title: Equilibrium and transient intermediates in folding of human macrophage migration inhibitory factor.
abstract: Acid, guanidinium-Cl and urea denaturations of recombinant human macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) were measured using CD and fluorimetry. The acid-induced denaturation was followed by CD at 200, 222, and 278 nm and by tryptophan fluorescence. All four probes revealed an acid-denatured state below pH 3 which resembled a typical molten globule. The pH transition is not two-state as the CD data at 222 nm deviated from all other probes. Urea and guanidinium-Cl denaturations (pH 7, 25 degrees C) both gave an apparent DeltaGU app H2O of 31 +/- 3 kJ.mol-1 when extrapolated to zero denaturant concentration. However, denaturation transitions recorded by fluorescence (at the same protein concentration) occurred at lower urea or guanidinium-Cl concentrations, consistent with an intermediate in the course of MIF denaturation. CD at 222 nm was not very sensitive to protein concentration (in 10-fold range) even though size-exclusion chromatogryphy (SEC) revealed a dimer-monomer dissociation prior to MIF unfolding. Refolding experiments were performed starting from acid, guanidinium-Cl and urea-denatured states. The kinetics were multiphasic with at least two folding intermediates. The intrinsic rate constant of the main folding phase was 5.0 +/- 0.5 s-1 (36.6 degrees C, pH 7) and its energy of activation 155 +/- 12 kJ.mol-1.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, JozefStefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia. eva.zerovnik@ijs.si
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Zerovnik
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Janjić
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Francky
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Mozetic-Francky
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004926:Escherichia coli; D019791:Guanidine / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000737:chemistry*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D014508:Urea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014508:Urea; D019791:Guanidine