Observation of protein folding/unfolding dynamics of ubiquitin trapped in agarose gel by single-molecule FRET

Eur Biophys J. 2012 Feb;41(2):189-98. doi: 10.1007/s00249-011-0772-6. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Abstract

A ubiquitin mutant with two Cys mutations, m[C]q/S65C, was site-specifically labeled with two dye molecules, Alexa Fluor 488 (donor) and Alexa Fluor 594 (acceptor), due to the different reactivity of these two Cys residues. This doubly dye-labeled ubiquitin has lower structural stability than wild-type ubiquitin. Taking advantage of this decreased stability, conformational heterogeneity of this protein under nondenaturing condition was observed at the single-molecule level using single-paired Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) by trapping the protein in agarose gel. Three conformational populations corresponding to folded (E (ET) ≈ 0.95), loosely packed (E (ET) ≈ 0.72), and unfolded (E (ET) ≈ 0.22) structures, and the structural transitions between them were observed. Our results suggest that agarose immobilization is good for observing structural dynamics of proteins under native condition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / methods*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Gels
  • Humans
  • Immobilized Proteins / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Unfolding*
  • Sepharose / chemistry*
  • Ubiquitin / chemistry*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Gels
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Ubiquitin
  • Sepharose