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Thermal denaturation pathway of starch phosphorylase from Corynebacterium callunae: Oxyanion binding provides the glue that efficiently stabilizes the dimer structure of the protein

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2000

RICHARD GRIEßLER
Affiliation:
Division of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Food Technology, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Wien, Austria
SABATO D'AURIA
Affiliation:
Institute of Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology, C.N.R., Via Marconi, 10, 80125 Naples, Italy
FABIO TANFANI
Affiliation:
Institute of Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Ancona, Via Ranieri, 60131 Ancona, Italy
BERND NIDETZKY
Affiliation:
Division of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Food Technology, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU), Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Wien, Austria
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Abstract

Starch phosphorylase from Corynebacterium callunae is a dimeric protein in which each mol of 90 kDa subunit contains 1 mol pyridoxal 5′-phosphate as an active-site cofactor. To determine the mechanism by which phosphate or sulfate ions bring about a greater than 500-fold stabilization against irreversible inactivation at elevated temperatures (≥50 °C), enzyme/oxyanion interactions and their role during thermal denaturation of phosphorylase have been studied. By binding to a protein site distinguishable from the catalytic site with dissociation constants of Ksulfate = 4.5 mM and Kphosphate ≈ 16 mM, dianionic oxyanions induce formation of a more compact structure of phosphorylase, manifested by (a) an increase by about 5% in the relative composition of the α-helical secondary structure, (b) reduced 1H/2H exchange, and (c) protection of a cofactor fluorescence against quenching by iodide. Irreversible loss of enzyme activity is triggered by the release into solution of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, and results from subsequent intermolecular aggregation driven by hydrophobic interactions between phosphorylase subunits that display a temperature-dependent degree of melting of secondary structure. By specifically increasing the stability of the dimer structure of phosphorylase (probably due to tightened intersubunit contacts), phosphate, and sulfate, this indirectly (1) preserves a functional active site up to ≈50 °C, and (2) stabilizes the covalent protein cofactor linkage up to ≈70 °C. The effect on thermostability shows a sigmoidal and saturatable dependence on the concentration of phosphate, with an apparent binding constant at 50 °C of ≈25 mM. The extra stability conferred by oxyanion–ligand binding to starch phosphorylase is expressed as a dramatic shift of the entire denaturation pathway to a ≈20 °C higher value on the temperature scale.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2000 The Protein Society

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