Comparison of the molybdenum centres of native and desulpho xanthine oxidase. The nature of the cyanide-labile sulphur atom and the nature of the proton-accepting group.

The non-functional form of xanthine oxidase known as the desulpho enzyme was compared with the functional enzyme in various ways, to obtain information on the structure of the molybdenum centre and the mechanism of the catalytic reaction. The desulpho enzyme, like the functional one, possesses a site for the binding of anions, presumably as ligands of molybdenum. Evidence is presented that in the Mo(V) e.p.r. signal from the desulpho-enzyme, as in that from the functional enzyme, a weakly coupled proton, in addition to a strongly coupled proton, interacts with the metal. Measurements were carried out by e.p.r. on the rate at which the proton strongly coupled to molybdenum exchanged, on diluting enzyme samples with 2H2O. For the desulpho enzyme the exchange rate constant was 0.40s-1, at pH 8.2 and 12 degrees C, and for the functional enzyme it was 85 s-1. It is shown that the great majority of reported differences between the enzyme forms are consistent with functional enzyme containing an (Enzyme)-Mo=S grouping, replaced in the desulpho form by (Enzyme)-Mo=O. Protonation of these groups, with pK values of about 8 and 10 respectively, would give (Enzyme)-Mo-SH and (Enzyme)-Mo-OH, these being the forms observed by e.p.r. The accepting group in the functional enzyme, for the proton transferred from the substrate while molybdenum is reduced in the catalytic reaction [Gutteridge, Tanner & Bray (1978) Biochem J. 175 869-878], is thus taken to be Mo=S.