Circular dichroic study of conformational changes in ovalbumin

By simulation of the circular dichroic spectra (Greenfield and Fasman (1969] and using reference spectra of Chen et al. (1974), native ovalbumin was estimated to contain 33% alpha-helix, 5% beta-structure, and 62% random coil. Ovalbumin resisted conformational changes in solutions of urea and of SDS. However, guanidine induced transition, starting at about 2 M and completing at about 4.5 M. At concentrations exceeding 4.5 M guanidine, ovalbumin existed as 6-7% alpha-helical, 12-13% beta-structure, and 80-81% random coil. Ovalbumin after denaturation in 6 M guanidine or in 8 M urea (incubated at 4 degrees C for 24 hr) did not recover the native conformation but acquired a new conformation in each case, with a somewhat destabilized helical structure.