The binding of cyanide to ferroperoxidase.

1. The equilibrium and kinetics of cyanide binding to ferroperoxidase were investigated. At pH9.1 the equilibrium and kinetic measurements agree closely and disclose a single process with an affinity constant of 1.1x10(3)m(-1) and combination and dissociation velocity constants of 29m(-1).s(-1) and 2.5x10(-2)s(-1) respectively. 2. At pH values below 8 the affinity constant falls until at pH6.0 the ferroperoxidase.cyanide complex is no longer formed. This is shown to be associated with the formation of ferriperoxidase.cyanide complex in the mixture even in the presence of excess of sodium dithionite. 3. Rapid-pH-jump experiments show a fast pseudo-first-order interconversion between ferroperoxidase.cyanide complex at pH9.1 and ferriperoxidase.cyanide complex at pH6.0. 4. The kinetics of binding of cyanide to dithionite-reduced peroxidase at pH6.0 are complicated and radically different from those observed at pH9.1. 5. Above pH8 the change of affinity constant with pH is consistent with the undissociated species, HCN, being bound by the ferroperoxidase. The enthalpy for this process measured both by equilibrium and kinetic methods is about -8kcal/mol. 6. The binding of cyanide to reconstituted peroxidases, proto, meso and deutero, was investigated. 7. The results are discussed in relation to known data on cyanide binding to other haemoproteins.