Deducing the Energetic Cost of Protein Folding in Zinc Finger Proteins Using Designed Metallopeptides

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2007 · Journal of the American Chemical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja073902+· OSTI ID:959765

Reddi, A; Guzman, T; Breece, r; Tierney, D; Gibney, B

Zinc finger transcription factors represent the largest single class of metalloproteins in the human genome. Binding of Zn(II) to their canonical Cys4, Cys3His1, or Cys2His2 sites results in metal-induced protein folding events required to achieve their proper structure for biological activity. The thermodynamic contribution of Zn(II) in each of these coordination spheres toward protein folding is poorly understood because of the coupled nature of the metal-ligand and protein-protein interactions. Using an unstructured peptide scaffold, GGG, we have employed fluorimetry, potentiometry, and calorimetry to determine the thermodynamics of Zn(II) binding to the Cys4, Cys3His1, and Cys2His2 ligand sets with minimal interference from protein folding effects. The data show that Zn(II) complexation is entropy driven and modulated by proton release. The formation constants for Zn(II)-GGG with a Cys4, Cys3His1, or Cys2His2 site are 5.6 x 1016, 1.5 x 1015, or 2.5 x 1013 M-1, respectively. Thus, the Zn(II)-Cys4, Zn(II)-Cys3His1, and Zn(II)-Cys2His2 interactions can provide up to 22.8, 20.7, and 18.3 kcal/mol, respectively, in driving force for protein stabilization, folding, and/or assembly at pH values above the ligand pKa values. While the contributions from the three coordination motifs differ by 4.5 kcal/mol in Zn(II) affinity at pH 9.0, they are equivalent at physiological pH, ?G = -16.8 kcal/mol or a Ka = 2.0 x 1012 M-1. Calorimetric data show that this is due to proton-based enthalpy-entropy compensation between the favorable entropic term from proton release and the unfavorable enthalpic term due to thiol deprotonation. Since protein folding effects have been minimized in the GGG scaffold, these peptides possess nearly the tightest Zn(II) affinities possible for their coordination motifs. The Zn(II) affinities in each coordination motif are compared between the GGG scaffold and natural zinc finger proteins to determine the free energy required to fold the latter. Several proteins have identical Zn(II) affinities to GGG. That is, little, if any, of their Zn(II) binding energy is required to fold the protein, whereas some have affinities weakened by up to 5.7 kcal/mol; i.e., the Zn(II) binding energy is being used to fold the protein.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source
• Sponsoring Organization: Doe - Office Of Science
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 959765
• Report Number(s): BNL--82751-2009-JA
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 129; ISSN JACSAT; ISSN 0002-7863
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AFFINITY
BINDING ENERGY
CALORIMETRY
ENTROPY
FINGERS
FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY
FREE ENERGY
METALLOPROTEINS
PEPTIDES
PH VALUE
POTENTIOMETRY
PROTEINS
PROTONS
STABILIZATION
THERMODYNAMICS
THIOLS
TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS
ZINC
national synchrotron light source