Interaction of cytochrome P-450 with hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons of different structures interact with microsomal and solubilized cytochrome P-450 from liver of phenobarbital-pretreated rats forming a high spin enzyme-substrate type complex. The affinity of cytochrome P-450 for hydrocarbons increases with increasing lipophilicity independently of the chemical structure. The binding capacity of microsomal P-450 for aliphatic hydrocarbons is generally higher than for aromates. Mutual influence in binding of two different hydrocarbons by microsomal P-450 is stronger among aromatic than among aliphatic hydrocarbons; in both cases it appears to be effected rather by specific interaction of both substances with the binding site than by a nonspecific influence on the microsomal membrane. Only one fraction of low spin form of solubilized cytochrome P-450 from rat liver interacts with hydrocarbons. The binding capacity for aromatic and aliphatic substances corresponds to that found in microsomes. The affinity for the most lipiphilic substrate, perhydrophenanthrene, is equal in microsomal and solubilized preparation; with decreasing lipophilicity the affinity of solubilized P-450 decreases faster than in microsomes. The LM2 fraction of cytochrome P-450 from phenobarbital-pretreated rabbits interacts only with aliphatic hydrocarbons with wide variation of the binding capacity. The affinity is generally one order of magnitude lower than in microsomes. Active fractions of solubilized P-450 from both species are rapidly converted to P-420 by dithionite. The extent of this conversion is strongly reduced by saturation with substrate.