Monitoring folding/unfolding transitions of proteins by capillary zone electrophoresis: measurement of deltaG and its variation along the pH scale.

Free-solution capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) can be used to monitor folding/unfolding transitions of proteins and to construct the classical sigmoidal transition curve describing this isomerization process. By performing a series of CZE experiments along the pH scale (here between pH 2.5 and 6.0) it is possible to measure the parameter urea]1/2, which represents the concentration of urea at the midpoint of each transition curve, and its dependence from the local pH value. The urea]1/2 parameter provides an idea of the stability of the protein at a given pH; in the case of cytochrome c, for example, it shows that at and below pH 2 the protein will spontaneously unfold even in the absence of a denaturant. The equation describing the sigmoidal folding/unfolding transition can be used for deriving the term deltaG degrees, which refers to the intrinsic difference in the Gibb's free energy between the (total or partial) denatured state and the reference state, taken usually as the native configuration of a protein. The variation of deltaG degrees between the two extremes of our measurements (pH 2.5 and 6.0) along the stated pH interval has been measured (and theoretically calculated) to be of the order of 7-10 kcal/mol and is here interpreted by assuming that at pH 2.5 and below there is an additionally stretching of the polypeptide coil due to coulombic repulsion, as the unfolded chain looses its zwitterionic character and assumes a pure (or very nearly so) cationic surface. Given the minute amounts of sample required, the fully automated state of the analysis, the rapidity and ease of operation, it is hoped that the CZE technique will become more and more popular in the years to come for monitoring folding/unfolding transitions of proteins.