Helix formation upon acidification of protein-dodecyl sulfate complexes

The pH dependence of circular dichroism spectra has been studied for dodecyl sulfate complexes formed by 25 proteins and for a random copolypeptide of glutamic acid and alanine. The pH range covered is that in which titration of side-chain carboxyl groups is to be expected. Circular dichroism spectra signify an increase in helical content upon acidification, although in many cases the increase is quite small. For all but three of the proteins studied, the spectral changes are in reasonable agreement with those expected because helix propagation by glutamyl and aspartyl residues is enhanced when the state of the side-chain carboxyl changes from COO- to COOH. This simple explanation seriously underestimates conformational changes reported for gastrin, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and tropomyosin. Changes in charge density appear to play an important role in these proteins.