Activity losses among T4 lysozyme variants after adsorption to colloidal silica

Maintaining a specific molecular conformation is essential for the proper functioning of an enzyme. A substantial loss of catalytic activity can occur from the displacement caused by even a single amino acid substitution. Activity may also be lost as an enzyme undergoes a conformational change during adsorption. In this study, we investigated the effect of thermostability on the activities of three T4 lysozyme variants after adsorption to 9 nm colloidal silica particles. Less-stable T4 lysozyme variants lost more activity after adsorption than did more stable variants, apparently because they experienced more extensive structural alteration.