Stabilization of human RNase 1 by introduction of a disulfide bond between residues 4 and 118

In order to stabilize human RNase 1 by introduction of an intramolecular cross-link, a mutant protein (4-118CL RNase 1), in which Arg4 and Val118 are replaced with cysteine residues and linked by a disulfide bond, was designed and expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies. The 4-118CL RNase 1 that refolded under redox conditions was a monomer without free SH groups and retained 11% of the activity of the wild-type recombinant RNase 1, indicating that the mutant enzyme was correctly folded with the formation of an additional disulfide bond between Cys4 and Cys118. From guanidium chloride denaturation experiments based on the assumption of a two-state transition for unfolding, it was demonstrated that the introduction of the present cross-link increased the thermodynamic stability of RNase 1 by 2.0 kcal/mol. This value was lower than that, 5.4 kcal/mol, theoretically calculated from the reduction of chain entropy of the unfolded state due to the introduction of the cross-link. These results suggest that the present cross-link also destabilized the folded state of RNase 1 by 3.4 kcal/mol. Along with the increase in the thermodynamic stability, the stability of RNase 1 against trypsin digestion was also significantly increased by the introduction of this cross-link. It is likely, although not proven, that stabilized human RNases are favorable for clinical use, because human RNase-based immunotoxins should have long half-lives as to proteolytic degradation after endocytosis.     

Stabilization of Escherichia coli ribonuclease H by introduction of an artificial disulfide bond.

To examine the effect of the introduction of a disulfide bond on the stability of Escherichia coli ribonuclease H, a disulfide bond was engineered between Cys13, which is present in the wild-type enzyme, and Cys44, which is substituted for Asn44 by site-directed mutagenesis. The disulfide bond was only formed between these residues upon oxidation in vitro with redox buffer. The conformational and thermal stabilities were estimated from the guanidine hydrochloride and thermal denaturation curves, respectively. The oxidized (cross-linked) mutant enzyme showed a Tm of 62.3 degrees C, which was 11.8 degrees C higher than that observed for the wild-type enzyme. The free energy change of unfolding in the absence of denaturant, delta G[H2O], and the mid-point of the denaturation curve, [D]1/2, of the oxidized mutant enzyme were also increased by 2.1-2.8 kcal/mol and 0.36-0.48 M, respectively. Introduction of a disulfide bond thus greatly enhanced both the thermal and conformational stabilities of the enzyme. In addition, kinetic analyses for the enzymatic activities of mutant enzymes suggest that Thr43 and Asn44 are involved in the substrate-binding site of the enzyme.     

Stabilization of an immunoglobulin fold domain by an engineered disulfide bond at the buried hydrophobic region

We report for the first time the stabilization of an immunoglobulin fold domain by an engineered disulfide bond. In the llama single-domain antibody, which has human chorionic gonadotropin as its specific antigen, Ala49 and Ile70 are buried in the structure. A mutant with an artificial disulfide bond at this position showed a 10 degrees C higher midpoint temperature of thermal unfolding than that without the extra disulfide bond. The modified domains exhibited an antigen binding affinity comparable with that of the wild-type domain. Ala49 and Ile70 are conserved in camel and llama single-domain antibody frameworks. Therefore, domains against different antigens are expected to be stabilized by the engineered disulfide bond examined here. In addition to the effect of the loop constraints in the unfolded state, thermodynamic analysis indicated that internal interaction and hydration also control the stability of domains with disulfide bonds. The change in physical properties resulting from mutation often causes unpredictable and destabilizing effects on these interactions. The introduction of a hydrophobic cystine into the hydrophobic region maintains the hydrophobicity of the protein and is expected to minimize the unfavorable mutational effects.     

Effect of an engineered disulfide bond on the folding of T4 lysozyme at low temperatures

Equilibrium and kinetic effects on the folding of T4 lysozyme were investigated by fluorescence emission spectroscopy in cryosolvent. To study the role of disulfide cross-links in stability and folding, a comparison was made with a mutant containing an engineered disulfide bond between Cys-3 (Ile-3 in the wild type) and Cys-97, which links the C-terminal domain to the N terminus of the protein [Perry & Wetzel (1984) Science 226, 555]. In our experimental system, stability toward thermal and denaturant unfolding was increased slightly as a result of the cross-link. The corresponding reduced protein was significantly less stable than the wild type. Unfolding and refolding kinetics were carried out in 35% methanol, pH 6.8 at -15 degrees C, with guanidine hydrochloride as the denaturant. Unfolding/refolding of the wild-type and reduced enzyme showed biphasic kinetics both within and outside the denaturant-induced transition region and were consistent with the presence of a populated intermediate in folding. Double-jump refolding experiments eliminated proline isomerization as a possible cause for the biphasicity. The disulfide mutant protein, however, showed monophasic kinetics in all guanidine concentrations studied.     

Protein engineering of a disulfide bond in a beta/alpha-barrel protein.

A disulfide bond has been introduced in the beta/alpha-barrel enzyme N-(5'-phosphoribosyl)anthranilate isomerase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The design of this disulfide bond was based on a model structure of this enzyme, built from the high-resolution crystal structure of the N-(5'-phosphoribosyl)anthranilate isomerase domain from Escherichia coli. The disulfide cross-link is spontaneously formed in vitro between residues 27 and 212, located in the structurally adjacent alpha-helices 1 and 8 of the outer helical ring of the beta/alpha-barrel. It creates a loop of 184 residues that account for 83% of the sequence of this enzyme, thus forming a quasi circular protein. The cross-linked mutant enzyme displays wild-type steady-state kinetic parameters. Measurements of the equilibrium constant for the reduction of this disulfide bond by 1,4-dithiothreitol show that its bond strength is comparable to that of other engineered protein disulfide bonds. The oxidized, cross-linked N-(5'-phosphoribosyl)anthranilate isomerase mutant is about 1.0 kcal/mol more stable than the wild-type enzyme, as estimated from its equilibrium unfolding transitions by guanidine hydrochloride.     

Enhancement of the thermal stability of pyroglutamyl peptidase I by introduction of an intersubunit disulfide bond.

From the comparison of the three-dimensional structure of mesophilic pyroglutamyl peptidase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and the thermophilic enzyme from Thermococcus litoralis, the intersubunit disulfide bond was estimated to be one of the factors for thermal stability. Since Ser185 was corresponded to Cys190 of the thermophilic enzyme by sequence alignment, the Ser185 residue was replaced with cysteine by site-directed mutagenesis. The S185C mutant enzyme appeared to form a disulfide bond, which was confirmed by SDS-PAGE with and without 2-mercaptoethanol. The mutant enzyme showed a catalytic efficiency equivalent to that of the wild-type enzyme for hydrolysis of a synthetic peptide substrate. However, the thermal stability of the S185C mutant was found to be 30 degrees C higher than that of wild-type. Thus the introduction of a disulfide bond enhanced thermal stability without changing the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme.     

Differentiation between conformational and autoproteolytic stability of the neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus containing an engineered disulfide bond.

The introduction of a disulfide bond into the neutral protease from Bacillus stearothermophilus by the double mutation G8C/N60C had resulted in an extremely thermostable enzyme with a half-life of 35.9 min at 92.5 degrees C [Mansfeld, J., Vriend, G., Dijkstra, B.W., Veltman, O.R., van den Burg, B., Venema, G., Ulbrich-Hofmann, R. & Eijsink, V.G. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 11152-11156]. The study in guanidine hydrochloride of this enzyme and the respective wild-type enzyme allowed us to distinguish between the stability toward global unfolding and autoproteolysis. At low protease concentrations (20 microg.mL-1) and short periods of incubation with guanidine hydrochloride (5 min), transition curves without the interference by autoproteolysis could be derived from fluorescence emission measurements. The effect of the disulfide bond on the global unfolding of the protein proved to be smaller than expected. In contrast, the measurement of autoproteolysis at higher protein concentrations (100 microg.mL-1) by quantitative evaluation of the bands of intact protein on SDS/PAGE revealed a strong stabilization toward autoproteolytic degradation by the disulfide bond. The rate of autoproteolysis in guanidine hydrochloride was found to be much lower than that of thermal denaturation, which can be attributed to the inhibition of the proteases by this denaturant. The results suggest that the disulfide bond stabilizes the protease against autoproteolysis more than against global unfolding. Autoproteolysis starts as soon as the cleavage sites in flexible external structural regions become accessible. It is suggested that the stabilizing effect of the disulfide bond is caused by the fixation of the crucial loop region 56-69 or by hindrance of the primary cleavage in this region by the amino acid exchanges.     

Steered molecular dynamics studies of titin I1 domain unfolding

The cardiac muscle protein titin, responsible for developing passive elasticity and extensibility of muscle, possesses about 40 immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domains in its I-band region. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and steered molecular dynamics (SMD) have been successfully combined to investigate the reversible unfolding of individual Ig domains. However, previous SMD studies of titin I-band modules have been restricted to I27, the only structurally known Ig domain from the distal region of the titin I-band. In this paper we report SMD simulations unfolding I1, the first structurally available Ig domain from the proximal region of the titin I-band. The simulations are carried out with a view toward upcoming atomic force microscopy experiments. Both constant velocity and constant force stretching have been employed to model mechanical unfolding of oxidized I1, which has a disulfide bond bridging beta-strands C and E, as well as reduced I1, in which the disulfide bridge is absent. The simulations reveal that I1 is protected against external stress mainly through six interstrand hydrogen bonds between its A and B beta-strands. The disulfide bond enhances the mechanical stability of oxidized I1 domains by restricting the rupture of backbone hydrogen bonds between the A'- and G-strands. The disulfide bond also limits the maximum extension of I1 to approximately 220 A. Comparison of the unfolding pathways of I1 and I27 are provided and implications to AFM experiments are discussed.     

Protein substrate discrimination in the quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX) family

This work explores the substrate specificity of the quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX) family of disulfide-generating flavoenzymes to provide enzymological context for investigation of the physiological roles of these facile catalysts of oxidative protein folding. QSOX enzymes are generally unable to form disulfide bonds within well-structured proteins. Use of a temperature-sensitive mutant of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 4 (Ubc4') as a model substrate shows that QSOX activity correlates with the unfolding of Ubc4' monitored by circular dichroism. Fusion of Ubc4' with the more stable glutathione-S-transferase domain demonstrates that QSOX can selectively introduce disulfides into the less stable domain of the fusion protein. In terms of intermolecular disulfide bond generation, QSOX is unable to cross-link well-folded globular proteins via their surface thiols. However, the construction of a septuple mutant of RNase A, retaining a single cysteine residue, demonstrates that flexible protein monomers can be directly coupled by the oxidase. Steady- and pre-steady-state kinetic experiments, combined with static fluorescence approaches, indicate that while QSOX is an efficient catalyst for disulfide bond formation between mobile elements of structure, it does not appear to have a significant binding site for unfolded proteins. These aspects of protein substrate discrimination by QSOX family members are rationalized in terms of the stringent steric requirements for disulfide exchange reactions.     

Stabilization of quaternary structure of water-soluble quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase

Water-soluble quinoprotein glucose dehydrogease (PQQGDH-B) is a dimeric enzyme whose application for glucose sensing is the focus of much attention. We attempted to increase the thermal stability of PQQGDH-B by introducing a disulfide bond at the dimer interface. The Ser residue at position 415 was selected for substitution with Cys, as structural information revealed that its side chains face each other at the dimer interface of PQQGDH-B. PQQGDH-B with Ser415Cys showed 30-fold greater thermal stability at 55°C than did the wild-type enzyme without any decrease in catalytic activity. After incubation at 70°C for 10 min, Ser415Cys retained 90% of the GDH activity of the wild-type enzyme. Disulfide bond formation between the mutant subunits was confirmed by analyses with sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of reductants. Our results indicate that the introduction of one Cys residue in each monomer of PQQGDH-B resulted in formation of a disulfide bond at the dimer interface and thus achieved a large increase in the thermal stability of the enzyme.     

Structure of a thermostable disulfide-bridge mutant of phage T4 lysozyme shows that an engineered cross-link in a flexible region does not increase the rigidity of the folded protein

A disulfide bond introduced between amino acid positions 9 and 164 in phage T4 lysozyme has been shown to significantly increase the stability of the enzyme toward thermal denaturation [Matsumura, M., Becktel, W.J., Levitt, M., & Matthews, B. W. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 6562-6566]. To elucidate the structural features of the engineered disulfide, the crystal structure of the disulfide mutant has been determined at 1.8-A resolution. Residue 9 lies in the N-terminal alpha-helix, while residue 164 is located at the extreme C terminus of T4 lysozyme, which is the most mobile part of the molecule. The refined structure shows that the formation of the disulfide bond is accompanied by relatively large (approximately 2.5 A) localized shifts in C-terminal main-chain atoms. Comparison of the geometry of the engineered disulfide with those of naturally observed disulfides in proteins shows that the engineered bridge adopts a left-handed spiral conformation with a typical set of dihedral angles and C alpha-C alpha distance. The geometry of the engineered disulfide suggests that it is slightly more strained than the disulfide of oxidized dithiothreitol but that the strain is within the range observed in naturally occurring disulfides. The wild-type and cross-linked lysozymes have very similar overall crystallographic temperature factors, indicating that the introduction of the disulfide bond does not impose rigidity on the folded protein structure. In particular, residues 162-164 retain high mobility in the mutant structure, consistent with the idea that stabilization of the protein is due to the effect of the disulfide cross-link on the unfolded rather than the folded state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

An engineered disulfide bond in dihydrofolate reductase

Substitution of cysteine for proline-39 in Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis positions the new cysteine adjacent to already existing cysteine-85. When the mutant protein is expressed in the E. coli cytosol, the cysteine sulfur atoms are found, by X-ray crystallographic analysis, to be in van der Waals contact but not covalently bonded to one another. In vitro oxidation by dithionitrobenzoate results in formation of a disulfide bond between residues 39 and 85 with a geometry close to that of the commonly observed left-handed spiral. Comparison of 2.0-A-refined crystal structures of the oxidized (cross-linked) and reduced (un-cross-linked) forms of the mutant enzyme shows that the conformation of the enzyme molecule was not appreciably affected by formation of the disulfide bond but that details of the molecule's thermal motion were altered. The disulfide-cross-linked enzyme is at least 1.8 kcal/mol more stable with respect to unfolding, as measured by guanidine hydrochloride denaturation, than either the wild-type or the reduced (un-cross-linked) mutant enzyme. Nevertheless, the cross-linked form is not more resistant to thermal denaturation. Moreover, the appearance of intermediates in the guanidine hydrochloride denaturation profile and urea-gradient polyacrylamide gels indicates that the folding/unfolding pathway of the disulfide-cross-linked enzyme has changed significantly.     

A free cysteine residue at the dimer interface decreases conformational stability of Xenopus laevis copper,zinc superoxide dismutase

The two Cu,Zn superoxide dismutases from the amphibian Xenopus laevis (denoted XSODA and XSODB) display different heat sensitivities, XSODA being more thermolabile than XSODB. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of a free cysteine residue located close to the subunit interface of XSODA to its lower thermal stability. We have found that mutation of residue Cys 150 to Ala in XSODA makes the thermal stability of this enzyme comparable to that of the wild-type XSODB isoenzyme, while the introduction of a cysteine residue in the same position of XSODB renders this enzyme variant much more heat-sensitive. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments showed that XSODA has a melting temperature about 8.5 degrees C lower than that of XSODB. On the contrary, the melting temperature of XSODACys150Ala is very close to that of XSODB, while the melting temperature of XSODBSer150Cys is even lower than that of wild-type XSODA. These data indicate that the free cysteine residue present in XSODA affects not only the reversibility of unfolding of the enzyme but also its conformational stability. We suggest that the large effect of the Cys 150 residue on XSODA stability might be due to incorrect disulfide bond formation or disulfide bond interchange during heat-induced unfolding rather than to alteration of the interaction between the enzyme subunits.     

Functionally relevant motions of haloalkane dehalogenases occur in the specificity-modulating cap domains

One-nanosecond molecular dynamics trajectories of three haloalkane dehalogenases (DhlA, LinB, and DhaA) are compared. The main domain was rigid in all three dehalogenases, whereas the substrate specificity-modulating cap domains showed considerably higher mobility. The functionally relevant motions were spread over the entire cap domain in DhlA, whereas they were more localized in LinB and DhaA. The highest amplitude of essential motions of DhlA was noted in the alpha4'-helix-loop-alpha4-helix region, formerly proposed to participate in the large conformation change needed for product release. The highest amplitude of essential motions of LinB and DhaA was observed in the random coil before helix 4, linking two domains of these proteins. This flexibility is the consequence of the modular composition of haloalkane dehalogenases. Two members of the catalytic triad, that is, the nucleophile and the base, showed a very high level of rigidity in all three dehalogenases. This rigidity is essential for their function. One of the halide-stabilizing residues, important for the catalysis, shows significantly higher flexibility in DhlA compared with LinB and DhaA. Enhanced flexibility may be required for destabilization of the electrostatic interactions during the release of the halide ion from the deeply buried active site of DhlA. The exchange of water molecules between the enzyme active site and bulk solvent was very different among the three dehalogenases. The differences could be related to the flexibility of the cap domains and to the number of entrance tunnels.     

Contributions of a disulfide bond to the structure, stability, and dimerization of human IgG1 antibody CH3 domain

Recombinant human monoclonal antibodies have become important protein-based therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases. The antibody structure is complex, consisting of beta-sheet rich domains stabilized by multiple disulfide bridges. The dimerization of the C(H)3 domain in the constant region of the heavy chain plays a pivotal role in the assembly of an antibody. This domain contains a single buried, highly conserved disulfide bond. This disulfide bond was not required for dimerization, since a recombinant human C(H)3 domain, even in the reduced state, existed as a dimer. Spectroscopic analyses showed that the secondary and tertiary structures of reduced and oxidized C(H)3 dimer were similar, but differences were observed. The reduced C(H)3 dimer was less stable than the oxidized form to denaturation by guanidinium chloride (GdmCl), pH, or heat. Equilibrium sedimentation revealed that the reduced dimer dissociated at lower GdmCl concentration than the oxidized form. This implies that the disulfide bond shifts the monomer-dimer equilibrium. Interestingly, the dimer-monomer dissociation transition occurred at lower GdmCl concentration than the unfolding transition. Thus, disulfide bond formation in the human C(H)3 domain is important for stability and dimerization. Here we show the importance of the role played by the disulfide bond and how it affects the stability and monomer-dimer equilibrium of the human C(H)3 domain. Hence, these results may have implications for the stability of the intact antibody.     

Enhancement of the thermostability of subtilisin E by introduction of a disulfide bond engineered on the basis of structural comparison with a thermophilic serine protease

Sites for Cys substitutions to form a disulfide bond were chosen in subtilisin E from Bacillus subtilis, a cysteine-free bacterial serine protease, based on the structure of aqualysin I of Thermus aquaticus YT-1 (a thermophilic subtilisin-type protease containing two disulfide bonds). Cys residues were introduced at positions 61 (wild-type, Gly) and 98 (Ser) in subtilisin E by site-directed mutagenesis. The Cys-61/Cys-98 mutant subtilisin appeared to form a disulfide bond spontaneously in the expression system used and showed a catalytic efficiency equivalent to that of the wild-type enzyme for hydrolysis of a synthetic peptide substrate. The thermodynamic characteristics of these enzymes were examined in terms of enzyme autolysis (t1/2) and thermal stability (Tm). The half-life of the Cys-61/Cys-98 mutant was found to be 2-3 times longer than that of the wild-type enzyme. Similar results were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry. The disulfide mutant showed a Tm of 63.0 degrees C, which was 4.5 degrees C higher than that observed for the wild-type enzyme. Under reducing conditions, however, the characteristics of the mutant enzyme were found to revert to those of the wild-type enzyme. These results strongly suggest that the introduction of a disulfide bond by site-directed mutagenesis enhanced the thermostability of subtilisin E without changing the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme.     

Effects of helix and fingertip mutations on the thermostability of xyn11A investigated by molecular dynamics simulations and enzyme activity assays

Local conformational changes and global unfolding pathways of wildtype xyn11A recombinant and its mutated structures were studied through a series of atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, along with enzyme activity assays at three incubation temperatures to investigate the effects of mutations at three different sites to the thermostability. The first mutation was to replace an unstable negatively charged residue at a surface beta turn near the active site (D32G) by a hydrophobic residue. The second mutation was to create a disulphide bond (S100C/N147C) establishing a strong connection between an alpha helix and a distal beta hairpin associated with the thermally sensitive Thumb loop, and the third mutation add an extra hydrogen bond (A155S) to the same alpha helix. From the MD simulations performed, MM/PBSA energy calculations of the unfolding energy were in a good agreement with the enzyme activities measured from the experiment, as all mutated structures demonstrated the improved thermostability, especially the S100C/N147C proved to be the most stable mutant both by the simulations and the experiment. Local conformational analysis at the catalytic sites and the xylan access region also suggested that mutated xyn11A structures could accommodate xylan binding. However, the analysis of global unfolding pathways showed that structural disruptions at the beta sheet regions near the N-terminal were still imminent. These findings could provide the insight on the molecular mechanisms underlying the enhanced thermostability due to mutagenesis and changes in the protein unfolding pathways for further protein engineering of the GH11 family xylanase enzymes.     

Stability of wild-type and mutant RTEM-1 beta-lactamases: effect of the disulfide bond

Uniquely among class A beta-lactamases, the RTEM-1 and RTEM-2 enzymes contain a single disulfide bond between Cys 77 and Cys 123. To study the possible role of this naturally occurring disulfide in stabilizing RTEM-1 beta-lactamase and its mutants at residue 71, this bond was removed by introducing a Cys 77----Ser mutation. Both the wild-type enzyme and the single mutant Cys 77----Ser confer the same high levels of resistance to ampicillin in vivo to Escherichia coli; at 30 degrees C the specific activity of purified Cys 77----Ser mutant is also the same as that of the wild-type enzyme. Also, neither wild-type enzyme nor the Cys 77----Ser mutant is inactivated by brief exposure to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate. However, above 40 degrees C the mutant enzyme is less stable than wild-type enzyme. After introduction of the Cys 77----Ser mutation, none of the double mutants (containing the second mutations at residue 71) confer resistance to ampicillin in vivo at 37 degrees C; proteins with Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, Met, Pro, His, Cys, and Ser at residue 71 confer low levels of resistance to ampicillin in vivo at 30 degrees C. The use of electrophoretic blots stained with antibodies against beta-lactamase to analyze the relative quantities of mutant proteins in whole-cell extracts of E. coli suggests that all 19 of the doubly mutant enzymes are proteolyzed much more readily than their singly mutant analogues (at Thr 71) that contain a disulfide bond.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Theoretical and Experimental Study of the D2194G Mutation in the C2 Domain of Coagulation Factor V

Coagulation factor V (FV) is a large plasma glycoprotein with functions in both the pro- and anticoagulant pathways. In carriers of the so-called R2-FV haplotype, the FV D2194G mutation, in the C2 membrane-binding domain, is associated with low expression levels, suggesting a potential folding/stability problem. To analyze the molecular mechanisms potentially responsible for this in vitro phenotype, we used molecular dynamics (MD) and continuum electrostatic calculations. Implicit solvent simulations were performed on the x-ray structure of the wild-type C2 domain and on a model of the D2194G mutant. Because D2194 is located next to a disulfide bond (S-S bond), MD calculations were also performed on S-S bond depleted structures. D2194 is part of a salt-bridge network and investigations of the stabilizing/destabilizing role of these ionic interactions were carried out. Five mutant FV molecules were created and the expression levels measured with the aim of assessing the tolerance to amino acid changes in this region of molecule. Analysis of the MD trajectories indicated increased flexibility in some areas and energetic comparisons suggested overall destabilization of the structure due to the D2194G mutation. This substitution causes electrostatic destabilization of the domain by ~3 kcal/mol. Together these effects likely explain the lowered expression levels in R2-FV carriers.     

Covalent tethering of the dimer interface annuls aggregation in thymidylate synthase.

Thymidylate synthase (TS), a dimeric enzyme, forms large soluble aggregates at concentrations of urea (3.3-5M), well below that required for complete denaturation, as established by fluorescence and size-exclusion chromatography. In contrast to the wild-type enzyme, an engineered mutant of TS (T155C/E188C/C244T), TSMox, in which two subunits are crosslinked by disulfide bridges between residues 155-188' and 188-155' does not show this behavior. Aggregation behavior is restored upon disulfide bond reduction in the mutant protein, indicating the involvement of interface segments in forming soluble associated species. Intermolecular disulfide crosslinking has been used as a probe to investigate the formation of larger non-native aggregates. The studies argue for the formation of large multimeric species via a sticky patch of polypeptide from the dimer interface region that becomes exposed on partial unfolding. Covalent reinforcement of relatively fragile protein-protein interfaces may be a useful strategy in minimizing aggregation of non-native structures in multimeric proteins.