A previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) at 25 degrees C displayed localized dynamics on the surface of the protein giving rise to the periodic formation of a cleft that provides access to the heme through a protected hydrophobic channel [Storch and Daggett (1995) Biochemistry 34, 9682]. Here we describe the production and testing of mutants designed to prevent the cleft from opening using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. Two mutants have been designed to close the surface cleft: S18D to introduce a salt bridge and S18C:R47C to incorporate a disulfide bond. The putative cleft forms between two separate cores of the protein: one is structural in nature and can be monitored through the fluorescence of Trp 22, and the other binds the heme prosthetic group and can be tracked via heme absorbance. An increase in motion localized to the cleft region was observed for each protein, except for the disulfide-containing variant, in MD simulations at 50 degrees C compared to simulations at 25 degrees C. For the disulfide-containing variant, the cleft remained closed. Both urea and temperature denaturation curves were nearly identical for wild-type and mutant proteins when heme absorbance was monitored. In contrast, fluorescence studies revealed oxidized S18C:R47C to be considerably more stable based on the midpoints of the denaturation transitions, Tm and U1/2. Moreover, the fluorescence changes for each protein were complete at approximately 50 degrees C and a urea concentration of approximately 3.9 M, significantly below the temperature and urea concentration (62 degrees C, 5 M urea) required to observe heme release. In addition, solvent accessibility based on acrylamide quenching of Trp 22 was lower in the S18C:R47C mutant, particularly at 50 degrees C, before heme release [presented in the accompanying paper (58)]. The results suggest that a constraining disulfide bond can be designed to inhibit dynamic cleft formation on the surface of cyt b5. Located near the heme, the native dynamics of the cleft may be functionally important for protein-protein recognition and/or complex stabilization.