Single-electron reduction of quinone and nitroaromatic xenobiotics by recombinant rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase

Abstract

We examined the kinetics of single-electron reduction of a large number of structurally diverse quinones and nitroaromatic compounds, including a number of antitumour and antiparasitic drugs, and nitroaromatic explosives by recombinant rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, EC 1.14.13.39), aiming to characterize the role of nNOS in the oxidative stress-type cytotoxicity of the above compounds. The steady-state second-order rate constants (kcat/Km) of reduction of the quinones and nitroaromatics varied from 102 M-1s-1 to 106 M-1s-1, and increased with an increase in their single-electron reduction potentials (E1 7). The presence of Ca2+/calmodulin enhanced the reactivity of nNOS. These reactions were consistent with an "outer sphere" electron-transfer mechanism, considering the FMNH./FMNH2 couple of nNOS as the most reactive reduced enzyme form. An analysis of the reactions of nNOS within the "outer sphere" electrontransfer mechanism gave the approximate values of the distance of electron transfer, 0.39-0.47 nm, which are consistent with the crystal structure of the reductase domain of nNOS. On the other hand, at low oxygen concentrations ([O2] = 40-50 μM), nNOS performs a net twoelectron reduction of quinones and nitroaromatics. This implies that NOS may in part be responsible for the bioreductive alkylation by two-electron reduced forms of antitumour aziridinyl-substituted quinones under a modest hypoxia.