Direct and cytochrome c mediated electrochemistry of bilirubin oxidase on gold

Direct electron transfer (DET) of bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria (BOD) was established on promoter-modified gold electrodes. The electrochemical behavior of the enzyme in solution was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry evaluating the biocatalytic reduction of dioxygen. The reaction of BOD at An electrodes was shown to be efficient only at low pH. In addition, a novel interaction between BOD and cytochrome c (cyt.c) was found. It was shown that BOD efficiently accepts cyt.c as an electron donor in both cases when cyt.c is in solution and electrostatically adsorbed. The results suggest that cyt.c can play the role of a mediator facilitating electron transfer in a pH range where no DET could be observed between the enzyme and the electrode. For the interaction between cyt.c and BOD in solution the reaction kinetics has been studied electrochemically and spectrophotometrically.