Dynamics of Quaternary Structure Transitions in R-State Carbonmonoxyhemoglobin Unveiled in Time-Resolved X-ray Scattering Patterns Following a Temperature Jump

It is well-known that tetrameric hemoglobin binds ligands cooperatively by undergoing a ligand-induced T -> R quaternary structure transition, a structure-function relationship that has long served as a model system for understanding allostery in proteins. However, kinetic studies of the reverse, R -> T quaternary structure transition following photolysis of carbonmonoxyhemoglobin (HbCO) reveal complex behavior that may be better explained by the presence of two different R quaternary structures coexisting in thermal equilibrium. Indeed, we report here time-resolved small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) patterns of HbCO following a temperature jump that not only provide unambiguous evidence for more than one R state, but also unveil the time scale for interconversion between them. Since the time scale for the photolysis-induced R -> T transition is likely different for different R-states, this structural heterogeneity must be accounted for to properly explain the kinetic heterogeneity observed in time-resolved spectroscopic studies following photolysis of HbCO.