豆壳过氧化物酶的盐酸胍变性与化学修饰研究

研究了盐酸胍对豆壳过氧化物酶(soybeanhullperoxidase,SHP,EC1.11.1.7)构象与活力的影响,发现去辅基SHP的盐酸胍变(复)性及荧光变化关系与SHP全酶分子的盐酸胍变(复)性及荧光变化关系明显不同。应用过碘酸氧化法去除SHP分子表面糖链,研究糖链去除对酶性质的影响,则证实了SHP分子表面的糖链去除导致酶热稳定性下降。应用不同的蛋白质侧链修饰剂对SHP进行化学修饰则表明,巯基、酪氨酸和色氨酸残基为酶活力非必需,而羧基、组氨酸和精氨酸残基为酶活力所必需。     

Structure-function relationships in heparin cofactor II: chemical modification of arginine and tryptophan and demonstration of a two-domain structure

Heparin cofactor II and antithrombin III are plasma proteins functionally similar in their ability to inhibit thrombin at accelerated rates in the presence of heparin. To further characterize the structural and functional properties of human heparin cofactor II as compared to antithrombin III, we studied the possible significance of arginyl and tryptophanyl residues and the changes in protein structure and activity during guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) denaturation. Both antithrombin and heparin cofactor activities of heparin cofactor II are inactivated by the arginine-specific reagent, 2,3-butanedione. Saturation kinetics are observed during modification and suggest formation of a reversible protease inhibitor-butanedione complex. Quantitation of arginyl residues following butanedione modification shows a loss of about four residues for total inactivation, one of which is essential for antithrombin activity. Arginine-modified heparin cofactor II did not bind to heparin-agarose and implies a role for the other modified arginyl residues during heparin cofactor activity. N-Bromosuccinimide oxidation (20 mol of reagent/mol of protein) of heparin cofactor II results in modification of approximately two tryptophanyl residues with no concomitant loss of heparin cofactor activity. Moreover, there is no enhancement of intrinsic protein fluorescence during heparin binding to the native inhibitor. Circular dichroism measurements show that the structural transition of heparin cofactor II during denaturation is distinctly biphasic, yielding midpoints at 0.6 and 2.6 M GdmCl. Functional protease inhibitory activities are affected to the same extent following denaturation-renaturation at various GdmCl concentrations. The results indicate that arginyl residues are critical for both antithrombin and heparin binding activities. In contrast, tryptophanyl residues are apparently not essential for heparin-dependent interactions. The results also suggest that heparin cofactor II contains two structural domains which unfold at different GdmCl concentrations.     

The effect of tryptophanyl substitution on folding and structure of myoglobin.

Mammalian myoglobins contain two tryptophanyl residues at the invariant positions 7 (A-5) and 14 (A-12) in the N-terminal region (A helix) of the protein molecule. The crucial role of tryptophanyl residues has been investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulation. The apomyoglobin mutants with a double W-->F substitution were found to be not correctly folded and therefore not expressed as holoprotein. The introduction of a tyrosyl residue at position 7, that is, W7YW14F, resulted in the expression of a correctly folded myoglobin. Not correctly folded apomyoglobins were found with the following mutants: W7FW14Y, W7EW14F, W7FW14E, W7KW14F, W7FW14K. Moreover, in all these cases, very low levels of expression were observed. The acid-induced denaturation curves of wild-type and folded mutant W7YW14F, obtained following the fluorescence variation of the extrinsic fluorophore 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate, revealed that the stability of the native state of mutant apoprotein is decreased, thus indicating that the replacement W-->Y in position 7 is able to restore a correct folding but not the same stability. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that both tryptophans are involved in forming favorable, specific tertiary interactions in the native apomyoglobin structure. The lack of some of these interactions caused by tryptophanyl replacement affects the overall protein structure and may provide an explanation for the observed stability decrease. In the case of the double W-->F substitution, the simulated structure shows conclusively the domain formed by helices A, G and H to be not correctly folded. This effect is attenuated if at least one of the two residues is conserved or a tyrosyl residue replaces W7.     

Unfolding and refolding of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus in solutions of guanidinium chloride.

1. Protein-fluorescence studies indicated that phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus is denatured in solutions of guanidinium chloride. The denaturation was not thermodynamically reversible and followed biphasic kinetics. 2. Guanidinium chloride solutions released the structural Zn2+ from the enzyme and rendered all histidine residues chemically reactive. In the presence of free Zn1+ the enzyme was much more resistant to denaturation. Also, the addition for free Zn2+ to the denatured enzyme induced refolding. 3. The Zn2+-free apoenzyme was much more sensitive to guanidinium chloride than was the native enzyme and the denaturation appeared to be thermodynamically reversible. 4. Guanidinium chloride denaturation was associated with a reversible inactivation of the enzyme. Heat-inactivated, coagulated enzyme was substantially re-activated on dissolution in guanidinium chloride solutions followed by dialysis against a Zn2+-containing buffer.     

Chemical modification of rat liver arginase

Chemical modifications were used to search for catalytically important residues of rat liver arginase. The results of carbamoylation, nitration and diazotization suggest that lysyl and tyrosyl residues are not involved in the catalytic function of arginase. The modification of 5--6 tryptophanyl residues by N-bromosuccinimide or 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide led to about 90% inhibition of the enzyme activity. Photooxidation of 21 histydyl residues also led to considerable inactivation of arginase. The modification of tryptophanyl and histidyl residues did not cause dissociation of the enzyme into subunits.     

Biphasic denaturation of human placental alkaline phosphatase in guanidinium chloride

Human placental alkaline phosphatase is a membrane-anchored dimeric protein. Unfolding of the enzyme by guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) caused a decrease of the fluorescence intensity and a large red-shifting of the protein fluorescence maximum wavelength from 332 to 346 nm. The fluorescence changes were completely reversible upon dilution. GdmCl induced a clear biphasic fluorescence spectrum change, suggesting that a three-state unfolding mechanism with an intermediate state was involved in the denaturation process. The half unfolding GdmCl concentrations, [GdmCl]_0.5, corresponding to the two phases were 1.45 M and 2.50 M, respectively. NaCl did not cause the same effect as GdmCl, indicating that the GdmCl-induced biphasic denaturation is not a salt effect. The decrease in fluorescence intensity was monophasic, corresponding to the first phase of the denaturation process with [GdmCl]_0.5 = 1.37 M and reached a minimum at 1.5 M GdmCl, where the enzyme remained completely active. The enzymatic activity lost started at 2.0 M GdmCl and was monophasic but coincided with the second-phase denaturation with [GdmCl]_0.5 = 2.46 M. Inorganic phosphate provides substantial protection of the enzyme against GdmCl inactivation. Determining the molecular weight by sucrose-density gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that the enzyme gradually dissociates in both phases. Complete dissociation occurred at [GdmCl] > 3 M. The dissociated monomers reassociated to dimers after dilution of the GdmCl concentration. Refolding kinetics for the first-phase denaturation is first-order but not second-order. The biphasic phenomenon thereby was a mixed dissociation-denaturation process. A completely folded monomer never existed during the GdmCl denaturation. The biphasic denaturation curve thereby clearly demonstrates an enzymatically fully active intermediate state, which could represent an active-site structure intact and other structure domains partially melted intermediate state. Proteins 33:49–61, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Interaction of carbohydrate and protein in thyroxine binding globulin

The fluorescence properties of human thyroxine binding globulin were evaluated during enzymatic deglycosylation by using both neuraminidase and a mixture of glycosidases. Three fluorescent chromophores, one intrinsic and two extrinsic, were monitored, and all showed changes in fluorescent parameters that have been interpreted in terms of a loss of interactions between the carbohydrate and amino acid residues during deglycosylation. The loss of carbohydrates also results in a decrease in stability of the protein to both acid and guanidinium chloride inactivation. Since deglycosylation decreases the frictional ratio of thyroxine binding globulin, it is concluded that, although sialic acid and other sugar residues are in contact with the protein surface, the hydrated carbohydrate chains protrude partially into the solvent.     

Environments of the four tryptophans in the extracellular domain of human tissue factor: comparison of results from absorption and fluorescence difference spectra of tryptophan replacement mutants with the crystal structure of the wild-type protein.

The local environments of the four tryptophan residues of the extracellular domain of human tissue factor (sTF) were assessed from difference absorption and fluorescence spectra. The difference spectra were derived by subtracting spectra from single Trp-to-Phe or Trp-to-Tyr replacement mutants from the corresponding spectrum of the wild-type protein. Each of the mutants was capable of enhancing the proteolytic activity of factor VIIa showing that the mutations did not introduce major structural changes, although the mutants were more susceptible to denaturation by guanidinium chloride. The difference spectra indicate that the Trp residues are buried to different extents within the protein matrix. This evaluation was compared with the x-ray crystal structure of sTF. There is excellent agreement between predictions from the difference spectra and the environments of the Trp residues observed in the x-ray crystal structure, demonstrating that difference absorption and particularly fluorescence spectra derived from functional single-Trp replacement mutants can be used to obtain information about the local environments of individual Trp residues in multi-tryptophan proteins.     

Reversible unfolding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus main protease in guanidinium chloride

Chemical denaturant sensitivity of the dimeric main protease from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus to guanidinium chloride was examined in terms of fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, analytical ultracentrifuge, and enzyme activity change. The dimeric enzyme dissociated at guanidinium chloride concentration of <0.4 M, at which the enzymatic activity loss showed close correlation with the subunit dissociation. Further increase in guanidinium chloride induced a reversible biphasic unfolding of the enzyme. The unfolding of the C-terminal domain-truncated enzyme, on the other hand, followed a monophasic unfolding curve. Different mutants of the full-length protease (W31 and W207/W218), with tryptophanyl residue(s) mutated to phenylalanine at the C-terminal or N-terminal domain, respectively, were constructed. Unfolding curves of these mutants were monophasic but corresponded to the first and second phases of the protease, respectively. The unfolding intermediate of the protease thus represented a folded C-terminal domain but an unfolded N-terminal domain, which is enzymatically inactive due to loss of regulatory properties. The various enzyme forms were characterized in terms of hydrophobicity and size-and-shape distributions. We provide direct evidence for the functional role of C-terminal domain in stabilization of the catalytic N-terminal domain of SARS coronavirus main protease.     

Thermal denaturation of Micrococcus lysodeikticus adenosine triphosphatase. Influence of temperature on the circular dichroism, fluroescence and enzymic activity of the protein.

The soluble ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) from Micrococcus lysodeikticus underwent a major unfolding transition when solutions of the enzyme at pH 7.5 were heated. The midpoint occurred at 46 degrees C when monitored by changes in enzymic activity and intrinsic fluorescence, and at 49 degrees C when monitored by circular dichroism. The products of thermal denaturation retained much secondary structure, and no evidence of subunit dissociation was detected after cooling at 20 degrees C. The thermal transition was irreversible, and thiol groups were not involved in the irreversibility. The presence of ATP, adenylyl imidodiphosphate, CaCl2 or higher concentrations of ATPase conferred stability against thermal denaturation, but did not prevent the irreversibility one denaturation had taken place. In the presence of guanidinium chloride, thermal denaturation occurred at lower temperatures. The midpoints of the transition were 45 degrees C in 0.25 M-, 38 degrees C in 0.5 M-and 30 degrees C in 0.75 M-denaturant. In the highest concentration of guanidinium chloride a similar unfolding transition induced by cooling was observed. Its midpoint was 9 degrees C, and the temperature of maximum stability of the protein was 20 degrees C. The discontinuities occurring the the Arrhenius plots of the activity of this enzyme had no counterpart in variations in the far-u.v. circular dichroism or intrinsic fluorescence of the protein at the same temperature.     

Inactivation of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitory by chemical modifications.

1. The inhibitory activity of an alkaline protease inhibitor, (Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor) towards subtilisin is found to decrease by photooxidation sensitized by methylene blue with a clear pH dependence, the midpoint of which is about 6.0. 2. Amino acid analyses of photooxidized Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor indicate that one of the two histidyl residues and the three methionyl residues are destroyed, concomittant with the loss of inhibitory activity. 3. In accordance with this observation, one of the clearly resolved nuclear magnetic resonances from C2-protons of the two histidyl residues is selectively diminished. This histidyl residue, sensitive to photooxidation and giving a proton magnetic resonance peak at lower field, is assigned to His-106 from peptide analyses. 4. Independent modification of methionyl residues by a reaction with H2O2 or Cl2 also decreases the inhibitory activity of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor. 5. Modification of lysyl, tyrosyl and tryptophanyl residues by diazonium-1-H-tetrazole does not lead to the loss of the inhibitory activity. 6. The above results indicate that one or more methionyl residue(s) are essential to the inhibitory activity of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor, whereas lysyl, tyrosyl and tryptophanyl residues are not essential to the inhibitory activity. Modification of His-106 is also strongly related to the loss of activity, although its distinct participation in the inactivation mechanism has not been demonstrated.     

The stabilities of mammalian apomyoglobins vary over a 600-fold range and can be enhanced by comparative mutagenesis

Apomyoglobins from 13 different mammals were examined for resistance to denaturation by guanidinium chloride. Unfolding was followed by circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence and analyzed globally using the two-step, three-state mechanism first described by Barrick and Baldwin (Barrick, D., and Baldwin, R. L. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 3790-3796). With one exception, the rise and fall of Trp fluorescence intensity correlates quantitatively with the native to intermediate to unfolded steps seen in the CD curves. Although the O(2) binding properties of the holoproteins are nearly identical, the unfolding transitions of the apomyoglobins show 600-fold differences in resistance to guanidinium chloride denaturation. Apomyoglobins from diving mammals, particularly from sperm whales, are the most stable, whereas the apoproteins from pig, horse, and sheep are the least stable, indicating selective pressure for resistance to denaturation in the whale proteins. Sequence comparisons suggest that the key stabilizing residues in whale globins are Ala(5), His(12), Ile(28), Thr(51), Ala(53), Ala(74), Lys(87), Lys(140), and Ile(142). Combinations of these residues were substituted into pig myoglobin. The resultant multiple mutants showed stabilities approaching that of recombinant sperm whale apomyoglobin. Thus, comparative mutagenesis can be used to increase heme protein stability and improve expression yields in bacteria without compromising function.     

Probing the free radicals formed in the metmyoglobin-hydrogen peroxide reaction

The reaction between metmyoglobin and hydrogen peroxide results in the two-electron reduction of H2O2 by the protein, with concomitant formation of a ferryl-oxo heme and a protein-centered free radical. Sperm whale metmyoglobin, which contains three tyrosine residues (Tyr-103, Tyr-146, and Tyr-151) and two tryptophan residues (Trp-7 and Trp-14), forms a tryptophanyl radical at residue 14 that reacts with O2 to form a peroxyl radical and also forms distinct tyrosyl radicals at Tyr-103 and Tyr-151. Horse metmyoglobin, which lacks Tyr-151 of the sperm whale protein, forms an oxygen-reactive tryptophanyl radical and also a phenoxyl radical at Tyr-103. Human metmyoglobin, in addition to the tyrosine and tryptophan radicals formed on horse metmyoglobin, also forms a Cys-110-centered thiyl radical that can also form a peroxyl radical. The tryptophanyl radicals react both with molecular oxygen and with the spin trap 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzenesulfonic acid (DBNBS). The spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) traps the Tyr-103 radicals and the Cys-110 thiyl radical of human myoglobin, and 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP) traps all of the tyrosyl radicals. When excess H2O2 is used, DBNBS traps only a tyrosyl radical on horse myoglobin, but the detection of peroxyl radicals and the loss of tryptophan fluorescence support tryptophan oxidation under those conditions. Kinetic analysis of the formation of the various free radicals suggests that tryptophanyl radical and tyrosyl radical formation are independent events, and that formation of the Cys-110 thiyl radical on human myoglobin occurs via oxidation of the thiol group by the Tyr-103 phenoxyl radical. Peptide mapping studies of the radical adducts and direct EPR studies at low temperature and room temperature support the conclusions of the EPR spin trapping studies.     

Structural and dynamic aspects of beta-glycosidase from mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria by multitryptophanyl emission decay studies

The tryptophanyl emission decay of beta-glycosidase from the extremophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sbetagly) has been investigated by frequency domain fluorometry. The data were analyzed in terms of sum of discrete lifetimes as well as in terms of quasi- continuous lifetime distributions of different shape. At neutral pH the emission decay is characterized by two components: a long-lived component, centered at 7.4 ns, and a short one at 2.7 ns, irrespective of the decay scheme used for the interpretation of the experimental results. The effects of an irreversible inhibitor, that is, cyclophellitol, and that of a powerful denaturant such as guanidinium hydrochloride on the dynamics of Sbetagly has been investigated by observing the changes induced in the two components of the tryptophanyl emission decay. The addition of cyclophellitol to native Sbetagly reduces the contribution of the short-lived component but does not affect the long-lived one. Increasing concentrations of guanidinium hydrochloride differently affect the contributions of the two emission components. Higher concentrations were required to unfold the molecular regions containing the long-lived indolic fluorophores. These results indicate that the long-lived contribution arises from tryptophanyl residues deeply clustered in the interior of the protein matrix, whereas the short-lived one includes residues located in less rigid and more solvent accessible regions, some of which might be located in functionally important parts of protein. The knowledge of the crystallographic structure of Sbetagly allowed us to evaluate some average parameters for each tryptophanyl microenvironment in the Sbetagly such as hydrophobicity, structural flexibility, and ability of side chains to act as fluorescence quenchers. These results permitted to divide the tryptophanyl fluorescence of Sbetagly in the contribution of two emitting groups: one consisting of eight closely clustered tryptophans, that is, Trp 33, 36, 60, 84, 151 174, 425, and 433, responsible for the long-lived emission component and the other one, composed of nine tryptophans nearer to the subunit surface, that is, Trp 12, 156, 192, 287, 288, 316, 361, 376, 455, associable to the short-lived emission component. Finally, the examination of the tryptophanyl emission decay of the mesophilic beta-galactosidase from Escherichia coli (Cbetagal) and the Arrhenius analysis of its dependence on temperature indicated that the tryptophanyl environments of the mesophilic enzyme are rather homogeneous in consequence of a larger protein dynamics.     

Guanidinium chloride and urea denaturations of beta-lactoglobulin A at pH 2.0 and 25 degrees C: the equilibrium intermediate contains non-native structures (helix, tryptophan and hydrophobic patches)

We have carried out guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) and urea denaturations of bovine beta-lactoglobulin A (beta-lgA) at pH 2.0 and 25 degrees C, using far-UV and near-UV circular dichroism, near-UV absorption and tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopies. The stable intermediate state that occurs during GdmCl denaturation has been characterized by the far- and near-UV circular dichroism, tryptophan difference absorption, tryptophan fluorescence and 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulphonic acid binding measurements. Following conclusions have been reached. (a) Urea-induced denaturation is not a two-state process. (b) GdmCl-induced denaturation is composed of two distinct two-state processes. (c) alpha-Helical content, burial of tryptophan residues and burial of hydrophobic surface area are more in the GdmCl-induced stable intermediate than those originally present in the native protein.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of St I Modification by Peroxyl Radicals

St I is a toxin present in the Caribbean Sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus which is highly hemolytic in the nanomolar concentration range. Exposure of the toxin to free radicals produced in the pyrolysis of 2,2-azobis(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride leads to a progressive loss of hemolytic activity. This loss of hemolytic activity is accompanied by extensive modification of tryptophan residues. On the average, three tryptophan residues are modified by each inactivated toxin. The loss of hemolytic activity of St I takes place without significant changes in the protein structure, as evidenced by the similarity of the fluorescence and CD spectra of native and modified proteins. Also, the native and modified ensembles present a similar resistance to their denaturation by guanidinium chloride. The hemolytic behavior and the performance of the toxin at the single-channel level when incorporated to black lipid membranes suggest that the modified ensemble can be considered as composed of inactive toxins and active toxins whose behavior is similar to that of the native proteins. These results, together with the lack of induction time in the activity loss, suggest that the fall of hemolytic activity takes place by an all-or-nothing inactivation mechanism in which the molecules become inactive when a critical amino acid residue is modified.     

Effect of halide anions on the binding of FAD to D-amino acid oxidase and the tryptophanyl fluorescence of the apoenzyme.

The quenching of tryptophanyl fluorescence of native and denatured D-amino acid oxidase from hog kidney was measured. About 60% of the tryptophanyl fluorescence of the native apoenzyme was quenched by iodide at pH 8.3, and 25 degrees C. All of the tryptophanyl fluorescence of the apoenzyme in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride was quenched. The tryptophanyl fluorescence quenching of the holoenzyme by 1-methyl nicotinamide chloride was low in comparison with that of the apoenzyme. These results of the quenching experiments are discussed based on the intermolecular collision quenching mechanism. By measuring the fluorescence intensities of the tryptophanyl residues and FAD of the holoenzyme solution, and the fluorescence polarization of the holoenzyme solution containing halide anions such as iodide, bromide, chloride, or fluoride, we found that FAD dissociates from the holoenzyme in the presence of iodide, bromide, or chloride, and the ability to dissociate FAD from the holoenzyme decreases in order iodide, bromide, and chloride. However, fluoride seems to enhance the association reaction of FAD with the apoenzyme. These results were consistent with the visible absorption spectra and derivative spectra of free FAD and the holoenzyme in the presence and absence of halide anions.     

The stability of cell surface protein to surfactants and denaturants

The effects of several denaturants and detergents on the structure and stability of cell surface protein have been evaluated by circular dichroism and fluorescence measurements. Cell surface protein undergoes a single broad transition in both urea and guanidinium chloride. Although guanidinium chloride is twice as effective as urea on a molar basis, both appear to eliminate all of the organized structure present in the native molecule. Nonionic surfactants and lysolecithin have little effect on cell surface protein. However, sodium dodecyl sulfate increases the alpha helical content and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide increases the beta structure of cell surface protein. The reorganization of the polypeptide backbone requires the loss of certain restraints imposed by tertiary interactions as evidenced by a decrease in ellipticity in the far ultraviolet and in the polarization of tryptophanyl fluorescence. These results along with the data of a previous paper (Alexander, S. S., Jr., Colonna, G., Yamada, K. M., Pastan, I., and Edelhoch, H. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 5820--5824) suggest the presence of structural domains distributed along the flexible polypeptide chain of cell surface protein.     

Anomalous stimulation of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase activity in guanidinium chloride. Modulation of the rate-limiting step and negative cooperativity

Guanidinium chloride stimulates the activity of alkaline phosphatase from Escherichia coli, by 3-4-fold. Structural parameters of the enzyme, monitored by fluorescence and circular dichroism, indicate progressive denaturation. This unusual stimulation is shown to be independent of the nature of the substrate and source of the enzyme. Profiles of pH dependence and transphosphorylation reaction indicate that the dephosphorylation step of the catalysis is enhanced in the presence of guanidinium chloride. We demonstrate, by fast-flow kinetics and inhibitor titrations, that guanidinium chloride enhances activity by abolishing negative cooperativity and by accelerating the dissociation of rate-limiting enzyme and substrate (E.P) complex.     

Stability, refolding and Ca2+ binding of pullulanase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus woesei.

The unfolding and refolding of the extremely heat-stable pullulanase from Pyrococcus woesei has been investigated using guanidinium chloride as denaturant. The monomeric enzyme (90 kDa) was found to be very resistant to chemical denaturation and the transition midpoint for guanidinium chloride-induced unfolding was determined to be 4.86 +/- 0.29 M for intrinsic fluorescence and 4.90 +/- 0.31 M for far-UV CD changes. The unfolding process was reversible. Reactivation of the completely denatured enzyme (in 7.8 M guanidinium chloride) was obtained upon removal of the denaturant by stepwise dilution; 100% reactivation was observed when refolding was carried out via a guanidinium chloride concentration of 4 M in the first dilution step. Particular attention has been paid to the role of Ca2+ which activates and stabilizes this archaeal pullulanase against thermal inactivation. The enzyme binds two Ca2+ ions with a Kd of 0.080 +/- 0.010 microM and a Hill coefficient H of 1.00 +/- 0.10. This cation enhances significantly the stability of the pullulanase against guanidinium chloride-induced unfolding and the DeltaGH2OD increased from 6.83 +/- 0.43 to 8.42 +/- 0.55 kcal.mol-1. The refolding of the pullulanase, on the other hand, was not affected by Ca2+.