Solution NMR evidence for a cis Tyr-Ala peptide group in the structure of [Pro93Ala] bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A

Abstract

Proline peptide group isomerization can result in kinetic barriers in protein folding. In particular, the cis proline peptide conformation at Tyr92–Pro93 of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) has been proposed to be crucial for chain folding initiation. Mutation of this proline-93 to alanine results in an RNase A molecule, P93A, that exhibits unfolding/refolding kinetics consistent with a cis Tyr92–Ala93 peptide group conformation in the folded structure (Dodge RW, Scheraga HA, 1996, Biochemistry 35:1548–1559). Here, we describe the analysis of backbone proton resonance assignments for P93A together with nuclear Overhauser effect data that provide spectroscopic evidence for a type VI β-bend conformation with a cis Tyr92–Ala93 peptide group in the folded structure. This is in contrast to the reported X-ray crystal structure of [Pro93Gly]-RNase A (Schultz LW, Hargraves SR, Klink TA, Raines RT, 1998, Protein Sci 7:1620–1625), in which Tyr92–Gly93 forms a type-II β-bend with a trans peptide group conformation. While a glycine residue at position 93 accommodates a type-II bend (with a positive value of φ₉₃), RNase A molecules with either proline or alanine residues at this position appear to require a cis peptide group with a type-VI β-bend for proper folding. These results support the view that a cis Pro93 conformation is crucial for proper folding of wild-type RNase A.