脲和盐酸胍诱导过氧化氢酶去折叠的研究

用荧光相图法分别研究了脲和盐酸胍诱导牛肝过氧化氢酶去折叠的过程。当脲 浓度从0依次增大至0.50,4.5和8.0 mol/L时,过氧化氢酶从天然四聚体依次转变 为蓬松的四聚体、部分折叠的无活性二聚体和去折叠态,而当盐酸胍浓度从0依次 变化至0.65,2.5和6.0 mol/L时,过氧化氢酶则从天然四聚体集资转变为部分折叠 的激活二聚体、部分折叠的单体和去折叠态,这表明无论是用脲还是用盐酸胍作为 变性剂,该蛋白的变性过程都符合“四态模型”,但这两种变性剂诱导该蛋白去折 叠的途径和机制有较大差异。实验结果表明荧光相图法可以检测蛋白质去折叠的中 间态。用等温滴定量去热法研究了盐酸胍诱导过氧化氢酶去折叠过程的热力学, 25.0 ℃时低浓度盐酸胍诱导该蛋白从天然四聚体转变为部分折叠的激活二聚体的 本征摩尔构象变化焓、Gibbs自由能和熵分别为-69.2 kJ·mol~(-1),6.43 kJ· mol~(-1)和-254 J·K~(-1)·mol~(-1),据此推断盐酸胍通过熵效应和静电效应来 稳定和激活该二聚体。     

脲和盐酸胍诱导溶菌酶去折叠的荧光相图法研究

用荧光相图法分别研究了脲和盐酸胍诱导卵清溶菌酶去抓叠的过程。当变性体 系中无还原剂2－巯基乙醇存在、脲浓度从0变化至4.0 mol/L（或盐酸胍浓度从0变 化至3.0 mol/L）时,溶菌酶从天然态转变为部分折叠中间态,当脲浓度从4.0 mol/L变化至8.0 mol/L（或盐酸胍浓度从3.0 mol/L变化至6.0 mol/L）时,溶菌 酶从中间态转变为去折叠态,此时该蛋白的变性过程符合“三态模型”。而当变性 体系中有该还原剂存在时,溶菌酶则由天然态直接转变为去折叠态,此时脲诱导该 蛋白去折叠的过程符合曲型的“二态模型”。实难结果表明荧光相图法可以检测蛋 白南去抓叠的中间态。     

Fluorescence Study on the Interaction Between Hypericin and Lens Protein "α-Crystallin"

Hypericin has been reported as a potent photosensitizing agent exhibiting antiviral, antibacterial, antineoplastic activities. Although its photophysics and mode of action are strongly modulated by the binding protein, detailed information about its mechanism of interaction with possible cellular targets, including proteins, is still lacking. Previous in vitro studies demonstrated that hypericin can be uptaken by intact lens and is able to bind to the major lens protein "α-crystallin." In this study, the mechanism of interaction of this potent drug with α-crystallin was studied using the chemical denaturant guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) and the hydrophobic surface probe, 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS). Fluorescence measurements showed that the increased exposure of tryptophan resulting from partial unfolding of α-crystallin incubated with 1.0 mol L⁻¹ of GdnHCl corresponds to the maximum accessibility of hydrophobic sites to ANS at the same GdnHCl concentration. Interestingly at this additional hydrophobicity of the protein, hypericin exhibited its maximum fluorescence intensity. This in vitro study implied that hydrophobic sites of α-crystallin play a significant role in its interaction with hypericin. The binding between α-crystallin and hypericin was found to be enhanced by partial perturbation of the protein.     

In Vitro Renaturation of Alkaline Family G/11 Xylanase via a Folding Intermediate: α-Crystallin Facilitates Refolding in an ATP-Independent Manner

In this study, alkaliphilic family G/11 xylanase from alkali-tolerant filamentous fungi Penicillium citrinum MTCC 6489 was used as a model system to gain insight into the molecular aspects of unfolding/refolding of alkaliphilic glycosyl hydrolase protein family. The intrinsic protein fluorescence suggested a putative intermediate state of protein in presence of 2 M guanidium hydrochloride (GdmCl) with an emission maximum of 353 nm. Here we studied the refolding of GdmCl-denatured alkaline xylanase in the presence and the absence of a multimeric chaperone protein α-crystallin to elucidate the molecular mechanism of intramolecular interactions of the alkaliphilic xylanase protein that dictates its extremophilic character. Our results, based on intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and hydrophobic fluorophore 8-anilino-1- naphthalene sulfonate-binding studies, suggest that α-crystallin formed a complex with a putative molten globule-like intermediate in the refolding pathway of xylanase in an ATP-independent manner. A 2 M GdmCl is sufficient to denature alkaline xylanase completely. The hydrodynamic radius (R_H) of a native alkaline xylanase is 4.0, which becomes 5.0 in the presence of 2 M GdmCl whereas in presence of the higher concentration of GdmCl R_H value was shifted to 100, indicating the aggregation of denatured xylanase. The α-crystallin·xylanase complex exhibited the recovery of functional activity with the extent of ~43%. Addition of ATP to the complex did not show any significant effect on activity recovery of the denatured protein.     

Structural Stability and Unfolding Properties of Cutinases from Thermobifida fusca

A comparative analysis of the structural and functional aspects along with equilibrium unfolding of two homologous cutinases, Cut1 and Cut2, from Thermobifida fusca was carried out. The CD and fluorescence profile at different pH in the range of 6 to 9 showed no structural variations for both cutinases, indicating their stability to a wide range of pH. Tryptophan quenching studies suggested that all the four Trp residues in the protein are in inaccessible hydrophobic pockets. Further, near-UV CD analysis of tertiary structure revealed a dissimilar distribution of aromatic amino acid on the surface of these two enzymes. Denaturation profiles obtained in aqueous solutions of the guanidine hydrochloride revealed different tolerance levels for unfolding of the two cutinases, with Cut2 showing higher resistivity to unfolding in comparison to Cut1. Both cutinases retained all the structural parameters even in the presence of 8 M urea, indicating the protein to be highly resistant to urea-induced unfolding. Structural study by homology modeling revealed a high resemblance of secondary structure between the two cutinases; however, their tertiary structure, hydrophobicity, and surface electrostatic properties were very different, which contributed to the difference in the structural stability of these two cutinases.     

Photosensitized Effects of Rose Bengal on Structure and Function of Lens Protein "Alpha-Crystallin"

The conformational changes of the bovine lens protein "α-crystallin" have been investigated in the presence of the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB), in the dark as well as after visible light irradiation. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of RB [5 × 10⁻⁶  m ] and Fourier transform-IR spectra of α-crystallin [5 mg mL⁻¹] were significantly altered upon RB α-crystallin complex formation. RB was found to bind to α-crystallin in a molecular pocket characterized by a low polarity, with Trp most likely involved in this interaction. The binding constant ( K _b) has been estimated to be of the order of 2.5 (mg/mL)⁻¹. The intrinsic fluorescence of α-crystallin was quenched through both dynamic and static mechanisms. Light-induced photosensitized effects showed structural modifications in α-crystallin, including tertiary and secondary structure (an increase in unordered structure) alterations. Notwithstanding those photoinduced structural variations detected in α-crystallin when complexed with RB, the protein still retains its ability to play the role of chaperone for β-crystallin.     

MONITORING LIGHT-INDUCED CHANGES IN ISOLATED, INTACT EYE LENSES

Fluorescence spectral changes occurring upon irradiation with 300 nm light have been monitored in situ in isolated, intact, whole lenses from the eyes of several species. The findings corroborate observations on other individual constituent protein molecules in the solution state, and also reveal features attributable to the supramolecular protein assembly that exists in the whole lens. Irradiation of the lens with 300 nm light causes red shifts in the tryptophan emission spectrum, suggesting alterations in the protein packing in the lens. Intermolecular energy transfer from tryptophan to one of the photoproducts, presumably N-formylkynurenine (N-FK), occurs in the condensed-phase sample. The N-FK formed is photodegraded efficiently in the lens, indicating that the photodynamic effects of endogenous N-FK might not be as severe as has been thought. Species variation in the photoevents are evident, particularly in avian lenses that contain the variant δ-crystallin as the core protein. The photoinduced changes in the near-UV circular dichroism of δ-crystallin (which is α-helical, as opposed to the β-sheet structure of α-, β-, and -γ-crystallins), isolated from chicken lenses, are remarkably different from other crystallins. Irradiation of δ-crystallin leads to a drastic reduction of circular dichroism intensity in the 250–300 nm region, whereas no changes are seen in the peptide absorption band.     

牛血清IgG热化学变性和热变性的研究

使用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)和荧光光谱法研究了在pH 7.4时牛血清IgG (bIgG)热变性, 热化学变性和等温化学变性过程(变性剂为尿素和盐酸胍), 首次报道了bIgG在热化学变性和等温化学变性过程中的相关热力学参数. DSC和荧光光谱实验结果表明, bIgG的热变性和热化学变性过程都是较复杂的不可逆过程, 这个过程可被看作一个三态变构过程. DSC实验表明在热化学变性过程中bIgG的变性温度和焓变值会随着环境中的变性剂浓度的升高而降低. 使用荧光光谱法对bIgG在尿素或盐酸胍存在下的等温化学变性过程进行了研究, 结果显示bIgG的化学变性过程也是一个较复杂的非二态过程. 实验数据分析表明, 变性剂尿素和盐酸胍与bIgG之间主要是依靠氢键相互作用的, 而热变性过程中bIgG的凝集是由于bIgG热变性时结构改变后暴露出的疏水结构互相作用造成的. 实验结果还表明单纯的热变性只能导致bIgG的不完全变性, 而即使是在高浓度变性剂存在时的bIgG热化学变性, 尿素和盐酸胍分别导致的bIgG热化学变性的去折叠态也是不同的.     

Unfolding and Inactivation of Abalone (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis diversicolor</Emphasis>) Alkaline Phosphatase During Denaturation by Guanidine Hydrochloride

Abalone, a kind of low poikilothermic invertebrate, is easily exposed to ocean environment stress. Since it is one of the important mariculture animals, the attention paid to the abalone study becomes increasing. Alkaline phosphatase (ALPase, EC 3.1.3.1) is a kind of zinc-contained metalloenzyme, which catalyzes the nonspecific hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters. Unfolding and inactivation of ALPase from abalone (Haliotis diversicolor) during denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) of different concentrations has first been studied. The kinetic theory of the substrate reaction by enzyme was described by Tsou, which was applied to the study on ALPase’s kinetic course of inactivation by GuHCl. The result showed that the inactivation of the enzyme by GuHCl was a slow, reversible reaction with fractional remaining activity. The microscopic rate constants were determined. The result, , showed that the enzyme was protected by the substrate to a certain extent during guanidine denaturation. The changes of conformation of the enzyme in different concentrations of GuHCl have been studied by means of measuring the fluorescence spectra. The results showed that the inactivation occurred before the noticeable conformational changes of the enzyme molecule as a whole can be detected, which suggests that the active site of the enzyme has more flexibility than the whole enzyme molecule. These studies will facilitate the understanding of physiological and biochemical features of the H. diversicolor and will also help in the understanding of the abalone immune system.     

Microcalorimetric determination of displacement adsorption enthalpies of protein refolding on a moderately hydrophobic surface at 308 K

Both microcalorimetric determination of displacement adsorption enthalpies ΔH and measurement of adsorbed amounts of guanidine – denatured lysozyme (Lys) refolding on the surface of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) packings at 308 K were carried out and compared with that at 298 K. Study shows that both temperature and concentration of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) affect the molecular mechanism of hydrophobic interaction of protein with adsorbent based on the analysis of dividing ΔH values into three kinds of enthalpy fractions. The adsorption in higher concentrations of GuHCl (>1.3 mol L^–1) at 308 K is an enthalpy-driving process, and the adsorption under other GuHCl concentrations is an entropy-driving process. The fact that the Lys denatured by 1.8 mol L^–1 GuHCl forms a relatively stable intermediate state under the studied conditions will not be changed by temperature.