Preparation of monomeric cytochrome C oxidase: its kinetics differ from those of the dimeric enzyme

Bovine cytochrome c oxidase in 0.1% dodecylmaltoside, 50 mM KCl and 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4 is monodisperse with an apparent Mr 360,000 (dimer) as estimated by filtration on Ultrogel AcA 34. In the absence of added KCl the apparent Mr is 160,000 (monomer). The dimeric enzyme has a high and a low affinity site for cytochrome c; the monomeric, only the high affinity site. The results are consistent with the existence of one active site per monomer, having high affinity for cytochrome c. Since in a dimer the two sites are in close proximity, the binding of the first molecule of cytochrome c to the first site hinders the binding of the second molecule to the second site. The kinetic data fit with a model of homotropic negative cooperativity. The effect of salts on the cytochrome c oxidase kinetics is also present in isolated bovine heart mitochondria.     

Effects of excluded volume upon protein stability in covalently cross-linked proteins with variable linker lengths

To explore the effects of molecular crowding and excluded volume upon protein stability, we used a series of cross-linking reagents with nine different single-cysteine mutants of staphylococcal nuclease to make covalently linked dimers. These cross-linkers ranged in length from 10.5 to 21.3 A, compelling separations which would normally be found only in the most concentrated protein solutions. The stabilities of the dimeric proteins and monomeric controls were determined by guanidine hydrochloride and thermal denaturation. Dimers with short linkers tend to exhibit pronounced three-state denaturation behavior, as opposed to the two-state behavior of the monomeric controls. Increasing linker length leads to less pronounced three-state behavior. The three-state behavior is interpreted in a three-state model where cross-linked native protein dimer, N-N, interconverts in a two-state transition with a dimer where one protein subunit is denatured, N-D. The remaining native protein in turn can denature in another two-state transition to a state, D-D, in which both tethered proteins are denatured. Three-state behavior is best explained by excluded volume effects in the denatured state. For many dimers, linkers longer than 17 A removed most three-state character. This sets a limit on the flexibility and size of the denatured state. Notably, in contradiction to theoretical predictions, these cross-linked dimers were not stabilized. The failure of these predictions is possibly due to neglect of the alteration in hydrophobic exposure that accompanies any significant reduction in the conformational space of the denatured state.     

MAD structure of Pseudomonas nautica dimeric cytochrome c552 mimicks the c4 Dihemic cytochrome domain association.

The monohemic cytochrome c552from Pseudomonas nautica (c552-Pn) is thought to be the electron donor to cytochrome cd1, the so-called nitrite reductase (NiR). It shows as high levels of activity and affinity for the P. nautica NiR (NiR-Pn), as the Pseudomonas aeruginosa enzyme (NiR-Pa). Since cytochrome c552is by far the most abundant electron carrier in the periplasm, it is probably involved in numerous other reactions. Its sequence is related to that of the c type cytochromes, but resembles that of the dihemic c4cytochromes even more closely.The three-dimensional structure of P. nautica cytochrome c552has been solved to 2.2 A resolution using the multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) technique, taking advantage of the presence of the eight Fe heme ions in the asymmetric unit. Density modification procedures involving 4-fold non-crystallographic averaging yielded a model with an R -factor value of 17.8 % (Rfree=20.8 %). Cytochrome c552forms a tight dimer in the crystal, and the dimer interface area amounts to 19% of the total cytochrome surface area. Four tighly packed dimers form the eight molecules of the asymmetric unit.The c552dimer is superimposable on each domain of the monomeric cytochrome c4from Pseudomomas stutzeri (c4-Ps), a dihemic cytochrome, and on the dihemic c domain of flavocytochrome c of Chromatium vinosum (Fcd-Cv). The interacting residues which form the dimer are both similar in character and position, which is also true for the propionates. The dimer observed in the crystal also exists in solution. It has been hypothesised that the dihemic c4-Ps may have evolved via monohemic cytochrome c gene duplication followed by evolutionary divergence and the adjunction of a connecting linker. In this process, our dimeric c552structure might be said to constitute a "living fossile" occurring in the course of evolution between the formation of the dimer and the gene duplication and fusion. The availability of the structure of the cytochrome c552-Pn and that of NiR from P. aeruginosa made it possible to identify putative surface patches at which the docking of c552to NiR-Pn may occur.     

Electron transfer proteins of the purple phototrophic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas rutila.

The soluble electron transfer protein content of Rhodopseudomonas rutila was found to consist of two basic cytochromes and a (4Fe-4S) ferredoxin. Cytochrome c' was easily identified by its characteristic high spin absorption spectra. The native molecular weight is 29,000 and the subunit is 14,000. Cytochrome c-550 has low spin absorption spectra and a high redox potential (376 mV) typical of cytochromes c2. The molecular weight is about 14,000. The ferredoxin is apparently a dimer (43,000) of approximately 18,000 Da subunits. There are 1.3 to 1.5 iron-sulfur clusters per monomer of 18- to 21-kDa protein. The N-terminal amino acid sequence is like the (7Fe-8S) ferredoxins of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Azotobacter vinelandii. Remarkably, there are only 2 or 3 out of 25 amino acid substitutions. Difference absorption spectra of Rps. rutila membranes indicate that there is not tetraheme reaction center cytochrome c, such as is characteristic of Rps. viridis. However, there are a high potential cytochrome c and a low potential cytochrome b in the membrane, which are suggestive of a cytochrome bc1 complex. Rps. rutila is most similar to Rps. palustris in microbiological properties, yet it does not have the cytochromes c-556, c-554, and c-551 in addition to c2 and c', which are characteristic of Rps. palustris. Furthermore, the Rps. rutila cytochrome c' is dimeric, whereas the same protein from Rps. palustris is the only one known to be monomeric. The cytochrome pattern is more like that of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rb. capsulatus, which are apparently only able to make cytochromes c2 and c'.     

Separation, stability and kinetics of monomeric and dimeric bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase

The stability of monomeric and dimeric bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase in laurylmaltoside-containing buffers of high ionic strength allowed separation of the two forms by gel-filtration high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A solution of the dimeric oxidase could be diluted without monomerisation. Both monomeric and dimeric cytochrome c oxidase showed biphasic steady-state kinetics when assayed spectrophotometrically at low ionic strength. Thus, the biphasic kinetics did not result from negative cooperativity between the two adjacent cytochrome c binding sites of the monomers constituting the dimeric oxidase. On polyacrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) a fraction of subunit III of the dimeric enzyme migrated as a dimer, a phenomenon not seen with the monomeric enzyme. This might suggest that in the dimeric oxidase subunit III lies on the contact surface between the protomers. If so, the presumably hydrophobic interaction between the two subunits III resisted dissociation by SDS to some extent. Addition of sufficient ascorbate and cytochrome c to the monomeric oxidase to allow a few turnovers induced slow dimerisation (on a time-scale of hours). This probably indicates that one of the transient forms arising upon reoxidation of the reduced enzyme is more easily converted to the dimeric state than the resting enzyme. Gel-filtration HPLC proved to be a useful step in small-scale purification of cytochrome c oxidase. In the presence of laurylmaltoside the monomeric oxidase eluted after the usual trace contaminants, the dimeric Complex III and the much larger Complex I. The procedure is fast and non-denaturing, although limited by the capacity of available columns.     

The conformational transition of horse heart porphyrin c

The heme iron of horse heart cytochrome c was selectively removed using anhydrous HF. The product, porphyrin c, exhibits the viscosity, far ultraviolet circular dichroic, and fluorescence properties characteristic for native cytochrome c. However, porphyrin c is more susceptible to denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride and by heat than is the parent cytochrome. All of the conformational parameters of porphyrin c exhibit a common reversible transition centered at 0.95 m guanidine hydrochloride at 23 degrees C and pH 7.0. Guanidine denatured porphyrin c refolds in two kinetic phases having time constants of 20 and 200 ms as detected by stopped flow absorbance or fluorescence measurement, with about 80% of the observed change in the faster phase. The kinetics of porphyrin c refolding are not significantly altered by increasing the viscosity of the refolding solvent 15-fold by addition of sucrose. We suggest that the folding of guanidine denatured cytochrome c is not a diffusion-limited process and that the requirement for protein axial ligation elicits the slow (s) kinetic phase observed in the refolding of cytochrome c.     

Functional characterization of the mitochondrial cytochrome b-c1 complex: steady-state kinetics of the monomeric and dimeric forms

The QH2:cytochrome c oxidoreductase activity of the isolated bovine heart cytochrome b-c1 complex resolved into monomeric and dimeric form was titrated with three different inhibitors of electron transfer, antimycin, myxothiazol, and 5-n-undecyl-6-hydroxy-4,7-dioxobenzothiazole (UHDBT). In all cases one inhibitor molecule per cytochrome c1 was found necessary to block completely the activity of both molecular forms of the enzyme. The antimycin-sensitive cytochrome c reduction catalyzed by the b-c1 complex was also studied as a function of increasing concentrations of either cytochrome c or quinol. Double-reciprocal plots of the activity of the monomeric enzyme were found linear either when the concentration of cytochrome c or of quinol derivatives, 2,3-dimetoxy-5-methyl-6-decyl-1,4-benzoquinol (DBH), and 2-methyl-3-undecyl-1,4-naphthoquinol (UNH), was changed. Cytochrome c reductase activity of the dimeric b-c1 complex also showed a linear Lineweaver-Burk plot as a function of cytochrome c concentrations. In contrast to the monomeric enzyme, however, dimers of the b-c1 complex express a clear nonlinear kinetic behavior toward quinol derivatives, with two apparent Km values differing approximately by one order of magnitude (about 3-4 and about 20-30 microM). At saturating quinol concentrations the activity of the dimeric enzyme becomes two to three times higher than that of monomers. The nonlinear kinetic plots were found to be the same at different temperatures and different cytochrome c concentrations. The data suggest that although the monomer of the b-c1 complex appears to be the functional unit of the enzyme, the dimer is more active. A regulatory role of the dimerization process resulting in an increase of the electrons flux through the enzyme is postulated.     

The aggregation state of bovine heart cytochrome c oxidase and its kinetics in monomeric and dimeric form

The monomeric and dimeric forms of bovine cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) were obtained from gel filtration chromatography on Ultrogel AcA 34 and analyzed. Both species contained all 12-13 subunits described for this enzyme. In the dimer 320 molecules [3H]dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside were bound per heme aa3 and in the monomer 360 molecules per heme aa3. The monomers contained 10 mol of tightly bound phospholipid/mol heme aa3 and the dimers 14. Sedimentation coefficients of 15.5-18 S for the dimer and 9.6 S for the monomer were calculated from sucrose density centrifugation analysis and analytical centrifugation. By the laser beam light-scattering technique a Stokes radius of 70 A for the dimeric detergent-lipid-protein complex was measured. From those parameters and the densitometric determined partial specific volumes of the detergent and the enzyme, the molecular weights of 400,000 for the protein moiety of the dimer and 170,000-200,000 for the monomer were calculated. Under very low ionic strength conditions the monomer/dimer equilibrium was found to be dependent on the protein concentration. At low enzyme concentrations (10(-9) M) monomers were predominant, whereas at concentrations above 5 X 10(-6) M the amounts of dimers and higher aggregates were more represented. The cytochrome c oxidase activity, measured spectrophotometrically and analyzed by Eadie-Hofstee plot, was biphasic as a function of cytochrome c concentration for the dimeric enzyme. Pure monomers gave monophasic kinetics. The data, fitting with a homotropic negative cooperative mechanism for the dimer of cytochrome c oxidase, are discussed and compared with other described mechanisms.     

Triton X-100 induced dissociation of beef heart cytochrome c oxidase into monomers

Purified beef heart cytochrome c oxidase, when solubilized with at least 5 mg of Triton X-100/mg of protein, was found to be a monodisperse complex containing 180 molecules of bound Triton X-100 with a protein molecular weight of 200 000, a Stokes radius of 66-72 A, and an s(0)20,w = 8.70 S. These values were determined by measurement of the protein molecular weight by sedimentation equilibrium in the presence of D2O, evaluation of the sedimentation coefficient, S(0)20,w, by sedimentation velocity with correction for its dependence upon the concentration of protein and detergent, and measurement of the effective radius by calibrated Sephacryl S-300 gel chromatography. The monomeric complex was judged to be homogeneous and monodisperse since the effective mass of the complex was independent of the protein concentration throughout the sedimentation equilibrium cell and a single protein schlieren peak was observed during sedimentation velocity. These results are interpreted in terms of a fully active monomeric complex that exhibits typical biphasic cytochrome c kinetics and contains 2 heme a groups and stoichiometric amounts of the 12 subunits normally associated with cytochrome c oxidase. With lower concentrations of Triton X-100, cytochrome c oxidase dimers and higher aggregates can be present together with the monomeric complex. Monomers and dimers can be separated by sedimentation velocity but cannot be separated by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration, probably because the size of the Triton X-100 solubilized dimer is not more than 20% larger than the Triton X-100 solubilized monomer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Soluble cytochromes and a photoactive yellow protein isolated from the moderately halophilic purple phototrophic bacterium, Rhodospirillum salexigens

Three soluble cytochromes were found in two strains of the halophilic non-sulfur purple bacterium Rhodospirillum salexigens. These are cytochromes C2, C and c-551. Cytochrome C2 was recognized by the presence of positive charge at the site of electron transfer (measured by laser flash photolysis), although the protein has an overall negative charge (pI = 4.7). Cytochrome C2 has a high redox potential (300 mV) and is monomeric (13 kDa). Cytochrome c was recognized from its characteristic absorption spectrum. It has a redox potential of 95 mV, an isoelectric point of 4.3, and is isolated as a dimer (33 kDa) of identical subunits (14 kDa), a property which is typical of this family of proteins. R. salexigens cytochrome c-551 has an absorption spectrum similar to the low redox potential Rb. sphaeroides cytochrome c-551.5. It also has a low redox potential (-170 mV), is very acidic (pI = 4.5), and is monomeric (9 kDa), apparently containing 1 heme per protein. The existence of abundant membrane-bound cytochromes c-558 and c-551 which are approximately half reduced by ascorbate and completely reduced by dithionite suggests the presence of a tetraheme reaction center cytochrome in R. salexigens, although reaction centers purified in a previous study (Wacker et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta (1988) 933, 299-305) did not contain a cytochrome. The most interesting observation is that R. salexigens contains a photoactive yellow protein (PYP), previously observed only in the extremely halophilic purple sulfur bacterium Ectothiorhodospira halophila. The R. salexigens PYP appears to be slightly larger than that of Ec. halophila (16 kDa vs. 14 kDa). Otherwise, these two yellow proteins have similar absorption spectra, chromatographic properties and kinetics of photobleaching and recovery.     

Observation of Solvent Penetration during Cold Denaturation of E.?coli Phosphofructokinase-2

Phosphofructokinase-2 is a dimeric enzyme that undergoes cold denaturation following a highly cooperative N₂ 2I mechanism with dimer dissociation and formation of an expanded monomeric intermediate. Here, we use intrinsic fluorescence of a tryptophan located at the dimer interface to show that dimer dissociation occurs slowly, over several hours. We then use hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments, performed by taking time points over the cold denaturation process, to measure amide exchange throughout the protein during approach to the cold denatured state. As expected, a peptide corresponding to the dimer interface became more solvent exposed over time at 3°C; unexpectedly, amide exchange increased throughout the protein over time at 3°C. The rate of increase in amide exchange over time at 3°C was the same for each region and equaled the rate of dimer dissociation measured by tryptophan fluorescence, suggesting that dimer dissociation and formation of the cold denatured intermediate occur without appreciable buildup of folded monomer. The observation that throughout the protein amide exchange increases as phosphofructokinase-2 cold denatures provides experimental evidence for theoretical predictions that cold denaturation primarily occurs by solvent penetration into the hydrophobic core of proteins in a sequence-independent manner.     

High affinity binding of Bcl-xL to cytochrome c: possible relevance for interception of translocated cytochrome c in apoptosis

The release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and apoptosis relies on several preferential and selective interactions involving the Bcl-2 family of proteins. There is, however, no direct evidence for the interaction of cytochrome c with these proteins at any stage of apoptosis. To investigate if any pro-survival protein from the Bcl-2 family could intercept cytochrome c after its translocation from mitochondria, the interaction of cytochrome c with bacterially expressed human Bcl-x(L) was studied at pH 7. In size-exclusion chromatography, purified full-length His(6)-tagged Bcl-x(L) migrated as both dimer and monomer, of which the monomeric fractions were used for experiments. Coimmunoprecipitation studies show that cytochrome c interacts with Bcl-x(L). The extent of caspase activity in cell lysate elicited by externally added cytochrome c is reduced when a preincubated mixture of Bcl-x(L) and cytochrome c is used instead. Equilibrium binding monitored by optical absorption of cytochrome c as a function of titrating concentrations of Bcl-x(L) yields the association constant, K(ass) = 8.4(+/- 4) x 10(6) M(-1) (binding affinity, K(diss) = 1/K(ass) approximately 120 nM) which decreases at high ionic strength. The rates for binding of Bcl-x(L) to cytochrome c, studied by stopped-flow kinetics at pH 7, show that the bimolecular rate constant for binding, k(bi) = 0.24 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). Values of the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for Bcl-x(L)-cytochrome c interaction are very similar to those known for regulatory protein-protein interactions in apoptosis.     

Dissociation of the dimeric SecA ATPase during protein translocation across the bacterial membrane

The ATPase SecA mediates post-translational translocation of precursor proteins through the SecYEG channel of the bacterial inner membrane. We show that SecA, up to now considered to be a stable dimer, is actually in equilibrium with a small fraction of monomers. In the presence of membranes containing acidic phospholipids or in certain detergents, SecA completely dissociates into monomers. A synthetic signal peptide also affects dissociation into monomers. In addition, conversion into the monomeric state can be achieved by mutating a small number of residues in a dimeric and fully functional SecA fragment. This monomeric SecA fragment still maintains strong binding to SecYEG in the membrane as well as significant in vitro translocation activity. Together, the data suggest that the SecA dimer dissociates during protein translocation. Since SecA contains all characteristic motifs of a certain class of monomeric helicases, and since mutations in residues shared with the helicases abolish its translocation activity, SecA may function in a similar manner.     

Electron microscopic characterization of helical filaments formed by subunits I and II (core proteins) of ubiquinol: cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora mitochondria

The isolated and water-soluble complex of subunits I and II (core proteins) of ubiquinone:cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora mitochondria forms filaments below pH 6.0. Three independent helical reconstructions of single filaments were compared with the 3-D reconstruction of the native enzyme. A model for the helix is proposed in which the core complex dimers are arranged radially with the face which is proximal to the membrane in the native enzyme on the outside of the helix. The dimension of the core complex dimer perpendicular to the helix axis (70 A) provides an independent estimate of the height of the core complex to that obtained previously from cytochrome reductase crystals. The results of STEM mass measurement and the helical model give a mass per repeating unit of 90 kDa, which would indicate that the monomeric core complex consists of one 45-kDa and one 50-kDa subunit.     

Kinetic Studies on the Interaction of Ferricytochrome c with Anionic Surfactants

The kinetics of absorbance and fluorescence changes of cytochrome c as induced by an aqueous solution of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) are studied. The results are compared with far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Both surfactants cause similar alterations in the secondary structure of cytochrome c, while their influence on the heme environment of cytochrome c is different. In the presence of AOT below and above critical micellar concentration a conversion of the low-spin native cytochrome c to a denatured low-spin protein not having methionine ligand takes place. In the presence of SDS micelles conversion of the native protein to a denatured mixed-spin form occurs. The changes in the heme group induced by both surfactants occur independently of the alterations in tertiary structure.     

Spectral studies of horse heart porphyrin cytochrome c

Removal of the heme iron from cytochrome c to generate porphyrin cytochrome c relieves the quenching of porphyrin fluorescence and enhances the fluorescence of the single tryptophan residue and the 4 tyrosine residues. The intensity of the porphyrin fluorescence is not perturbed by denaturation of the protein at neutral pH using either urea or guanidine hydrochloride. However, the amplitude of tryptophan fluorescence is increased by these denaturants from 5 to about 85% of a model tryptophan residue using solutions of 2 microM tryptophan. In contrast to cytochrome c, the tryptophan fluorescence amplitude of denatured porphyrin cytochrome c is independent of pH over the range pH 3.0 to 7.4. Acidification of solutions of either native or denatured porphyrin cytochrome c markedly alters both the visible absorbance and fluorescence of the protein consistent with protonation of two pyrrole nitrogens on the porphyrin. Preliminary analysis of the spectral changes occurring in the acid transition suggests the presence of an intermediate form having only one of these two pyrrole nitrogens protonated.     

Selective reduction of seminal ribonuclease by glutathione

Incubation of seminal ribonuclease with glutathione leads to the formation of a monomeric species which exhibits twice the specific activity of the native dimer. The monomer was found to possess two mixed disulfides of glutathione at residues 31 and 32, the residues ordinarily involved in the intermolecular disulfide bonds linking the subunits of the native dimer. Formation of the monomer results in only minor changes in the far ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra. The rate of the glutathione-facilitated dissociation reaction is fairly slow, requiring 60 min for completion. Attempts to dimerize the monomer all failed, implying that the dissociation reaction is irreversible. The glutathione reduced monomer was compared with the monomer formed during the regeneration of reduced, denatured bovine seminal ribonuclease in the presence of glutathione. By all criteria examined, the two monomeric forms are identical. It is concluded that the mixed disulfide monomer is the favored form of the enzyme in the presence of glutathione.     

Physicochemical characterization of the alkaline denaturation of cytochrome c peroxidase

The alkaline denaturation of cytochrome c peroxidase and apocytochrome c peroxidase was investigated by analytical ultracentrifugation, gel-filtration chromatography, and circular dichroism. The results indicate that both cytochrome c peroxidase and the apoenzyme undergo extensive structural modifications upon exposure to alkaline pH, including dimer formation. The midpoint of the transition for dimer formation in the native enzyme occurs at pH 9.6 +/- 0.1, while loss of tertiary and secondary structure occurs with transition midpoints at pH 10.3 +/- 0.1 and pH 11.3 +/- 0.1, respectively. Studies performed in the presence of dithiothreitol and with carboxymethylated cytochrome c peroxidase indicate that dimer formation occurs via a disulfide crosslink involving the single cysteine residue in the enzyme. Denaturation of cytochrome c peroxidase in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride gave results similar to those obtained for the alkaline denaturation.     

Electron transfer in monomeric forms of beef and shark heart cytochrome c oxidase

Beef heart cytochrome c oxidase is dimeric in reconstituted membranes and in nonionic detergents at physiological pH [Henderson, R., Capaldi, R. A., & Leigh, J. (1977) J. Mol. Biol. 112, 631; Robinson, N.C., & Capaldi, R. A. (1977) Biochemistry 16, 375], raising the possibility that this aggregation state is a prerequisite for enzymatic activity. A procedure for dissociating the enzyme into monomers is presented. This involves treating the protein with high concentrations of Triton X-100 at pH 8.5. The electron transfer activity of the monomer is comparable to that of the dimer under identical assay conditions. The beef heart cytochrome c oxidase monomer was found to be heterogeneous in hydrodynamic studies, probably due to dissociation of associated polypeptides, including subunit III. Monomer molecular weights in the range 129 000-160 000 were obtained. Previous studies have indicated that shark heart cytochrome c oxidase is monomeric under physiological conditions. Sedimentation equilibrium studies reported here confirm this. The elasmobranch enzyme, with a similar polypeptide composition to that of beef enzyme, was determined to have a molecular weight of 158 000.     

Conformational stability of dimeric and monomeric forms of the C-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus-1 capsid protein

The unfolding equilibrium of the C-terminal domain of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) capsid protein has been analyzed by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results for the dimeric, natural domain are consistent with a three-state model (N(2)<-->2I<-->2U). The dimer (N(2)) dissociates and partially unfolds in a coupled cooperative process, into a monomeric intermediate (I) of very low conformational stability. This intermediate, which is the only significantly populated form at low (1 microM) protein concentrations, fully preserves the secondary structure but has lost part of the tertiary (intramonomer) interactions found in the dimer. In a second transition, the intermediate cooperatively unfolds into denatured monomer (U). The latter process is the equivalent of a two-state unfolding transition observed for a monomeric domain in which Trp184 at the dimer interface had been truncated to Ala. A highly conserved, disulfide-bonded cysteine, but not the disulfide bond itself, and three conserved residues within the major homology region of the retroviral capsid are important for the conformational stability of the monomer. All these residues are involved also in the association process, despite being located far away from the dimerization interface. It is proposed that dimerization of the C-terminal domain of the HIV-1 capsid protein involves induced-fit recognition, and the conformational reorganization also improves substantially the low intrinsic stability of each monomeric half.