Folding-equilibrium studies

Folding Equilibrium Studies. E. coli RTEM p-lactamase is a monomeric protein. Its amino acid sequence has been determined (79). It has one disulfide bond between the residues Cys S and Cys. The presence of four tyrosines and four tryptophans allows the use of spectroscopic method for the conformational characterization of the enzyme. In this study, the effect of denaturants on the unfolding of p-lactamase was determined from activity measurements, difference spectroscopy and fluorescence intensity measurements. 

Equilibrium studies have shown that the first formation constant of the chromium(iii)-ethylenediamine system is < 10, over 10 -fold smaller than the value (10 ) previously reported. [Cr(en)3 (tn) ] (x = 0—3 and tn = tri-methylenediamine) complexes have been prepared and resolved using nitro-(-f )D-camphor. These mixed complexes have the same absolute configuration, A, as the pure [Cr(en)3] and [Cr(tn)3] species. Selective intervention of an optically active counterion in the relaxation processes of excited enantiomeric complexes can lead to partial resolution. This has been achieved for [Cr(phen)3] using D-tartrate. ... 

The data obtained from equilibrium studies emphasize the following points 1) The protein unfolding-folding transition is generally a very cooperative process. 

Two other examples will sufhce. Methane physisorbs on NaCl(lOO) and an early study showed that the symmetrical, IR-inactive v mode could now be observed [97]. In more recent work, polarized FTIR rehection spectroscopy was used to determine that on being adsorbed, the three-fold degeneracies of the vs and v modes were partially removed [98]. This hnding allowed consideration of possible adsorbate-adsorbent geometries one was that of a tripod with three of the methane hydrogens on the surface. The systems were at between 4 and 40 K so that the equilibrium pressure was very low, about 10 atm. 

The equilibrium between neutral a and zwitterionic b forms in the case of nicotinic 6 and isonicotinic 7 acids has been studied by Halle in mixtures of DMSO and water (from 0 to 100%) (Scheme 4). The position of the equilibrium is very sensitive to the composition of the solvent and for more than 80% of DMSO, the a form essentially dominates the equilibrium in solution (96CJC613). An analysis of their data shows a perfect linear relationship (r = 1) between the In Kt of the two acids and moderate linear relationships between In Kt and the percentage of DMSO. Johnston has studied the equilibrium 2-hydroxypyridine/2-pyridone in supercritical fluids (propane at 393 K and 1,1-difluoroethane at 403 K) (89JPC4297). The equilibrium constant Kt (pyridone/hydroxypyridine) increases four-fold for a pressure increase of 40 bar in 1,1-difluoroethane. 

We passed then to a particular olefin, adamantylideneadamantane, whose reaction with Br2 had been shown to stop at the stage of bromonium ion formation because of steric hindrance to backside nucleophilic attack. An UV-Vis spectrophotometric study (ref. 10) has shown that the complicated equilibrium reported in Scheme 4 is immediately established on mixing the olefin and Br2 in DCE. Equilibrium (1) could be isolated by working at low Br2 and ten to hundred fold higher olefin concentrations. A Scott plot followed by a NLLSQ refinement of the data gave a Kf = 2.89 x 10 (4.0) M-l. It is worth noting that conductimetric measurements showed the non-ionic nature of the 1 1 adduct, consistent with a CTC intermediate, but not with a bromonium-bromide species. 

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