title: UDP-galactose 4-epimerase from Escherichia coli: equilibrium unfolding studies.
abstract: UDP-galactose 4-epimerase from Escherichia coli is a homodimer of 39 kDa subunit with non-covalently bound NAD acting as cofactor. The enzyme can be reversibly reactivated after denaturation and dissociation using 8 M urea at pH 7.0. There is a strong affinity between the cofactor and the refolded molecule as no extraneous NAD is required for its reactivation. Results from equilibrium denaturation using parameters like catalytic activity, circular-dichroism, fluorescence emission (both intrinsic and with extraneous fluorophore 1-aniline 8-naphthalene sulphonic acid), 'reductive inhibition' (associated with orientation of NAD on the native enzyme surface), elution profile from size-exclusion HPLC and light scattering have been compiled here. These show that inactivation, integrity of secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures have different transition mid-points suggestive of non-cooperative transition. The unfolding process may be broadly resolved into three parts: an active dimeric holoenzyme with 50% of its original secondary structure at 2.5 M urea; an active monomeric holoenzyme at 3 M urea with only 40% of secondary structure and finally further denaturation by 6 M urea leads to an inactive equilibrium unfolded state with only 20% of residual secondary structure. Thermodynamical parameters associated with some transitions have been quantitated. The results have been discussed with the X-ray crystallographic structure of the enzyme.
authors: Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Calcutta.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Nayar
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Bhattacharyya
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D019281:Dimerization; D004793:Enzyme Reactivators / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014534:UDPglucose 4-Epimerase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004793:Enzyme Reactivators; D009243:NAD; D014534:UDPglucose 4-Epimerase