Hydrogen peroxide is not released following reaction of cyanide with several catalytically important derivatives of cytochrome c oxidase

Marian Fabian and Graham Palmer
FEBS Lett. 422: 1-4, 1998

SUMMARY: We have looked for the production of hydrogen peroxide following reaction of oxidized cytochrome oxidase and two oxy derivatives (compounds P and F) with cyanide. In each case the final product was the cyanide adduct of cytochrome oxidase. In no case was release of hydrogen peroxide detected, as gauged by the scopoletin plus horse radish peroxidase assay. The simplest conclusion is that none of these forms of the enzyme contain intact hydrogen peroxide.