Electron transfer reactions of cytochrome f from Brassica komatsuna with hexacyanoferrate.

The electron transfer reactions of membrane-bound monomeric cytochrome f from Brassica komatosuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis Bailey) with hexacyanoferrate (II)-(III) have been studied as a function of pH, ionic strength and temperature. The second-order rate constant for the oxidation of cytochrome f by Fe(CN)6(3-) at pH 7.0, mu 0.1 M, and 20 degrees C is 1.7 X 10(5) M-1 X S-1, which is similar to the value of oligomeric cytochrome f from parsley. The activation parameters obtained were delta H not equal to = -0.87 kcal/mol and delta S not equal to - -38 cal/mol x deg. Respective rat constant and activation parameters obtained for the reduction of cytochrome f by Fe(CN)6(4-) were k = 1.7 X 10(4) M-1 x S-1, delta H not equal to = +6.7 kcal/mol, and delta S not equal to -16 cal/mol x deg. Both the rate constants for the oxidation and the reduction of cytochrome f markedly decreased with increasing ionic strength. The results indicate that the oxidation and the reduction take place at a positively charged site on the cytochrome f surface, and electrostatic interactions are important for these reactions. The participation of protons and specific amino acid residues in electron transfer reactions of cytochrome f is implied from the pH results. Alkaline isomerization of ferricytochrome f was not observed. The midpoint potential of cytochrome f has a constant value of 360 mV between pH 5.0-8.9, and decreases by about 55 mV per pH unit above 8.9. The results are compared with the data for horse heart cytochrome c and Euglena gracilis cytochrome c-552. These data are discussed in relation to the theories of electrostatic corrected outer-sphere electron transfer of Marcus and multiphonon nonadiabatic electron tunneling of Jortner and Hopfield.