The inverse and direct Hofmeister series for lysozyme

Thermal stability of lysozyme as a function of ion concentration: a reappraisal of the relationship between the Hofmeister series and protein stability

Anion and cation effects on the structural stability of lysozyme were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. At low concentrations (<5 mM) anions and cations alter the stability of lysozyme but they do not follow the Hofmeister (or inverse Hofmeister) series. At higher concentrations protein stabilization follows the well-established Hofmeister series. Our hypothesis is that there are three mechanisms at work. At low concentrations the anions interact with charged side chains where the presence of the ion can alter the structural stability of the protein. At higher concentrations the low charge density anions perchlorate and iodide interact weakly with the protein. Their presence however reduces the Gibbs free energy required to hydrate the core of the protein that is exposed during unfolding therefore destabilizing the structure. At higher concentrations the high charge density anions phosphate and sulfate compete for water with the protein as it unfolds increasing the Gibbs free energy required to hydrate the newly exposed core of the protein therefore stabilizing the structure.

Molecular surface chemistry in marine bioadhesion

This review covers the in situ molecular physicochemical characterisation of bioadhesives at solid/liquid interfaces, with the aim of elucidating the adhesion strategies that lie at the root of marine biofouling. It focuses on three major foulers: mussels, algae and barnacles. The dispersal of these organisms, their colonisation of surfaces, and ultimately their survival rely critically on the ability of the organisms' larvae or spores to locate a favourable settlement site and undergo metamorphosis, thus initiating their sessile existence. Differences in the composition of adhesive secretions and the strategies employed for their temporary or permanent implementation exists between the larval and adult life stages. To date, only a few adhesive secretions from marine fouling organisms have been adequately described in terms of their chemical composition, and a survey revealed the presence of certain recurrent functional groups, specifically catechol, carboxylate, monoester-sulphate and -phosphate. This review will describe the binding modes of such functionalities to wet mineral/metal oxides surfaces. Such functionalities will be ranked based on their ability to bind to hydrophilic surfaces replacing surface-bound water (Langmuir adsorption constant) as well as other adsorbates (competitive adsorption). A plausible explanation for the propensity of the reviewed adhesive functionalities to bind to hydrous metal oxide surfaces will be given on the basis of the Hard and Soft Acids and Bases principle, Hofmeister effects and entropic considerations. From the in situ analysis of marine organism bioadhesives and adsorption studies of functionalities relevant to the bioadhesion process, insights can be gleaned for a knowledge-based innovation of antifouling strategies and the synthesis of strong, durable adhesive materials, which are suitable for implementation in wet environments.

Reversal of the hofmeister series: specific ion effects on peptides

Ion-specific effects on salting-in and salting-out of proteins, protein denaturation, as well as enzymatic activity are typically rationalized in terms of the Hofmeister series. Here, we demonstrate by means of NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations that the traditional explanation of the Hofmeister ordering of ions in terms of their bulk hydration properties is inadequate. Using triglycine as a model system, we show that the Hofmeister series for anions changes from a direct to a reversed series upon uncapping the N-terminus. Weakly hydrated anions, such as iodide and thiocyanate, interact with the peptide bond, while strongly hydrated anions like sulfate are repelled from it. In contrast, reversed order in interactions of anions is observed at the positively charged, uncapped N-terminus, and by analogy, this should also be the case at side chains of positively charged amino acids. These results demonstrate that the specific chemical and physical properties of peptides and proteins play a fundamental role in ion-specific effects. The present study thus provides a molecular rationalization of Hofmeister ordering for the anions. It also provides a route for tuning these interactions by titration or mutation of basic amino acid residues on the protein surface.

Ion-specific conformational behavior of polyzwitterionic brushes: exploiting it for protein adsorption/desorption control

The conformation of polyzwitterionic brushes plays a crucial role in the adsorption/desorption of proteins on solid surfaces. By use of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), we have systematically investigated the conformational behavior of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) brushes as a function of ionic strength in the presence of different ions. The frequency change demonstrates that the effectiveness of anions to weaken the inter/intrachain association and to enhance the hydration of the grafted chains increases from kosmotrope to chaotrope in the low ionic strength regime, but the ordering of anions is almost reversed at the high ionic strengths. The dissipation change indicates that some heterogeneous structures are formed inside the brushes in the presence of chaotropic anions with the increase of ionic strength. In SPR studies, the change of resonance unit (ΔRU) with ionic strength is determined by the balance between the increase of thickness and the decrease of refractive index of the brushes. No anion specificity is observed in the SPR measurements because ΔRU is insensitive to the coupled water molecules inside the brushes. For the control of protein adsorption/desorption, our studies show that the brushes can more effectively resist the protein adsorption in the presence of a more chaotropic anion and a more chaotropic anion can also more effectively induce the protein desorption from the surface of the brushes. In addition, no obvious cation specificity can be observed in the conformational change of the brushes in either QCM-D or SPR measurements.

The governing role of surface hydration in ion specific adsorption to silica: an AFM-based account of the Hofmeister universality and its reversal

AFM measurements of the force acting between silica surfaces in the presence of varied alkali chloride salts and pH's elucidate the origin of the Hofmeister adsorption series and its reversal. At low pH, electrostatics is shown to be insignificant. The preferential adsorption of Cs(+) to the silica surface is traced to the weak hydration of neutral silanols and the resulting hydrophobic expulsion of weakly hydrated ions from bulk solution to the interface. The same interactions keep the strongly hydrated Na(+) and Li(+) in solution. As pH is increased, a tightly bound hydration layer forms on deprotonating silanols. Cs(+) is correspondingly expelled from the surface, and adsorption of small ions is encouraged. The deduced role of surface hydration is corroborated by hydration repulsion observed at high pH, surface overcharging at low pH, and data in other oxides.

Oxidation of tertiary amine-derivatized surfaces to control protein adhesion

Selective oxidation of ω-tertiary amine self-assembled thiol monolayers to tertiary amine N-oxides is shown to transform the adhesion of model proteins lysozyme and fibrinogen upon them. Efficient preparation of both secondary and tertiary linker amides as judged by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water droplet contact angle was achieved with an improved amide bond formation on gold quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors using 2-(1H-7-azabenzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl hexafluorophosphate methanaminium uronium (HATU). Oxidation with hydrogen peroxide was similarly assessed, and adhesion of lysozyme and fibrinogen from phosphate buffered saline was then assayed by QCM and imaged by AFM. Tertiary amine-functionalized sensors adsorbed multilayers of aggregated lysozyme, whereas tertiary amine N-oxides and triethylene glycol-terminated monolayers are consistent with small protein aggregates. The surface containing a dimethylamine N-oxide headgroup and ethyl secondary amide linker showed the largest difference in adsorption of both proteins. Oxidation of tertiary amine decorated surfaces therefore holds the potential for selective deposition of proteins and cells through masking and other patterning techniques.

Anionic and cationic Hofmeister effects on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces

Using a two-step modeling approach, we address the full spectrum of direct, reversed, and altered ionic sequences as the charge of the ion, the charge of the surface, and the surface polarity are varied. From solvent-explicit molecular dynamics simulations, we extract single-ion surface interaction potentials for halide and alkali ions at hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. These are used within Poisson-Boltzmann theory to calculate ion density and electrostatic potential distributions at mixed polar/unpolar surfaces for varying surface charge. The resulting interfacial tension increments agree quantitatively with experimental data and capture the Hofmeister series, especially the anomaly of lithium, which is difficult to obtain using continuum theory. Phase diagrams that feature different Hofmeister series as a function of surface charge, salt concentration, and surface polarity are constructed from the long-range force between two surfaces interacting across electrolyte solutions. Large anions such as iodide have a high hydrophobic surface affinity and increase the effective charge magnitude on negatively charged unpolar surfaces. Large cations such as cesium also have a large hydrophobic surface affinity and thereby compensate an external negative charge surface charge most efficiently, which explains the well-known asymmetry between cations and anions. On the hydrophilic surface, the size-dependence of the ion surface affinity is reversed, explaining the Hofmeister series reversal when comparing hydrophobic with hydrophilic surfaces.

Perturbation of thermal unfolding and aggregation of human IgG1 Fc fragment by Hofmeister anions

The thermal unfolding and subsequent aggregation of the unglycosylated Fc fragment of a human IgG1 antibody (Fc) were studied in the salt solutions of Na(2)SO(4), KF, KCl and KSCN at pH 4.8 and 7.2 below and at its pI of 7.2, respectively, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), far ultraviolet circular dichroism (far-UV CD), size exclusion chromatography (SE-HPLC) and light scattering. First, our experimental results demonstrated that the thermal unfolding of the C(H)2 domain of the Fc was sufficient to induce aggregation. Second, at both pH conditions, the anions (except F(-)) destabilized the C(H)2 domain where the effectiveness of SO(4)(2-) > SCN(-) > Cl(-) > F(-) was more apparent at pH 4.8. In addition, the thermal stability of the C(H)2 domain was less sensitive to the change in salt concentration at pH 7.2 than at pH 4.8. Third, at pH 4.8 when the Fc had a net positive charge, the anions accelerated the aggregation reaction with SO(4)(2-) > SCN(-) > Cl(-) > F(-) in effectiveness. But these anions slowed down the aggregation kinetics at pH 7.2 with similar effectiveness when the Fc was net charge neutral. We hypothesize that the effectiveness of the anion on destabilizing the C(H)2 domain could be attributed to its ability to perturb the free energy for both of the native and unfolded states. The effect of the anions on the kinetics of the aggregation reaction could be interpreted based on the modulation of the electrostatic protein-protein interactions by the anions.

Dual effects of sodium phytate on the structural stability and solubility of proteins

The interaction between sodium phytate and three proteins was studied using solubility experiments and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess structural stability. Lysozyme, which is positively charged at neutral pH, bound phytate by an electrostatic interaction. There was evidence that phytate cross-linked lysozyme molecules forcing them out of solution. Myoglobin and human serum albumin, which were neutral or negatively charged, respectively, displayed association rather than binding, and there was no complex formation. All of the proteins were structurally destabilized by the presence of phytate but were not denatured. From these findings, we predict that phytate would bind electrostatically to a wide variety of positively charged proteins in the stomach as well as to trypsin and chymotrypsin in the duodenum. Both binding reactions may compromise the digestion of the protein component in feed stuffs. Because the interaction between phytate and protein is electrostatic, the presence of anions, such as chloride, would nullify the antinutritional effect of phytate.

Dramatically stabilizing multiprotein complex structure in the absence of bulk water using tuned Hofmeister salts

The role that water plays in the salt-based stabilization of proteins is central to our understanding of protein biophysics. Ion hydration and the ability of ions to alter water surface tension are typically invoked, along with direct ion-protein binding, to describe Hofmeister stabilization phenomena observed for proteins experimentally, but the relative influence of these forces has been extraordinarily difficult to measure directly. Recently, we have used gas-phase measurements of proteins and large multiprotein complexes, using a combination of innovative ion mobility (IM) and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, to assess the ability of bound cations and anions to stabilize protein ions in the absence of the solvation forces described above. Our previous work has studied a broad set of 12 anions bound to a range of proteins and protein complexes, and while primarily motivated by the analytical challenges surrounding the gas-phase measurement of solution-phase relevant protein structures, our work has also lead to a detailed physical mechanism of anion-protein complex stabilization in the absence of bulk solvent. Our more-recent work has screened a similarly-broad set of cations for their ability to stabilize gas-phase protein structure, and we have discovered surprising differences between the operative mechanisms for cations and anions in gas-phase protein stabilization. In both cases, cations and anions affect protein stabilization in the absence of solvent in a manner that is generally reversed relative to their ability to stabilize the same proteins in solution. In addition, our evidence suggests that the relative solution-phase binding affinity of the anions and cations studied here is preserved in our gas-phase measurements, allowing us to study the influence of such interactions in detail. In this report, we collect and summarize such gas-phase measurements to distill a generalized picture of salt-based protein stabilization in the absence of bulk water. Further, we communicate our most recent efforts to study the combined effects of stabilizing cations and anions on gas-phase proteins, and identify those salts that bear anion/cation pairs having the strongest stabilizing influence on protein structures

Introductory lecture: interpreting and predicting Hofmeister salt ion and solute effects on biopolymer and model processes using the solute partitioning model

Understanding how Hofmeister salt ions and other solutes interact with proteins, nucleic acids, other biopolymers and water and thereby affect protein and nucleic acid processes as well as model processes (e.g. solubility of model compounds) in aqueous solution is a longstanding goal of biophysical research. Empirical Hofmeister salt and solute "m-values" (derivatives of the observed standard free energy change for a model or biopolymer process with respect to solute or salt concentration m3) are equal to differences in chemical potential derivatives: m-value = delta(dmu2/dm3) = delta mu23, which quantify the preferential interactions of the solute or salt with the surface of the biopolymer or model system (component 2) exposed or buried in the process. Using the solute partitioning model (SPM), we dissect mu23 values for interactions of a solute or Hofmeister salt with a set of model compounds displaying the key functional groups of biopolymers to obtain interaction potentials (called alpha-values) that quantify the interaction of the solute or salt per unit area of each functional group or type of surface. Interpreted using the SPM, these alpha-values provide quantitative information about both the hydration of functional groups and the competitive interaction of water and the solute or salt with functional groups. The analysis corroborates and quantifies previous proposals that the Hofmeister anion and cation series for biopolymer processes are determined by ion-specific, mostly unfavorable interactions with hydrocarbon surfaces; the balance between these unfavorable nonpolar interactions and often-favorable interactions of ions with polar functional groups determine the series null points. The placement of urea and glycine betaine (GB) at opposite ends of the corresponding series of nonelectrolytes results from the favorable interactions of urea, and unfavorable interactions of GB, with many (but not all) biopolymer functional groups. Interaction potentials and local-bulk partition coefficients quantifying the distribution of solutes (e.g. urea, glycine betaine) and Hofmeister salt ions in the vicinity of each functional group make good chemical sense when interpreted in terms of competitive noncovalent interactions. These interaction potentials allow solute and Hofmeister (noncoulombic) salt effects on protein and nucleic acid processes to be interpreted or predicted, and allow the use of solutes and salts as probes of

Hofmeister challenges: ion binding and charge of the BSA protein as explicit examples

Experiments on bovine serum albumin (BSA) via potentiometric titration (PT) and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) are used to study specific-ion binding. The effect is appreciable at a physiological concentration of 0.1 M. We found that anions bind to the protein surface at an acidic pH, where the protein carries a positive charge (Z(p) > 0), according to a Hofmeister series (Cl(-) < Br(-) < NO(3)(-) < I(-) < SCN(-)), as well as at the isoionic point (Z(p) = 0). The results obtained require critical interpretation. The measurements performed depend on electrostatic theories that ignore the very specific effects they are supposed to reveal. Notwithstanding this difficulty, we can still infer that different 1:1 sodium salts affect the BSA surface charge/pH curve because anions bind to the BSA surface with an efficiency which follows a Hofmeister series.

Effect of surface wettability on ion-specific protein adsorption

We have systematically investigated the effect of surface wettability on ion-specific adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The changes in frequency (Δf) and resonance unit (ΔRU) show a nonmonotonous change of the adsorbed amount of BSA as a function of molar fraction of 1-dodecanethiol (x(DDT)) of the self-assembled monolayer at pH 3.8, while the amount of adsorbed protein gradually increases with the x(DDT) at pH 7.4. The small changes of dissipation (ΔD) indicate that BSA molecules form a quite rigid protein layer on the surfaces, which results in only a slight difference in the adsorbed mass between the mass-uptake estimations from the Sauerbrey equation and the Voigt model. The difference in the adsorbed mass between QCM-D and SPR measurements is attributed to the coupled water in the protein layer. On the other hand, specific anion effect is observed in the BSA adsorption at pH 3.8 with the exception of the surface at x(DDT) of 0%, but no obvious cation specificity can be observed at pH 7.4. The ΔD-Δf plots show that the BSA adsorption at pH 3.8 has two distinct kinetic processes. The first one dominated by the protein-surface interactions is an anion-nonspecific process, whereas the second one dominated by the protein structural rearrangements is an anion-specific process. At pH 7.4, the second kinetic process can only be observed at the relatively hydrophobic surfaces, and no cation specificity is observed in the first and second kinetic processes.

Hyperbranched polymers with thermoresponsive property highly sensitive to ions

The salt effects on the water solubility of thermoresponsive hyperbranched polyethylenimine and polyamidoamine possessing large amounts of isobutyramide terminal groups (HPEI-IBAm and HPAMAM-IBAm) were studied systematically. Eight anions with sodium as the counterion and ten cations with chloride as the counterion were used to measure the anion and cation effects on the cloud point temperature (T(cp)) of these dendritic polymers in water. It was found that the T(cp) of these dendritic polymers was much more sensitive to the addition of salts than that of the traditional thermoresponsive linear polymers. At low anion concentration, the electrostatic interaction between anions and the positively charged groups of these polymers was dominant, resulting in the unusual anion effect on the T(cp) of these polymers in water, including (1) T(cp) of these dendritic polymers decreasing nonlinearly with the increase of kosmotropic anion concentration; (2) the chaotropic anions showing abnormal salting-out property at low salt concentration and the stronger chaotropes having much pronounced salting-out ability; (3) anti-Hofmeister ordering at low salt concentration. At moderate to high salt concentration, the specific ranking of these anions in reducing the T(cp) of HPEI-IBAm and HPAMAM-IBAm polymers was PO(4)(3-) > CO(3)(2-) > SO(4)(2-) > S(2)O(3)(2-) > F(-) > Cl(-) > Br(-) > I(-), in accordance with the well-known Hofmeister series. At moderate to high salt concentration, the specific ranking order of inorganic cations in reducing the T(cp) of HPEI-IBAm polymer was Sr(2+) ≈ Ba(2+) > Na(+) ≈ K(+) ≈ Rb(+) > Cs(+) > NH(4)(+) ≈ Ca(2+) > Li(+) ≈ Mg(2+). This sequence was only partially similar to the typical Hofmeister cation series, whereas at low salt concentration the cation effect on T(cp) of the dendritic polymer was insignificant and no obvious specific ranking order could be found.

Effective interaction between two ion-adsorbing plates: Hofmeister series and salting-in/salting-out phase diagrams from a global mean-field analysis

Interactions between ions and solutes are key to ion-specificity. A generic model in which ions interact via square well potentials of finite range with charged plates is solved analytically on the Poisson-Boltzmann level and analyzed globally for varying surface charge, salt concentration, and ion-surface affinity. Ion adsorption as well as depletion can lead to stably bound plates at finite separation, relevant for the equilibrium salting-out of small solutes such as proteins. The interplate pressure at large plate separation, relevant for aggregation kinetics of large solutes, exhibits direct as well as indirect Hofmeister ordering, depending on surface charge and salt concentration. A simple method for mapping explicit ion-surface potentials of mean force as obtained from solvent-explicit molecular dynamics simulations onto square-well potential parameters is demonstrated.

Insights into ion specificity in water-methanol mixtures via the reentrant behavior of polymer

In the present work, we have for the first time systematically investigated the ion specific reentrant behavior of poly(N-isopropylacryamide) (PNIPAM) in water-methanol mixtures. Turbidity measurements demonstrate that SCN(-) and ClO(4)(-) depress the reentrant transition, whereas other anions enhance the transition. As the anion changes from chaotropic to kosmotropic, the minimum critical phase transition temperature (T(min)) decreases and the corresponding volume fraction of methanol (X(M)) shifts to a larger value. Our results demonstrate that anion specificity is due to the anionic structure making/breaking effect on water/methanol complexes. Cations are found to have a lesser but still significant effect on the reentrant transition, and as T(min) decreases the corresponding X(M) also shifts to larger values as with the anions. Our studies show that cation specificity is induced by specific interactions between cations and PNIPAM chains. Furthermore, both anion and cation specificities are amplified as X(M) is increased due to the formation of additional water/methanol complexes. Calorimetry measurements demonstrate that the ion specificity is dominated by changes in entropy.

Hofmeister effect in confined spaces: halogen ions and single molecule detection

Despite extensive research in the nanopore-sensing field, there is a paucity of experimental studies that investigate specific ion effects in confined spaces, such as in nanopores. Here, the effect of halogen anions on a simple bimolecular complexation reaction between monodisperse poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and α-hemolysin nanoscale pores have been investigated at the single-molecule level. The anions track the Hofmeister ranking according to their influence upon the on-rate constant. An inverse relationship was demonstrated for the off-rate and the solubility of PEG. The difference among anions spans several hundredfold. Halogen anions play a very significant role in the interaction of PEG with nanopores although, unlike K(+), they do not bind to PEG. The specific effect appears dominated by a hydration-dehydration process where ions and PEG compete for water. Our findings provide what we believe to be novel insights into physicochemical mechanisms involved in single-molecule interactions with nanopores and are clearly relevant to more complicated chemical and biological processes involving a transient association of two or more molecules (e.g., reception, signal transduction, enzyme catalysis). It is anticipated that these findings will advance the development of devices with nanopore-based sensors for chemical and biological applications.

Anion effects on sodium ion and acid molecule adduction to protein ions in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Gaseous protein-metal ion and protein-molecule complexes can be readily formed by electrospray ionization (ESI) from aqueous solutions containing proteins and millimolar concentrations of sodium salts of various anions. The extent of sodium and acid molecule adduction to multiply charged protein ions is inversely related and depends strongly on the proton affinity (PA) of the anion, with extensive sodium adduction occurring for anions with PA values greater than ~300 kcal·mol(-1) and extensive acid molecule adduction occurring for anions with PA values less than 315 kcal·mol(-1). The role of the anion on the extent of sodium and acid molecule adduction does not directly follow the Hofmeister series, suggesting that direct protein-ion interactions may not play a significant role in the observed effect of anions on protein structure in solution. These results indicate that salts with anions that have low PA values may be useful solution-phase additives to minimize nonspecific metal ion adduction in ESI experiments designed to identify specific protein-metal ion interactions.

Measurements and theoretical interpretation of points of zero charge/potential of BSA protein

The points of zero charge/potential of proteins depend not only on pH but also on how they are measured. They depend also on background salt solution type and concentration. The protein isoelectric point (IEP) is determined by electrokinetical measurements, whereas the isoionic point (IIP) is determined by potentiometric titrations. Here we use potentiometric titration and zeta potential (ζ) measurements at different NaCl concentrations to study systematically the effect of ionic strength on the IEP and IIP of bovine serum albumin (BSA) aqueous solutions. It is found that high ionic strengths produce a shift of both points toward lower (IEP) and higher (IIP) pH values. This result was already reported more than 60 years ago. At that time, the only available theory was the purely electrostatic Debye-Hückel theory. It was not able to predict the opposite trends of IIP and IEP with ionic strength increase. Here, we extend that theory to admit both electrostatic and nonelectrostatic (NES) dispersion interactions. The use of a modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a simple model system (a charge regulated spherical colloidal particle in NaCl salt solutions), that includes these ion specific interactions, allows us to explain the opposite trends observed for isoelectric point (zero zeta potential) and isoionic point (zero protein charge) of BSA. At higher concentrations, an excess of the anion (with stronger NES interactions than the cation) is adsorbed at the surface due to an attractive ionic NES potential. This makes the potential relatively more negative. Consequently, the IEP is pushed toward lower pH. But the charge regulation condition means that the surface charge becomes relatively more positive as the surface potential becomes more negative. Consequently, the IIP (measuring charge) shifts toward higher pH as concentration increases, in the opposite direction from the IEP (measuring potential).

Noncovalent polymerization of mesogens crystallizes lysozyme: correlation between nonamphiphilic lyotropic liquid crystal phase and protein crystal formation

Crystallization of proteins is important for fundamental studies and biopharmaceutical development but remains largely an empirical science. Here, we report the use of organic salts that can form a class of unusual nonamphiphilic lyotropic liquid crystals to crystallize the protein lysozyme. Certain nonamphiphilic organic molecules with fused aromatic rings and two charges can assemble into stable thread-like noncovalent polymers that may further form liquid crystal phases in water, traditionally termed chromonic liquid crystals. Using five of these mesogenic molecules as additives to induce protein crystallization, we discover that molecules that can form liquid crystal phases in water are highly effective at inducing the crystal formation of lysozyme, even at concentrations significantly lower than that required for forming liquid crystal phases. This result reveals an example of inducing protein crystallization by the molecular assembly of the additives, and is consistent with a new mechanism by which the strong hydration of an assembly process provides a gradual means to compete for the water molecules to enable solvated proteins to form crystals.

Selective and specific ion binding on proteins at physiologically-relevant concentrations

Insoluble proteins dissolved in unsalted water appear to have no well-folded tertiary structures. This raises a fundamental question as to whether being unstructured is due to the absence of salt ions. To address this issue, we solubilized the insoluble ephrin-B2 cytoplasmic domain in unsalted water and first confirmed using NMR spectroscopy that it is only partially folded. Using NMR HSQC titrations with 14 different salts, we further demonstrate that the addition of salt triggers no significant folding of the protein within physiologically relevant ion concentrations. We reveal however that their 8 anions bind to the ephrin-B2 protein with high affinity and specificity at biologically-relevant concentrations. Interestingly, the binding is found to be both salt- and residue-specific.

Effects of Hofmeister anions on the aggregation behavior of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers

The effects of a series of Hofmeister anions on the phase behaviors of a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymer were investigated with an automated melting point system. Well hydrated anions and poorly hydrated anions interacted with the polymer differently and further affected the phase transition of the polymer. Poorly hydrated anions worked through changing the interfacial tension at the polymer/aqueous interface and in enhancing the polymer hydration by ion binding. The phase transition of the polymer in the presence of well hydrated anions correlated directly to the hydration entropy of the anions. As a consequence, the polymer showed a two-step phase transition in solutions containing poorly hydrated anions while displayed a single-step phase transition in the presence of well hydrated anions. The mechanisms of how ions interact with the polymer and further modulate its phase behaviors were discussed.

Possible origin of the inverse and direct Hofmeister series for lysozyme at low and high salt concentrations

Protein solubility studies below the isoelectric point exhibit a direct Hofmeister series at high salt concentrations and an inverse Hofmeister series at low salt concentrations. The efficiencies of different anions measured by salt concentrations needed to effect precipitation at fixed cations are the usual Hofmeister series (Cl(-) > NO(3)(-) > Br(-) > ClO(4)(-) > I(-) > SCN(-)). The sequence is reversed at low concentrations. This has been known for over a century. Reversal of the Hofmeister series is not peculiar to proteins. Its origin poses a key test for any theoretical model. Such specific ion effects in the cloud points of lysozyme suspensions have recently been revisited. Here, a model for lysozymes is considered that takes into account forces acting on ions that are missing from classical theory. It is shown that both direct and reverse Hofmeister effects can be predicted quantitatively. The attractive/repulsive force between two protein molecules was calculated. To do this, a modification of Poisson-Boltzmann theory is used that accounts for the effects of ion polarizabilities and ion sizes obtained from ab initio calculations. At low salt concentrations, the adsorption of the more polarizable anions is enhanced by ion-surface dispersion interactions. The increased adsorption screens the protein surface charge, thus reducing the surface forces to give an inverse Hofmeister series. At high concentrations, enhanced adsorption of the more polarizable counterions (anions) leads to an effective reversal in surface charge. Consequently, an increase in co-ion (cations) adsorption occurs, resulting in an increase in surface forces. It will be demonstrated that among the different contributions determining the predicted specific ion effect the entropic term due to anions is the main responsible for the Hofmeister sequence at low salt concentrations. Conversely, the entropic term due to cations determines the Hofmeister sequence at high salt concentrations. This behavior is a remarkable example of the charge-reversal phenomenon.

Specific ion effects on adsorption at the solid/electrolyte interface: a probe into the concentration limit

Adsorption of organic acid at the mineral oxide-electrolyte interface has been explored. The adsorption of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid onto α-alumina illustrates that specific ion effects show up at very low salt concentration (<0.05 mM). These surprising Hofmeister effects occur at salt concentrations an order of magnitude lower than in a previous study ( J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2010, 344, 482 ). Salts enhance adsorption and specifically at ≤0.05 mM. With increasing concentration of ion, the adsorption density decreases. The results are accounted for by incorporating the ion size and dispersion forces in the theoretical modeling based on ab initio calculations of polarizabilities. The order appears to be governed by ion size, determining the maximum concentration that ions can attain near the surface due to close packing.

Effective charge measurements reveal selective and preferential accumulation of anions, but not cations, at the protein surface in dilute salt solutions

Specific-ion effects are ubiquitous in nature; however, their underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Although Hofmeister-ion effects on proteins are observed at higher (>0.3 M) salt concentrations, in dilute (<0.1 M) salt solutions nonspecific electrostatic screening is considered to be dominant. Here, using effective charge (Q*) measurements of hen-egg white lysozyme (HEWL) as a direct and differential measure of ion-association, we experimentally show that anions selectively and preferentially accumulate at the protein surface even at low (<100 mM) salt concentrations. At a given ion normality (50 mN), the HEWL Q* was dependent on anion, but not cation (Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+), GdnH(+), and Ca(2+)), identity. The Q* decreased in the order F(-) > Cl(-) > Br(-) > NO(3)(-) ∼ I(-) > SCN(-) > ClO(4)(-) ≫ SO(4)(2-), demonstrating progressively greater binding of the monovalent anions to HEWL and also show that the SO(4)(2-) anion, despite being strongly hydrated, interacts directly with the HEWL surface. Under our experimental conditions, we observe a remarkable asymmetry between anions and cations in their interactions with the HEWL surface.

Anti-fouling chemistry of chiral monolayers: enhancing biofilm resistance on racemic surface

This work reports the resistance to protein adsorption and bacterial biofilm formation by chiral monolayers of polyol-terminated alkanethiols surrounding micrometer-sized patterns of methyl-terminated alkanethiols on gold films. We discover that patterned surfaces surrounded by chiral polyol monolayers can distinguish different stages of biofilm formation. After inoculation on the surfaces, bacteria first reversibly attached on the chiral polyol monolayers. Over time, the bacteria detached from the polyol surfaces, and attached on the hydrophobic micropatterns to form biofilms. Interestingly, while both enantiomers of gulitol- and mannonamide-terminated monolayer resisted adsorption of proteins (bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, and fibrinogen) and confined biofilms formed on the micropatterns, the monolayers formed by the racemic mixture of either pair of enantiomers exhibited stronger antifouling chemistry against both protein adsorption and biofilm formation than monolayers formed by one enantiomer alone. These results reveal the different chemistries that separate the different stages of biofilm formation, and the stereochemical influence on resisting biofoulings at a molecular-level.

Glucose interactions with a model peptide

Molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted of the helical polypeptide melittin, in concentrated aqueous solutions of the alpha and beta anomers of D-glucopyranose. Glucose is an osmolyte, and it is expected to be preferentially excluded from the surfaces of proteins. This was indeed found to be the case in the simulations. The results indicate that the observed exclusion may have a contribution from an under-representation of hydrogen bonding interactions between glucose groups and exposed side chains, compared to water. However, glucose was found to bind quite specifically to melittin by stacking its hydrophobic face, consisting of aliphatic protons, against the flat hydrophobic face of the indole group of the tryptophan-19 side chain. Although the binding site for this interaction is localized, the binding is weak for both anomers, with a binding free energy estimated as only ∼0.5 kcal/mol (i.e. near k(B)T). The face of the sugar stacked against the Trp indole ring is different for the two anomers of glucose, due to the disruption of the H1-H3-H5 hydrophobic triad of the beta anomer by the axial C1 hydroxyl group in the alpha anomer. The measurable affinity of the sugar for the Trp side chain is consistent with the very frequent occurrence of this group in the binding sites of proteins that complex with sugars.