One more probable structural transition in potato virus X virions and a revised model of the virus coat protein structure.

We found that a 2-h incubation of potato virus X (PVX) virions in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer pH 7.5 at -20 degrees C results in a strong but reversible drop in virion stability. Under these conditions, the PVX virions are completely disrupted by low (starting from 50 mM) concentrations of LiCl and CaCl(2) but not of NaCl. Incubation of PVX samples with 0.05-2 M LiCl at +4 degrees C did not result in virion disassembly and the virions were not disrupted upon incubation at -20 degrees C in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer pH 7.5 without LiCl. We suggest that a 2-h incubation of the PVX virions at -20 degrees C in 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5 results in a structural transition in the virus particles. A revised model of the three-dimensional organization of coat protein subunits in the PVX virions is proposed. This two-domain model explains better the high plasticity of the PVX CP structure.

Surfactant-induced amorphous aggregation of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein: a physical methods approach.

The interactions of non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 and the coat protein of tobacco mosaic virus, which is an established model for both ordered and non-ordered protein aggregation, were studied using turbidimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, isothermal titration calorimetry, and dynamic light scattering. It was found that at the critical aggregation concentration (equal to critical micelle concentration) of 138 x 10(-6) M, Triton X-100 induces partial denaturation of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein molecules followed by protein amorphous aggregation. Protein aggregation has profound ionic strength dependence and proceeds due to hydrophobic sticking of surfactant-protein complexes (start aggregates) with initial radii of 46 nm. It has been suggested that the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate forms mixed micelles with Triton X-100 and therefore reverses protein amorphous aggregation with release of protein molecules from the amorphous aggregates. A stoichiometric ratio of 5 was found for Triton X-100-sodium dodecyl sulfate interactions.

Low cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentrations induce reversible amorphous aggregation of tobacco mosaic virus and its coat protein at room temperature.

Ordered and amorphous protein aggregation causes numerous diseases. Tobacco mosaic virus coat protein for many decades serves as the classical model of ordered protein aggregation ("polymerization"). It was also found to be highly prone to heat-induced amorphous aggregation and the rate of this aggregation could be easily manipulated by changes in solution ionic strength and temperature. Here, we report that rapid amorphous aggregation of this protein can be induced at 25 degrees C in phosphate buffer by low micromolar (start at about 15 microM) concentrations of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. At equilibrium four surfactant molecules bound to the protein subunit. As judged by circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy data, the coat protein molecules retained their native structure upon the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide induced aggregation. No aggregation was observed at the higher surfactant concentrations (above 300 microM). Micromolar concentrations of anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate rapidly reversed the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide induced aggregation of the coat protein due to formation of mixed surfactant-surfactant micelles. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (100-300 microM) also induced the reversible intact tobacco mosaic virus virion aggregation. The possible liability to the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide induced amorphous aggregation of other ordered aggregate-producing proteins has been discussed.

A mechanism of macroscopic (amorphous) aggregation of the tobacco mosaic virus coat protein.

To gain more insight into the mechanisms of heating-induced irreversible macroscopic aggregation of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat protein (CP), the effects of pH and ionic strength on this process were studied using turbidimetry, CD spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. At 42 degrees C, the TMV CP passed very rapidly (in less than 15s) into a slightly unfolded conformation, presumably because heating disordered a segment of the subunit where the so-called hydrophobic girdle of the molecule resides. We suppose that the amino acid residues of this girdle are responsible for the aberrant hydrophobic interactions between subunits that initiate macroscopic protein aggregation. Its rate increased by several thousands of times as the phosphate buffer molarity was varied from 20 to 70 mM, suggesting that neutralization of strong repulsive electrostatic interactions of TMV CP molecules at high ionic strengths is a prerequisite for amorphous aggregation of this protein.