Tyrosinase-generated quinones induce covalent modification, unfolding, and aggregation of human holo-myoglobin.

The present study describes the pattern of protein modification undergone by human holo-myoglobin by reactive fluoroquinones enzymatically produced by oxidation of 3-fluorophenol in mild conditions (pH 7.4, 25 °C). The fluoroquinones react with a number of histidine residues. Surface residues H24, H36, H48, and H82 and the heme distal histidine H64 were all found to be modified to a significant extent. In contrast, cysteine C110 is not appreciably affected, possibly because it is not accessible to the fluoroquinones. The sites of protein modification were assessed by mass spectrometry analysis of the peptide fragments resulting from controlled proteolysis of the apoprotein. As a consequence of the reaction with quinones, the globular structure of myoglobin becomes more prone to denaturation by the partial loss of its secondary structure. As a more intriguing consequence, the fluoroquinones promote the formation of structured aggregates of moderate size that lack the typical morphology of fibrillar structures.