Brain nitric oxide synthase is a haemoprotein

Brain nitric oxide (NO) synthase showed pyridine haemochrome spectra typical of ferroprotoporphyrin IX-containing enzymes. The haem content of purified NO synthase was in the range 0.7-0.9 mol/mol of 160 kDa subunit. In the presence of CO, NO, KCN and miconazole, the L-citrulline-forming activity of NO synthase was markedly diminished, demonstrating that enzyme-bound haem is involved in enzymic NO synthesis.