Conformational substates of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase: the modified Volpe-Caughey variant.

Kinetic and equilibrium binding studies using optically correlated, quantitative electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy are reported for the reaction of a modified Volpe-Caughey preparation of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase with anionic (F-, CN-) and gaseous (NO) ligands. A fast phase of cyanide and fluoride ligation can be attributed to an EPR-silent conformer(s), while the slow and medium phases of cyanide binding are correlated with the g = 12 conformer(s). Using dioxygen or ferricyanide, it is possible to modulate reciprocally the relative amounts of these two species, that together account for at least 95% of the active-site conformers of the resting form of the enzyme.