title: Class Pi glutathione transferase unfolds via a dimeric and not monomeric intermediate: functional implications for an unstable monomer.
abstract: Cytosolic class pi glutathione transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) is associated with drug resistance and proliferative pathways because of its catalytic detoxification properties and ability to bind and regulate protein kinases. The native wild-type protein is homodimeric, and whereas the dimeric structure is required for catalytic functionality, a monomeric and not dimeric form of class pi GST is reported to mediate its interaction with and inhibit the activity of the pro-apoptotic enzyme c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) [Adler, V., et al. (1999) EMBO J. 18, 1321-1334]. Thus, the existence of a stable monomeric form of wild-type class pi GST appears to have physiological relevance. However, there are conflicting accounts of the subunit's intrinsic stability since it has been reported to be either unstable [Dirr, H., and Reinemer, P. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 180, 294-300] or stable [Aceto, A., et al. (1992) Biochem. J. 285, 241-245]. In this study, the conformational stability of GSTP1-1 was re-examined by equilibrium folding and unfolding kinetics experiments. The data do not demonstrate the existence of a stable monomer but that unfolding of hGSTP1-1 proceeds via an inactive, nativelike dimeric intermediate in which the highly dynamic helix 2 is unfolded. Furthermore, molecular modeling results indicate that a dimeric GSTP1-1 can bind JNK. According to the available evidence with regard to the stability of the monomeric and dimeric forms of GSTP1-1 and the modality of the GST-JNK interaction, formation of a complex between GSTP1-1 and JNK most likely involves the dimeric form of the GST and not its monomer as is commonly reported.
authors.affiliation: Protein Structure-Function Research Unit, School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gildenhuys
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Balchin
authors.forename: Yasien
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.forename: Heini W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Dirr
mesh_terms: D004795:Enzyme Stability; D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi / Q000737:chemistry*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D051549:Glutathione S-Transferase pi; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases