荧光光谱法研究牛血清蛋白在盐酸胍体系中的变性

应用荧光光谱技术,对盐酸胍与牛血清蛋白在30℃水溶液中的结合作用及造成牛血清蛋白变性的过程进行了研究,考察了盐酸胍诱导牛血清蛋白变性时荧光强度和峰位的变化规律,并计算出伸展分数fu,变性平衡常数Ku,伸展吉布斯自由能△Gu,衡量蛋白质对变性剂稳定性的参量△GH2o,衡量蛋白质变性协同性的参量m和变性中点C1/2.研究结...     

铜离子对烟草多酚氧化酶变性和复性影响的热力学研究(英)

在有无5 mmol·L^-1 CuSO₄存在的两种情况下，运用荧光光谱研究了烟草多酚氧化酶在盐酸胍诱导下的变性和复性平衡。烟草多酚氧化酶在6.0 mol·L^-1盐酸胍变性30 min(25 ℃)即完全失活。荧光光谱结果表明：铜离子能够提高烟草多酚氧化酶的结构稳定性和抗盐酸胍变性的能力，进而影响烟草多酚氧化酶在盐酸胍诱导下的变性和复性过程。没有外源铜存在的情况下，盐酸胍诱导的烟草多酚氧化酶变性和复性是一个可逆的二态过程；在5 mmol·L^-1 CuSO₄存在的条件下，由于结合了Cu²⁺的酶的中间态稳定性增加，显示特征荧光，结果显示，外源铜存在时，盐酸胍诱导的烟草多酚氧化酶变性和复性是一个可逆的三态过程。根据相应模型，进行了热力学计算。上述实验结果得到酶活性测定的进一步证实，在6 mol·L^-1盐酸胍中放置5，10，15，20，25，30 min，烟草多酚氧化酶的剩余活性分别为18.7%，11.7%，8.9%，6.6%，3.6%，0.06%，但在5 mmol·L^-1 CuSO₄存在的条件下，剩余活性则分别为60.3%，44.6%，42.5%，40.2%，25.6%，25.3%。     

酸诱导拥挤条件下肌红蛋白及突变体去折叠过程

采用紫外-可见吸收光谱、同步荧光光谱和圆二色(CD)光谱法研究拥挤试剂葡聚糖70 (Dextran70)和聚蔗糖70 (Ficoll70)存在条件下, 酸诱导野生型肌红蛋白Mb(WT)及其突变体Mb(D60K)的去折叠过程. 结果显示: 在Dextran70 和Ficoll70 两种拥挤环境下, Mb(WT)的变性中点pH值由4.25 分别降低到3.78 与3.76, 拥挤试剂加入后增强了Mb(WT)的耐酸能力; 肌红蛋白60位天冬氨酸(Asp)突变为赖氨酸(Lys)后, 变性中点pH值由4.25 降低到4.19, 耐酸性比野生型肌红蛋白有所增强, Mb(D60K)在Dextran70 和Ficoll70 两种拥挤环境下变性中点pH值由4.19 分别降至3.74 和3.12. 以上实验说明肌红蛋白表面氨基酸突变和拥挤试剂的添加起到了稳定血红素微环境、芳香族氨基酸及二级结构和保护蛋白天然状态的作用.     

A simple thermodynamic test to discriminate between two-state and downhill folding

The recent discovery of one-state folding, in which proteins unfold by progressive structural disorganizations (i.e., downhill folding), has emphasized the need for simple thermodynamic tests to discriminate between this behavior and classical two-state folding. On the basis of theoretical results from elementary statistical mechanical models, we propose such a test. The test involves monitoring the equilibrium unfolding transition induced by a combination of temperature and chemical denaturants with a probe that is sensitive to the average protein backbone conformation. The rationale is that the coupling between two different denaturation procedures can reveal subtle changes in protein conformational ensembles even when using bulk measurements. We demonstrate the applicability of the test by studying the unfolding process of the protein BBL, which has been previously characterized as a downhill folding protein. This test should be very useful for high-throughput design strategies and for the analysis of mutational effects in small proteins.     

Is there a unique melting temperature for two-state proteins?

Thermal unfolding (or folding) in many proteins occurs in an apparent two-state manner, suggesting that only two states, unfolded and folded, are populated. At the melting temperature, Tm, the two states coexist. Using lattice models with side chains we show that individual residues become structured at temperatures that deviate from Tm, which implies that partially folded conformations make substantial contribution to thermodynamic properties of two-state proteins. We also find that the folding cooperativity for a given residue is linked to its accessible surface area. These results are consistent with the experiments on GCN4-like zipper peptide, which showed that local melting temperatures differ from Tm. Analysis of thermal unfolding of six proteins shows that deltaT/Tm approximately N(-1), where deltaT is the transition width and N is the number of residues. This scaling allows us to conclude that, when corrected for finite size effects, folding cooperativity can be captured using coarse grained models.     

Thermodynamic model for the analysis of calorimetric data of oligomeric proteins

The thermodynamic parameters for the process of protein unfolding can be obtained through differential scanning calorimetry. However, the unfolding process may not be a two-state one. Between the native and the unfolded state, there may be association or dissociation processes or the formation of an intermediate state. As a consequence of this, the precise interpretation of the calorimetric data should be done with a specific thermodynamic model. In this work, we present two general models for the unfolding process of an oligomeric protein: N n right harpoon over left harpoon nN right harpoon over left harpoon nD (model A) and N n right harpoon over left harpoon I n right harpoon over left harpoon nD (model B). In model A, the first step represents the dissociation of the oligomer into the monomeric native species, and the second step represents the denaturation process. In model B, the first step represents the conformational change of the oligomer, and the second step represents the dissociation of this species with the concomitant unfolding process. A canonical ensemble was employed to describe these systems, by considering that the total protein concentration remains constant. In the present work, we show and analyze the behavior of these systems in different conditions and how this analysis could help with the identification of the unfolding mechanism experimentally observed.     

Sampling unfolding intermediates in calmodulin by single-molecule spectroscopy

We used single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (spFRET) measurements to characterize denatured and partially denatured states of the multidomain calcium signaling protein calmodulin (CaM) in both its apo and Ca(2+)-bound forms. The results demonstrate the existence of an unfolding intermediate. A CaM mutant (CaM-T34C-T110C) was doubly labeled with fluorescent probes AlexaFlour 488 and Texas Red at opposing globular domains. Single-molecule distributions of the distance between fluorophores were obtained by spFRET at varying levels of the denaturant urea. Multiple conformational states of CaM were observed, and the amplitude of each conformation was dependent on urea concentration, with the amplitude of an extended conformation increasing upon denaturation. The distributions at intermediate urea concentrations could not be adequately described as a combination of native and denatured conformations, showing that CaM does not denature via a two-state process and demonstrating that at least one intermediate is present. The intermediate conformations formed upon addition of urea were different for Ca(2+)-CaM and apoCaM. An increase in the amplitude of a compact conformation in CaM was observed for apoCaM but not for Ca(2+)-CAM upon the addition of urea. The changes in the single-molecule distributions of CaM upon denaturation can be described by either a range of intermediate structures or by the presence of a single unfolding intermediate that grows in amplitude upon denaturation. A model for stepwise unfolding of CaM is suggested in which the domains of CaM unfold sequentially.     

Microcalorimetric study of thermal unfolding of lysozyme in water/glycerol mixtures: an analysis by solvent exchange model

Folded protein stabilization or destabilization induced by cosolvent in mixed aqueous solutions has been studied by differential scanning microcalorimetry and related to difference in preferential solvation of native and denatured states. In particular, the thermal denaturation of a model system formed by lysozyme dissolved in water in the presence of the stabilizing cosolvent glycerol has been considered. Transition temperatures and enthalpies, heat capacity, and standard free energy changes have been determined when applying a two-state denaturation model to microcalorimetric data. Thermodynamic parameters show an unexpected, not linear, trend as a function of solvent composition; in particular, the lysozyme thermodynamic stability shows a maximum centered at water molar fraction of about 0.6. Using a thermodynamic hydration model based on the exchange equilibrium between glycerol and water molecules from the protein solvation layer to the bulk, the contribution of protein-solvent interactions to the unfolding free energy and the changes of this contribution with solvent composition have been derived. The preferential solvation data indicate that lysozyme unfolding involves an increase in the solvation surface, with a small reduction of the protein-preferential hydration. Moreover, the derived changes in the excess solvation numbers at denaturation show that only few solvent molecules are responsible for the variation of lysozyme stability in relation to the solvent composition.     

荧光相图法研究脲诱导牛血清白蛋白的去折叠过程

作为从分子水平上阐明生命奥秘的中心课题之一,蛋白质的折叠问题一直受到生物化学、生物物理学和结构生物学等领域研究工作者的高度关注。在蛋白质的变性过程中,它们往往达不到完全去折叠,而是会形成不同的部分折叠中间态[1-3],这些部分折叠中间态在蛋白质折叠过程中起着重要作     

Reversible unfolding of poplar iso-plastocyanins

We attempted to determine the experimental conditions under which poplar plastocyanin iso-forms PCa and PCb undergo reversible thermal unfolding studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Our results indicate that an exothermic unfolding process exists always in the presence of molecular oxygen. Reversible unfolding and almost perfect two-state transitions were exhibited in the presence of TCEP under anaerobic conditions. This suggests that the second endothermic peak is due to copper-site disulfide dimmers formed during thermal denaturation. The conformational thermal stability of reduced PCb (ΔG (25 °C) = 33.9 kJ mol⁻¹) has proven to be higher than that of reduced PCa (ΔG(25 °C) = 22.9 kJ mol⁻¹).     

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。     

Better biomolecule thermodynamics from kinetics

Protein stability is measured by denaturation: When solvent conditions are changed (e.g., temperature, denaturant concentration, or pH) the protein population switches between thermodynamic states. The resulting denaturation curves have baselines. If the baselines are steep, nonlinear, or incomplete, it becomes difficult to characterize protein denaturation. Baselines arise because the chromophore probing denaturation is sensitive to solvent conditions, or because the thermodynamic states evolve structurally when solvent conditions are changed, or because the barriers are very low (downhill folding). Kinetics can largely eliminate such baselines: Relaxation of chromophores, or within thermodynamic states, is much faster than the transition over activation barriers separating states. This separation of time scales disentangles population switching between states (desired signal) from chromophore or population relaxation within states (baselines). We derive simple formulas to extract unfolding thermodynamics from kinetics. The formulas are tested with model data and with a difficult experimental test case: the apparent two-state folder PI3K SH3 domain. Its melting temperature T(m) can be extracted reliably by our "thermodynamics from kinetics approach," even when conventional fitting is unreliable.     

Effects of pH on the kinetic reaction

In most cases, kinetic unfolding reactions of proteins follow a simple one-step mechanism that does not involve any detectable intermediates. One example for a more complicated unfolding reaction is the acid-induced denaturation of holo-myoglobin (hMb). This reaction proceeds through a transient intermediate and can be described by a sequential two-step mechanism (Konermann et al. Biochemistry 1997, 36, 6448-6454). Time-resolved electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) is a new technique for monitoring the kinetics of protein folding and unfolding in solution. Different protein conformations can be distinguished by the different charge state distributions that they generate during ESI. At the same time this technique allows monitoring the loss or binding of noncovalent protein ligands. In this work, time-resolved ESI MS is used to study the dependence of the kinetic unfolding mechanism of hMb on the specific solvent conditions used in the experiment. It is shown that hMb unfolds through a short-lived intermediate only at acidic pH. Under basic conditions no intermediate is observed. These findings are confirmed by the results of optical stopped-flow absorption experiments. This appears to be the first time that a dependence of the kinetic mechanism for protein unfolding on external conditions such as pH has been observed.     

Cold denaturation of the hammerhead ribozyme

Cold denaturation is a thermodynamic phenomenon resulting from a difference in the heat capacities, DeltaCp, of the folded and unfolded states of a macromolecule. Whereas this phenomenon has been extensively studied in proteins, it has been thought not to occur in nucleic acids due to a negligible DeltaCp of folding. Questioning the validity of this assumption, the low-temperature structure of the hammerhead ribozyme, a small catalytic RNA, was investigated by circular dichroism spectroscopy. In the presence of 10 mM Mg2+ at pH 5.0 and 40% methanol, a cold unfolding event likely corresponding to tertiary structure loss was observed with a Tm of -20 degrees C. In 500 mM NaCl at pH 6.6, and 40% methanol, large-scale unfolding of the ribozyme at both hot (Tm = 53 degrees C) and cold (Tm = -1 degrees C) temperatures occurred. Fitting of these data to a two-state model allowed determination of DeltaCp = 3.4 kJ mol-1 K-1, corresponding to >/=0.18 kJ K-1 (mol base pair)-1, in good agreement with recently published calorimetric values for DNA duplexes. These results constitute the first direct observation of cold denaturation of a nucleic acid, and point to the importance of DeltaCp terms in the thermodynamics of nucleic acid folding.     

氧氟沙星与脲诱导牛血清白蛋白结合的机制研究

摘要 利用荧光光谱和紫外光谱研究了脲（Urea）对牛血清白蛋白（BSA）结构的影响以及氧氟沙星（Oflxacin）与脲诱导的BSA结合的情况。结果显示：Urea诱导BSA变性历经两步、三态过程,且伴随中间态的形成。随着Urea浓度的增大,BSA荧光强度降低并先蓝移（344 nm～336 nm）,后又红移至350 nm。Urea浓度在4.6～5.2 mol/L范围时,Oflx对BSA中间态有强的猝灭作用（KQ=10.46×104 L/mol, Urea 4.8 mol/L）和较大的结合常数（KA=3.8807×105 L/mol, Urea 4.8 mol/L）,但是结合位点数小（n=0.76, Urea 5.0 mol/L）,能量传递效率低（E=0.3002, Urea 4.8 mol/L）。同步荧光光谱显示：Urea诱导BSA去折叠时,Trp-212残基微环境并未发生改变,而Tyr的最大荧光发射峰蓝移,Oflx的加入诱导Trp-212的微环境更具疏水性。Oflx加速了Urea对BSA的失活作用。     

Expanding the realm of ultrafast protein folding: gpW, a midsize natural single-domain with alpha+beta topology that folds downhill

All ultrafast folding proteins known to date are either very small in size (less than 45 residues), have an alpha-helix bundle topology, or have been artificially engineered. In fact, many of them share two or even all three features. Here we show that gpW, a natural 62-residue alpha+beta protein expected to fold slowly in a two-state fashion, folds in microseconds (i.e., from tau = 33 micros at 310 K to tau = 1.7 micros at 355 K). Thermodynamic analyses of gpW reveal probe dependent thermal denaturation, complex coupling between two denaturing agents, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram characteristic of folding over a negligible thermodynamic folding barrier. The free energy surface analysis of gpW folding kinetics also produces a marginal folding barrier of about thermal energy ( RT) at the denaturation midpoint. From these results we conclude that gpW folds in the downhill regime and is close to the global downhill limit. This protein seems to be poised toward downhill folding by a loosely packed hydrophobic core with low aromatic content, large stabilizing contributions from local interactions, and abundance of positive charges on the native surface. These special features, together with a complex functional role in bacteriophage lambda assembly, suggest that gpW has been engineered to fold downhill by natural selection.     

Spectroscopic study on acid-induced unfolding and refolding of apo-neuroglobin

pH-induced unfolding and refolding of apo-neuroglobin (apo-Ngb) were investigated by UV, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) spectra and light scattering measurements. Results revealed that apo-Ngb became partially unfolded at around pH 5.0, with evidences from a red shift in the fluorescence spectra, a decrease in the far-UV CD and a sharp peak in the light scattering intensity. Further lowering of the pH reversed these effects, suggesting that apo-Ngb folds back to a compact state. At pH 2.0, the apo-Ngb forms a folding intermediate known as molten globule (MG), which is possessed of native-like secondary structure and almost complete loss of tertiary structure. Based on these results, the acid-induced denaturation pathway of apo-Ngb can be illustrated from the native state (N), via a partially unfolded state (U_A) to the molten globule state (MG).     

Calorimetric evidence for a two-state unfolding of the beta-hairpin peptide trpzip4

beta-Sheets are a common secondary structural element found in proteins. The difficulty in studying beta-sheet folding and stability is that their formation is often dependent on the tertiary structural environment within the protein. However, the discovery of water-soluble beta-hairpin peptides has allowed them to be used as model systems because they represent the smallest units of beta-sheet structure independent of tertiary structural context. Trpzip4 has been used as a model beta-hairpin peptide to study beta-hairpin folding and stability because it is highly soluble in aqueous solutions, maintains its monomeric state, and shows reversible cooperative thermal unfolding. The previously determined thermodynamic parameters for trpzip4 thermal unfolding vary depending on the spectroscopic probe used, which questions the assumption that trpzip4 unfolds in a two-state manner. Here we provide direct calorimetric evidence that the unfolding of trpzip4 follows a two-state unfolding mode. Furthermore, the thermal unfolding of trpzip4 monitored using near- and far-UV-CD yielded thermodynamic parameters similar to those determined calorimetrically, providing additional evidence for a two-state unfolding mode.     

On the estimation of stability parameters from heat-induced conformational transition curves of proteins

A method is suggested to determine valid and authentic values of thermodynamic stability parameters of proteins from their heat-induced conformational transition curves. We show (a) that the estimate of ΔH_m ^van, the enthalpy change on denaturation at T_m, the midpoint of denaturation, is significantly less than ΔH_m ^cal, the value obtained by the calorimetric measurements, if the analysis of the conformational transition curve uses the conventional method which assumes a linear temperature-dependence of the pre- and post-transition baselines; and (b) that there exists an excellent agreement between ΔH_m ^van and ΔH_m ^cal values of proteins, if the analysis of thermal denaturation curves assumes that the temperature-dependence of pre- and post-transition baselines is described by a parabolic function. The latter analysis is supported by our observations that the temperaturedependencies of the absorption and circular dichroism properties of protein groups are indeed nonlinear. It is observed that the estimate of ΔC_p, the constant-pressure heat capacity change is independent of the model used to describe the temperaturedependence of the pre- and post-transition baselines. An important conclusion is that for proteins which exhibit a two-state character, all stability parameters are measured with the same error as that observed with a calorimeter.     

Optical spectroscopic investigations of model beta-sheet hairpins in aqueous solution

In this contribution we report optical spectroscopic data on a series of designed beta hairpins previously shown by NMR to contain a substantial population of beta-sheet structure. These models contain a designed hydrophobic cluster and a (D)Pro-Gly sequence to promote formation of a turn geometry. FTIR, electronic and vibrational CD (ECD and VCD) spectra for these small peptides are comparable to expected bandshapes for peptides of high beta-sheet content. The (D)Pro-Gly sequence provides a better turn motif than Asn-Gly as measured by its beta-sheet spectral characteristics. IR and VCD spectra are in qualitative agreement with theoretical simulations based on transfer of parameters from ab initio quantum mechanical force field and intensity computations for the turn and strands. These calculations provide assignments for some distinguishing modes in both IR and VCD spectra. Increased sheet structure can be induced in these hairpins by use of mixed solvent conditions. Thermal denaturation studies reveal that these hairpins undergo very broad unfolding transitions. Guanidine hydrochloride unfolding transitions for the selected hairpin models are similarly broad. However, the "end-states" of temperature and chaotropic denaturation are spectroscopically differentiable.