Cobalt and ruthenium replacement for iron in adrenal iron-sulfur protein (adrenodoxin). Preparation and some properties.

The Co- and Ru-substituted derivatives of adrenal iron-sulfur protein (adrenodoxin) were prepared from its apoprotein in the presence of urea, dithiothreitol, Na2S, and metal ions. Both metal-substituted proteins had 2 g-atoms each of metal and labile sulfur per mole of protein. The Co derivative had optical absorption maxima at 257, 264, 470, and 1430 nm with shoulders at 275, 280, 300, and 380 nm. The molar extinction coefficient per Co atom was 2.200 M-1 cm-1 at 470 nm. The Ru derivative had a broad maximum at 500 nm with a molar extinction coefficient of approximately 100 M-1 cm-1 per Ru atom. The visible chromophore of the Co- and Ru-substituted proteins with mercurials revealed that the saturation levels are 8.6 and 8.4 mol of mercurial/mol of protein. The values agree with that of the native protein within experimental errors. The tyrosyl residue at position 82 displayed a broad anomalous emission at 335 and 331 nm for the Co- and Ru-substituted proteins, respectively, as well as in the case of the native protein. There was no electron paramagnetic resonance signal of the Co derivative in a wide magnetic field at 77 degrees K. Additionally, the Co and Ru derivatives had no enzymatic activity toward NADPH-cytochrome c reduction in the presence of adrenal diaphorase (adrenodoxin reductase). There was no indication that Mn, Ni, Cu, and Os are incorporated into the apoprotein in the presence of urea. Incorporation of Fe into the protein was examined in the presence of Co or Ru. In a system containing both Fe and Ru, Fe was exclusively incorporated into the protein. In contrast to this, the reaction products from a system containing both Fe and Co were found to consist of both Fe and Co derivatives at approximately equimolar quantity.