Protection of ζ-crystallin by α-crystallin under thermal stress.

Cataract is one of the major causes of blindness worldwide. Several factors including post-translational modification, thermal and solar radiations promote cataractogenesis. The camel lens proteins survive very harsh desert conditions and resist cataractogenesis. The folding and aggregation mechanism of camel lens proteins are poorly characterized. The camel lens contains three ubiquitous crystallins (α-, ß-, and γ-crystallin) and a novel protein (ζ-crystallin) in large amounts. In this study, a sequence similarity search of camel α-crystallin with that of other organisms showed that the camel αB-crystallin consists of an extended N-terminal domain. Our results indicate that camel α-crystallin efficiently prevented aggregation of ζ-crystallin, with or without an obligate cofactor up to 89 °C. It performed a quick and efficient holdase function irrespective of the unfolding stage or aggregation. Camel α-crystallin exhibits approximately 20% chaperone activity between 30 and 40 °C and is completely activated above 40 °C. Camel α-crystallin underwent a single reversible thermal transition without loss of ß-sheet secondary structure. Intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and ANS binding experiments revealed two transitions which corresponded to activation of its chaperone function. In contrast to earlier studies, camel α-crystallin completely protected lens proteins during thermal stress.

Different conformational states of hen egg white lysozyme formed by exposure to the surfactant of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) on hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) fibrillogenesis at pH 7.4. HEWL fibrillogenesis in the presence of SDBS was characterized using several spectroscopic techniques (turbidity, light scattering, intrinsic fluorescence, ThT binding assay, ThT kinetics, far-UV CD, and transmission electron mmicroscopy). The turbidity and light scattering data revealed that SDBS induces aggregation in HEWL in dose-dependent manner. HEWL aggregation was seen at low SDBS concentrations (0.03 to 0.5 mM) but it was not observed at concentrations of SDBS at >0.6 mM. The ThT and TEM data clearly showed that the aggregates formed in the presence of SDBS had an amyloid-like morphology. From the CD analysis it was clear that low SDBS concentrations decreases the α-helical content while the ß-sheet content increased. As the SDBS concentration further increased, the α-helical content increased again. The ThT kinetics analysis revealed that the HEWL monomer directly converted into the amyloid fibril without lag phase. All the spectroscopic and microscopic results support the finding that low concentrations of SDBS stimulate fibrillogenesis in HEWL, and that no fibrillogenesis occurs at higher SDBS concentrations.