Spermine stabilization of folded ribonuclease T1

Kinetic studies of guanine recognition and a phosphate group subsite on ribonuclease T1 using substitution mutants at Glu46 and Lys41

pH-Dependent kinetic studies were performed with ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1) and its Glu46Ser, Lys41Met, and Lys41Thr mutants with GpC and polyinosinic acid (PolyI) as substrates. Plots of pH versus log(k(cat)/K(M)) for both substrates had ascending slopes that were significantly greater for RNase T1 compared with Glu46Ser-RNase T1, which indicated that the gamma-carboxyl group of conserved Glu46 must be deprotonated (anionic) for maximal interaction with N1H and N2H of the guanine moiety of GpC or the N1H of the hypoxanthine moiety of PolyI. The involvement of the epsilon -ammonium group of nonconserved Lys41 at the 2p subsite (i.e., for an RNA phosphate group two nucleotide positions 5'-upstream from the active site) was supported by comparisons of Lys41Met-RNase T1 and Lys41Thr-RNase T1 with wild-type. These mutants shared identical catalytic properties (i.e., k(cat) and K(M)) with wild-type using GpC as a substrate. However, k(cat)/K(M) for both were identical with each other but lower than those for wild-type when PolyI was the substrate (PolyI has a phosphate group that could interact at a putative 2p site). The pH dependence of this latter difference can be interpreted as reflecting the loss of the 2p subsite interaction with the wild-type enzyme upon deprotonation of the epsilon -ammonium group of Lys41. Subsite interactions for ribonucleases are shown to mainly increase k(cat) and result in an attenuated pH dependence of k(cat)/K(M).

The contribution of metal ions to the conformational stability of ribonuclease T1: crystal versus solution

In the crystalline state, ribonuclease T1 binds calcium ions at different lattice-dependent positions. In solution, its conformational stability is also remarkably increased in the presence of divalent metal ions. Combining urea unfolding studies and X-ray crystallography, we compared the presence of several metal ions at specific sites in the protein to their contribution to the overall stabilizing effect in solution. We constructed thermodynamic cycles involving particular metal ions and specific carboxylate functions. The resulting coupling energies indicate that some (but not all) metal ions found at lattice contacts in crystal structures may indeed significantly contribute to stability enhancement in the presence of metal ions in solution.

Relaxation kinetics of ribonuclease T1 binding with guanosine and 3'-GMP

Temperature-jump relaxation kinetic studies were undertaken at 25 degrees C with ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1) alone and in the presence of guanosine (Guo) and 3'-guanylic acid (3'-GMP). No relaxations were observed in the absence of ligands and only one process was observed in their presence which reflected a simple on-off reaction in both cases. Apparent association rate constants, k(on), and dissociation rate constants, k(off), were evaluated at several pH values and their ratios, k(on)/k(off), were contrasted with independently determined values of the equilibrium association constant, Ka(eq). The value of k(on)/k(off) for Guo was significantly greater than Ka(eq), whereas Ka(eq) was significantly greater than k(on)/k(off) for 3'-GMP. The simplest interpretation of the result for Guo is that free RNase T1 undergoes a relatively slow undetected isomerization and Guo can bind only with one isomer. 3'-GMP can be considered to bind with the same preference, but in this case the initial enzyme complex undergoes a relatively slow undetected isomerization. These results are consistent with a recent NMR study which suggested that RNase T1 binding with Guo and 3'-GMP are coupled to slow exchange processes in a ligand dependent manner (Shimada, I. and Inagaki, F. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 757-764). It is tentatively concluded that binding of Guo and 3'-GMP at the active site of RNase T1 is limited to a sub-population of conformers involving the base-recognition site and that the phosphomonoester group of the nucleotide can engage in additional conformationally linked interactions at the adjacent catalytic site.