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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA
Published on: April 26, 2013
Four-helix bundle cavitein reveals middle leucine as linchpin
Jon O Freeman1, Diana Wallhorn, John C Sherman
1Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1.
Abstract:
A template-assembled de novo four-helix bundle is used to examine the hydrophobic effect within the bundle interior. Leu to Ala variants of the basis sequence GG-EELLKKLEELLKKG were characterized by GuHCl denaturation, NMR dispersion, and N-H/D exchange experiments. The results show that the middle leucine (L7) is imperative in maintaining bundle stability. The average leucine was found to contribute 1.8 kcal mol(-1) toward stability, whereas the middle leucines contribute 2.7 kcal mol(-1) each. Substituting alanine into the middle position (7) constitutes a striking 95% reduction of the overall cavitein stability.
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