Increase In Beta-sheet Structure Research Articles

Influence of high-intensity ultrasound on the IgE binding capacity of Act d 2 allergen, secondary structure, and In-vitro digestibility of kiwifruit proteins

Kiwifruit can trigger allergic reactions that can lead to death, causing public health concerns worldwide. In the present study, we treated kiwifruit samples with high-intensity ultrasound (20 kHz, 400 W, 50% duty cycle) for 0 to 16 min to evaluate its effect on the IgE binding capacity of kiwifruit allergen Act d 2, secondary structure and in-vitro digestibility of kiwifruit proteins. The changes in the protein solubility and microstructures of kiwifruit were also analyzed. The results showed that treatment with powerful ultrasound caused a significant disruption in the microstructure of kiwifruit tissues, leading to the changes in the secondary structures of proteins, including a loss of alpha-helixes and an increase in beta-sheet structures. These structural changes were due to the ultrasound treatment, especially 16 min of treatment, resulted in a 50% reduction in Act d 2 allergen content and significantly improved in-vitro digestibility up to 62% from the initial level of 35%. Furthermore, the solubility of the total proteins present in kiwifruit samples was significantly decreased by 20% after 16-min ultrasound processing. The results of this work showed that high-intensity ultrasound treatment has a potential application in reducing the allergenicity of kiwifruit or related products.

Isolating Toxic Insulin Amyloid Oligomers that Lack Beta-Sheets and have Wide pH Stability

Amyloid diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, are characterized by aggregation of normally functioning proteins or peptides into ordered, beta-sheet rich fibrils. There are many theories on the species that causes toxicity in amyloid diseases, mainly focused on the nuclei or oligomers in the fibril formation process. The nuclei and oligomers are transient species, which makes their full characterization difficult. We have isolated a toxic protein species that acts like an oligomer and may provide evidence of a stable oligomer. This oligomer was isolated by dissolving amyloid fibrils at high pH, then purified and concentrated by diafiltration. It has a mass greater than 100 kDa and a diameter ranging of 48 ± 15 nm. The oligomer seeds the formation of fibrils in a dose dependent manner and exhibits Thioflavin-T fluorescence, but circular dichroism and deep UV resonance Raman spectroscopy did not find any evidence of an increase in beta-sheet structure. It appears that this oligomer is largely unstructured protein. We hypothesize that the oligomer does not decompose at high pH and maintains its structure in solution. All of the insulin, however, that joined the oligomer to elongate the beta-sheet rich fibrils folded in a different conformation and could be removed from the fibril and returned to native, dissolved insulin. This is the first time that a stable oligomer of an amyloid reaction has been separated and characterized without genetically engineering the protein or having additives in the fibrillation media. It appears that the oligomer does not have the same structure as the fibrils and is possibly intrinsically unfolded. This may make the search for a stable amyloid oligomer or nucleus even more difficult since methods to detect beta-sheets are often employed in the search for these structures.

Aggregation and Amyloid Fibril Formation Induced by Chemical Dimerization of Recombinant Prion Protein in Physiological-like Conditions

Prion diseases are caused by the conversion of a cellular protein (PrP(C)) into a misfolded, aggregated isoform (PrP(Res)). Misfolding of recombinant PrP(C) in the absence of PrP(Res) template, cellular factors, denaturing agents, or at neutral pH has not been achieved. A number of studies indicate that dimerization of PrP(C) may be a key step in the aggregation process. In an effort to understand the molecular event that may activate misfolding of PrP(C) in more relevant physiological conditions, we tested if enforced dimerization of PrP(C) may induce a conformational change reminiscent of the conversion of PrP(C) to PrP(Res). We used a well described inducible dimerization strategy whereby a chimeric PrP(C) composed of a modified FK506-binding protein (Fv) fused with PrP(C) and termed Fv-PrP is incubated in the presence of a monomeric FK506 or dimerizing AP20187 ligand. Addition of AP20187 but not FK506 to recombinant Fv-PrP (rFv-PrP) in physiological-like conditions resulted in a rapid conformational change characterized by an increase in beta-sheet structure and simultaneous aggregation of the protein. Aggregates were partially resistant to proteinase K and induced the conversion of soluble rFv-PrP in serial seeding experiments. As judged from thioflavin T binding and electron microscopy, aggregates converted to amyloid fibers. Aggregates were toxic to cultured cells, whereas soluble rFv-PrP and amyloid fibers were harmless. This study strongly supports the proposition that dimerization of PrP(C) is a key pathological primary event in the conversion of PrP(C) and may initiate the pathogenesis of prion diseases.

Adsorption of Bovine Hemoglobin onto Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes Monitored by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The adsorption of bovine hemoglobin (BHb) onto colloidal spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) is studied by a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The SPBs consist of a polystyrene core onto which long chains of poly(styrene sulfonic acid) are grafted. Hemoglobin is a tetrameric protein that disassembles at low pH's and high ionic strengths. The protein is embedded into the brush layer composed of strong polyacids. Thus, the protein is subjected to a pH and ionic strength that largely differs from the bulk solution. At low ionic strengths up to 650 mg of BHb per gram of SPB could be immobilized. The analysis of the particles loaded with protein by SAXS demonstrates that the protein enters deeply into the brush. A large fraction of hemoglobin is bound at the surface of the polystyrene core. We attribute this strong affinity to hydrophobic interactions between the protein and the polystyrene core. The other protein molecules are closely correlated with the polyelectrolyte chains. The secondary structure of the protein within the brush was studied by FTIR spectroscopy. The analysis revealed a significant disturbance of the secondary structure of the tetrameric protein. The content of alpha-helix is significantly lowered compared to the native conformation. Moreover, there is an increase of beta-sheet structure as compared to the native conformation. The partial loss of the structural integrity of the hydrophobic protein is due to hydrophobic interactions with the hydrophobic polystyrene core. Hydrophobic interactions with the phenyl groups of the poly(styrene sulfonate) chains influence the secondary structure as well. These findings indicate that changes of the secondary structure play a role in the uptake of hemoglobin into the poly(styrene sulfonate) brushes.

Conformational studies of alanine‐rich peptide using CD and FTIR spectroscopy

The circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) methods were applied to the conformational studies of alanine-rich peptide Ac-K-[A]11-KGGY-NH2 (where K is lysine, A is alanine, G is glycine and Y is tyrozyne) in water, methanol (MeOH) and trifluoroethanol (TFE). The analysis of CD-spectra of the peptide in water at different concentrations revealed that the secondary structure content depends on the peptide concentration and pH of the solution. The increase of the peptide concentration causes a decrease of alpha-helix content and, simultaneously, an increase of beta-sheet structure, while the unordered structure is the predominant one. Additional elements are discovered in MeOH and TFE but alpha-helix and beta-turns predominate. Moreover, in these solutions the percentage content of the secondary structure does not depend on the temperature. FTIR measurements, carried out at higher peptide concentration (about one order of magnitude) than these CD measurements mentioned above, revealed that in water solution the solid state beta-sheet, and aggregated structures, dominate. However, in TFE the most abundant are alpha-helix and beta-turns structures. The thioflavine T assay showed the tendency of the studied peptide for aggregate.

Tau aggregation is driven by a transition from random coil to beta sheet structure

The abnormal aggregation of the microtubule associated protein tau into paired helical filaments (PHFs) is one the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The soluble protein is one of the longest natively unfolded proteins, lacking significant amounts of secondary structure over a sequence of 441 amino acids in the longest isoform. Furthermore, the unfolded character is consistent with some notable features of the protein like stability towards heat and acid treatment. It is still unclear how these characteristics support the physiological function of binding to and stabilization of microtubules. We review here some recent studies on how an unfolded protein such as tau can adopt beta-structure, which then leads to the highly ordered morphology of the PHFs. The core sequence for both microtubule binding and PHF formation is the microtubule binding domain containing three or four repeats. This region alone is sufficient for PHF formation and mostly unfolded in the soluble state. A search for sequence motifs within this region crucial for PHF building revealed two hexapeptides in the second and the third repeat. Some of the genetically linked cases of FTDP-17 show missense mutations in or adjacent to these hexapeptide motifs. Proteins containing the P301L and the DeltaK280 mutations exhibit accelerated aggregation. The importance of the two hexapeptides stems from their capacity to undergo a conformational change from a random coil to a beta sheet structure. The increase of beta sheet structure is a typical feature of an amyloidogenic protein and is the basis of other characteristics like a decreased sensitivity towards proteolytic degradation and Congo red binding. PHFs aggregated in vitro and in vivo contain beta-sheet structure, as judged by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.

Freeze-drying of proteins: some emerging concerns.

Freeze-drying (lyophilization) removes water from a frozen sample by sublimation and desorption. It can be viewed as a three-step process consisting of freezing, primary drying and secondary drying. While cryoprotectants can protect the protein from denaturation during early stages, lyoprotectants are needed to prevent protein inactivation during drying. The structural changes as a result of freeze-drying have been investigated, especially by FTIR (Fourier-transform IR) spectroscopy. In general, drying results in a decrease of alpha-helix and random structure and an increase in beta-sheet structure. In the case of basic fibroblast growth factor and gamma-interferon, enhanced FTIR showed large conformational changes and aggregation during freeze-drying, which could be prevented by using sucrose as a lyoprotectant. It is now well established that structural changes during freeze-drying are responsible for low activity of freeze-dried powders in nearly anhydrous media. Strategies such as salt activation can give 'activated' enzyme powders, e.g. salt-activated thermolysin-catalysed regioselective acylation of taxol to give a more soluble derivative for therapeutic use. In the presence of moisture, freeze-dried proteins can undergo disulphide interchange and other reactions which lead to inactivation. Such molecular changes during storage have been described for human insulin, tetanus toxoid and interleukin-2. Some successful preventive strategies in these cases have also been mentioned as illustrations. Finally, it is emphasized that freeze-drying is not an innocuous process and needs to be understood and used carefully.

Low concentration of guanidine hydrochloride induces the formation of an aggregation-prone state in alpha-urease.

Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean) alpha-urease is a hexameric protein characterized by a complex denaturation mechanism. In previous papers, we have shown that a hydrophobic 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANSA) binding conformer could be populated in a moderate concentration of denaturant. This state was obtained under conditions that had no detectable impact on its tertiary structure, as indicated by fluorescence measurements. In the present study, we further characterized this ANSA-binding state in an attempt to understand urease behavior. Evidence presented here shows that the presence of ANSA was not required for the generation of the conformer and that its affinity for ANSA came from an increase in hydrophobicity leading to aggregation. Circular dichroism investigation of urease revealed that it had periodical secondary structure content similar to Klebsiella aerogenes urease (secondary structures calculated on the basis of crystallographic data). The impact of 0.9 M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) on soluble urease secondary structures was minimal but is compatible with a slight increase in beta-sheet structures. Such modification may indicates that aggregation involves amyloid-like fibril formation. Electron microscopy analysis of urease in the absence of GuHCl revealed the presence of urease hexamers (round shape 13 nm in diameter). These particles disappeared in the presence of moderate denaturant concentration owing to the formation of aggregates and fibril-like structures. The fibrils obtained in 1.5 M GuHCl had an average diameter of 6.5 nm, suggesting that urease hexamers dissociated into smaller oligomeric forms when forming such fibrils.

Formation of Critical Oligomers Is a Key Event during Conformational Transition of Recombinant Syrian Hamster Prion Protein

We have investigated the conformational transition and aggregation process of recombinant Syrian hamster prion protein (SHaPrP90-232) by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, light scattering, and electron microscopy under equilibrium and kinetic conditions. SHaPrP90-232 showed an infrared absorbance spectrum typical of proteins with a predominant alpha-helical structure both at pH 7.0 and at pH 4.2 in the absence of guanidine hydrochloride. At pH 4.2 and destabilizing conditions (0.3-2 m guanidine hydrochloride), the secondary structure of SHaPrP90-232 was transformed to a strongly hydrogen-bonded, most probably intermolecularly arranged antiparallel beta-sheet structure as indicated by dominant amide I band components at 1620 and 1691 cm-1. Kinetic analysis of the transition process showed that the decrease in alpha-helical structures and the increase in beta-sheet structures occurred concomitantly according to a bimolecular reaction. However, the concentration dependence of the corresponding rate constant pointed to an apparent third order reaction. No beta-sheet structure was formed within the dead time (190 ms) of the infrared experiments. Light scattering measurements revealed that the structural transition of SHaPrP90-232 was accompanied by formation of oligomers, whose size was linearly dependent on protein concentration. Extrapolation to zero protein concentration yielded octamers as the smallest oligomers, which are considered as "critical oligomers." The small oligomers showed spherical and annular shapes in electron micrographs. Critical oligomers seem to play a key role during the transition and aggregation process of SHaPrP90-232. A new model for the structural transition and aggregation process of the prion protein is described.

Molecular structures and interactions of repetitive peptides based on wheat glutenin subunits depend on chain length

Synthetic and recombinant peptide models of the central repetitive domain of the high molecular weight subunits of wheat glutenin with different numbers of the consensus repeat motifs PGQGQQ + GYYPTSLQQ (21, 45, 110, and 203 residues long) and a recombinant 58,000-Da relative molecular mass (M(r) 58,000) repetitive peptide from a single subunit (1Dx5) are studied using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. The spectra of the dry peptides are very similar; at low water contents (<76% relative humidity) there is an increase in beta-sheet structures in all peptides. However, on further hydration the content of beta sheets decrease and more beta turns are observed. The changes during the second step of hydration are very marked in the 21 and 45 residue peptides, but they are less apparent in the longer perfect repeat peptides. In the 110 and 203 residue peptides hydration results in increased contents of intermolecular beta-sheets and less beta-turn formation. In contrast, the beta-turn content of the M(r) 58,000 peptide increases during the second hydration step. The decreased extent of structure changes with increasing chain length indicates that cumulative intermolecular interactions, in particular hydrogen bonds, are an important factor in determining the structures in the solid state. The regularity of the perfect repeat sequences in the 21, 45, 110, and 203 residue peptides may favor the formation of larger stretches of intermolecular beta sheets. In contrast, the M(r) 58,000 peptide contains imperfect repeats (in common with native glutenin subunits), which may limit its ability to form intermolecular beta sheets.

Hereditary amyloidoses associated with transthyretin mutations

Hereditary amyloidoses form a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of autosomal-dominantly inherited diseases characterized by the ubiquitous extracellular deposit of fibrillary aggregated proteins. Main components of these unsolvable deposits are physiologic proteins that became amyloidogenic through genetically determined conformation changes resulting in an increase in beta-sheet structures. In the vast majority of cases, the offending protein is variant transthyretin (TTR), of which over 80 mutations are known. Among these, substitution of valine by methionine in position 30 (TTR-Met30) is the most commonly encountered. In typical cases, TTR amyloidoses present with polyneuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, autonomic insufficiency, cardiomyopathy, and gastrointestinal features, occasionally accompanied by vitreous opacities and renal insufficiency. Rarely, involvement of the leptomeningeal or meningovascular structures dominates the clinical picture. The clinical expression is highly variable, with many atypical manifestations. Asymptomatic mutations have recently been identified. The age of onset varies greatly between early adulthood and old age. Late-onset atypical manifestations and occurrence of asymptomatic carriers render identification of affected family members difficult despite autosomal-dominant inheritance. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only effective therapy available today. This OLT stops progression of the disease, which is otherwise invariably fatal, by removal of the main production site of the amyloidogenic protein. However, cardiac involvement may progress after OLT for unknown reasons. The indication for OLT and its success depend on the grade of cardiovascular and autonomic dysfunction at the time of surgery, age, comorbidity, and type of mutation. Alternative treatment modalities with drugs stabilizing the native tetrameric conformation of TTR, inhibiting fibril formation or breaking beta-sheet structures, are currently being intensively studied.

Structural Changes of Cytochromec552 fromThermus thermophilus Adsorbed on Anionic and Hydrophobic Surfaces Probed by FTIR and 2D-FTIR Spectroscopy

The structural changes of cytochrome c(552) bound to anionic and hydrophobic clay surfaces have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Binding to the anionic surface of montmorillonite is controlled by electrostatic interactions since addition of electrolyte (0.5 mol L(-1) KCl) causes desorption of more than 2/3 of the protein molecules. Electrostatic binding occurs through the back side of the protein (i.e., remote from the heme site) and is associated only with subtle changes of the secondary structure. In contrast, adsorption to the hydrophobic surface of talc leads to a decrease in alpha-helical structure by ca. 5% and an increase in beta-sheet structure by ca. 6%. These structural changes are attributed to a hydrophobic region on the front surface of cytochrome c(552) close to the partially exposed heme edge. This part on the protein surface is identified as the interaction domain for talc and most likely also serves for binding to the natural reaction partner, a ba(3)-oxidase. Fourier transform infrared spectra of cytochrome c(552) and the clay-cytochrome c(552) complexes have been measured as a function of time following dissolution and suspension in deuterated buffer, respectively. A two-dimensional correlation analysis was applied to these spectra to investigate the dynamics of the structural changes in the protein. For both complexes, adsorption and subsequent unfolding processes in the binding domains are faster than the time resolution of the spectroscopic experiments. Thus, the processes that could be monitored are refolding of peptide segments and side chain rearrangements following the adsorption-induced perturbation of the protein structure and the solvation of the adsorbed protein. In each case, side chain alterations of solvent-exposed tyrosine, aspartate, and glutamate residues were observed. For the cytochrome c(552)-talc complex, these changes are followed by a slow refolding of the peptide chain in the binding domain and, subsequently, a further H/D exchange of amide group protons.

Strong-light photoinhibition treatment accelerates the changes of protein secondary structures in triton-treated photosystem I and photosystem II complexes.

Changes in the protein secondary structure and electron transport activity of the Triton X-100-treated photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) complexes after strong illumination treatment were studied using Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and an oxygen electrode. Short periods of photoinhibitory treatment led to obvious decreases in the rates of PSI-mediated electron transport activity and PSII-mediated oxygen evolution in the native or Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes. In the native PSI and PSII complexes, the protein secondary structures had little changes after the photoinhibitory treatment. However, in both Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes, short photoinhibition times caused significant loss of alpha-helical content and increase of beta-sheet structure, similar to the conformational changes in samples of Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes after long periods of dark incubation. Our results demonstrate that strong-light treatment to the Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes accelerates destruction of the transmembrane structure of proteins in the two photosynthetic membranes.

Structural Changes of Cytochrome c552 from Thermus thermophilus Adsorbed on Anionic and Hydrophobic Surfaces Probed by FTIR and 2D-FTIR Spectroscopy

The structural changes of cytochrome c(552) bound to anionic and hydrophobic clay surfaces have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Binding to the anionic surface of montmorillonite is controlled by electrostatic interactions since addition of electrolyte (0.5 mol L(-1) KCl) causes desorption of more than 2/3 of the protein molecules. Electrostatic binding occurs through the back side of the protein (i.e., remote from the heme site) and is associated only with subtle changes of the secondary structure. In contrast, adsorption to the hydrophobic surface of talc leads to a decrease in alpha-helical structure by ca. 5% and an increase in beta-sheet structure by ca. 6%. These structural changes are attributed to a hydrophobic region on the front surface of cytochrome c(552) close to the partially exposed heme edge. This part on the protein surface is identified as the interaction domain for talc and most likely also serves for binding to the natural reaction partner, a ba(3)-oxidase. Fourier transform infrared spectra of cytochrome c(552) and the clay-cytochrome c(552) complexes have been measured as a function of time following dissolution and suspension in deuterated buffer, respectively. A two-dimensional correlation analysis was applied to these spectra to investigate the dynamics of the structural changes in the protein. For both complexes, adsorption and subsequent unfolding processes in the binding domains are faster than the time resolution of the spectroscopic experiments. Thus, the processes that could be monitored are refolding of peptide segments and side chain rearrangements following the adsorption-induced perturbation of the protein structure and the solvation of the adsorbed protein. In each case, side chain alterations of solvent-exposed tyrosine, aspartate, and glutamate residues were observed. For the cytochrome c(552)-talc complex, these changes are followed by a slow refolding of the peptide chain in the binding domain and, subsequently, a further H/D exchange of amide group protons.

Beta-sheet structure formation of proteins in solid state as revealed by circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Cross beta-sheet structure formation and abnormal aggregation of proteins are thought to be pathological characteristics of some neurodegenerative disorders. To investigate the novel structural transformation and aggregation, the solid-state secondary structures of some proteins and peptides associated in thin films were determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Insulin, lysozyme, DsbA protein, luciferase, and ovalbumin peptide fall into one group; they show no or slight structural rearrangement from solution to the solid state. Another group, including bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, alpha-synuclein, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAIRC) peptide, undergo structural transformation with an increase of beta-sheet structure in the solid state. The beta-sheet formation of PAIRC peptide may reflect the structural transformation of the serpin reactive center that is relevant to the inhibitor activity. The beta-sheet structure of alpha-synuclein in the solid state may correspond to the amyloid-like aggregates, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of some neurodegenerative diseases.

Structural and functional characterization of the phosphorylated adipocyte lipid-binding protein (pp15).

A substrate for the insulin receptor kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes has previously been identified as the adipocyte lipid-binding protein (ALBP, also known as aP2 or p15). We have characterized the effect of tyrosyl phosphorylation on ALBP structure and ligand-binding properties. Phosphorylated ALBP (phospho-ALBP) was isolated by a combination of gel filtration, anion exchange chromatography, and immunoaffinity chromatography on anti-phosphotyrosine agarose. Circular dichroic spectroscopy indicated that the phosphoprotein was similar in structure to native ALBP. Phospho-ALBP exhibited a slight decrease in calculated alpha-helical content which was compensated for by an increase in beta-sheet structure. The wavelength yielding maximum tryptophan fluorescence was unaltered by phosphorylation (334 +/- 1 nm). However, the concentration of guanidine HCl yielding 50% denaturation was 1.43 M for ALBP and 0.92 M for phospho-ALBP. The delta Goapp was 3.87 and 3.25 kcal mol-1 for ALBP and phospho-ALBP, respectively, suggesting that phosphorylation destabilized the protein. To assess the binding characteristics of the phosphoprotein, a long-chain fatty acid affinity column was synthesized to which native ALBP specifically bound. In contrast, phospho-ALBP showed little or no affinity for the column. Furthermore, phosphorylation virtually abolished binding of the fluorescent fatty acid analogue 12-(9-anthroyloxy)oleic acid. Fatty acid binding activity was recovered (approximately 60%) upon dephosphorylation with protein tyrosine phosphatase. The structural studies, coupled with the crystal structure of the apoprotein, indicate that the dramatic reduction in binding affinity is likely a result of steric hindrance in the binding cavity or of electrostatic interactions of the phosphoryl group with the fatty acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)