Primary folding dynamics of sperm whale apomyoglobin: Core formation

The structure, thermodynamics, and kinetics of heat-induced unfolding of sperm whale apomyoglobin core formation have been studied. The most rudimentary core is formed at pH* 3.0 and up to 60 mM NaCl. Steady state for ultraviolet circular dichroism and fluorescence melting studies indicate that the core in this acid-destabilized state consists of a heterogeneous composition of structures of ∼26 residues, two-thirds of the number involved for horse heart apomyoglobin under these conditions. Fluorescence temperature-jump relaxation studies show that there is only one process involved in Trp burial. This occurs in 20 μs for a 7° jump to 52°C, which is close to the limits placed by diffusion on folding reactions. However, infrared temperature jump studies monitoring native helix burial are biexponential with times of 5 μs and 56 μs for a similar temperature jump. Both fluorescence and infrared fast phases are energetically favorable but the slow infrared absorbance phase is highly temperature-dependent, indicating a substantial enthalpic barrier for this process. The kinetics are best understood by a multiple-pathway kinetics model. The rapid phases likely represent direct burial of one or both of the Trp residues and parts of the G- and H-helices. We attribute the slow phase to burial and subsequent rearrangement of a misformed core or to a collapse having a high energy barrier wherein both Trps are solvent-exposed.