Temperature dependence of fast dynamics in proteins

Biophys J. 2007 Mar 15;92(6):L43-5. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.106.102160. Epub 2007 Jan 11.

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the internal dynamics of recombinant human ubiquitin has been measured using solution NMR relaxation techniques. Nitrogen-15 relaxation has been employed to obtain a measure of the amplitude of subnanosecond motion at amide N-H sites in the protein. Deuterium relaxation has been used to obtain a measure of the amplitude of motion of methyl-groups in amino-acid side chains. Data was obtained between 5 and 55 degrees C. The majority of amide N-H and methyl groups show a roughly linear (R(2)>0.75) temperature dependence of the associated Lipari-Szabo model-free squared generalized-order parameter (O(2)) describing the amplitude of motion. Interestingly, for those sites showing a linear response, the temperature dependence of the backbone is distinct from that of the methyl-bearing side chains with the former being characterized by a significantly larger Lambda-value, where Lambda is defined as d ln(1 - O)/d lnT. These results are comparable to the sole previous such study of the temperature dependence of protein motion obtained for a calmodulin-peptide complex. This suggests that the distinction between the main chain and methyl-bearing side chains may be general. Insight into the temperature dependence is gathered from a simple two-state step potential model.

Publication types

  • Letter
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Motion
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Denaturation
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / ultrastructure
  • Ubiquitin / chemistry*
  • Ubiquitin / genetics
  • Ubiquitin / ultrastructure*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Ubiquitin