Flash photolysis studies on nitric oxide-ferrihemoprotein complexes. Evidence for the photodissociation into the ferric state.

In order to study the kinetic behavior of ligand binding, flash photolysis is widely used with various hemoproteins [l-4]. The applicability of this method, however, seems to be limited to the ferrous ligated complexes, such as CO, O2 and NO complexes, since it has been believed that only those ferrous complexes are photodissociable. To extend this technique to the ferric state, we have examined the photodissociability of the various complexes of ferrihemoproteins.