Dataset Information

Hierarchical folding mechanism of apomyoglobin revealed by ultra-fast H/D exchange coupled with 2D NMR.

ABSTRACT: The earliest steps in the folding of proteins are complete on an extremely rapid time scale that is difficult to access experimentally. We have used rapid-mixing quench-flow methods to extend the time resolution of folding studies on apomyoglobin and elucidate the structural and dynamic features of members of the ensemble of intermediate states that are populated on a submillisecond time scale during this process. The picture that emerges is of a continuum of rapidly interconverting states. Even after only 0.4 ms of refolding time a compact state is formed that contains major parts of the A, G, and H helices, which are sufficiently well folded to protect amides from exchange. The B, C, and E helix regions fold more slowly and fluctuate rapidly between open and closed states as they search docking sites on this core; the secondary structure in these regions becomes stabilized as the refolding time is increased from 0.4 to 6 ms. No further stabilization occurs in the A, G, H core at 6 ms of folding time. These studies begin to time-resolve a progression of compact states between the fully unfolded and native folded states and confirm the presence an ensemble of intermediates that interconvert in a hierarchical sequence as the protein searches conformational space on its folding trajectory.

SUBMITTER: Uzawa T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2544544 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Hierarchical folding mechanism of apomyoglobin revealed by ultra-fast H/D exchange coupled with 2D NMR.

Uzawa Takanori T Nishimura Chiaki C Akiyama Shuji S Ishimori Koichiro K Takahashi Satoshi S Dyson H Jane HJ Wright Peter E PE

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20080908 37

The earliest steps in the folding of proteins are complete on an extremely rapid time scale that is difficult to access experimentally. We have used rapid-mixing quench-flow methods to extend the time resolution of folding studies on apomyoglobin and elucidate the structural and dynamic features of members of the ensemble of intermediate states that are populated on a submillisecond time scale during this process. The picture that emerges is of a continuum of rapidly interconverting states. Even ...[more]

PMID: 18779573

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Project description:The structures of apomyoglobin folding intermediates have been widely analyzed using physical chemistry methods including fluorescence, circular dichroism, small angle X-ray scattering, NMR, mass spectrometry, and rapid mixing. So far, at least two intermediates (on sub-millisecond- and millisecond-scales) have been demonstrated for apomyoglobin folding. The combination of pH-pulse labeling and NMR is a useful tool for analyzing the kinetic intermediates at the atomic level. Its use has revealed that the latter-phase kinetic intermediate of apomyoglobin (6 ms) was composed of helices A, B, G and H, whereas the equilibrium intermediate, called the pH 4 molten-globule intermediate, was composed mainly of helices A, G and H. The improved strategy for the analysis of the kinetic intermediate was developed to include (1) the dimethyl sulfoxide method, (2) data processing with the various labeling times, and (3) a new in-house mixer. Particularly, the rapid mixing revealed that helices A and G were significantly more protected at the earlier stage (400 µs) of the intermediate (former-phase intermediate) than the other helices. Mutation studies, where each hydrophobic residue was replaced with an alanine in helices A, B, E, F, G and H, indicated that both non-native and native-like structures exist in the latter-phase folding intermediate. The N-terminal part of helix B is a weak point in the intermediate, and the docking of helix E residues to the core of the A, B, G and H helices was interrupted by a premature helix B, resulting in the accumulation of the intermediate composed of helices A, B, G and H. The prediction-based protein engineering produced important mutants: Helix F in a P88K/A90L/S92K/A94L mutant folded in the latter-phase intermediate, although helix F in the wild type does not fold even at the native state. Furthermore, in the L11G/W14G/A70L/G73W mutant, helix A did not fold but helix E did, which is similar to what was observed in the kinetic intermediate of apoleghemoglobin. Thus, this protein engineering resulted in a changed structure for the apomyoglobin folding intermediate.

Project description:Under mildly acidic conditions (pH 4-4.5) apomyoglobin (apoMb) adopts a partially structured equilibrium state ( M-state) that structurally resembles a kinetic intermediate encountered at a late stage of folding to the native structure at neutral pH. We have previously reported that the M-state is formed rapidly (<1 ms) via a multistate process and thus offers a unique opportunity for exploring early stages of folding by both experimental and computational techniques. In order to gain structural insight into intermediates and barriers at the residue level, we studied the folding/unfolding kinetics of 12 apoMb mutants at pH 4.2 using fluorescence-detected ultrafast mixing techniques. Global analysis of the submillisecond folding/unfolding kinetics vs urea concentration for each variant, based on a sequential four-state mechanism ( U ⇔ I ⇔ L ⇔ M), allowed us to determine elementary rate constants and their dependence on urea concentration for most transitions. Comparison of the free energy diagrams constructed from the kinetic data of the mutants with that of wild-type apoMb yielded quantitative information on the effects of mutations on the free energy (ΔΔ G) of both intermediates and the first two kinetic barriers encountered during folding. Truncation of conserved aliphatic side chains on helices A, G, and H gives rise to a stepwise increase in ΔΔ G as the protein advances from U toward M, consistent with progressive stabilization of native-like contacts within the primary core of apoMb. Helix-helix contacts in the primary core contribute little to the first folding barrier ( U ⇔ I) and thus are not required for folding initiation but are critical for the stability of the late intermediate, L, and the M-state. Alanine substitution of hydrophobic residues at more peripheral helix-helix contact sites of the native structure, which are still absent or unstable in the M-state, shows both positive (destabilizing) and negative (stabilizing) ΔΔ G, indicating that non-native contacts are formed initially and weakened or lost as a result of subsequent structural rearrangement steps.

Dataset Information

Hierarchical folding mechanism of apomyoglobin revealed by ultra-fast H/D exchange coupled with 2D NMR.

Publications

Hierarchical folding mechanism of apomyoglobin revealed by ultra-fast H/D exchange coupled with 2D NMR.

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