Proteolytic scanning calorimetry: a novel methodology that probes the fundamental features of protein kinetic stability.

ABSTRACT: We introduce proteolytic scanning calorimetry, a modification of the differential scanning calorimetry approach to the determination of protein stability in which a proteolytic enzyme (thermolysin) is used to mimic a harsh environment. This methodology allows the straightforward calculation of the rate of irreversible denaturation as a function of temperature and concentration of proteolytic enzyme and, as a result, has the potential to probe efficiently the fundamental biophysical features of protein kinetic stability. In the particular case of Escherichia coli thioredoxin (used as an illustrative example in this article), we find that the rate of irreversible denaturation is determined by 1), the global unfolding mechanism at low thermolysin concentrations, indicating that thermodynamic

SUBMITTER: Tur-Arlandis G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2849053 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature