Alessandra Del Giudice , Daniele Del Giudice , Emanuele Spatola , Valentina Alemanno , Luciano Galantini , Stefano Di Stefano
{"title":"An albumin unfolding and refolding cycle induced by a time-controlled pH jump†","authors":"Alessandra Del Giudice , Daniele Del Giudice , Emanuele Spatola , Valentina Alemanno , Luciano Galantini , Stefano Di Stefano","doi":"10.1039/d4ob01289e","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given the intimate connection between the structure and function of biological macromolecules, the ability to temporally control their unfolding–refolding process enables temporal regulation over specific functionalities, potentially applicable in innovative domains, including the construction of protein-based actuators or programmable catalysis and drug release in complex biotechnological processes. We show here how a temporally controlled protein unfolding–refolding cycle can be coupled in time with programmed pH sequences achieved through the spontaneous decomposition of an activated carboxylic acid. Specifically, we illustrate this process at the molecular level using albumin, the most prevalent protein found in plasma, for which a temporary shift from native to unfolded forms is promoted using nitroacetic acid, able to undergo base-catalysed decarboxylation when solubilized in water solution. As detected by small angle X-ray scattering and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, starting from the protein in its native form, the acid addition triggers unfolding to a partially denatured state and a subsequent time-tunable pH rise with gradual refolding that recapitulates the intermediate steps detected at the same pH values by static acidification, fitting within a framework of full reversibility of the structural changes as a function of the protein protonation state. At the end of the pH jump, the native structure is fully recovered, making this method a chemical tool to achieve a complete protein conformational sequence programmed in the timeframe of minutes without further intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":96,"journal":{"name":"Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry","volume":"23 1","pages":"Pages 118-125"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/ob/d4ob01289e?page=search","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S1477052024009819","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, ORGANIC","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Given the intimate connection between the structure and function of biological macromolecules, the ability to temporally control their unfolding–refolding process enables temporal regulation over specific functionalities, potentially applicable in innovative domains, including the construction of protein-based actuators or programmable catalysis and drug release in complex biotechnological processes. We show here how a temporally controlled protein unfolding–refolding cycle can be coupled in time with programmed pH sequences achieved through the spontaneous decomposition of an activated carboxylic acid. Specifically, we illustrate this process at the molecular level using albumin, the most prevalent protein found in plasma, for which a temporary shift from native to unfolded forms is promoted using nitroacetic acid, able to undergo base-catalysed decarboxylation when solubilized in water solution. As detected by small angle X-ray scattering and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, starting from the protein in its native form, the acid addition triggers unfolding to a partially denatured state and a subsequent time-tunable pH rise with gradual refolding that recapitulates the intermediate steps detected at the same pH values by static acidification, fitting within a framework of full reversibility of the structural changes as a function of the protein protonation state. At the end of the pH jump, the native structure is fully recovered, making this method a chemical tool to achieve a complete protein conformational sequence programmed in the timeframe of minutes without further intervention.
期刊介绍:
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry is an international journal using integrated research in chemistry-organic chemistry. Founded in 2003 by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the journal is published in Semimonthly issues and has been indexed by SCIE, a leading international database. The journal focuses on the key research and cutting-edge progress in the field of chemistry-organic chemistry, publishes and reports the research results in this field in a timely manner, and is committed to becoming a window and platform for rapid academic exchanges among peers in this field. The journal's impact factor in 2023 is 2.9, and its CiteScore is 5.5.