Isolation and properties of a new, soluble, hemoprotein (H-450) from pig liver

A new soluble hemoprotein, designated as H-450, has been purified from pig liver. The absolute absorption spectrum of H-450 shows maxima at 550 and 428 nm. The dithionite-reduced H-450 has absorption peaks at 572, 540, and 450 nm; the unique Soret band at 450 nm is the basis for our tentative designation of this new hemoprotein as H-450 (hemoprotein 450). The spectrum of dithionite-reduced H-450 at 77 K gives two alpha peaks (571 and 566 nm), three beta peaks (546, 537, and 529 nm), and a Soret band at 449 nm. The prosthetic group of H-450 has been identified as protoheme IX. Gel electrophoresis experiments show that H-450 is composed of two nonidentical subunits, alpha and beta (mol wts = 61 000 and 45 000). H-450 contains 1 mol of heme/alphabeta dimer of 106 000 molecular weight. Preliminary sedimentation equilibrium experiments suggest a minimum molecular weight of 218 000 for the native protein. This corresponds to a tetramer, alpha2beta2 containing two heme groups. H-450 is not reduced by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), NADH phosphate, ascorbate, or ferrocyanide. Neither reduced nor oxidized H-450 binds CO, 1 mM cyahide, or 1 mM azide. Dithionite-reduced H-450 is autoxidizable. The molar extinction coefficient of native H-450 is 261 X 103 at 280 nm and 263 X 103 at 428 nm. The purification procedure involves homogenization, high-speed centrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, diethylaminoethylcellulose chromatography, density gradient centrifugation, a calcium phosphate gel step, and a second density gradient centrifugation. The procedure yeilds approximately 2 mg of purified protein from 750 g of pig liver.