[Conformational changes of disulfide isomerase C induced by guanidine hydrochloride]

Unfolding--refolding of Escherichia coli disulfide isomerase C (DsbC) induced by GdnHCl was studied by intrinsic fluorescence. Interpretation of experimental fluorescence data was done together with the analysis of protein 3D structure. It is shown that although Cys 141 is the next neighbour of a single tryptophan residue Trp 140, sulfur atoms of the disulfide bond Cys 141--Cys 163 are far apart from the indole ring and cannot quench its fluorescence, while the potential quenchers are Met 136 and His 170. It has been revealed that, though each subunit of DsbC contains eight tyrosine residues, only three tyrosine residues (Tyr 171, Tyr 38 and Tyr 52) contribute to the bulk fluorescence of the molecule. The character of intrinsic fluorescence intensity changes induced by GdnHCl (equilibrium and kinetic data), the character of parametric dependencies between fluorescence intensity recorded at 320 and 365 nm, and the existence of an isosbestic point of protein fluorescence spectra in solutions with different GdnHCl concentrations, allowed suggesting a one-step character of DsbC denaturation. The reversibility of this process is also shown.