Thermodynamic analysis of the structural stability of phage 434 Cro protein
Biochemistry, 1999•ACS Publications
Thermodynamic parameters describing the phage 434 Cro protein have been determined
by calorimetry and, independently, by far-UV circular dichroism (CD) measurements of
isothermal urea denaturations and thermal denaturations at fixed urea concentrations.
These equilibrium unfolding transitions are adequately described by the two-state model.
The far-UV CD denaturation data yield average temperature-independent values of
0.99±0.10 kcal mol-1 M-1 for m and 0.98±0.05 kcal mol-1 K-1 for Δ Cp, U, the heat capacity …
by calorimetry and, independently, by far-UV circular dichroism (CD) measurements of
isothermal urea denaturations and thermal denaturations at fixed urea concentrations.
These equilibrium unfolding transitions are adequately described by the two-state model.
The far-UV CD denaturation data yield average temperature-independent values of
0.99±0.10 kcal mol-1 M-1 for m and 0.98±0.05 kcal mol-1 K-1 for Δ Cp, U, the heat capacity …
Thermodynamic parameters describing the phage 434 Cro protein have been determined by calorimetry and, independently, by far-UV circular dichroism (CD) measurements of isothermal urea denaturations and thermal denaturations at fixed urea concentrations. These equilibrium unfolding transitions are adequately described by the two-state model. The far-UV CD denaturation data yield average temperature-independent values of 0.99 ± 0.10 kcal mol-1 M-1 for m and 0.98 ± 0.05 kcal mol-1 K-1 for ΔCp,U, the heat capacity change accompanying unfolding. Calorimetric data yield a temperature-independent ΔCp,U of 0.95 ± 0.30 kcal mol-1 K-1 or a temperature-dependent value of 1.00 ± 0.10 kcal mol-1 K-1 at 25 °C. ΔCp,U and m determined for 434 Cro are in accord with values predicted using known empirical correlations with structure. The free energy of unfolding is pH-dependent, and the protein is completely unfolded at pH 2.0 and 25 °C as judged by calorimetry or CD. The stability of 434 Cro is lower than those observed for the structurally similar N-terminal domain of the repressor of phage 434 (R1−69) or of phage λ (λ6-85), but is close to the value reported for the putative monomeric λ Cro. Since a protein's structural stability is important in determining its intracellular stability and turnover, the stability of Cro relative to the repressor could be a key component of the regulatory circuit controlling the levels and, consequently, the functions of the two proteins in vivo.
ACS Publications