; the J value is about 12 Hz. This assignment has rationalized on a sound basis the biochemical behavior of this protein with pH and has showed the utility of this kind of spectroscopy for the other cytochromes c' structures and analogous systems.