Myoglobin oxygen dissociation by multiwavelength spectroscopy

Schenkman, Kenneth A., David R. Marble, David H. Burns, and Eric O. Feigl. Myoglobin oxygen dissociation by multiwavelength spectroscopy. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(1): 86–92, 1997.—Multiwavelength optical spectroscopy was used to determine the oxygen-binding characteristics for equine myoglobin. Oxygen-binding relationships as a function of oxygen tension were determined for temperatures of 10, 25, 35, 37, and 40°C, at pH 7.0. In addition, dissociation curves were determined at 37°C for pH 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5. Equilibration was achieved with a myoglobin solution, at the desired temperature and pH, and 16 oxygen-nitrogen gas mixtures of known oxygen fraction. Correction for the inevitable presence of metmyoglobin was made by using a three-component least squares analysis and by correcting the end point oxymyoglobin spectra for the presence of metmyoglobin. The[Formula: see text] at which myoglobin is half-saturated with O 2 (P 50 ) was determined to be 2.39 Torr at pH 7.0 and 37°C. The myoglobin dissociation curve was well fit by the Hill equation [saturation =[Formula: see text]/([Formula: see text]+ P 50 )].