Rational design in genetic engineering: dream or reality? A priori predictions for thrombin and ribonuclease a mutants

Site-directed mutagenesis of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease: lysine-41 and aspartate-121

Chemical modification studies suggest that two residues of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A), Lys-41 and Asp-121, are important for catalysis. Three mutants of RNase A have been prepared, two point mutants with Lys-41 altered to Arg-41 and Asp-121 altered to Glu-121, and a double mutant where both residues are altered. The Lys-41 Arg mutant has ca. 2% the catalytic activity (kcat/Km) of the native protein, while the Asp-121Glu mutant has ca. 17% the catalytic activity of the native protein. The double mutant has catalytic activity comparable to the Lys-41Arg mutant.