The fluorescence and phosphorescence properties of the tryptophan residues in glutamate dehydrogenase were utilized to probe the conformation of the macromolecule at various states of aggregation of its subunits (hexamer, trimer, and monomer) in guanidine hydrochloride. According to the phosphorescence lifetime no gross alteration in the conformation of the protein follows from complete dissociation of the hexamer into native monomer, implying that the native fold is stabilized exclusively by intrasubunit bonding. Although modest concentrations of denaturant induce a change in configuration in the enzyme, a comparison with the macromolecule cross-linked into the hexameric form by glutaraldehyde confirms that this alteration in structure is not the result of subunit dissociation. Inhibition of catalysis by the denaturant is found to be considerably smaller than anticipated from the extent of hexamer dissociation. Furthermore, this inhibition is in no way prevented by cross-linking the enzyme in its hexameric form. This finding together with the ability of the trimer to bind the coenzyme and to undergo the characteristic structural changes induced by the effectors ADP and GTP suggests that, contrary to what is generally believed, the smallest functional unit of glutamate dehydrogenase is not the hexameric form.
The phosphorescence properties of Trp-59 of ribonuclease T1 fromAspergillus oryzae were monitored as a function of temperature, pH, salt concentration, and complex formation with substrate analogues and, also, in the presence of glycerol as viscogenic cosolvent. The results establish a rough correlation between the internal flexibility of the macromolecule, as derived from the triplet lifetime, and its stability (ΔG orT m ) toward unfolding. Below 10°C or in 70% glycerol the triplet probe distinguishes at least two gross conformations for the protein, which are characterized by a large difference in phosphorescence lifetime. It is pointed out that such structural heterogeneity does not correspond with the heterogeneity inferred from fluorescence decays and acrylamide quenching rates. Further, implications of the phosphorescence data with regard to the interpretation of acrylamide quenching of fluorescence are discussed.
A type of commercial apparatus was modified and integrated in order to implement the detection of time-resolved protein phosphorescence in the stopped-flow technique. Laser excitation, photomultiplier protection from the intense fluorescence pulse, fluorescence integration, and data acquisition are all synchronized by a trigger module that takes over standard computer control of the stopped-flow apparatus. A detailed protocol is given for effective deoxygenation of the sample and flow lines and for avoiding contamination of the solutions by quenching impurities. The performance of the apparatus was tested by comparing the phosphorescence decay kinetics of the protein horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase in the stopped-flow apparatus and in a standard phosphorimeter. The time resolution of phosphorescence detection in the stopped-flow apparatus is 10 ms and the sensitivity in terms of chromophores concentration is about 0.1 μM.
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