Characterization of proteolysis fragments of aspartokinase I: homoserine dehydrogenase I. Fluorescence and circular dichroism studies.

Abstract

Proteolysis of native aspartokinase-homoserine dehydrogenase by chymotrypsin, subtilisin, clostripain, and V8 protease yields active dehydrogenase fragments. Fluorescence and near-UV circular dichroism measurements demonstrate that the bulk of the spectroscopic signal observed in the native protein originates in the residual fragments. Kinetic studies and far-UV CD spectra further distribute the fragments into two groups. Even though the remaining dehydrogenase activity is no longer inhibited by L-threonine, ultrafiltration binding studies and far-UV CD spectra clearly demonstrate that one of the two sets of inhibitor-binding sites is still intact. Computer analysis of the far-UV CD data of the native protein and the isolated fragments in the presence and absence of L-threonine has been used to resolve contributions from helix, beta, turn, and aperiodic components. This analysis indicates that the binding of the inhibitor induces decreases in helix content and generation of aperiodic structure within the molecule. The changes observed are similar in the native molecule and the fragments.