Conformational stability and activity of ribonuclease T1 with zero, one, and two intact disulfide bonds

Ribonuclease T1 has two disulfide bonds linking cysteine residues 2-10 and 6-103. We have prepared a derivative of ribonuclease T1 in which one disulfide bond is broken and the cysteine residues carboxymethylated, (2-10)-RCM-T1, and three derivatives in which both disulfides are broken and the cysteine residues reduced, R-T1, carboxamidomethylated, RCAM-T1, or carboxymethylated, RCM-T1. The RNA hydrolyzing activity of these proteins has been measured, and urea and thermal denaturation studies have been used to determine conformational stability. The activity, melting temperature, and conformational stability of the proteins are: ribonuclease T1 (100%, 59.3 degrees C, 10.2 kcal/mol), (2-10)-RCM-T1 (86%, 53.3 degrees C, 6.8 kcal/mol), R-T1 (53%, 27.2 degrees C, 3.0 kcal/mol), RCAM-T1 (43%, 21.2 degrees C, 1.5 kcal/mol), and RCM-T1 (35%, 16.6 degrees C, 0.9 kcal/mol). Thus, the conformational stability is decreased by 3.4 kcal/mol when one disulfide bond is broken and by 7.2-9.3 kcal/mol when both disulfide bonds are broken. It is quite remarkable that RNase T1 can fold and function with both disulfide bonds broken and the cysteine residues carboxymethylated. The large decrease in the stability is due mainly to an increase in the conformational entropy of the unfolded protein which results when the constraints of the disulfide bonds on the flexibility are removed. We propose a new equation for predicting the effect of a cross-link on the conformational entropy of a protein: delta Sconf = -2.1 - (3/2)R 1n n, where n is the number of residues between the side chains which are cross-linked. This equation gives much better agreement with experimental results than other forms of this equation which have been used previously.     

Sulfhydryl oxidase-catalyzed formation of disulfide bonds in reduced ribonuclease

Sulfhydryl oxidase isolated from bovine skim milk membrane vesicles catalyzes de novo formation of disulfide bonds with the substrates cysteine, cysteine-containing peptides, and reduced proteins using molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor. Initial rates for sulfhydryl oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of reduced ribonuclease exhibited typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics at low substrate concentrations. Substrate inhibition of the oxidative activity was observed at ribonuclease concentrations greater than 40 microM, similar to that observed with reduced glutathione or other small thiol substrates. The inhibition was more pronounced when ribonuclease activity was used to monitor the rates, presumably due to concentration-dependent formation of nonnative disulfide bonds. Thus, a maximum in the rate of regain of ribonuclease activity was observed at a 40 microM concentration, while optimum recovery was observed at 30 microM. The Michaelis constant obtained with reduced ribonuclease is 17.4 microM which corresponds to a sulfhydryl concentration of 0.14 mM, a value that compares favorably with the best small thiol substrate, reduced glutathione. Disulfide-containing intermediates in the oxidation pathway, as determined by ion-exchange chromatography of alkylated reaction mixtures, appeared to be similar for air oxidation and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of the protein. The pH optimum, tissue location, and kinetic characteristics of sulfhydryl oxidase are compatible with a suggested physiological function of direct catalysis of disulfide bond formation in secretory proteins or indirect participation through provision of oxidized glutathione for protein disulfide-isomerase-catalyzed thiol/disulfide interchange.     

Contribution of individual disulfide bonds to the oxidative folding of ribonuclease A

The eight cysteine residues of ribonuclease A form four disulfide bonds in the native protein. We have analyzed the folding of three double RNase A mutants (C65A/C72A, C58A/C110A, and C26A/C84A, lacking the C65-C72, C58-C110, and C26-C84 disulfide bonds, respectively) and two single mutants (C110A and C26A), in which a single cysteine is replaced with an alanine and the paired cysteine is present in the reduced form. The folding of these mutants was carried out in the presence of oxidized and reduced glutathione, which constitute the main redox agents present within the ER. The use of mass spectrometry in the analysis of the folding processes allowed us (i) to follow the formation of intermediates and thus the pathway of folding of the RNase A mutants, (ii) to quantitate the intermediates that formed, and (iii) to compare the rates of formation of intermediates. By comparison of the folding kinetics of the mutants with that of wild-type RNase A, the contribution of each disulfide bond to the folding process has been evaluated. In particular, we have found that the folding of the C65A/C72A mutant occurs on the same time scale as that of the wild-type protein, thus suggesting that the removal of the C65-C72 disulfide bond has no effect on the kinetics of RNase A folding. Conversely, the C58A/C110A and C26A/C84A mutants fold much more slowly than the wild-type protein. The removal of the C58-C110 and C26-C84 disulfide bonds has a dramatic effect on the kinetics of RNase A folding. Results described in this paper provide specific information about conformational folding events in the regions involving the mutated cysteine residues, thus contributing to a better understanding of the complex mechanism of oxidative folding.     

The paradox between m values and deltaCp's for denaturation of ribonuclease T1 with disulfide bonds intact and broken.

Urea-induced denaturations of RNase T1 and reduced and carboxyamidated RNase T1 (RTCAM) as a function of temperature were analyzed using the linear extrapolation method, and denaturation m values, deltaCp, deltaH, deltaS, and deltaG quantities were determined. Because both deltaCp and m values are believed to reflect the protein surface area newly exposed on denaturation, the prediction is that the ratio of m values for RNase T1 and RTCAM should equal the deltaCp ratio for the two proteins. This is not the case, for it is found that the m value of RTCAM is 1.5 times that of RNase T1, while the denaturation deltaCp's for the two proteins are identical. The paradox of why the two parameters, m and deltaCp, are not equivalent in their behavior is of importance in the interpretations of their respective molecular-level meanings. It is found that the measured denaturation deltaCp's are consistent with deltaCp's calculated on the basis of empirical relationships between the change in surface area on denaturation (deltaASA), and that the measured m value of RNase T1 agrees with m calculated from empirical data relating m to deltaASA. However, the measured m of RTCAM is so much out of line with its calculated m as to call into question the validity of always equating m with surface area newly exposed on denaturation.     

The effect of additional disulfide bonds on the stability and folding of ribonuclease A

The significant contribution of disulfide bonds to the conformational stability of proteins is generally considered to result from an entropic destabilization of the unfolded state causing a faster escape of the molecules to the native state. However, the introduction of extra disulfide bonds into proteins as a general approach to protein stabilization yields rather inconsistent results. By modeling studies, we selected positions to introduce additional disulfide bonds into ribonuclease A at regions that had proven to be crucial for the initiation of the folding or unfolding process, respectively. However, only two out of the six variants proved to be more stable than unmodified ribonuclease A. The comparison of the thermodynamic and kinetic data disclosed a more pronounced effect on the unfolding reaction for all variants regardless of the position of the extra disulfide bond. Native-state proteolysis indicated a perturbation of the native state of the destabilized variants that obviously counterbalances the stability gain by the extra disulfide bond.     

Contribution of disulfide bonds to the conformational stability and catalytic activity of ribonuclease A.

Disulfide bonds between the side chains of cysteine residues are the only common crosslinks in proteins. Bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) is a 124-residue enzyme that contains four interweaving disulfide bonds (Cys26-Cys84, Cys40-Cys95, Cys58-Cys110, and Cys65-Cys72) and catalyzes the cleavage of RNA. The contribution of each disulfide bond to the conformational stability and catalytic activity of RNase A has been determined by using variants in which each cystine is replaced independently with a pair of alanine residues. Thermal unfolding experiments monitored by ultraviolet spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry reveal that wild-type RNase A and each disulfide variant unfold in a two-state process and that each disulfide bond contributes substantially to conformational stability. The two terminal disulfide bonds in the amino-acid sequence (Cys26-Cys84 and Cys58-Cys110) enhance stability more than do the two embedded ones (Cys40-Cys95 and Cys65-Cys72). Removing either one of the terminal disulfide bonds liberates a similar number of residues and has a similar effect on conformational stability, decreasing the midpoint of the thermal transition by almost 40 degrees C. The disulfide variants catalyze the cleavage of poly(cytidylic acid) with values of kcat/Km that are 2- to 40-fold less than that of wild-type RNase A. The two embedded disulfide bonds, which are least important to conformational stability, are most important to catalytic activity. These embedded disulfide bonds likely contribute to the proper alignment of residues (such as Lys41 and Lys66) that are necessary for efficient catalysis of RNA cleavage.     

Interchain disulfide bridges in ribonuclease BS-1

RNAase BS-1, a dimeric ribonuclease isolated from bovine seminal plasma, is made up of two identical subunits whose amino acid sequence is homologous to the sequence of bovine pancreatic RNAase A. The dimeric structure, resistant to denaturating agents, is sensitive to thiol reagents even in the absence of denaturants. The isolation and characterization of a cystine peptide containing two adjacent $\text{1}\text{2}\text{cystine}$ residues is reported. As the peptide molecular weight is halved after reductive cleavage with dithiothreitol, a structure based on two interchain disulfide bonds between the two adjacent $\text{1}\text{2}\text{cystine}$ of each subunit is proposed. The singularity of such a structure for a small enzymatic protein is discussed.     

The structure and function of ribonuclease T1. XXII. Tryptic cleavages of the single lysyl and arginyl bonds in ribonuclease T1.

1. When ribonuclease T1 [EC 3.1.4.8] was treated with trypsin [EC 3.4.21.4] at pH 7.5 and 37 degrees, activity was lost fairly slowly. At higher temperatures, however, the rate of inactivation was markedly accelerated. The half life of the activity was about 2.5 h at 50 degrees and 1 h at 60 degrees. 3'-GMP and guanosine protected the enzyme significantly from tryptic inactivation. 2. Upon tryptic digestion at 50 degrees, the Lys-Tyr (41-42) and Arg-Val (77-78) bonds were cleaved fairly specifically, yielding two peptide fragments. One was a 36 residue peptide comprizing residues 42 to 77. The other was a 68 residue peptide composed of two peptide chains cross-linked by a disulfide bond between half-cystines -6 and -103, comprizing residues 1 to 41 and 78 to 104. 3. When the trinitrophenylated enzyme, in which the alpha-amino group of alanine-1 and the episolone-amino group of lysine 41 were selectively modified, was treated with trypsin at 37 degrees, the activity was lost fairly rapidly with a half life of about 4 h. In this case, tryptic hydrolysis occurred fairly selectively at the single Arg-Val bond. Thus the enzyme could be inactivated by cleavage of a single peptide bond in the molecule, an indication of the importance of the peptide region involving the single arginine residue at position 77 in the activity of ribonuclease T1.     

Crystallographic characterization of wild-type and mutant ribonuclease T1 complexes with several ribonucleotides

Ribonuclease T1 and the mutant enzymes were cocrystallized with several ribonucleotides, including non-hydrolyzable substrate analogs of di- and triribonucleotides, which have a novel guanylate in which the 2'-hydroxyl group of the ribose is replaced by a fluorine atom. One of the mutant enzymes has a tryptophan residue, instead of Tyr45 of the wild-type enzyme, to enhance the binding of ribonucleotides to the enzyme and the other mutant enzyme has histidine and aspartate residues, instead of Asn43 and Asn44, respectively, to reproduce the natural substitutions found in ribonuclease Ms. Polymorphism of the crystals was observed for wild-type and mutant enzymes. However, orthorhombic crystals, which are virtually all isomorphous to each other, were successfully obtained from wild-type and mutant (Y45W) enzymes by the macroscopic seeding technique using mother crystals of the wild-type ribonuclease T1 complexed with 2'GMP or 3'GMP. The diffraction patterns of these crystals extend beyond 2.5 A resolution and the diffraction data were collected from some of the crystals on a diffractometer up to a range of 2.5 to 1.8 A resolution.     

Purification of ribonuclease T1

An improved method for purifying ribonuclease T1 from Aspergillus oryzae is described. The method uses gradient elution from DEAE-cellulose and sulfopropyl-Sephadex columns followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 to give almost 100 mg (50% yield) of ribonuclease T1 from 100 g of starting material in less than 5 days.