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    Cationic trypsin in its apo form (deuterated sample at 100 K)
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    Cationic polymerization
    Sample (material)
    To elucidate the molecular details of the conformation of apolipoprotein AI (apo AI), we have developed an approach related to the solubilization of this protein in 30% n-propanol. We have previously reported the promotion of a native-like structure for apo AI solubilized in n-propanol, as depicted by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and limited proteolytic digestion as compared to the lipid associated form of apo AI. In the present study, we labeled the Lys residues of apo AI with 13C by reductive methylation and used 13C NMR to confirm the formation of a native-like structure of apo AI in this environment. Furthermore, by the above criteria (circular dichroism and 13C NMR) and by using urea and temperature as denaturing agents, we show that the denaturation of the native-like structure of apo AI in n-propanol is a biphasic process. These studies show that in 30% n-propanol, apo AI contains two independently folded structural domains, of markedly different stabilities that might correspond to the amino-terminal and the carboxy-terminal halves of the molecule.
    Denaturation (fissile materials)
    Spectroscopic measurements of virgin bovine trypsin-kallikrein inhibitor and its modified species (in which the reactive-site peptide bond Lys-15--Ala-16 is split) indicate a conformational difference between both proteins. The inhibitor contains four tyrosines but no tryptophan. In the modified inhibitor a tyrosyl blue shift is seen in the difference absorption spectrum of modified against virgin inhibitor. The solvent perturbation spectra show an increase of the fraction of exposed tyrosyls from 0.45 in the virgin inhibitor to 0.59 in the modified form. Comparison of the circular dichroism spectra of the modified and virgin inhibitors reveals a decrease of the mean residue ellipticity in the tyrosine and peptide bond region of the modified inhibitor. In the fluorescence spectra a 50% increase in the quantum yield of the tyrosine fluorescence is observed in the modified inhibitor. All these spectroscopic data support the idea, which is also evidenced by the X-ray crystallographic model, that in the modified inhibitor up to five residues from Ala-16 to Arg-20 gain rotational freedom.
    Peptide bond
    Trypsin inhibitor
    Residue (chemistry)
    Peptide bond hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) by chymotrypsin and trypsin was investigated by employing time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. As a fluorescent cross-linking reagent, N-(1-pyrenyl) maleimide (PM) was attached to BSA, through all free amine groups of arginine, lysine, and/or single free thiol (Cys34). Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was used to monitor fluorescence decays analyzed by exponential series method to obtain the changes in lifetime distributions. After the exposure of synthesized protein substrate PM-BSA to chymotrypsin and trypsin, it is observed that each protease produced a distinct change in the lifetime distribution profile, which was attributed to distinct chemical environments created by short peptide fragments in each hydrolysate. The persistence of excimer emission at longer lifetime regions for chymotrypsin, as opposed to trypsin, suggested the presence of small-scale hydrophobic clusters that might prevent some excimers from being completely quenched. It is most likely that the formation of these clusters is due to hydrophobic end groups of peptide fragments in chymotrypsin hydrolysate. A similar hydrophobic shield was not suggested for trypsin hydrolysis, as the end groups of peptide fragments would be either arginine or lysine. Overall, in case the target protein's 3D structure is known, the structural analysis of possible excimer formation presented here can be used as a tool to explain the differences in activity between two proteases, i.e. the peak's intensity and location in the profile. Furthermore, this structural evaluation might be helpful in obtaining the optimum experimental conditions in order to generate the highest amount of PM-BSA complexes.
    Bovine serum albumin
    Peptide bond