Oxidation of reduced Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase by molecular oxygen. A kinetic study.

The rate of oxidation of reduced bovine Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase [ECu(I)] by molecular O2 was studied by magnetic-resonance techniques and was found to be low under physiological conditions. The analysis of the kinetic data and of the experiments carried out in the presence of tetranitromethane confirms that O2.- is a product of the oxidation process. At [ECu(I)]/([ECu(I)] + [ECu(II)]) greater than 0.5 the O2.- produced reacts mainly with ECu(I), increasing the oxidation rate of the enzyme, whereas at [ECu(I)]/([ECu(I)] + [ECu(II)]) less than 0.5 it reacts mainly with ECu(II), decreasing the oxidation rate, the kinetics, at constant O2 concentration, being an apparent second-order process. The oxidation rate increased linearly with both O2 and OH- concentration, indicating that only a deprotonated form of the ECu(I) reacts with O2.-.