A protein folding pathway with multiple folding intermediates at atomic resolution
Feng, H., Zhou, Z., Bai, Y.(2005) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102: 5026-5031
- PubMed: 15793003
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501372102
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1YZC - PubMed Abstract:
Using native-state hydrogen-exchange-directed protein engineering and multidimensional NMR, we determined the high-resolution structure (rms deviation, 1.1 angstroms) for an intermediate of the four-helix bundle protein: Rd-apocytochrome b562. The intermediate has the N-terminal helix and a part of the C-terminal helix unfolded. In earlier studies, we also solved the structures of two other folding intermediates for the same protein: one with the N-terminal helix alone unfolded and the other with a reorganized hydrophobic core. Together, these structures provide a description of a protein folding pathway with multiple intermediates at atomic resolution. The two general features for the intermediates are (i) native-like backbone topology and (ii) nonnative side-chain interactions. These results have implications for important issues in protein folding studies, including large-scale conformation search, -value analysis, and computer simulations.
Organizational Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 6114E, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.