Identification of pitfalls in the analysis of heat capacity changes of β-lactoglobulin A

Calorimetric studies of bovine rod outer segment disk membranes support a monomeric unit for both rhodopsin and opsin

The photoreceptor rhodopsin is a G-protein coupled receptor that has recently been proposed to exist as a dimer or higher order oligomer, in contrast to the previously described monomer, in retinal rod outer segment disk membranes. Rhodopsin exhibits considerably greater thermal stability than opsin (the bleached form of the receptor), which is reflected in an approximately 15 degrees C difference in the thermal denaturation temperatures (T(m)) of rhodopsin and opsin as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Here we use differential scanning calorimetry to investigate the effect of partial bleaching of disk membranes on the T(m) of rhodopsin and of opsin in native disk membranes, as well as in cross-linked disk membranes in which rhodopsin dimers are known to be present. The T(m)s of rhodopsin and opsin are expected to be perturbed if mixed oligomers are present. The T(m) remained constant for rhodopsin and opsin in native disks regardless of the level of bleaching. In contrast, the T(m) of cross-linked rhodopsin in disk membranes was dependent on the extent of bleaching. The energy of activation for denaturation of rhodopsin and cross-linked rhodopsin was calculated. Cross-linking rhodopsin significantly decreased the energy of activation. We conclude that in native disk membranes, rhodopsin behaves predominantly as a monomer.

Denaturation of Bovine β-Lactoglobulin in the Presence of n-Octyl-, Decyl-, and Dodecyldimethylphosphine Oxides

Denaturation of bovine beta-lactoglobulin (beta-L) in pH 2.9, 0.2 M glycine buffer was investigated by DSC in the presence of three nonionic surfactants, n-octyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO8), n-decyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO10), and n-dodecyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO12), and by ITC at temperatures from 25 to 61 degrees C. The thermal transition was eliminated when the molar ratio of surfactant to beta-L was between 88 and 133, 21-25, and 11-22 depending upon the protein concentration for APO8, APO10, and APO12, respectively. A protocol was developed that may be used for future studies that involve ligands with large temperature-dependent heats of dilution. Approximately 30 mol of APO10 and APO12 per mole of beta-L were bound at 45 degrees C and 37 degrees C, respectively, with an average affinity of (2.5 +/- 0.7) x 10(3) M(-1). This amount of surfactant would cover about 50% of the protein surface and may correspond to a new class of nonspecific neutral ligand binding sites that facilitate the digestion of lipids by neonatal calves. Titration of beta-L into 2% solutions of APO8, APO10, and APO12 at various temperatures between 25 and 61 degrees C yielded enthalpy changes with the same temperature dependence as for the thermal denaturation of beta-L without surfactant at much higher temperatures.