Detection and Characterization of Partially Unfolded Oligomers of the SH3 Domain of α-Spectrin
| Autor: | Francisco Conejero-Lara, Salvador Casares, Nico A. J. van Nuland, Obdulio López-Mayorga, Mourad Sadqi |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | NMR-spectroscopie, Universiteit Utrecht, Dep Scheikunde |
| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: |
Models
Molecular Protein Denaturation Protein Folding Circular dichroism Work (thermodynamics) Diffusion Equilibrium unfolding Population Biophysics Thermodynamics Calorimetry src Homology Domains Animals Intermediate state education Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Biomolecular education.field_of_study Calorimetry Differential Scanning Chemistry Circular Dichroism Proteins Spectrin Crystallography Cross-Linking Reagents Protein folding Chickens |
| Zdroj: | Biophysical Journal. 86(4):2403-2413 |
| ISSN: | 0006-3495 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0006-3495(04)74297-6 |
| Popis: | For the purpose of equilibrium and kinetic folding-unfolding studies, the SH3 domain of alpha-spectrin (spc-SH3) has long been considered a classic two-state folding protein. In this work we have indeed observed that the thermal unfolding curves of spc-SH3 measured at pH 3.0 by differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism, and NMR follow apparently the two-state model when each unfolding profile is considered individually. Nevertheless, we have found that protein concentration has a marked effect upon the thermal unfolding profiles. This effect cannot be properly explained in terms of the two-state unfolding model and can only be interpreted in terms of the accumulation of intermediate associated states in equilibrium with the monomeric native and unfolded states. By chemical cross-linking and pulsed-field gradient NMR diffusion experiments we have been able to confirm the existence of associated states formed during spc-SH3 unfolding. A three-state model, in which a dimeric intermediate state is assumed to be significantly populated, provides the simplest interpretation of the whole set of thermal unfolding data and affords a satisfactory explanation for the concentration effects observed. Whereas at low concentrations the population of the associated intermediate state is negligible and the unfolding process consequently takes place in a two-state fashion, at concentrations above approximately 0.5 mM the population of the intermediate state becomes significant at temperatures between 45 degrees C and 80 degrees C and reaches up to 50% at the largest concentration investigated. The thermodynamic properties of the intermediate state implied by this analysis fall in between those of the unfolded state and the native ones, indicating a considerably disordered conformation, which appears to be stabilized by oligomerization. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|