A globular high spin form of ferricytochrome c

Acidification of a salt-free solution of native low spin globular horse heart ferricytochrome c with HCl causes a single cooperative transition centered at pH 2.5 at 23 degrees C resulting in the formation of denatured high spin ferricytochrome c. By contrast, acidification with HCIO4 uncouples denaturation from the spin-state transition, resulting in the formation of a globular high spin form of ferricytochrome c at pH 0.0 exhibiting only modest conformational differences from native cytochrome c as judged by far ultraviolet circular dichoroic, tryptophan fluorescence, and reduced viscosity measurements. This uncoupling is consistent with the preferential binding of two perchlorate anions to the globular form(s) cytochrome c. The acid spin-state transition of the perchlorate complex is biphasic, having midpoint values at pH 0.7 and 3.6 involving 1.0 and 1.6 protons, respectively, when measured in the presence of 1 M perchlorate.