Ornithine carbamoyltransferase unfolding states in the presence of urea and guanidine hydrochloride

Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2014 Jan;172(2):854-66. doi: 10.1007/s12010-013-0580-9.

Abstract

Ornithine carbamoyltransferase folding/unfolding is a complex and not completely understood process. Our experimental results suggest that ornithine carbamoyltransferase interacts in a completely different way with urea and guanidine hydrochloride. In fact, we noticed that, increasing concentration from 0.0 to 8.0 M of the two additives, the enzyme follows a simple one-step transition mechanism in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride, with two macroscopic states (the native and the denatured one) significantly populated, whereas in the presence of urea a lot of different protein states can be detected and analyzed. Circular dichroism and UV-visible spectroscopy reveal a similar mechanism of perturbation at high temperature, with opening of hydrophobic core and a significant loss in α-helix structure in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride that cannot be found in the presence of urea.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Fluorescence
  • Guanidine / pharmacology*
  • Kinetics
  • Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase / metabolism*
  • Protein Folding / drug effects*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Sharks
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Thermodynamics
  • Urea / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Urea
  • Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase
  • Guanidine