Anjeeta Rani

A comparative study of the effects of the Hofmeister series anions of the ionic salts and ionic liquids on the stability of α-chymotrypsin

In this article, we have compared the anions of sodium salts (Is) and ionic liquids (ILs) with the stability and structure of α-chymotrypsin (CT), through fluorescence, thermal fluorescence analysis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The experimental results revealed that the Hofmeister series of anions such as SCN−, SO42−, Cl−, Br−, CH3COO− and I− of Is destabilized the native structure of CT. On the contrary, the anions such as CH3COO−, Cl− and Br− of imidazolium-based IL with a fixed cation such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, [Bmim]+, stabilized the native structure of CT. The remaining anions of ILs such as SCN−, HSO4−, and I− acted as denaturing agents for the native structure of CT. Furthermore, molecular docking results show that the imidazolium-cation of the IL enters the sub-domains of CT and interacts with the ionic residues of CT, that is, Ser217 close to Trp215. This interaction is in well agreement with the fluorescence quenching observed for CT in the presence of [Bmim]+. On the other hand, the destabilizing anion such as SO42− was observed to be directly interacting with Ser195 in the active site of CT. We have observed that the Hofmeister series effects of anions of either Is or ILs are entirely based on the interaction of the anions with their counterions, that is, cations, with solvent molecules, as well as with the protein surface. Evidently, these interactions vary with the co-solvent system and the type of protein. Hence, the stability of a biomolecule in the presence of the anions may or may not obey the Hofmeister series.

Insights into the interactions between enzyme and co-solvents: stability and activity of stem bromelain.

In present study, an attempt is made to elucidate the effects of various naturally occurring osmolytes and denaturants on BM at pH 7.0. The effects of the varying concentrations of glycerol, sorbitol, sucrose, trehalose, urea and guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl) on structure, stability and activity of BM are explored by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), UV-vis spectroscopy and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Our experimental observations reveal that glycerol and sorbitol are acting as stabilizers at all concentrations while sucrose and trehalose are found to be destabilizers at lower concentrations, however, acted as stabilizers at higher concentrations. On the other hand, urea and GdnHCl are denaturants except at lower concentrations. There is a direct relationship between activity and conformational stability as the activity data are found to be in accordance with conformational stability parameters (ΔGu, Tm, ΔCp) and BM profile on SDS-PAGE.

Trimethylamine- N -oxide switches from stabilizing nature: A mechanistic outlook through experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulation

In adaptation biology of the discovery of the intracellular osmolytes, the osmolytes are found to play a central role in cellular homeostasis and stress response. A number of models using these molecules are now poised to address a wide range of problems in biology. Here, a combination of biophysical measurements and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method is used to examine the effect of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) on stem bromelain (BM) structure, stability and function. From the analysis of our results, we found that TMAO destabilizes BM hydrophobic pockets and active site as a result of concerted polar and non-polar interactions which is strongly evidenced by MD simulation carried out for 250 ns. This destabilization is enthalpically favourable at higher concentrations of TMAO while entropically unfavourable. However, to the best of our knowledge, the results constitute first detailed unambiguous proof of destabilizing effect of most commonly addressed TMAO on the interactions governing stability of BM and present plausible mechanism of protein unfolding by TMAO.

A Distinct Proof on Interplay between Trehalose and Guanidinium Chloride for the Stability of Stem Bromelain

Guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl), a potential denaturant, is well-known to denature a number of proteins in vitro as well as in vivo studies. Its deleterious action on stem bromelain (BM) is quite prominent resulting decrease in protein structure and stability. The counteraction of this adverse effect of GdnHCl by the use of osmolytes is scarcely studied and the mechanism is still illusive and not exclusive. For the first time, to test elegant and simple counteraction hypothesis as a general mechanism we utilized fluorescence, circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering to study the counteraction of GdnHCl-induced denaturation of BM by the trehalose. It is revealed from the investigation of the results that trehalose is efficiently counteracting GdnHCl undesirable impacts on BM stability at molar ratio 1:1 of trehalose and GdnHCl. On the contrary, proteolytic activity of BM is increased only for the counteraction study of BM at very high concentrations of GdnHCl although still less than BM in buffer. The mutual exclusion of both trehalose and GdnHCl may stand for the counteraction of denaturation of BM resulting in a compact conformation with less solvent exposed surface area and increased secondary and tertiary structures. In addition, a decrease in BM-solvent interactions may also be contributing to some extent as there is little binding of trehalose replacing some water molecules and reducing binding of GdnHCl.

Coherent Experimental and Simulation Approach To Explore the Underlying Mechanism of Denaturation of Stem Bromelain in Osmolytes

Characterization of a protein in the context of its environment is of crucial importance for a complete understanding of its function. Although biophysical techniques provide powerful tools for studying the stability and activity of the enzyme in the presence of various cosolvents, an approach of combining both experimental techniques and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations may lead to the mechanistic insight into the interactions governing the stability of an enzyme. The knowledge of these interactions can be further utilized for range of modifications in the wild form of an enzyme for various pharmaceutical applications. Herein, we employed florescence, UV-visible, circular dichroism (CD), dynamic light scattering (DLS) study, and MD simulations for comprehensive understanding of stem bromelain (BM) in the presence of betaine, sarcosine, arginine, and proline. The thermal stability of BM in the presence of 1 M of osmolytes is found to be in order: proline > betaine > buffer > arginine > sarcosine. BM gets more preferentially hydrated in the presence of betaine and proline than in sarcosine and arginine. Nonetheless, MD simulations suggest that betaine, sarcosine, and arginine at 1 M interact with the active site of BM through H-bonding except proline which are responsible for more disruption of active site. The distances between the catalytic site residues are 1.6, 1.9, 4.3, 5.0, and 6.2 Å for BM in proline, buffer, betaine, arginine, and sarcosine at 1 M, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on detailed unequivocal evidence of denaturation and deactivation of BM in the presence of methylamines and amino acids.

Undesirable impact on structure and stability of insulin on addition of (+)-catechin hydrate with sugar

Insulin (In) based formulation has been used over decades for the cure of In-dependent diabetic patients, however, more attempts are still required to improve the remedial use of In. In this regard, the use of green tea has become widespread nowadays. However, it is unknown that (+)-catechin hydrate (CAT), a major component of green tea which enhances anti-diabetic activity of In, will or will not enhance the structure and stability of In if ingested with sugars. Interestingly, by using biophysical techniques, present study reveals the fact that the use of sugar during the intake of green tea extract may produce unwanted effects on In which may further lead to some disorders associated with In stability and also create obstacle in successful implications of In formulations.

The effects of biological buffers TRIS, TAPS, TES on the stability of lysozyme

To explore the mechanism of lysozyme stabilization in buffer system, we have investigated the interactions between lysozyme and the biological buffers (TRIS, TAPS, and TES) using spectroscopic techniques, including ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), fluorescence, thermal fluorescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. From the series of spectroscopic studies, it is found that the native structure of the protein remains intact in the different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0M) of the biological buffer aqueous solutions at pH7.0. Moreover, all these three investigated buffers are able to protect lysozyme against thermal denaturation, particularly in high concentration (1.0M) of the buffer aqueous solutions.