Flash Photolysis Studies of Respiratory Hemoproteins: Analyses of the Factors Modulating the Reactivity of Heme-Iron, Active Center of the Proteins

Abstract

The carbon monoxide (CO) complex of hemoprotein is highly sensitive to light and the CO molecule bound to heme-iron readily dissociates from the complex upon light illumination. This enables us to study the kinetics of CO recombination reactions as well as photochemical properties of the CO complexes in various hemoproteins by using the flash photolysis technique. In this article are reviewed basic aspects of the photochemical properties of hemoproteins, the principle of flash photolysis method and its applications to the characterization of respiratory hemoproteins such as myoglobin, peroxidase, and cytochrome P450.