Glycation promotes the formation of genotoxic aggregates in glucose oxidase.

This study investigates the effect of pentose sugars (ribose and arabinose) on the structural and chemical modifications in glucose oxidase (GOD) as well as genotoxic potential of this modified form. An intermediate state of GOD was observed on day 12 of incubation having CD minima peaks at 222 and 208 nm, characteristic of α-helix and a few tertiary contacts with altered tryptophan environment and high ANS binding. All these features indicate the existence of molten globule state of the GOD with ribose and arabinose on day 12. GOD on day 15 of incubation forms ß structures as revealed by CD and FTIR which may be due to its aggregation. Furthermore, GOD on day 15 showed a remarkable increase in Thioflavin T fluorescence at 485 nm. Comet assay of lymphocytes and plasmid nicking assay in presence of glycated GOD show DNA damage which confirmed the genotoxicity of advance glycated end products. Hence, our study suggests that glycated GOD results in the formation of aggregates and the advanced glycated end products, which are genotoxic in nature.

Detergent induces the formation of IgG aggregates: a multi-methodological approach.

Role of micellar environment created by Triton X-100 (TX-100) and CHAPSO on protein conformation using IgG as a model system has been studied in this paper. A substantial amount of secondary structure with the reduction in constant tertiary contacts was obtained in both bovine and human IgG in the presence of 0.12 mM TX-100 where as 6 and 8 mM CHAPSO concentration was required for this type of secondary structure. Further addition of either of the detergents result in the induction of α-helix in both the IgGs as evident by helix specific peaks in the amide I region of FTIR and circular dichroism spectra. Tryptophan and 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulphonic acid (ANS) fluorescence confirmed changes in protein conformation upon addition of detergents. Maximum ANS binding at 0.12 mM TX-100 in both while 6 and 8 mM CHAPSO in bovine and human IgG respectively, indicate a compact ''molten-globule''-like conformation. An increase addition of these detergents results in the burial of hydrophobic patches of both IgG owing to aggregation. Presence of aggregates at 0.2 and 0.16 mM TX-100 and 8 and 9 mM CHAPSO, for bovine and human IgG respectively, was further confirmed by reduction in ANS fluorescence, dynamic light scattering study, thioflavin T fluorescence and congo red absorbance.

A partially folded state of ovalbumin at low pH tends to aggregate.

At pH 2, ovalbumin retains native-like secondary structure as seen by far-UV CD and FTIR, but lacks well-defined tertiary structure as seen by the fluorescence and near-UV CD spectra. Addition of 20 mM Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or 30 mM Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) on acid-induced state results in protein aggregation. This aggregated state possesses extensive ß-sheet structure as revealed by far-UV CD and FTIR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the aggregates exhibit decreased ANS fluorescence and increased thioflavin T fluorescence. The presence of aggregates was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography. Such a formation of ß-sheet structure is found in the amyloid of a number of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and scrapie. Ovalbumin at low pH, in the presence of K(2)SO(4), exists in partially folded state characterized by native-like secondary structure and tertiary folds.