title: Temperature dependence of the kinetics of the urea-induced dissociation of human plasma alpha 2-macroglobulin into half-molecules. A minimum rate at 15 degrees C indicates hydrophobic interaction between the subunits.
abstract: The kinetics of the urea-induced dissociation of human plasma alpha 2-macroglobulin to half-molecules has been studied as a function of temperature by using small-angle scattering of X-rays and neutrons. The most striking result of the present investigation is that there is a minimum in reaction rate at about 15 degrees C, and that the rate increases when the temperature is lowered, or raised, from that value. By analyzing the first-order rate constants in terms of transition-state theory it was found that the dissociation is associated with a large and positive change in heat capacity between the activated complex and native alpha 2-macroglobulin (delta CP is in the range 5 to 6 kJ mol-1 K-1). In analogy with pure thermodynamic investigations, where a large change in heat capacity normally is interpreted as a melting of hydrophobic interaction, we therefore propose that hydrophobic interaction is involved in the so-called non-covalent interactions between the subunits of alpha 2-macroglobulin. As a result of the present investigation, it also follows that the free energy of activation delta G has a maximum at about 32 degrees C, whereas the enthalpy of activation delta H and the entropy of activation delta S are zero at about 15 degrees C and 32 degrees C, respectively. These temperatures are slightly dependent upon the concentration of urea and upon whether the reaction is run in a 1H or a 2H medium. Furthermore, from the kinetic point of view, at low temperature the reaction can be characterized as enthalpy driven, whereas at high temperature, it can be characterized as entropy driven.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pap
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mortensen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D009502:Neutrons; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry*; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D014508:Urea