title: Direct correlation between molecular dynamics and enzymatic stability: a comparative neutron scattering study of native human butyrylcholinesterase and its "aged" soman conjugate.
abstract: An incoherent elastic neutron scattering study of the molecular dynamics of native human butyrylcholinesterase and its "aged" soman-inhibited conjugate revealed a significant change in molecular flexibility on an angstrom-nanosecond scale as a function of temperature. The results were related to the stability of each state as established previously by differential scanning calorimetry. A striking relationship was found between the denaturation behavior and the molecular flexibility of the native and inhibited enzymes as a function of temperature. This was reflected in a quantitative correlation between the atomic mean-square displacements on an angstrom-nanosecond scale determined by neutron spectroscopy and the calorimetric specific heat. By the application of a simple two-state model that describes the transition from a folded to a denatured state, the denaturation temperatures of the native and the inhibited enzyme were correctly extracted from the atomic mean-square displacements. Furthermore, the transition entropy and enthalpy extracted from the model fit of the neutron data were, within the experimental accuracy, compatible with the values determined by differential scanning calorimetry.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biophysique Moléculaire, Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, CEA-CNRS-UJF, Grenoble, France. frank.gabel@ibs.fr
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gabel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: M-T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Froment
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Doctor
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaccai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weik
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000737:chemistry*; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D019277:Entropy; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D006801:Humans; D008956:Models, Chemical; D033363:Neutron Diffraction; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D012999:Soman / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D012999:Soman; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase