Gamma-irradiated chymotrypsin-like proteins. II. Connection between inactivation and structural changes.

The radiation yeilds of unfolding (Gconf) determined by the method of tryptophan fluorescence coincide with the radiation yields of proteolytic inactivation (Gin) for chymotrypsin-like (CT-like) enzymes on irradiation in air, both in solution and in the dry state with futher dissolution at pH7. It can be supposed that the unfolding is the main process determining the proteolytic gamma-inactivation of CT-like enzymes. It was also shown that the transition of chymotrypsin and trypsin gamma-irradiated at acid pH to neutral pH is an additional action, leading to unfolding of part of the molecules.     

Human glycine N-methyltransferase is unfolded by urea through a compact monomer state

Human recombinant glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) unfolding by urea was studied by enzyme activity, size-exclusion chromatography, fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. Urea unfolding of GNMT is a two-step process. The first transition is a reversible dissociation of the GNMT tetramer to compact monomers in 1.0-3.5M urea with enzyme inactivation. The compact monomers were characterized by Stokes radius (R(s)) of 40.7A equal to that of globular proteins with the same molecular mass as GNMT monomers, absence of exposure of tryptophan residues into solvent, and presence of about 50% of secondary structure of native protein. The second step of GNMT unfolding is a reversible transition of monomers from compact to a fully unfolded state with R(s) of 50A, exposed tryptophan residues, and disrupted secondary structure in 8M urea.     

Kinetics of actin unfolding induced by guanidine hydrochloride.

The kinetics of actin unfolding induced by guanidine hydrochloride has been studied. On the basis of obtained experimental data a new kinetic pathway of actin unfolding was proposed. We have shown that the transition from native to inactivated actin induced by guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) passes through essential unfolding of the protein. This means that inactivated actin should be considered as the off-pathway species rather than an intermediate conformation between native and completely unfolded states of actin, as has been assumed earlier. The rate constants of the transitions that give rise to the inactivated actin were determined. At 1.0-2.0 M GdnHCl the value of the rate constant of the transition from native to essentially unfolded actin exceeds that of the following step of inactivated actin formation. It leads to the accumulation of essentially unfolded macromolecules early in the unfolding process, which in turn causes the minimum in the time dependencies of tryptophan fluorescence intensity, parameter A, characterizing the intrinsic fluorescence spectrum position, and tryptophan fluorescence anisotropy.     

Pressure-Temperature Stability, Ca(2+) Binding, and Pressure-Temperature Phase Diagram of Cod Parvalbumin: Gad m 1

Fish allergy is associated with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to parvalbumins, which are small calcium-binding muscle proteins and represent the major and sole allergens for 95% of fish-allergic patients. We performed Fourier transform infrared and tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy to explore the pressure-temperature (p-T) phase diagram of cod parvalbumin (Gad m 1) and to elucidate possible new ways of pressure-temperature inactivation of this food allergen. Besides the secondary structure of the protein, the Ca(2+) binding to aspartic and glutamic acid residues was detected. The phase diagram was found to be quite complex, containing partially unfolded and molten globule states. The Ca(2+) ions were essential for the formation of the native structure. A molten globule conformation appears at 50 °C and atmospheric pressure, which converts into an unordered aggregated state at 75 °C. At >200 MPa, only heat unfolding, but no aggregation, was observed. A pressure of 500 MPa leads to a partially unfolded state at 27 °C. The complete pressure unfolding could only be reached at an elevated temperature (40 °C) and pressure (1.14 GPa). A strong correlation was found between Ca(2+) binding and the protein conformation. The partially unfolded state was reversibly refolded. The completely unfolded molecule, however, from which Ca(2+) was released, could not refold. The heat-unfolded protein was trapped either in the aggregated state or in the molten globule state without aggregation at elevated pressures. The heat-treated and the combined heat- and pressure-treated protein samples were tested with sera of allergic patients, but no change in allergenicity was found.     

Rates of structural fluctuations of lysozyme in the range of thermal unfolding transition

The hydrogen–deuterium exchange reaction for the tryptophan residues in lysozyme have been followed in 4.5M LiBr at pH 7.2 in the temperature range of the unfolding transition by measuring the transmittance change at 293 nm. The exchange reaction proceeded in three phases at low temperature for native protein. The first and the second phases were ascribed to the H-D exchange reactions of three relatively exposed tryptophan residues on the molecular surface. The third phase corresponded to the H-D exchange reaction of the three tryptophan residues buried in the interior of the molecule. The H-D exchange reaction proceeded in two phases near the melting temperature and in a single phase at high temperature, where almost all molecules are unfolded. The H-D exchange of three tryptophan residues buried in folded molecules was caused by fluctuation between the folded and unfolded structure of the protein molecule. The rates of such a fluctuation were determined from the rates of the exchange reaction at various temperatures. These rates agreed very well with those determined from the temperature-jump method. This means that a protein molecule in solution fluctuates between the N- and D-states at every temperature within the transition region, where the N-form is the tightly folded native structure and the D-form the randomly coiled chain. From measurements of thermal unfolding of ester-108-lysozyme and the binding constant of (NAG)₃ to ester-108-lysozyme, it was found that almost all cross-linked molecules are in the folded state near 50°C and pH 7.2 in 4.5M LiBr, where intact molecules are unfolded. We also studied the H-D exchange reaction of ester-108-lysozyme. In the temperature region of 43–50°C, about 70% of the exchangeable tryptophan residues of ester-108-lysozyme were exchanged within 1 s immediately after the mixing of D₂O, in spite of the fact that almost all molecules are in the folded state. This was considered the premelting of the surface of a corss-linked molecule.     

Partially unfolded species populated during equilibrium denaturation of the beta-sheet protein Y74W apo-pseudoazurin

Apo-pseudoazurin is a single domain cupredoxin. We have engineered a mutant in which a unique tryptophan replaces the tyrosine residue found in the tyrosine corner of this Greek key protein, a region that has been proposed to have an important role in folding. Equilibrium denaturation of Y74W apo-pseudoazurin demonstrated multistate unfolding in urea (pH 7.0, 0.5 M Na(2)SO(4) at 15 degrees C), in which one or more partially folded species are populated in 4. 3 M urea. Using a variety of biophysical techniques, we show that these species, on average, have lost a substantial portion of the native secondary structure, lack fixed tertiary packing involving tryptophan and tyrosine residues, are less compact than the native state as determined by fluorescence lifetimes and time-resolved anisotropy, but retain significant residual structure involving the trytophan residue. Peptides ranging in length from 11 to 30 residues encompassing this region, however, did not contain detectable nonrandom structure, suggesting that long-range interactions are important for stabilizing the equilibrium partially unfolded species in the intact protein. On the basis of these results, we suggest that the equilibrium denaturation of Y74W apo-pseudoazurin generates one or more partially unfolded species that are globally collapsed and retain elements of the native structure involving the newly introduced tryptophan residue. We speculate on the role of such intermediates in the generation of the complex Greek key fold.     

Fesselin is a natively unfolded protein

Fesselin is a heat stable proline-rich actin binding protein. The stability, amino acid composition, and ability to bind to several proteins suggested that fesselin may be unfolded under native conditions. While the complete sequence of fesselin is unknown an analysis of a closely related protein, synaptopodin 2 from Gallus gallus, indicates that fesselin consists of a series of unstructured regions interspersed between short folded regions. To determine if fesselin is natively unfolded, we compared fesselin to a known globular protein (myosin S1) and a known unfolded protein Cad22 (the COOH terminal 22 kDa fragment of caldesmon). Fesselin, and Cad22, had larger Stokes radii than globular proteins of equivalent mass. The environments of tryptophan residues of fesselin and Cad22 were the same in the presence and absence of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Fesselin had a circular dichroism spectrum that was primarily random coil. Changes in pH over the range of 1.5-11.5 did not alter that spectrum. Increasing the temperature to 85 degrees C caused an increase in the degree of secondary structure. Calmodulin binding to fesselin altered the environment of the tryptophan residues so that they became less sensitive to the quencher acrylamide. These results show that fesselin is a natively unfolded protein.     

Urea-dependent unfolding of murine adenosine deaminase: sequential destabilization as measured by 19F NMR

Murine adenosine deaminase (mADA) is a 40 kDa (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel protein consisting of eight central beta-strands and eight peripheral alpha-helices containing four tryptophan residues. In this study, we investigated the urea-dependent behavior of the protein labeled with 6-fluorotryptophan (6-(19)F-Trp). The (19)F NMR spectrum of 6-(19)F-Trp-labeled mADA reveals four distinct resonances in the native state and three partly overlapped resonances in the unfolded state. The resonances were assigned unambiguously by site-directed mutagenesis. Equilibrium unfolding of 6-(19)F-Trp-labeled mADA was monitored using (19)F NMR based on these assignments. The changes in intensity of folded and unfolded resonances as a function of urea concentration show transition midpoints consistent with data observed by far-UV CD and fluorescence spectroscopy, indicating that conformational changes in mADA during urea unfolding can be followed by (19)F NMR. Chemical shifts of the (19)F resonances exhibited different changes between 1.0 and 6.0 M urea, indicating that local structures around 6-(19)F-Trp residues change differently. The urea-induced changes in local structure around four 6-(19)F-Trp residues of mADA were analyzed on the basis of the tertiary structure and chemical shifts of folded resonances. The results reveal that different local regions in mADA have different urea-dependent behavior, and that local regions of mADA change sequentially from native to intermediate topologies on the unfolding pathway.     

Equilibrium unfolding of Escherichia coli ribonuclease H: characterization of a partially folded state.

We have examined the equilibrium unfolding of Escherichia coli ribonuclease HI (RNase H), a member of a family of enzymes that cleaves RNA from RNA:DNA hybrids. A completely synthetic gene was constructed that expresses a variant of the wild-type sequence with all 3 cysteines replaced with alanine. The resulting recombinant protein is active and folds reversibly. Denaturation studies monitored by circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence yield coincident curves that suggest the equilibrium unfolding reaction is a 2-state process. Acid denaturation, however, reveals a cooperative transition at approximately pH 1.8 to a partially folded state. This acid state can be further denatured in a reversible manner by the addition of heat or urea as monitored by either CD or tryptophan fluorescence. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies indicate that the acid state of RNase H is both compact and monomeric. Although compact, the acid state does not resemble the native protein: the acid state displays a near-UV CD spectrum similar to the unfolded state and binds to and enhances the fluorescence of the dye 1-anilinonaphthalene, 8-sulfonate much more than either the native or unfolded states. Therefore, the acid state of E. coli RNase H has the characteristics of a molten globule: it retains a high degree of secondary structure, remains compact, yet does not appear to contain a tightly packed core.     

On the possibility for a protein to exist in a manifold of partially folded states

With the help of the methods of tryptophan fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence and using Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase as an example, the ability of a protein to exist in a manifold of partially folded thermodynamically stable states differing in conformation, the internal dynamics, and functional activity was shown. Such intermediate (between native and unfolded) structures may form during unfolding or folding of the protein. It was shown that the degree of destruction of the native structural organization of the globule depends on both the nature and the mode of action of the destroying agent and the structure of the protein. Conformational transitions of the globule can change the kind of the internal dynamics (fast, slow), and shifts of dynamics can initiate conformation changes of the protein and precede them. A scheme of the structural and functional transformations of the protein during denaturation is presented, which takes into account the possibility of globule transitions into a manifold of functional active and inactive partially folded states. The role of partially folded forms of cell proteins in the development of pathology is discussed.     

Room temperature phosphorescence of amorphous aggregates and amyloid fibrils resulting from protein misfolding

Using actin, alpha-lactalbumin and insulin as examples, it was shown that the formation of amorphous aggregates of proteins and amyloid fibrils leads to an increase in the rigidity of tryprophan and tyrosine residues micro-environment and, consequently, to the appearance of tryptophan (tyrosine) room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). RTP was used for examining a slow intramolecular mobility of native (G-, F-form) and inactivated (I) rabbit skeletal muscle actin during the process of GdnHCl induced protein unfolding. This method made it possible to confirm that an essentially unfolded intermediate precedes the formation of inactivated actin. It has been found that the kinetic intermediate generated at the early stage of protein denaturation has no tryptophan RTP, suggesting a high lability of its structure. Symbate changes of integral intensity (relative quantum yield) and the mean lifetime of RTP during the U*-->I transition suggest a gradual increase of the number of monomers incorporated in the associate (U*-->11...-->In...-->I15), which is accompanied by an increase of protein structural rigidity. The rate of inactivated actin formation (I-->I15) is shown to increase with the increase of protein concentration. It is shown that, no matter what method of inactivation was employed (1--2 M GdnHCl or 3.0-3.5 M urea, Ca2+ removal, incubation at 70 degrees C, refolding from completely unfolded state by dialysis from 8 M urea or 6 M GdnHCl), actin transition to the inactivated state is accompanied by a significant increase in both integral intensity and the mean lifetime of RTP, suggesting the rigid structure of inactivated actin. It is shown that the lifetime of inactivated actin RTP does not depend on GdnHCl concentration within the limits from 0 to 4 M. On using insulin and alpha-lactalbumin as examples, it is shown that RTP can be used in studies of fibrillogenesis and properties of amyloid fibrils.     

Protein folding intermediates of invasin protein IbeA from Escherichia coli

IbeA of Escherichia coli K1 was cloned, expressed and purified as a His(6)-tag fusion protein. The purified fusion protein inhibited E. coli K1 invasion of human brain microvascular endothelial cells and was heat-modifiable. The structural and functional aspects, along with equilibrium unfolding of IbeA, were studied in solution. The far-UV CD spectrum of IbeA at pH 7.0 has a strong negative peak at 215 nm, indicating the existence of beta-sheet-like structure. The acidic unfolding curve of IbeA at pH 2.0 shows the existence of a partially unfolded molecule (molten globule-like structure) with beta-sheet-like structure and displays strong 8-anilino-2-naphthyl sulfonic acid (ANS) binding. The pH dependent intrinsic fluorescence of IbeA was biphasic. At pH 2.0, IbeA exists in a partially unfolded state with characteristics of a molten globule-like state, and the protein is in extended beta-sheet conformation and exhibits strong ANS binding. Guanidine hydrochloride denaturation of IbeA in the molten globule-like state is noncooperative, contrary to the cooperativity seen with the native protein, suggesting the presence of two domains (possibly) in the molecular structure of IbeA, with differential unfolding stabilities. Furthermore, tryptophan quenching studies suggested the exposure of aromatic residues to solvent in this state. Acid denatured unfolding of IbeA monitored by far-UV CD is non-cooperative with two transitions at pH 3.0-1.5 and 1.5-0.5. At lower pH, IbeA unfolds to the acid-unfolded state, and a further decrease in pH to 2.0 drives the protein to the A state. The presence of 0.5 m KCl in the solvent composition directs the transition to the A state by bypassing the acid-unfolded state. Additional guanidine hydrochloride induced conformational changes in IbeA from the native to the A-state, as monitored by near- and far-UV CD and ANS-fluorescence.     

Folding/Unfolding Kinetics of Apomyoglobin

The equilibrium and kinetic folding/unfolding of apomyoglobin (ApoMb) were studied at pH 6.2, 11 °C by recording tryptophan fluorescence. The equilibrium unfolding of ApoMb in the presence of urea was shown to involve accumulation of an intermediate state, which had a higher fluorescence intensity as compared with the native and unfolded states. The folding proceeded through two kinetic phases, a rapid transition from the unfolded to the intermediate state and a slow transition from the intermediate to the native state. The accumulation of the kinetic intermediate state was observed in a wide range of urea concentrations. The intermediate was detected even in the region corresponding to the unfolding limb of the chevron plot. Urea concentration dependence was obtained for the observed folding/unfolding rate. The shape of the dependence was compared with that of two-state proteins characterized by a direct transition from the unfolded to the native state.     

Physical-chemical properties of actin in different structural states. New ideas about its folding-unfolding pathways

Results of actin folding-unfolding pathways examination and characterization of intermediate and misfolded states are summarized. Properties of microenvironments and peculiarities of location of tryptophan residues in protein are analysed in detail. This allowed to conclude that the main contribution to the bulk fluorescence of native protein is made by internal tryptophan residues Trp 340 and Trp 356, localized in hydrophobic regions, while tryptophan residues Trp 79 and Trp 86 are quenched. It has been shown that inactivated actin, previously regarded as an intermediate state between native and completely unfolded state of protein is in reality a misfolded aggregated state. The properties of actin in this state were characterized in detail. In particular, it is shown that inactivated actin is a monodisperse associate consisting of 15 monomer unit. Two earlier unknown intermediate states, which precede completely unfolding of protein macromolecule and formation of inactivated actin, were visualized. A new scheme of folding-unfolding processes was proposed. It is shown that the reason of anomalous effects, which are recorded for actin in solutions with small concentrations of GdnHCl, is a specific interaction of actin with a denaturant.     

Probing the equilibrium denaturation of the serpin alpha(1)-antitrypsin with single tryptophan mutants; evidence for structure in the urea unfolded state.

The native conformation of proteins in the serpin superfamily is metastable. In order to understand why serpins attain the native state instead of more stable conformations we have begun investigations into the equilibrium-unfolding of alpha(1)-antitrypsin. alpha(1)-Antitrypsin contains two tryptophan residues, Trp194 and Trp238, situated on the A and B beta-sheets, respectively. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct two single-tryptophan variants. Both variants were fully active and had similar secondary structure and stabilities to alpha(1)-antitrypsin. The denaturation of alpha(1)-antitrypsin and its variants was extremely similar when followed by far-UV CD, indicating the presence of a single intermediate. Fluorescence analysis of the unfolding behavior of each single tryptophan variant indicated that the sole tryptophan residue reported the structural changes within its immediate environment. These data suggest that the A beta-sheet is expanded in the intermediate state whilst no structural change around the B beta-sheet has occurred. In the urea-induced unfolded state, Trp238 does not become fully solvated, suggesting the persistence of structure around this residue. The implications of these data on the folding, misfolding and function of the serpin superfamily are discussed.     

Transfer of singlet energy within trypsin.

Transfers of singlet energy within trypsin were investigated by measuring the fluorescence absorption anisotropy of its tryptophan residues. A ratio of the anisotropy of trypsin to that for N-acetyl-L-tryptophanamide was determined between 306 and 250 nm. The ratio had an average value of 0.7, whether the trypsin anisotropy was measured at 228 of 296 K. However, trypsin dissolved in 5 M guanidine hydrochloride showed little fluorescence depolarization at 228 K (the anisotropy ratio was approximately equal to 0.9). Thus, there is an extensive conformation-dependent energy transfer between tryptophans in trypsin. The ratio of anisotropies of tyrpsin at 304--270 nm was used to estimate energy transfer from tyrosine to tryptophan. Ratios of 1.8 and 1.7 were obtained at 296 K for the native and guanidinium-unfolded enzyme, respectively. The comparable value for N-acetyl-L-tryptophanamide was 1.7. This indicates that there is little transfer from tyrosine to tryptophan in trypsin at 296 K. As confirmation, the excitation wavelength dependencies of the indole fluorescence quantum yield were the same for native and unfolded trypsin. When experiments were performed at 228 K, the 304--270-nm anisotropy ratios were 2.6 for native and 2.1 for unfolded trypsin at pH2. This indicates that the efficiency of energy transfer from tyrosine to tryptophan increases at low temperatures. A photochemical source of error in the quantitation of the efficiency of energy transfer from tyrosine to tryptophan is also described.     

Origins of blood acetate in the rat.

1. Fluorimetric techniques were used to characterize the environment of tryptophan residues in thermolysin and apo-thermolysin. The apo-thermolysin was obtained by dissolving the enzyme in the presence of 10mm-EDTA, which removed the functional Zn(2+) ion and the four Ca(2+) ions/molecule from the enzyme. 2. At 25 degrees C in aqueous solution the fluorescence-emission spectrum of the native holoenzyme, on excitation at 290nm, was essentially characteristic of tryptophan, with an emission maximum at 333nm. The emission maximum of the apoenzyme is red-shifted to 338nm and the relative intensity of fluorescence is decreased by 10%, both effects indicating some unfolding of the protein molecule, with the indole groups being transferred to a more hydrophilic environment. 3. Fluorescence quenching studies using KI, N'-methylnicotinamide hydrochloride and acrylamide indicated a more open structure in the apoenzyme, with the tryptophan residues located in a negatively charged environment. 4. The thermal properties of the apoenzyme, as monitored by fluorescence-emission measurements, are dramatically changed with respect to the native holoenzyme. In fact, whereas the native enzyme is heat-stable up to about 80 degrees C, for the apoenzyme a thermal transition is observed near 48 degrees C. The apoenzyme is also unstable to the action of unfolding agents such as urea and guanidinium chloride, much as for other globular proteins from mesophilic organisms. 5. The functional Zn(2+) ion does not contribute noticeably to the stability of thermolysin. 6. It is concluded that a major role in the structural stability of thermolysin is played by the Ca(2+) ions, which have a bridging function within this disulphide-free protein molecule.     

Characterization of the folding and unfolding reactions of single-chain monellin: evidence for multiple intermediates and competing pathways

The mechanisms of folding and unfolding of the small plant protein monellin have been delineated in detail. For this study, a single-chain variant of the natively two-chain monellin, MNEI, was used, in which the C terminus of chain B was connected to the N terminus of chain A by a Gly-Phe linker. Equilibrium guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl)-induced unfolding experiments failed to detect any partially folded intermediate that is stable enough to be populated at equilibrium to a significant extent. Kinetic experiments in which the refolding of GdnHCl-unfolded protein was monitored by measurement of the change in the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the protein indicated the accumulation of three transient partially structured folding intermediates. The fluorescence change occurred in three kinetic phases: very fast, fast, and slow. It appears that the fast and slow changes in fluorescence occur on competing folding pathways originating from one unfolded form and that the very fast change in fluorescence occurs on a third parallel pathway originating from a second unfolded form of the protein. Kinetic experiments in which the refolding of alkali-unfolded protein was monitored by the change in the fluorescence of the hydrophobic dye 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS), consequent to the dye binding to the refolding protein, as well as by the change in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, not only confirmed the presence of the three kinetic intermediates but also indicated the accumulation of one or more early intermediates at a few milliseconds of refolding. These experiments also exposed a very slow kinetic phase of refolding, which was silent to any change in the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the protein. Hence, the spectroscopic studies indicated that refolding of single-chain monellin occurs in five distinct kinetic phases. Double-jump, interrupted-folding experiments, in which the accumulation of folding intermediates and native protein during the folding process could be determined quantitatively by an unfolding assay, indicated that the fast phase of fluorescence change corresponds to the accumulation of two intermediates of differing stabilities on competing folding pathways. They also indicated that the very slow kinetic phase of refolding, identified by ANS binding, corresponds to the formation of native protein. Kinetic experiments in which the unfolding of native protein in GdnHCl was monitored by the change in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence indicated that this change occurs in two kinetic phases. Double-jump, interrupted-unfolding experiments, in which the accumulation of unfolding intermediates and native protein during the unfolding process could be determined quantitatively by a refolding assay, indicated that the fast unfolding phase corresponds to the formation of fully unfolded protein via one unfolding pathway and that the slow unfolding phase corresponds to a separate unfolding pathway populated by partially unfolded intermediates. It is shown that the unfolded form produced by the fast unfolding pathway is the one which gives rise to the very fast folding pathway and that the unfolded form produced by the slower unfolding pathway is the one which gives rise to the slow and fast folding pathways.     

Characterization of molten globule state of cytochrome c at alkaline, native and acidic pH induced by butanol and SDS

In our earlier communications, we had studied the acid induced unfolding of stem bromelain, glucose oxidase and fetuin [Eur. J. Biochem. 269 (2002) 47; Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 303 (2003) 685; Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1649 (2003) 164] and effect of salts and alcohols on the acid unfolded state of alpha-chymotrypsinogen and stem bromelain [Biochim. Biophy. Acta 1481 (2000) 229; Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 413 (2) (2003) 199]. Here, we report the presence of molten globule like equilibrium intermediate state under alkaline, native and acid conditions in the presence of SDS and butanol. A systematic investigation of sodium dodecyl sulphate and butanol induced conformational alterations in alkaline (U(1)) and acidic (U(2)) unfolded states of horse heart ferricytochrome c was examined by circular dichroism (CD), tryptophan fluorescence and 1-anilino-8-napthalene sulfonate (ANS) binding. The cytochrome c (cyt c) at pH 9 and 2 shows the loss of approximately 61% and 65% helical secondary structure. Addition of increasing concentrations of butanol (0-7.2 M) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (0-5 mM) led to an increase in ellipticity value at 208 and 222 nm, which is the characteristic of formation of alpha-helical structure. Cyt c is a heme protein in which the tryptophan fluorescence is quenched in the native state by resonance energy transfer to the heme group attached to cystines at positions 14 and 17. At alkaline and acidic pH protein shows enhancement in tryptophan fluorescence and quenched ANS fluorescence. Addition of increasing concentration of butanol and SDS to alkaline or acid unfolded state leads to decrease in tryptophan and increase in ANS fluorescence with a blue shift in lambda(max), respectively. In the presence of 7.2 M butanol and 5 mM SDS two different intermediate states I(1) and I(2) were obtained at alkaline and acidic pH, respectively. States I(1) and I(2) have native like secondary structure with disordered side chains (loss of tertiary structure) as predicted from tryptophan fluorescence and high ANS binding. These results altogether imply that the butanol and SDS induced intermediate states at alkaline and acid pH lies between the unfolded and native state. At pH 6, in the presence of 7.2 M butanol or 5 mM SDS leads to the loss of CD bands at 208 and 222 nm with the appearance of trough at 228 nm also with increase in tryptophan and ANS fluorescence in contrast to native protein. This partially unfolded intermediate state obtained represents the folding pathway from native to unfolded structure. To summarize; the 7.2 M butanol and 5 mM SDS stabilizes the intermediate state (I(1) and I(2)) obtained at low and alkaline pH. While the same destabilizes the native structure of protein at pH 6, suggesting a difference in the mechanism of conformational stability.     

The role of tryptophan residues in the antigenic activity of carcinoembryonic antigen

Antigenic determinants of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) were spatially located using N-bromosuccinimide modification of tryptophan residues both in native (acetate buffer solution) and unfolded (guanidinium chloride solution) molecule of the antigen. Modification of exposed tryptophan residues failed to alter CEA antigenic activity and conformation of its protein portion as shown by CD spectroscopy. On the contrary, modification of buried tryptophan residues induced conformational changes of CEA protein portion connected with a considerable loss of its antigenic activity. It was shown that CEA antigenic activity depends on spatial structure of its protein moiety.