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Thermal Denaturation (thermal + denaturation)
Selected AbstractsAggregation kinetics of recombinant human FVIII (rFVIII)JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 9 2005Karthik Ramani Abstract The physical phenomenon of aggregation can have profound impact on the stability of therapeutic proteins. This study focuses on the aggregation behavior of recombinant human FVIII (rFVIII), a multi-domain protein used as the first line of therapy for hemophilia A, a bleeding disorder caused by the deficiency or dysfunction of factor VIII (FVIII). Thermal denaturation of rFVIII was investigated using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The dependence of unfolding on heating rate indicated that the thermal denaturation of the protein was at least partly under kinetic control. The data was interpreted in terms of a simple two-state kinetic model, , where k is a first-order kinetic constant that changes with temperature, as given by the Arrhenius equation. Analysis of the data in terms of the above scheme suggested that under the experimental conditions used in this study, the rate-controlling step in the aggregation of rFVIII may be a unimolecular reaction involving conformational changes. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 94:2023,2029, 2005 [source] Sequence dependence of ,-hairpin structure: Comparison of a salt bridge and an aromatic interactionPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 12 2003Sarah E. Kiehna Abstract A comparison of the contributions and position dependence of cross-strand electrostatic and aromatic side-chain interactions to ,-sheet stability has been performed by using nuclear magnetic resonance in a well-folded ,-hairpin peptide of the general sequence XRTVXVdPGOXITQX. Phe,Phe and Glu,Lys pairs were varied at the internal and terminal non,hydrogen-bonded position, and the resulting stability was measured by the effects on ,-hydrogen and aromatic hydrogen chemical shifts. It was determined that the introduction of a Phe,Phe pair resulted in a more folded peptide, regardless of position, and a more tightly folded core. Substitution of the Glu,Lys pair at the internal position results in a less folded peptide and increased fraying at the terminal residues. Upfield shifting of the aromatic hydrogens provided evidence for an edge-face aromatic interaction, regardless of position of the Phe,Phe pair. In peptides with two Phe,Phe pairs, substitution with Glu,Lys at either position resulted in a weakening of the aromatic interaction and a subsequent decrease in peptide stability. Thermal denaturation of the peptides containing Phe,Phe indicates that the aromatic interaction is enthalpically favored, whereas the folding of hairpins with cross-strand Glu,Lys pairs was less enthalpically favorable but entropically more favorable. [source] Assembly of DNA Nanostructures with Branched Tris-DNACHEMISTRY - AN ASIAN JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006Takahiro Kuroda Abstract Branched tris-DNA, in which two oligonucleotides of the same sequence and one other oligonucleotide of a different sequence are connected with a rigid central linker, was prepared chemically by using a DNA synthesizer. Two branched tris-DNA molecules with complementary DNA sequences form dimer and tetramer as well as linear and spherical oligomer complexes. The complex formation was studied by UV/thermal denaturation, enzyme digestion, gel electrophoresis, and AFM imaging. [source] Capillary electrophoresis versus differential scanning calorimetry for the analysis of free enzyme versus enzyme-ligand complexes: In the search of the ligand-free status of cholinesterasesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 2 2006Daniel Rochu Dr. Abstract Cholinesterases (ChEs) are highly efficient biocatalysts whose active site is buried in a deep, narrow gorge. The talent of CE to discover inhibitors in the gorge of highly purified preparations has fairly altered the meaning of a ChE ligand-free status. To attempt at a description of this one, we investigated the stability of Bungarus fasciatus acetylcholinesterase (AChE), alone or complexed with different inhibitors. Determination of midtransition temperature for thermal denaturation, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and CE, provided conflicting results. Discrepancies strongly question the reality of a ligand-free AChE state. DSC allowed estimation of the stability of AChE-ligands complexes, and to rank the stabilizing effect of different inhibitors. CE acted as a detector of hidden ligands, provided that they were charged, reversibly bound, and thus dissociable upon action of electric fields. Then, CE allowed quantification of the stability of ligand-free AChE. CE and DSC providing each fractional and nonredundant information, cautious attention must be paid for actual estimation of the conformational stability of ChEs. Because inhibitors used in purification of ChEs by affinity chromatography are charged, CE remains a leading method to estimate enzyme stability and detect the presence of bound hidden ligands. [source] Compatible solutes of organisms that live in hot saline environmentsENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 9 2002Helena Santos Summary The accumulation of organic solutes is a prerequisite for osmotic adjustment of all microorganisms. Thermophilic and hyperthermophilic organisms generally accumulate very unusual compatible solutes namely, di- myo -inositol-phosphate, di-mannosyl-di- myo -inositol-phosphate, di-glycerol-phosphate, mannosylglycerate and mannosylglyceramide, which have not been identified in bacteria or archaea that grow at low and moderate temperatures. There is also a growing awareness that some of these compatible solutes may have a role in the protection of cell components against thermal denaturation. Mannosylglycerate and di-glycerol-phosphate have been shown to protect enzymes and proteins from thermal denaturation in vitro as well, or better, than compatible solutes from mesophiles. The pathways leading to the synthesis of some of these compatible solutes from thermophiles and hyperthermophiles have been elucidated. However, large numbers of questions remain unanswered. Fundamental and applied interest in compatible solutes and osmotic adjustment in these organisms, drives research that, will, in the near future, allow us to understand the role of compatible solutes in osmotic protection and thermoprotection of some of the most fascinating organisms known on Earth. [source] Effects of the G376E and G157D mutations on the stability of yeast enolase , a model for human muscle enolase deficiencyFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2008Songping Zhao The first known human enolase deficiency was reported in 2001 [Comi GP, Fortunato F, Lucchiari S, Bordoni A, Prelle A, Jann S, Keller A, Ciscato P, Galbiati S, Chiveri L et al. (2001) Ann Neurol50, 202,207]. The subject had inherited two mutated genes for ,-enolase. These mutations changed glycine 156 to aspartate and glycine 374 to glutamate. In order to study the effects of these changes on the structure and stability of enolase, we have introduced the corresponding changes (G157D and G376E) into yeast enolase. The two variants are correctly folded. They are less stable than wild-type enolase with respect to thermal denaturation, and both have increased Kd values for subunit dissociation. At 37 °C, in the presence of salt, both are partially dissociated and are extensively cleaved by trypsin. Under the same conditions, wild-type enolase is fully dimeric and is only slightly cleaved by trypsin. However, wild-type enolase is also extensively cleaved if it is partially dissociated. The identification of the cleavage sites and spectral studies of enolase have revealed some of the structural differences between the dimeric and monomeric forms of this enzyme. [source] Small heat shock protein Hsp27 prevents heat-induced aggregation of F-actin by forming soluble complexes with denatured actinFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 22 2007Anastasia V. Pivovarova Previously, we have shown that the small heat shock protein with apparent molecular mass 27 kDa (Hsp27) does not affect the thermal unfolding of F-actin, but effectively prevents aggregation of thermally denatured F-actin [Pivovarova AV, Mikhailova VV, Chernik IS, Chebotareva NA, Levitsky DI & Gusev NB (2005) Biochem Biophys Res Commun331, 1548,1553], and supposed that Hsp27 prevents heat-induced aggregation of F-actin by forming soluble complexes with denatured actin. In the present work, we applied dynamic light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation and size exclusion chromatography to examine the properties of complexes formed by denatured actin with a recombinant human Hsp27 mutant (Hsp27,3D) mimicking the naturally occurring phosphorylation of this protein at Ser15, Ser78, and Ser82. Our results show that formation of these complexes occurs upon heating and accompanies the F-actin thermal denaturation. All the methods show that the size of actin,Hsp27-3D complexes decreases with increasing Hsp27-3D concentration in the incubation mixture and that saturation occurs at approximately equimolar concentrations of Hsp27-3D and actin. Under these conditions, the complexes exhibit a hydrodynamic radius of ,,16 nm, a sedimentation coefficient of 17,20 S, and a molecular mass of about 2 MDa. It is supposed that Hsp27-3D binds to denatured actin monomers or short oligomers dissociated from actin filaments upon heating and protects them from aggregation by forming relatively small and highly soluble complexes. This mechanism might explain how small heat shock proteins prevent aggregation of denatured actin and by this means protect the cytoskeleton and the whole cell from damage caused by accumulation of large insoluble aggregates under heat shock conditions. [source] Thermally induced conformational changes in horseradish peroxidaseFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2001David G. Pina Detailed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), steady-state tryptophan fluorescence and far-UV and visible CD studies, together with enzymatic assays, were carried out to monitor the thermal denaturation of horseradish peroxidase isoenzyme c (HRPc) at pH 3.0. The spectral parameters were complementary to the highly sensitive but integral method of DSC. Thus, changes in far-UV CD corresponded to changes in the overall secondary structure of the enzyme, while that in the Soret region, as well as changes in intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emission, corresponded to changes in the tertiary structure of the enzyme. The results, supported by data about changes in enzymatic activity with temperature, show that thermally induced transitions for peroxidase are irreversible and strongly dependent upon the scan rate, suggesting that denaturation is under kinetic control. It is shown that the process of HRPc denaturation can be interpreted with sufficient accuracy in terms of the simple kinetic scheme where k is a first-order kinetic constant that changes with temperature, as given by the Arrhenius equation; N is the native state, and D is the denatured state. On the basis of this model, the parameters of the Arrhenius equation were calculated. [source] Effects of cadmium on manganese peroxidaseFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2000Competitive inhibition of MnII oxidation, thermal stabilization of the enzyme Inhibition of manganese peroxidase by cadmium was studied under steady-state and transient-state kinetic conditions. CdII is a reversible competitive inhibitor of MnII in the steady state with Ki , 10 µm. CdII also inhibits enzyme-generated MnIII,chelate-mediated oxidation of 2,6-dimethoxyphenol with Ki , 4 µm. CdII does not inhibit direct oxidation of phenols such as 2,6-dimethoxyphenol or guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) in the absence of MnII. CdII alters the heme Soret on binding manganese peroxidase and exhibits a Kd , 8 µm, similar to Mn (Kd , 10 µm). Under transient-state conditions, CdII inhibits reduction of compound I and compound II by MnII at pH 4.5. However, CdII does not inhibit formation of compound I nor does it inhibit reduction of the enzyme intermediates by phenols in the absence of MnII. Kinetic analysis suggests that CdII binds at the MnII -binding site, preventing oxidation of MnII, but does not impair oxidation of substrates, such as phenols, which do not bind at the MnII -binding site. Finally, at pH 4.5 and 55 °C, MnII and CdII both protect manganese peroxidase from thermal denaturation more efficiently than CaII, extending the half-life of the enzyme by more than twofold. Furthermore, the combination of half MnII and half CdII nearly quadruples the enzyme half-life over either metal alone or either metal in combination with CaII. [source] Synthesis, DNA-Binding and Photocleavage Studies of the Ruthenium(II) Complexes [Ru(phen)2(ppd)]2+ and [Ru(phen)(ppd)2]2+ (ppd=Pteridino[6,7- f],[1,10]phenanthroline-11,13(10H,12H)-dione, phen=1,10-Phenanthroline)HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 3 2008Feng Gao Abstract Two new complexes, [Ru(phen)2(ppd)]2+ (1) and [Ru(phen)(ppd)2]2+ (2) (ppd=pteridino[6,7- f],[1,10]phenanthroline-11,13(10H,12H)-dione, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized by ES-MS, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The intercalative DNA-binding properties of 1 and 2 were investigated by absorption-spectroscopy titration, luminescence-spectroscopy studies, thermal denaturation, and viscosity measurements. The theoretical aspects were further discussed by comparative studies of 1 and 2 by means of DFT calculations and molecular-orbital theory. Photoactivated cleavage of pBR322 DNA by the two complexes were also studied, and 2 was found to be a much better photocleavage reagent than 1. The mechanism studies revealed that singlet oxygen and the excited-states redox potentials of the complex may play an important role in the DNA photocleavage. [source] Extending the Pressure,Temperature State Diagram of MyoglobinHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 3 2005Filip Meersman The pressure,temperature (P,T) diagram of proteins proposed by Hawley concerns the equilibrium between native and denatured forms. However, the importance of protein aggregation is increasingly recognized, and it has been suggested that certain aggregated states represent alternative folds of the polypeptide chain. Here, we present a P,T -diagram for myoglobin in which we include the aggregated state and suggest to call it a P,T -state diagram, as not all boundaries are true equilibrium transitions. We observe by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy that increasing temperature causes the protein to aggregate, but that a subsequent further temperature increase results in the dissociation of this aggregate. Moreover, we observe that moderate pressures stabilize myoglobin against thermal denaturation. We hypothesize that this effect originates from the volume changes associated with the aggregation transition. [source] Heating of ,-Lactoglobulin A Solution in a Closed System at High TemperaturesJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2001S. Photchanachai ABSTRACT ,-Lactoglobulin A solution at pH 6.4 was heated to 180 °C at the rate of 6 °C/min. By differential scanning calorimetry two independent endothermic peaks were observed. The first peak appeared below 100 °C is corresponded to the thermal denaturation of protein. This conformational change led to the aggregation and polymerization of molecules through disulfide linkage, particularly observed above 100 °C. The second endothermic peak appeared around 150 °C, which was brought by the decomposition of molecules as judged from electrophoresis. Up to 100 °C the viscosity of ,-lactoglobulin A solution increased by heating, while the viscosity was reduced beyond 113 °C, due to change in the size of aggregate and decomposition of ,-lactoglobulin A molecules. [source] Comparison of bovine and porcine ,-lactoglobulin: a mass spectrometric analysisJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 6 2006Gaetano Invernizzi Abstract Nano-electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (nano-ESI-MS) is applied to comparison of bovine and porcine ,-lactoglobulin (BLG and PLG). The conformational and oligomeric properties of the two proteins under different solvent and experimental conditions are analyzed. The pH-dependence of dimerization is described for the pH range 2,11. The results indicate maximal dimer accumulation at pH 6 for BLG and pH 4 for PLG, as well as a lower stability of the PLG dimer at pH 4 compared to BLG at pH 6. Conformational stability appears to be higher for BLG at acidic pH, but higher for PLG at basic pH. The higher stability of BLG at low pH is revealed by means of either chemical or thermal denaturation. Equilibrium folding intermediates of both proteins are detected. Finally, conditions are found that promote dissociation of the BLG dimer at pH 6 into folded monomers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Aggregation kinetics of recombinant human FVIII (rFVIII)JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 9 2005Karthik Ramani Abstract The physical phenomenon of aggregation can have profound impact on the stability of therapeutic proteins. This study focuses on the aggregation behavior of recombinant human FVIII (rFVIII), a multi-domain protein used as the first line of therapy for hemophilia A, a bleeding disorder caused by the deficiency or dysfunction of factor VIII (FVIII). Thermal denaturation of rFVIII was investigated using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The dependence of unfolding on heating rate indicated that the thermal denaturation of the protein was at least partly under kinetic control. The data was interpreted in terms of a simple two-state kinetic model, , where k is a first-order kinetic constant that changes with temperature, as given by the Arrhenius equation. Analysis of the data in terms of the above scheme suggested that under the experimental conditions used in this study, the rate-controlling step in the aggregation of rFVIII may be a unimolecular reaction involving conformational changes. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 94:2023,2029, 2005 [source] Heat-induced denaturation impairs digestibility of legume (Phaseolus vulgaris L and Vicia faba L) 7S and 11S globulins in the small intestine of ratJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 1 2005M Carbonaro Abstract 7S globulin from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) and 11S globulin from faba bean (Vicia faba L) were isolated to over 90% purity and the digestibility of the proteins, either in native or denatured (120 °C, 20 min, 1 atm) state, was tested in the small intestine of growing rats in acute (1 h) experiments. Native globulins were well digested (92 and 95% for 7S and 11S proteins, respectively). However, after thermal denaturation, protein digestibility of 7S globulin was reduced to 88%, while that of 11S globulin to only 79%. SDS-PAGE revealed that high amounts of the intermediate proteolytic products of phaseolin (MW 22 000,27 000 Da) were present in the small intestine of rats after 1 h digestion of the denatured 7S globulin, while protein material in the high MW range (>55 000 Da) were recovered from the 11S globulin. The overall negative charge of unavailable proteins from the 7S globulin was found by anion exchange,FPLC separation to be higher than that of products from the 11S globulin. MALDI-MS analysis of proteins in the small intestine confirmed the presence of half-size phaseolin subunits (MW 23 700 Da) as breakdown products from the denatured 7S globulin, and of highly hydrophobic basic subunits (MW 20 000 Da) from the 11S globulin. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Differentiation of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus via genotypic and phenotypic profiles from three different populationsMOLECULAR ORAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Y. Li Routine identification of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus is generally based upon growth on various selective media, colony morphology and biochemical characteristics. We examined various approaches of differentiating these two species through a combination of the conventional phenotypic methodology with chromosomal DNA fingerprint (CDF) and arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) methods. Initially, ten ATCC type strains and 20 randomly selected clinical isolates of mutans streptococci (MS) were characterized and grouped into two major types based on patterns generated by the CDF using HaeIII digestion. The CDF's patterns with restriction fragments equal to or greater than 6.6 kb were defined as the CDF-1 group. The CDF's patterns with restriction fragments less than 6.6 kb were defined as the CDF-2 group. Both groups were then examined for biotype, serotype, and composition of DNA via thermal denaturation. AP-PCR was applied and evaluated for the capability of delineating S. mutans from S. sobrinus strains. Results of this study showed that all CDF-1 strains fit within a G+C range of 36.2% to 42.2%, whereas the CDF-2 strains had a G+C range of 45.8% to 47.0%. The serotyping assay exhibited 100% sensitivity, 90% specificity and 86.7% agreement with the CDF. The biotyping assay presented the poorest specificity (38.5%), indicating the highest variability. The capability of AP-PCR in differentiation of S. mutans from S. sobrinus was comparable to the CDF method, suggesting that either of these two approaches can and may serve as a viable alternative method to serotyping or biotyping of MS. [source] Contributions of folding cores to the thermostabilities of two ribonucleases HPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 2 2002Srebrenka Robic Abstract To investigate the contribution of the folding cores to the thermodynamic stability of RNases H, we used rational design to create two chimeras composed of parts of a thermophilic and a mesophilic RNase H. Each chimera combines the folding core from one parent protein and the remaining parts of the other. Both chimeras form active, well-folded RNases H. Stability curves, based on CD-monitored chemical denaturations, show that the chimera with the thermophilic core is more stable, has a higher midpoint of thermal denaturation, and a lower change in heat capacity (,Cp) upon unfolding than the chimera with the mesophilic core. A possible explanation for the low ,Cp of both the parent thermophilic RNase H and the chimera with the thermophilic core is the residual structure in the denatured state. On the basis of the studied parameters, the chimera with the thermophilic core resembles a true thermophilic protein. Our results suggest that the folding core plays an essential role in conferring thermodynamic parameters to RNases H. [source] Thermal denaturation pathway of starch phosphorylase from Corynebacterium callunae: Oxyanion binding provides the glue that efficiently stabilizes the dimer structure of the proteinPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 6 2000Richard GrießLer Abstract Starch phosphorylase from Corynebacterium callunae is a dimeric protein in which each mol of 90 kDa subunit contains 1 mol pyridoxal 5,-phosphate as an active-site cofactor. To determine the mechanism by which phosphate or sulfate ions bring about a greater than 500-fold stabilization against irreversible inactivation at elevated temperatures (,50°C), enzyme/oxyanion interactions and their role during thermal denaturation of phosphorylase have been studied. By binding to a protein site distinguishable from the catalytic site with dissociation constants of Ksulfate = 4.5 mM and Kphosphate,16 mM, dianionic oxyanions induce formation of a more compact structure of phosphorylase, manifested by (a) an increase by about 5% in the relative composition of the ,-helical secondary structure, (b) reduced 1H/2H exchange, and (c) protection of a cofactor fluorescence against quenching by iodide. Irreversible loss of enzyme activity is triggered by the release into solution of pyridoxal 5,-phosphate, and results from subsequent intermolecular aggregation driven by hydrophobic interactions between phosphorylase subunits that display a temperature-dependent degree of melting of secondary structure. By specifically increasing the stability of the dimer structure of phosphorylase (probably due to tightened intersubunit contacts), phosphate, and sulfate, this indirectly (1) preserves a functional active site up to, 50°C, and (2) stabilizes the covalent protein cofactor linkage up to , 70°C. The effect on thermostability shows a sigmoidal and saturatable dependence on the concentration of phosphate, with an apparent binding constant at 50°C of , 25 mM. The extra stability conferred by oxyanion-ligand binding to starch phosphorylase is expressed as a dramatic shift of the entire denaturation pathway to a , 20°C higher value on the temperature scale. [source] Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of carnein, a serine protease from Ipomoea carneaACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2009Ashok Kumar Patel Carnein is an 80,kDa subtilisin-like serine protease from the latex of the plant Ipomoea carnea which displays an exceptional resistance to chemical and thermal denaturation. In order to obtain the first crystal structure of a plant subtilisin and to gain insight into the structural determinants underlying its remarkable stability, carnein was isolated from I. carnea latex, purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. A data set was collected to 2.0,Å resolution in-house from a single crystal at 110,K. The crystals belonged to the trigonal space group P3121 or P3221, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 126.9, c = 84.6,Å, , = , = 90, , = 120°. Assuming the presence of one molecule per asymmetric unit, the Matthews coefficient is 2.46,Å3,Da,1, corresponding to a solvent content of 50%. Structure determination of the enzyme is in progress. [source] Evaluation of binding selectivities and affinities of platinum-based quadruplex interactive complexes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometryBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 4 2009Sarah E. Pierce Abstract The quadruplex binding affinities and selectivities of two large ,-surface PtII phenanthroimidazole complexes, as well as a smaller ,-surface platinum bipyridine complex and a larger RuII complex, were evaluated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy was used to determine the structures of various quadruplexes and to study the thermal denaturation of the quadruplexes in the absence and presence of the metal complexes. In addition, chemical probe reactions with glyoxal were used to monitor the changes in the quadruplex conformation because of association with the complexes. The platinum phenanthroimidazole complexes show increased affinity for several of the quadruplexes with elongated loops between guanine repeats. Quadruplexes with shorter loops exhibited insubstantial binding to the transition metal complexes. Similarly binding to duplex and single strand oligonucleotides was low overall. Although the ruthenium-based metal complex showed somewhat enhanced quadruplex binding, the PtII complexes had higher quadruplex affinities and selectivities that are attributed to their square planar geometries. The chemical probe reactions using glyoxal indicated increased reactivity when the platinum phenanthroimidazole complexes were bound to the quadruplexes, thus suggesting a conformational change that alters guanine accessibility. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 233,243, 2009. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggests unfolding of loop structures precedes complete unfolding of pig citrate synthaseBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 4 2003Feride Severcan Abstract Pig citrate synthase (PCS) can be used as a model enzyme to gain some insight into the structural basis of protein thermostability. The thermal unfolding characteristics of the specific secondary structure elements within PCS were monitored in detail by following changes in its amide I band components. The result of our study indicates that PCS undergoes irreversible thermal denaturation. Detailed analysis reveals that the different secondary structures display a multistep transition with a major and a minor transition at different temperatures and a very small initial transition at the same temperature (30°C). A plot of temperature-induced changes in 1H,2H exchange, the decrease in the absorbance of the ,-helical structures, and the increase in the absorbance of aggregated structures all have in common a multistep transition, the minor one centered at 45°C and the major one around 59°C. In contrast, a band that is tentatively assigned to loop structures displays these same minor and major transitions but at lower temperatures (39 and 52°C, respectively). The transition, which occurs at 39,45°C, is not associated with the appearance of aggregated structures. This transition may reflect a change in the tertiary structure of the protein. However, the final transition, which occurs at a higher temperature (52,59°C), reflects unfolding and aggregation of the polypeptide chains. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis suggests that PCS has a thermolabile region that unfolds first, some 7°C below the main unfolding of the protein. We propose that this reflects the unfolding of the highly flexible loop segments, which in turn triggers the unfolding of the predominantly helical core structure of PCS. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 69: 440,447, 2003 [source] Stabilization of invertase by molecular engineeringBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 1 2010Pattamawadee Tananchai Abstract Extracellular invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was stabilized against thermal denaturation by intermolecular and intramolecular crosslinking of the surface nucleophilic functional groups with diisocyanate homobifunctional reagents (OCN(CH2)nNCO) of various lengths (n = 4, 6, 8). Crosslinking with 1,4-diisocyanatobutane (n = 4) proved most effective in enhancing thermostability. Stability was improved dramatically by crosslinking 0.5 mg/mL of protein with 30 ,mol/mL of the reagent. Molecular engineering by crosslinking reduced the first-order thermal denaturation constant at 60°C from 1.567 min,1 (for the native enzyme) to 0.437 min,1 (for the stabilized enzyme). Similarly, the best crosslinking treatment increased the activation energy for denaturation from 391 kJ mol,1 (for the native protein) to 466 kJ mol,1 (for the stabilized enzyme). Crosslinking was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source] Effect of polyethylene glycol on the thermal stability of green fluorescent proteinBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 1 2010Letícia C. de Lencastre Novaes Abstract Green fluorescent protein (GFP) shows remarkable structural stability and high fluorescence; its stability can be directly related to its fluorescence output, among other characteristics. GFP is stable under increasing temperatures, and its thermal denaturation is highly reproducible. Some polymers, such as polyethylene glycol, are often used as modifiers of characteristics of biological macromolecules, to improve the biochemical activity and stability of proteins or drug bioavailability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thermal stability of GFP in the presence of different PEG molar weights at several concentrations and exposed to constant temperatures, in a range of 70,95°C. Thermal stability was expressed in decimal reduction time. It was observed that the D -values obtained were almost constant for temperatures of 85, 90, and 95°C, despite the PEG concentration or molar weight studied. Even though PEG can stabilize proteins, only at 75°C, PEG 600 and 4,000 g/mol stabilized GFP. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source] Single-point mutations at the surface of MB-1Trp lead to important changes in its conformational propertiesCHEMICAL BIOLOGY & DRUG DESIGN, Issue 1 2004M. Sasseville Abstract:, Protein design is currently used for the creation of new proteins with desirable traits. In our lab we focus on the synthesis of proteins with high essential amino acid content having potential applications in animal nutrition. One of the limitations we face in this endeavour is achieving stable proteins despite a highly biased amino acid content. We report here the synthesis and the characterization of three variants of MB-1Trp in which two solvent-exposed Leu have been replaced by Glu allowing for the formation of new salt bridges at the surface of the protein. Although both mutations were expected to be similar (i.e. same mutation in a comparable local environment), they appear to have different effects on MB-1Trp as shown by far-UV circular dichroism, thermal denaturation, fluorescence and proteolytic resistance measurements. For the mutation Leu68Glu, an increase in the protein melting temperature of 6 °C was observed. Surprisingly, the mutation in position Leu19Glu led to a decrease in melting temperature and a modification of tertiary structure. [source] A Water-Soluble, Octacationic Zinc Phthalocyanine as Molecular Probe for Nucleic Acid Secondary StructureCHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY, Issue 2 2007An-Ming Zhang Abstract The interaction between CT-DNA and the zinc phthalocyanine ZnPc (1) was studied by UV/VIS and fluorescence titration, as well as by thermal denaturation. ZnPc was found to strongly bind to CT-DNA (Kapp=7.35×105, M,1) in a non-intercalative mode. The photosensitized cleavage of pBR322 DNA was found to efficiently proceed via singlet-oxygen (1O2) production. Further, ZnPc (1) caused site-specific scission of guanine (G) bases around the bulge of the hairpin oligonucleotides OD1,OD3, as clearly shown by gel-electrophoresis experiments. [source] Structural transition during thermal denaturation of collagen in the solution and film states,CHIRALITY, Issue 1 2009Ganesh Shanmugam Abstract Temperature dependent vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of type I collagen, in solution and film states, have been measured. These spectra obtained for solution sample suggest that the thermal denaturation of collagen results in transition from poly- L -proline II (PPII) to unordered structure. The PPII structure of collagen is identified by the presence of negative VCD couplet in the amide I region, while the formation of unordered structure is indicated by the disappearance of VCD in the amide I region. The temperature dependent spectra obtained for the supported collagen film indicated a biphasic transition, which is believed to be the first vibrational spectroscopic report to support a biphasic transition during thermal denaturation of collagen film. The temperature dependent spectra of collagen films suggest that the thermal stability of collagen structure depends on its state and decreases in the order: supported film > free standing film > solution state. These observations are believed to be significant in the VCD spectroscopic analysis of secondary structures of proteins and peptides. Chirality, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The conformational stability of the Streptomyces coelicolor histidine-phosphocarrier proteinFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 11 2004Characterization of cold denaturation, protein interactions Thermodynamic parameters describing the conformational stability of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein from Streptomyces coelicolor, scHPr, have been determined by steady-state fluorescence measurements of isothermal urea-denaturations, differential scanning calorimetry at different guanidinium hydrochloride concentrations and, independently, by far-UV circular dichroism measurements of isothermal urea-denaturations, and thermal denaturations at fixed urea concentrations. The equilibrium unfolding transitions are described adequately by the two-state model and they validate the linear free-energy extrapolation model, over the large temperature range explored, and the urea concentrations used. At moderate urea concentrations (from 2 to 3 m), scHPr undergoes both high- and low-temperature unfolding. The free-energy stability curves have been obtained for the whole temperature range and values of the thermodynamic parameters governing the heat- and cold-denaturation processes have been obtained. Cold-denaturation of the protein is the result of the combination of an unusually high heat capacity change (1.4 ± 0.3 kcal·mol,1·K,1, at 0 m urea, being the average of the fluorescence, circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry measurements) and a fairly low enthalpy change upon unfolding at the midpoint temperature of heat-denaturation (59 ± 4 kcal·mol,1, the average of the fluorescence, circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry measurements). The changes in enthalpy (m,Hi), entropy (m,Si) and heat capacity (m,Cpi), which occur upon preferential urea binding to the unfolded state vs. the folded state of the protein, have also been determined. The m,Hi and the m,Si are negative at low temperatures, but as the temperature is increased, m,Hi makes a less favourable contribution than m,Si to the change in free energy upon urea binding. The m,Cpi is larger than those observed for other proteins; however, its contribution to the global heat capacity change upon unfolding is small. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||