Sodium and calcium binding to Panulirus interruptus hemocyanin as studied by 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance.

Addition of Panulirus hemocyanin to NaCl solutions produces marked changes in the 23Na relaxation parameters; they show that sodium ions interact with binding sites on the protein and exchange rapidly with the bulk. The observed non-lorentzian lineshapes and the non-exponential decay of the transverse magnetization indicate that non-extreme narrowing conditions apply and give information on the dynamics of the interaction. Panulirus hemocyanin has at least two classes of Na+ binding sites; the binding constant of the more strongly bound sodium ions is in the order of 1 X 10(2) M-1. Competition between Na+ and Ca2+ for protein binding sites is demonstrated by the effect of Ca2+ on the 23Na relaxation parameters. However, only the more strongly bound Na+ are displaced by Ca2+. The number of Ca2+ needed to displace these sodium ions is 3--5 per oxygen binding site. The 23Na relaxation parameters are influenced also by the state of oxygenation of the protein, indicating a linkage between Na+ and oxygen binding. The simplest interpretation of the data is that sodium ions bind more strongly to oxyhemocyanin in agreement with oxygen equilibrium experiments.