Catalase (CAT) and myeloperoxiase (MPO) are heme-containing enzymes that have attracted attention for their role in the etiology of numerous respiratory disorders such as cystic fibrosis, bronchial asthma, and acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. However, information regarding the interrelationship and competition between the two enzymes, free iron accumulation, and decreased levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants at sites of inflammation is still lacking. Myeloperoxidase catalyzes the generation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) from the reaction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and chloride (Cl⁻). Self-generated HOCl has recently been proposed to auto-inhibit MPO through a mechanism that involves MPO heme destruction. Here, we investigate the interplay of MPO, HOCl, and CAT during catalysis, and explore the crucial role of MPO inhibitors and HOCl scavengers in protecting the catalytic site from protein modification of both enzymes against oxidative damage mediated by HOCl. We showed that CAT not only competes with MPO for H₂O₂ but also scavenges HOCl. The protective role provided by CAT versus the damaging effect provided by HOCl depends in part on the ratio between MPO/CAT and the affinity of the enzymes towards H₂O₂ versus HOCl. The severity of such damaging effects mainly depends on the ratio of HOCl to enzyme heme content. In addition to its effect in mediating protein modification and aggregation, HOCl oxidatively destroys the catalytic sites of the enzymes, which contain porphyrin rings and iron. Thus, modulation of MPO/CAT activities may be a fundamental feature of catalysis, and functions to down-regulate HOCl synthesis and prevent hemoprotein heme destruction and/or protein modification.

Title

Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry

Publisher

ScienceDirect

Publisher Country

United States of America

Indexing

Thomson Reuters

Impact Factor

2.1

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

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Year

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Pages

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