Mutation of His-105 in the beta 1 subunit yields a nitric oxide-insensitive form of soluble guanylyl cyclase

Soluble guanylyl cyclase [GTP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing); EC 4.6.1.2] is a hemoprotein that exists as a heterodimer; the heme moiety has been proposed to bind nitric oxide, resulting in a dramatic activation of the enzyme. Mutation of six conserved His residues reduced but did not abolish nitric oxide stimulation whereas a change of His-105 to Phe in the beta 1 subunit yielded a heterodimer that retained basal cyclase activity but failed to respond to nitric oxide. Heme was not detected as a component of the mutant heterodimer and protophorphyrin IX failed to stimulate enzyme activity. The activity of the His mutant was almost identical to that of the wild-type enzyme in the presence of KCN, suggesting that disruption of heme binding is the principal effect of the mutation. Thus, the mutation provides a means to inhibit the nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase signaling pathway.