The thermal denaturation of ribonuclease A in aqueous-methanol solvents

The role of conformational flexibility on protein supercharging in native electrospray ionization

Effects of covalent intramolecular bonds, either native disulfide bridges or chemical crosslinks, on ESI supercharging of proteins from aqueous solutions were investigated. Chemically modifying cytochrome c with up to seven crosslinks or ubiquitin with up to two crosslinks did not affect the average or maximum charge states of these proteins in the absence of m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA), but the extent of supercharging induced by m-NBA increased with decreasing numbers of crosslinks. For the model random coil polypeptide reduced/alkylated RNase A, a decrease in charging with increasing m-NBA concentration attributable to reduced surface tension of the ESI droplet was observed, whereas native RNase A electrosprayed from these same solutions exhibited enhanced charging. The inverse relationship between the extent of supercharging and the number of intramolecular crosslinks for folded proteins, as well as the absence of supercharging for proteins that are random coils in aqueous solution, indicate that conformational restrictions induced by the crosslinks reduce the extent of supercharging. These results provide additional evidence that protein and protein complex supercharging from aqueous solution is primarily due to partial or significant unfolding that occurs as a result of chemical and/or thermal denaturation induced by the supercharging reagent late in the ESI droplet lifetime.

Effects of ethanol on structure and solubility of potato proteins and the effects of its presence during the preparation of a protein isolate

In this study, a protein isolate with a high solubility at neutral pH was prepared from industrial potato juice by precipitation at pH 5 in the presence of ethanol. The effects of ethanol itself and the effects of its presence during precipitation on the properties of various potato protein fractions were examined. The presence of ethanol significantly reduced the denaturation temperature of potato proteins, indicating that the preparation of this potato protein isolate should be performed at low temperature in order to retain a high solubility. In the presence of ethanol, the thermal unfolding of the tertiary and the secondary structure of patatin was shown to be almost completely independent. Even at 4 degrees C, precipitation of potato proteins in the presence of ethanol induced significant conformational changes. These changes did, however, only result in minor changes in the solubility of the potato protein fractions as a function of pH and heat treatment temperature.

Isolation and characterization of undenatured chlorogenic acid free sunflower (Helianthus annuus) proteins

A method for obtaining sunflower protein (SFP) isolate, nondenatured and free of chlorogenic acid (CGA), has been developed. During the isolating procedure, the extent of CGA removal and protein denaturation was monitored. The defatted flour contained 2.5% CGA as the main phenolic compound. Phenolic compounds were removed by aqueous methanol (80%) extraction, before protein extraction at alkaline pH and diafiltration. Differential scanning calorimetry and solubility tests indicated that no denaturation of the proteins had occurred. The resulting protein products were biochemically characterized, and the presence of protein-CGA complexes was investigated. SFPs of the studied variety were found to be composed of two main protein fractions: 2S albumins and 11S globulins. In contrast to what has been previously reported, CGA was found to elute as free CGA, not covalently associated to any protein fraction.

Ethanol-induced conformational transitions in holo-alpha-lactalbumin: spectral and calorimetric studies

Conformational transitions of holo-alpha-lactalbumin in a hydro-ethanolic cosolvent system was studied by spectrofluorescence, CD in near- and far-uv regions, and high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. Experimental results allow us to propose that in isothermal conditions alpha-lactalbumin undergoes a number of conformational transitions with increasing ethanol concentration: N<=>I<=>D<=>H. The existence of I-state was deduced from spectrofluorometric and near-uv CD data. In this state the aromatic chromophores of the amino acid side chains are more accessible to the solvent displaying higher local mobility. The H-state was detected from far-uv CD spectra as a state corresponding to the content of alpha-helices higher than originally found in native protein. However, calorimetric measurements provide data revealing only the two-state mechanism of alpha-lactalbumin unfolding in both water and in aqueous ethanol solutions. This indicates that the energy levels of N- and I-states as well as of D- and H-states are similar. Thermodynamics of the unfolding of alpha-lactalbumin in hydroethanolic solutions was analyzed with the help of the linear model of solvent denaturation. Unfolding increments of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy of transfer of the protein from a reference aqueous solution to hydro-ethanolic solutions of different concentrations were determined from the calorimetric data. They are linear functions of molar ethanol fraction. The slope of the unfolding increment of Gibbs energy of transfer was calculated from data on transfer of amino acid residues taking into account the average solvent accessibility of amino acid residues in the native structure of small globular proteins, using the additive group contribution method.

Ultrafast thermally induced unfolding of RNase A

A temperature jump (T-jump) method capable of initiating thermally induced processes on the picosecond time scale in aqueous solutions is introduced. Protein solutions are heated by energy from a laser pulse that is absorbed by homogeneously dispersed molecules of the dye crystal violet. These act as transducers by releasing the energy as heat to cause a T-jump of up to 10 K with a time resolution of 70 ps. The method was applied to the unfolding of RNase A. At pH 5.7 and 59 degrees C, a T-jump of 3-6 K induced unfolding which was detected by picosecond transient infrared spectroscopy of the amide I region between 1600 and 1700 cm-1. The difference spectral profile at 3.5 ns closely resembled that found for the equilibrium (native-unfolded) states. The signal at 1633 cm-1, corresponding to the beta-sheet structure, achieved 15 +/- 2% of the decrease found at equilibrium, within 5.5 ns. However, no decrease in absorbance was detected until 1 ns after the T-ump. The disruption of beta-sheet therefore appears to be subject to a delay of approximately 1 ns. Prior to 1 ns after the T-jump, water might be accessing the intact hydrophobic regions.

The local and global unfolding of coiled-coil tropomyosin

The thermal unfolding of a two-stranded alpha-helical coiled coil of tropomyosin was studied using circular dichroism and excimer fluorescence of N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide-labeled tropomyosin. Tropomyosin unfolds with two transitions, namely local and global unfolding at high salt (greater than 0.1 M NaCl) and pH 7.5. The local unfolding was masked by the global unfolding at low salt (less than 0.1 M NaCl), at high pH (greater than pH 9.0), and in the presence of methanol, where the global unfolding temperature was similar to or lower than the local unfolding temperature. The local and global unfolding are different in nature. A comparison of the helix thermal unfolding of N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide-tropomyosin with unlabeled tropomyosin showed that tropomyosin had an inherent less-stable region, when Cys190 was N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide-labeled, disulfide cross-linked, or reduced. Instead, the chemical state of Cys190, determined the stability of the local unfolding region, because a strain created by the disulfide cross-link or the pyrene/pyrene interaction decreases the stability of the local unfolding region. Thus, these data show that the excimer fluorescence of N-(1-pyrenyl)iodoacetamide-labeled tropomyosin is useful for studying the local and global unfolding of tropomyosin.

Secondary structure of proteins associated in thin films

The solid state secondary structure of myoglobin, RNase A, concanavalin A (Con A), poly(L-lysine), and two linear heterooligomeric peptides were examined by both far-uv CD spectroscopy1 and by ir spectroscopy. The proteins associated from water solution on glass and mica surfaces into noncrystalline, amorphous films, as judged by transmission electron microscopy of carbon-platinum replicas of surface and cross-fractured layer. The association into the solid state induced insignificant changes in the amide CD spectra of all alpha-helical myoglobin, decreased the molar ellipticity of the alpha/beta RNase A, and increased the molar ellipticity of all-beta Con A with no change in the positions of the bands' maxima. High-temperature exposure of the films induced permanent changes in the conformation of all proteins, resulting in less alpha-helix and more beta-sheet structure. The results suggest that the protein alpha-helices are less stable in films and that the secondary structure may rearrange into beta-sheets at high temperature. Two heterooligomeric peptides and poly(L-lysine), all in solution at neutral pH with "random coil" conformation, formed films with variable degrees of their secondary structure in beta-sheets or beta-turns. The result corresponded to the protein-derived Chou-Fasman amino acid propensities, and depended on both temperature and solvent used. The ir and CD spectra correlations of the peptides in the solid state indicate that the CD spectrum of a "random" structure in films differs from random coil in solution. Formic acid treatment transformed the secondary structure of the protein and peptide films into a stable alpha-helix or beta-sheet conformations. The results indicate that the proteins aggregate into a noncrystalline, glass-like state with preserved secondary structure. The solid state secondary structure may undergo further irreversible transformations induced by heat or solvent.