scholarly journals The denaturation and degradation of stable enzymes at high temperatures

1996 ◽  
Vol 317 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy M. DANIEL ◽  
Mark DINES ◽  
Helen H. PETACH

Now that enzymes are available that are stable above 100 °C it is possible to investigate conformational stability at this temperature, and also the effect of high-temperature degradative reactions in functioning enzymes and the inter-relationship between degradation and denaturation. The conformational stability of proteins depends upon stabilizing forces arising from a large number of weak interactions, which are opposed by an almost equally large destabilizing force due mostly to conformational entropy. The difference between these, the net free energy of stabilization, is relatively small, equivalent to a few interactions. The enhanced stability of very stable proteins can be achieved by an additional stabilizing force which is again equivalent to only a few stabilizing interactions. There is currently no strong evidence that any particular interaction (e.g. hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions) plays a more important role in proteins that are stable at 100 °C than in those stable at 50 °C, or that the structures of very stable proteins are systematically different from those of less stable proteins. The major degradative mechanisms are deamidation of asparagine and glutamine, and succinamide formation at aspartate and glutamate leading to peptide bond hydrolysis. In addition to being temperature-dependent, these reactions are strongly dependent upon the conformational freedom of the susceptible amino acid residues. Evidence is accumulating which suggests that even at 100 °C deamidation and succinamide formation proceed slowly or not at all in conformationally intact (native) enzymes. Whether this is the case at higher temperatures is not yet clear, so it is not known whether denaturation or degradation will set the upper limit of stability for enzymes.

Author(s):  
Rose Emergo ◽  
Steve Brockett ◽  
Pat Hamilton

Abstract A single power amplifier-duplexer device was submitted by a customer for analysis. The device was initially considered passing when tested against the production test. However, further electrical testing suggested that the device was stuck in a single power mode for a particular frequency band at cold temperatures only. This paper outlines the systematic isolation of a parasitic Schottky diode formed by a base contactcollector punch through process defect that pulled down the input of a NOR gate leading to the incorrect logic state. Note that this parasitic Schottky diode is parallel to the basecollector junction. It was observed that the logic failure only manifested at colder temperatures because the base contact only slightly diffused into the collector layer. Since the difference in the turn-on voltages between the base-collector junction and the parasitic Schottky diode increases with decreasing temperature, the effect of the parasitic diode is only noticeable at lower temperatures.


1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 2925-2936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Štěpánka Štokrová ◽  
Jan Pospíšek ◽  
Jaroslav Šponar ◽  
Karel Bláha

Polypeptides (Lys-X-Ala)n and (Lys-X-Gly)n in which X represents residues of isoleucine and norleucine, respectively, and polypeptide (Tle-Lys-Ala)n, were synthesized via polymerization of 1-hydroxysuccinimidyl esters of the appropriate tripeptides to complete previously studied series. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the respective polymers were measured as a function of pH and salt concentration of the medium. The results were correlated with those obtained previously with the same series containing different amino acid residues at the X-position. The helix forming ability of the polypeptides (Lys-X-Ala)n with linear X side chain was found to be independent of the length. In the series (Lys-X-Gly)n the unordered conformation was the most probable one except (Lys-Ile-Gly)n. This polymer assumed the β conformation even in low salt solution at neutral pH. An agreement with some theoretical work concerned with the restriction of conformational freedom of amino acid residue branching at Cβ atom with our experimental results is evident.


1997 ◽  
Vol 325 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle GARCIA ◽  
Matthew RODGERS ◽  
Catherine LENNE ◽  
Anne ROLLAND ◽  
Alain SAILLAND ◽  
...  

p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase catalyses the transformation of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into homogentisate. In plants this enzyme has a crucial role because homogentisate is the aromatic precursor of all prenylquinones. Furthermore this enzyme was recently identified as the molecular target for new families of potent herbicides. In this study we examine precisely the localization of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase activity within carrot cells. Our results provide evidence that, in cultured carrot cells, p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase is associated with the cytosol. Purification and SDS/PAGE analysis of this enzyme revealed that its activity is associated with a polypeptide of 45–46 kDa. This protein specifically cross-reacts with an antiserum raised against the p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Gel-filtration chromatography indicates that the enzyme behaves as a homodimer. We also report the isolation and nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding a carrot p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. The nucleotide sequence (1684 bp) encodes a protein of 442 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 48094 Da and shows specific C-terminal regions of similarity with other p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenases. This cDNA encodes a functional p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, as evidenced by expression studies with transformed Escherichia coli cells. Comparison of the N-terminal sequence of the 45–46 kDa polypeptide purified from carrot cells with the deduced peptide sequence of the cDNA confirms that this polypeptide supports p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase activity. Immunodetection studies of the native enzyme in carrot cellular extracts reveal that N-terminal proteolysis occurs during the process of purification. This proteolysis explains the difference in molecular masses between the purified protein and the deduced polypeptide.


Author(s):  
Wei He ◽  
Wenhui Zhang ◽  
Zhenhua Chu ◽  
Yu Li

The aim of this paper is to explore the mechanism of the change in oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules before and after modification by designing new PCBs derivatives in combination with molecular docking techniques through the constructed model of oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules. We found that the weakened hydrophobic interaction between the hydrophobic amino acid residues and hydrophobic substituents at the binding site of PCB derivatives and human oestrogen receptor alpha (hERα) was the main reason for the weakened binding force and reduced anti-oestrogenic activity. It was consistent with the information that the hydrophobic field displayed by the 3D contour maps in the constructed oestrogen activity CoMSIA model was one of the main influencing force fields. The hydrophobic interaction between PCB derivatives and oestrogen-active receptors was negatively correlated with the average distance between hydrophobic substituents and hydrophobic amino acid residues at the hERα-binding site, and positively correlated with the number of hydrophobic amino acid residues. In other words, the smaller the average distance between the hydrophobic amino acid residues at the binding sites between the two and the more the number of them, and the stronger the oestrogen activity expression degree of PCBS derivative molecules. Therefore, hydrophobic interactions between PCB derivatives and the oestrogen receptor can be reduced by altering the microenvironmental conditions in humans. This reduces the ability of PCB derivatives to bind to the oestrogen receptor and can effectively modulate the risk of residual PCB derivatives to produce oestrogenic activity in humans.


Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 860
Author(s):  
Ivan R. Kennedy ◽  
Migdat Hodzic

Despite the remarkable success of Carnot’s heat engine cycle in founding the discipline of thermodynamics two centuries ago, false viewpoints of his use of the caloric theory in the cycle linger, limiting his legacy. An action revision of the Carnot cycle can correct this, showing that the heat flow powering external mechanical work is compensated internally with configurational changes in the thermodynamic or Gibbs potential of the working fluid, differing in each stage of the cycle quantified by Carnot as caloric. Action (@) is a property of state having the same physical dimensions as angular momentum (mrv = mr2ω). However, this property is scalar rather than vectorial, including a dimensionless phase angle (@ = mr2ωδφ). We have recently confirmed with atmospheric gases that their entropy is a logarithmic function of the relative vibrational, rotational, and translational action ratios with Planck’s quantum of action ħ. The Carnot principle shows that the maximum rate of work (puissance motrice) possible from the reversible cycle is controlled by the difference in temperature of the hot source and the cold sink: the colder the better. This temperature difference between the source and the sink also controls the isothermal variations of the Gibbs potential of the working fluid, which Carnot identified as reversible temperature-dependent but unequal caloric exchanges. Importantly, the engine’s inertia ensures that heat from work performed adiabatically in the expansion phase is all restored to the working fluid during the adiabatic recompression, less the net work performed. This allows both the energy and the thermodynamic potential to return to the same values at the beginning of each cycle, which is a point strongly emphasized by Carnot. Our action revision equates Carnot’s calorique, or the non-sensible heat later described by Clausius as ‘work-heat’, exclusively to negative Gibbs energy (−G) or quantum field energy. This action field complements the sensible energy or vis-viva heat as molecular kinetic motion, and its recognition should have significance for designing more efficient heat engines or better understanding of the heat engine powering the Earth’s climates.


1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Cheeseman ◽  
Dorothy J. Knight

SummaryThe dissociation of casein aggregates by the detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gave rise to difference spectra and these spectra were characteristic for each of the different types of casein. Increase in absorption by the chromophore groups, tyrosine and tryptophan, when αs1- and β-casein aggregates were dissociated indicated binding of the detergent at regions of the molecule containing these residues. A decrease in absorption when κ-casein was dissociated indicated that the tyrosine and tryptophan residues were not in the region of the molecule to which the detergent was bound and that in the κ-casein aggregate these residues were in a more hydrophobic environment. Peaks on the difference spectra were obtained at 280 and 288 nm for αs1-casein and 284 and 291 nm for β-casein and troughs at 278 and 286 nm for κ-casein. The difference spectrum reached a maximum value when the αsl- and β-casein aggregates were dissociated and the further binding of SDS did not alter this value. The large negative change in the difference spectrum of κ-casein did not occur until after most of the aggregates were dissociated and did not reach a maximum until binding with SDS was complete. The value obtained for ΔOD was found to be temperature-dependent for β-casein-SDS interaction, but not for αs1- and κ-casein. Changes in spectra were also observed when αs1- and κ-casein interacted to form aggregates. The data obtained confirmed the importance of hydrophobic binding in casein aggregate formation and indicated the possible involvement of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in this binding.


1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (14) ◽  
pp. 1454-1460 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Tiedje ◽  
R. R. Haering

The theory of ultrasonic attenuation in metals is extended so that it applies to quasi one and two dimensional electronic systems. It is shown that the attenuation in such systems differs significantly from the well-known results for three dimensional systems. The difference is particularly marked for one dimensional systems, for which the attenuation is shown to be strongly temperature dependent.


2000 ◽  
Vol 351 (3) ◽  
pp. 833-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik STOLL ◽  
Shouming HE ◽  
Stephen G. WITHERS ◽  
R. Antony J. WARREN

Incubation of the β-mannosidase Man2A from Cellulomonas fimi with 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-β-d-mannosyl fluoride (2FManβF) resulted in time-dependent inactivation of the enzyme (inactivation rate constant ki = 0.57min-1, dissociation constant for the inactivator Ki = 0.41mM) through the accumulation of a covalent 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-α-d-mannosyl–β-mannosidase 2A (2FMan–Man2A) enzyme intermediate, as observed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The stoichiometry of inactivation was 1:1. Removal of excess inactivator and regeneration of active enzyme by transglycosylation of the covalently attached inhibitor to gentiobiose [Glcβ(1–6)Glc] demonstrated that the covalent intermediate was catalytically competent. Comparison by MS of the peptic digests of 2FMan–Man2A with peptic digests of native Man2A revealed a peptide of m/z 1520 that was unique to 2FMan–Man2A, and one of m/z 1036.5 that was unique to a Man2A peptide. Their sequences, determined by collision-induced fragmentation, were CSEFGFQGPPTW and FGFQGPPTW, corresponding to residues 517–528 and 520–528 of Man2A respectively. The difference in mass of 483.5 between the two peptides equals the sum of the masses of the tripeptide CSE plus that of 2-fluoromannose. It was concluded that in 2FMan–Man2A, the 2-fluoromannose esterified to Glu-519 blocks hydrolysis of the Glu-519–Phe-520 peptide bond, and that Glu-519 is the catalytic nucleophile in this enzyme. This residue is conserved in all members of family 2 of the glycosyl hydrolases. This represents the first ever labelling and identification of an active-site nucleophile in a β-mannosidase.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 1192-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory B. Fralish ◽  
Brian Dattilo ◽  
David Puett

Abstract Binding of the heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone, chorionic gonadotropin (CG), occurs to the heptahelical LH receptor N-terminal ectodomain (ECD), a large portion of which has been modeled as a leucine-rich repeat protein. In this study, we expressed and purified three single chain N-CG-ECD-C complexes, one comprising the full-length ECD, 1–341 (encoded by exons 1–10 and a portion of 11), and two C-terminal ECD deletion fragments, 1–294 (encoded by exons 1–10) and 1–180 (encoded by exons 1–7). The fusion proteins, including yoked CG (N-β-α-C), were characterized by Western blot analysis and circular dichroism (CD). Analysis of the CD spectra obtained on the CG-ECD fusion proteins, and of the difference spectrum of each after subtracting the CG contribution, yielded secondary structures consistent with a repeating β-strand/α-helix fold as predicted in the homology model. A marked decrease in helicity was observed when the C-terminal 47 amino acid residues were removed from the ECD. Removal of an additional 114 residues, i.e. the region encoded by exons 8–10, results in the loss of fewer helical residues. These results suggest that the hinge region of the ECD, predicted to contain only limited secondary structure, interacts with and stabilizes the ligand-occupied N-terminal portion. Furthermore, the results support a repeating fold, consistent with the proposed model for the LHR ECD.


1995 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Sidebotham ◽  
J. H. Baron ◽  
J. Schrager ◽  
J. Spencer ◽  
J. R. Clamp ◽  
...  

1. The content and distribution of carbohydrate was examined in mucus glycopolypeptides from human antral mucosae. 2. The mean amount of carbohydrate per 1000 amino acid residues was found to be similar in glycopolypeptides with A, B or H activity. It was slightly, though significantly, less in glycopolypeptides lacking these determinants, because carbohydrate chains were of a shorter average length than in the A-, B- or H-active preparations. This difference was reflected in the sizes of oligosaccharide—alcohols released from representative glycopolypeptides with alkaline borohydride. 3. Differences between A-, B- or H-active and non-secretor glycopolypeptides in terms of the mean number of carbohydrate chains per 1000 amino acid residues were found to be small, and without significance. 4. The average number of peripheral monosaccharide units per 1000 amino acid residues was greater in A-active than in H-active, and least in non-secretor, glycopolypeptides. This order was reversed for monosaccharide units incorporated into skeletal (core plus backbone) structures. The difference in each case was statistically significant. 5. These findings suggest that the increased risk of peptic ulcer associated with blood group O and non-secretor status is unlikely to be attributable to an inherent deficiency in the protective mucus layer, linked to differences between mucins that are associated with A, B or H activity. Other hypotheses linked to infection with Helicobacter pylori are examined.


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