title: Surface electrostatic interactions contribute little of stability of barnase.
abstract: Electrostatic interactions are believed to play an important role in stabilizing the native structure of proteins. We have quantified the contribution to stability of an interaction between two oppositely charged side-chains on the surface of barnase. Using site-directed mutagenesis, glutamate 28 and lysine 32 were introduced onto the solvent-accessible side of the second alpha-helix in barnase. These two residues are separated by one turn of the helix, and so are ideally situated for their opposite charges to interact. Double mutant cycle analysis reveals that the interaction between Glu28 and Lys32 contributes only approximately 0.2 kcal/mol to stability of the protein. All other interactions between exposed charged side-chains in barnase examined so far also contribute little to stability. We explain this low value by their location on the surface, rather than in the interior, of the protein.
authors.affiliation: MRC Unit for Protein Function and Design, Cambridge IRC for Protein Engineering, University Chemical Laboratory, U.K.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bycroft
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fersht
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D002151:Calorimetry; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012260:Ribonucleases; C019760:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ribonuclease