Denatured State Loop Formation Thermodynamics of a Hybrid Polypeptide

Abstract

Previous work with the four-helix bundle protein cytochrome c’ in Rhodopseudomonas palustris using histidine-heme loop formation thermodynamic methods revealed fold-specific deviations from random coil character in its denatured state ensemble. To examine the generality of this finding, we extend this work to a three-helix bundle polypeptide, the human DNA excision repair protein's second ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain, UBA(2). We use yeast iso-1-cytochrome c as a scaffold, fusing the UBA(2) domain to the N-terminus of iso-1-cytochrome c. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we have engineered histidine into solvent accessible surface residue positions within the all-alpha fold, creating eight single histidine variants. Isothermal equilibration denaturation studies reveal that the fusion protein unfolds in a 3-state process, commencing with iso-1-cytochrome c followed by UBA(2). Thermodynamic stability experiments also demonstrate that the histidine residues in the UBA(2) domain strongly destabilize iso-1-cytochrome c. Furthermore, histidine-heme loop formation equilibria show lower apparent pKa's compared to the pseudo-wild type variant, indicating significant interactions in the denatured state. We will compare the degree of deviation of loop stability versus loop size, relative to predictions of the Jacobson-Stockmayer relationship used in our previous work on cytochrome c’. This comparison will allow evaluation of sequence-based conformational bias in the denatured state of this protein.