Microsecond acquisition of heterogeneous structure in the folding of a TIM barrel protein.

ABSTRACT: The earliest kinetic folding events for (betaalpha)(8) barrels reflect the appearance of off-pathway intermediates. Continuous-flow microchannel mixing methods interfaced to small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), circular dichroism (CD), time-resolved Förster resonant energy transfer (trFRET), and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy (trFLAN) have been used to directly monitor global and specific dimensional properties of the partially folded state in the microsecond time range for a representative (betaalpha)(8) barrel protein. Within 150 micros, the alpha-subunit of Trp synthase (alphaTS) experiences a global collapse and the partial formation of secondary structure. The time resolution of the folding reaction was enhanced with trFRET and trFLAN to show that, within 30 micros, a distinct

SUBMITTER: Wu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2533196 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature