Showing papers on "Protoporphyrins published in 2004"
TL;DR: Spectrophotometric studies reveal that protoporphyrin IX interacts with haemoglobin and myoglobin forming ground state complexes, which may have a role in establishing efficacy of therapeutic uses of porphyrins as well as in elucidating their mechanisms of action as therapeutic agents.
Abstract: Protoporphyrin IX and its derivatives are used as photosensitizers in the photodynamic therapy of cancer. Protoporphyrin IX penetrates into human red blood cells and releases oxygen from them. This leads to a change in the morphology of the cells. Spectrophotometric studies reveal that protoporphyrin IX interacts with haemoglobin and myoglobin forming ground state complexes. For both proteins, the binding affinity constant decreases, while the possible number of binding sites increases, as the aggregation state of the porphyrin is increased. The interactions lead to conformational changes of both haemoglobin and myoglobin as observed in circular dichroism studies. Upon binding with the proteins, protoporphyrin IX releases the heme-bound oxygen from the oxyproteins, which is dependent on the stoichiometric ratios of the porphyrin : protein. The peroxidase activities of haemoglobin and myoglobin are potentiated by the protein-porphyrin complexation. Possible mechanisms underlying the relation between the porphyrin-induced structural modifications of the heme proteins and alterations in their functional properties have been discussed. The findings may have a role in establishing efficacy of therapeutic uses of porphyrins as well as in elucidating their mechanisms of action as therapeutic agents.
37 citations
TL;DR: A rapid binding step is preceded by a slower isomerization of the enzyme, which provides a greater understanding of this catalytic process which controls the relative concentrations of MgP and MgPME, both of which are implicated in signalling between the plastid and nucleus in plants.
Abstract: Magnesium protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase (ChlM), an enzyme in the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway, catalyses the transfer of a methyl group to magnesium protoporphyrin IX (MgP) to form magnesium protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester (MgPME). S-Adenosyl-L-methionine is the other substrate, from which a methyl group is transferred to the propionate group on ring C of the porphyrin macrocycle. Stopped-flow techniques were used to characterize the binding of porphyrin substrate to ChlM from Synechocystis PCC6803 by monitoring tryptophan fluorescence quenching on a millisecond timescale. We concluded that a rapid binding step is preceded by a slower isomerization of the enzyme. Quenched-flow techniques have been employed to characterize subsequent partial reactions in the catalytic mechanism. A lag phase has been identified that has been attributed to the formation of an intermediate. Our results provide a greater understanding of this catalytic process which controls the relative concentrations of MgP and MgPME, both of which are implicated in signalling between the plastid and nucleus in plants.
31 citations