Phi-values for BPTI folding intermediates and implications for transition state analysis

Nat Struct Biol. 2001 Apr;8(4):326-30. doi: 10.1038/86200.

Abstract

Amino acid replacements were used to probe the roles of 14 sites in two well-characterized intermediates in the folding pathway of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). One of these intermediates contains one of the three disulfides found in the native protein (30--51). NMR studies have shown that approximately two-thirds of this polypeptide has a native-like conformation. The other intermediate contains two native disulfides (30--51 and 5--55) and has a fully folded conformation. The phi-values for a majority of residues were <1, indicating that the native protein was significantly more destabilized than either intermediate even when the altered residue was located in a well-ordered region of the intermediate. These observations suggest that folding intermediates and transition states may generally be more structured than indicated by phi-values alone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution / genetics
  • Animals
  • Aprotinin / chemistry*
  • Aprotinin / genetics
  • Aprotinin / metabolism*
  • Cattle
  • Disulfides / metabolism
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Denaturation
  • Protein Folding*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Disulfides
  • Aprotinin