Intrinsic Fluorescence Signal Research Articles

Intermediates in the refolding of ribonuclease at subzero temperatures. 3. Multiple folding pathways.

The kinetics of refolding of ribonuclease A have been measured at -15 degrees C by monitoring the intrinsic fluorescence and absorbance signals from the six tyrosine residues. For each probe multiphasic kinetics were observed. The burial of tyrosine residues, as determined by the change in absorbance at 286 nm, revealed four phases, whereas the kinetics of refolding monitored by fluorescence revealed only two phases. The rates of the transients detected by fluorescence were independent of pH. One of the faster transients detected by delta A286 involved a decrease in absorbance, which is consistent with solvent exposure, rather than burial, and suggests the possibility of an abortive partially folded intermediate in the earlier stages of folding. Double-jump unfolding assays were used to follow the buildup and decay of an intermediate in the refolding reaction at -15 degrees C. At both pH* 3.0 and pH* 6.0 the maximum concentration of the intermediate was 25-30% of the total protein. The existence of a second pathway of slow folding was inferred from the difference in rate of formation of native enzyme and breakdown of the observed intermediate, and by computer simulations. In addition, the unfolding assay demonstrated that 20% of the unfolded protein was converted to native at a much faster rate, consistent with observations in aqueous solution that 80% of unfolded ribonuclease A consists of slow-folding species. Kinetics and amplitude data from these and other refolding experiments with different probes were used to develop possible models for the pathway of refolding. The simplest system consistent with the results for the slow-refolding species involves two parallel pathways with multiple intermediates on each of them. Several independent lines of evidence indicate that about 30% of the unfolded state refolds by the minor pathway, in which the slowest observed phase is attributed to the isomerization of Pro-93. The major pathway involves 50% of the unfolded state; the reason why it refolds slowly is not apparent. A native-like intermediate is formed considerably more rapidly in the major slow-refolding pathway, compared to the minor pathway.

Fluorometric titration of the sarcoplasmic reticulum adenosinetriphosphatase calcium sites in the presence of vanadate

Titration of the specific calcium binding sites of sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase was carried out by measurements of intrinsic fluorescence in the absence and in the presence of vanadate. The previous finding that vanadate binding to the enzyme inhibits high-affinity calcium binding was confirmed. In addition, taking advantage of the slow kinetics of vanadate association and dissociation from the enzyme, we were able to titrate the fraction of sites remaining in the high affinity state in the presence of non-saturating vanadate. These sites were demonstrated to retain the characteristics displayed by the high-affinity sites in the absence of vanadate, and yielded information consistent with a competitive inhibition between vanadate and calcium. Reversal of the vanadate effect and reconversion of the binding sites to the high-affinity state was demonstrated by adding appropriate calcium concentrations to the enzyme-vanadate complex, and showing the appearance of the intrinsic fluorescence signal which is indicative of calcium occupancy of the sites in the high-affinity state. Partial or total reversal of the vanadate effect was obtained with very slow kinetics following addition of micromolar calcium or, at a somewhat faster rate, following addition of millimolar calcium. The latter experiments yielded titration of the binding sites in the low-affinity state, with a dissociation constant of approx. 2 mM at neutral pH and 10 mM Mg 2+. The time course of the fluorescence rise following addition of calcium in the presence of vanadate was more rapid in ‘leaky’ than in native sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles, suggesting an intravesicular orientation of the low-affinity calcium sites involved in the reversal of the vanadate effect. Our observations provide experimental support for the postulated mechanism of high- and low-affinity interconversion of the ATPase calcium binding sites, and its dependence on the occupancy of the phosphorylation site by vanadate.