Link between protein-solvent and weak protein-protein interactions gives insight into halophilic adaptation

Malate dehydrogenase (Hm MalDH) from the extreme halophile Haloarcula marismortui is a very acidic protein with extensive ion binding properties. It is a good model for the study of solvation-solubility relationships. We measured the small-angle neutron or X-ray scattering profiles of folded and stable Hm MalDH at various protein concentrations and derived the second virial coefficients A(2). In NaCl, CsCl, KF, KCl, and NaCH(3)CO(2), A(2) values are positive, indicating globally repulsive protein-protein interactions. Below 1 M MgCl(2) and MgSO(4) or above 2 M (NH(4))(2)SO(4), A(2) rapidly decreases. From structure factor modeling with DLVO (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek)-like potentials, an effective diameter of 80-82 A is found for the protein particle in solution, compatible with its structural dimensions; the effective charge of the particle is undefined because of the high salt concentration. The strong variations of the protein-protein interaction are correlated to an attractive potential whose depth evolves with the salinity but in an opposite way in Mg salts and (NH(4))(2)SO(4). A repulsive Donnan term, corresponding to counterion dissociation, and an attractive term related to previously measured preferential salt binding parameters are discussed from well-established thermodynamics considerations and qualitatively account for the behavior of the protein-protein interactions in the various solutions. Because a solvation shell with a composition different from bulk induces protein-protein attraction, molecular adaptation to high salt would be directed to allow protein-salt interactions in order to avoid water or salt enrichment at the surface of the protein and thus preserve its solubility.