Main chain and side chain dynamics of oxidized flavodoxin from Cyanobacterium anabaena.

Oxidized flavodoxin from Cyanobacterium anabaena PCC 7119 is used as a model system to investigate the fast internal dynamics of a flavin-bearing protein. Virtually complete backbone and side chain resonance NMR assignments of an oxidized flavodoxin point mutant (C55A) have been determined. Backbone and side chain dynamics in flavodoxin (C55A) were investigated using (15)N amide and deuterium methyl NMR relaxation methods. The squared generalized order parameters (S(NH)(2)) for backbone amide N-H bonds are found to be uniformly high ( approximately 0.923 over 109 residues in regular secondary structure), indicating considerable restriction of motion in the backbone of the protein. In contrast, methyl-bearing side chains are considerably heterogeneous in their amplitude of motion, as indicated by obtained symmetry axis squared generalized order parameters (S(axis)(2)). However, in comparison to nonprosthetic group-bearing proteins studied with these NMR relaxation methods, the side chains of oxidized flavodoxin are unusually rigid.

Hydrophobic modulation of heme properties in heme protein maquettes.

We have investigated the properties of the two hemes bound to histidine in the H10 positions of the uniquely structured apo form of the heme binding four-helix bundle protein maquette [H10H24-L6I,L13F](2), here called [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2) for the amino acids at positions 6 (I), 13 (F) and 24 (H), respectively. The primary structure of each alpha-helix, alpha-SH, in [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2) is Ac-CGGGEI(6)WKL.H(10)EEF(13)LKK.FEELLKL.H(24)EERLKK.L-CONH(2). In our nomenclature, [I(6)F(13)H(24)] represents the disulfide-bridged di-alpha-helical homodimer of this sequence, i.e., (alpha-SS-alpha), and [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2) represents the dimeric four helix bundle composed of two di-alpha-helical subunits, i.e., (alpha-SS-alpha)(2). We replaced the histidines at positions H24 in [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2) with hydrophobic amino acids incompetent for heme ligation. These maquette variants, [I(6)F(13)I(24)](2), [I(6)F(13)A(24)](2), and [I(6)F(13)F(24)](2), are distinguished from the tetraheme binding parent peptide, [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2), by a reduction in the heme:four-helix bundle stoichiometry from 4:1 to 2:1. Iterative redesign has identified phenylalanine as the optimal amino acid replacement for H24 in the context of apo state conformational specificity. Furthermore, the novel second generation diheme [I(6)F(13)F(24)](2) maquette was related to the first generation diheme [H10A24](2) prototype, [L(6)L(13)A(24)](2) in the present nomenclature, via a sequential path in sequence space to evaluate the effects of conservative hydrophobic amino acid changes on heme properties. Each of the disulfide-linked dipeptides studied was highly helical (>77% as determined from circular dichroism spectroscopy), self-associates in solution to form a dimer (as determined by size exclusion chromatography), is thermodynamically stable (-DeltaG(H)2(O) >18 kcal/mol), and possesses conformational specificity that NMR data indicate can vary from multistructured to single structured. Each peptide binds one heme with a dissociation constant, K(d1) value, tighter than 65 nM forming a series of monoheme maquettes. Addition of a second equivalent of heme results in heme binding with a K(d2) in the range of 35-800 nM forming the diheme maquette state. Single conservative amino acid changes between peptide sequences are responsible for up to 10-fold changes in K(d) values. The equilibrium reduction midpoint potential (E(m7.5)) determined in the monoheme state ranges from -156 to -210 mV vs SHE and in the diheme state ranges from -144 to -288 mV. An observed heme-heme electrostatic interaction (>70 mV) in the diheme state indicates a syn global topology of the di-alpha-helical monomers. The heme affinity and electrochemistry of the three H24 variants studied identify the tight binding sites (K(d1) and K(d2) values <200 nM) having the lower reduction midpoint potentials (E(m7.5) values of -155 and -260 mV) with the H10 bound hemes in the parent tetraheme state of [H10H24-L6I,L13F](2), here called [I(6)F(13)H(24)](2). The results of this study illustrate that conservative hydrophobic amino acid changes near the heme binding site can modulate the E(m) by up to +/-50 mV and the K(d) by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the effects of multiple single amino acid changes on E(m) and K(d) do not appear to be additive.

Local stability and dynamics of apocytochrome b562 examined by the dependence of hydrogen exchange on hydrostatic pressure.

Hydrostatic pressure is used to perturb the manifold of states available to apocytochrome b562 and to examine the energetics and dynamics of the protein using hydrogen exchange monitored in real-time by heteronuclear spectroscopy at pressures ranging up to 1. 1 kbar. An analytical framework for interpreting the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the physical events leading to protein hydrogen exchange is presented. The protein is found to have three regions of subglobal cooperative stability. The most stable region, or core, is composed of the central two helices of the bundle. The dependence of the global unfolding free energy upon pressure is first order and associated with a negative volume change of -102 mL mol-1. Two additional regions of cooperative structure are identified, and both also have negative volume changes associated with their unfolding at high pressure. Surprisingly, one of the subglobal unfolding units shows a significant positive volume change at low pressures (<200 bar) suggesting the presence of a highly mispacked open state at ambient pressure. The three regions of cooperative stability are the same as identified by perturbation with chemical denaturant. The implications of these results for issues in protein folding and the form of the energy landscape of globular proteins are discussed.

Local dynamics and stability of apocytochrome b562 examined by hydrogen exchange.

Cytochrome b562 is a heme-binding protein consisting of four helices folded into a classic helix bundle motif. Though retaining much of the topology of the holoprotein, apocytochrome b562 displays physical features commonly associated with so-called protein molten globules. Here, the stability and dynamics of this "structured" molten globule are probed by examination of the dependence of its hydrogen exchange behavior upon the presence of a chemical denaturant. Compared to other systems studied in this manner, apocytochrome b562 displays a limited dynamic range of hydrogen exchange rates and the analysis required the development of a quantitative approach. The protein is found to have three regions of subglobal cooperative stability. The most stable region, or core, is composed of the central two helices of the bundle, with the N- and C-terminal helices being of independent and lower stability. The dependence of the global unfolding free energy upon denaturant concentration indicates the applicability of a binding model and explains the observed difference between global unfolding free energies obtained by the linear extrapolation method and those obtained by calorimetry and hydrogen exchange. These observations place a significant restraint upon the type of folding pathway that is operative for this protein and suggest that that the N- and C-terminal helices fold and unfold independently of the core of the molecule.

Structural water in oxidized and reduced horse heart cytochrome c.

The existence of structural water in the interior of both oxidized and reduced horse-heart cytochrome c in solution is demonstrated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Six water molecules have been located in ferrocytochrome c and five in ferricytochrome c, with residence times greater than a few hundred picoseconds. Two water molecules are located in the haem crevice, one of which is found to undergo a large change in position with a change of oxidation state. Both of these observations indicate that buried structural waters in the haem crevice have, by microscopic dielectric effects, significant roles in the setting of the solvent reorganization energy associated with electron transfer.

On the three-dimensional structure of the Hydra head activator neuropeptide.

The structure of the Hydra head activator (HHA) neuropeptide has been previously studied using NMR, CD, and Raman spectroscopy and determined to contain 62-67% anti-parallel beta-pleated sheet, and predicted to assume a beta-turn near the amino terminus. We have utilized spectroscopic data with the Double-Iterated Kalman Filter (DIFK) technique and CHARMm molecular mechanics to produce a molecular model of the HHA neuropeptide. Consistent with the secondary structure prediction, an anti-parallel beta-pleated sheet topology was evident from the serine amino acid to the carboxyl terminus. Additionally, a beta-turn occurred near the amino carboxyl terminus. Results indicate that fluctuations occurring at both termini may serve to stabilize the structure ultimately allowing the amino terminus access to its receptor protein.

Expression of hydra head activator in newt tissues and effects on limb regeneration.

In this study, the presence of the hydra head activator (HHA) neuropeptide and its influence on regenerating newt limbs (Notophthalmus viridescens) was investigated. Immunohistological analysis has localized the HHA neuropeptide in the adult newt brain, eye, intestine, and regenerating blastema. Experiments in which 9 day limb regenerates were denervated and subsequently implanted with HHA-soaked beads suggest a slight progression of blastema growth compared to denervated controls.