title: Salt potentiates methylamine counteraction system to offset the deleterious effects of urea on protein stability and function.
abstract: Cellular methylamines are osmolytes (low molecular weight organic compounds) believed to offset the urea's harmful effects on the stability and function of proteins in mammalian kidney and marine invertebrates. Although urea and methylamines are found at 2:1 molar ratio in tissues, their opposing effects on protein structure and function have been questioned on several grounds including failure to counteraction or partial counteraction. Here we investigated the possible involvement of cellular salt, NaCl, in urea-methylamine counteraction on protein stability and function. We found that NaCl mediates methylamine counteracting system from no or partial counteraction to complete counteraction of urea's effect on protein stability and function. These conclusions were drawn from the systematic thermodynamic stability and functional activity measurements of lysozyme and RNase-A. Our results revealed that salts might be involved in protein interaction with charged osmolytes and hence in the urea-methylamine counteraction.
authors: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors: Safikur
authors: S
authors: Rahman
authors: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors: Md Tabish
authors: MT
authors: Rehman
authors: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Laishram R
authors: LR
authors: Singh
authors: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Warepam
authors: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
authors: Faizan
authors: F
authors: Ahmad
authors: Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
authors: Tanveer Ali
authors: TA
authors: Dar
mesh_terms: D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008744:Methylamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D055550:Protein Stability / Q000187:drug effects*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012492:Salts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014508:Urea / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008744:Methylamines; D011506:Proteins; D012492:Salts; D014508:Urea; C027451:methylamine; D012259:Ribonuclease, Pancreatic; D009113:Muramidase