Hemochromatosis factor E (HFE) is a member of class I MHC family and plays a significant role in the iron homeostasis. Denaturation of HFE induced by guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) was measured by monitoring changes in [θ]222 (mean residue ellipticity at 222 nm), intrinsic fluorescence emission intensity at 346 nm (F346 ) and the difference absorption coefficient at 287 nm (Δε287) at pH 8.0 and 25°C. Coincidence of denaturation curves of these optical properties suggests that GdmCl-induced denaturation (native (N) state ↔ denatured (D) state) is a two-state process. The GdmCl-induced denaturation was found reversible in the entire concentration range of the denaturant. All denaturation curves were analyzed for ΔGD0, Gibbs free energy change associated with the denaturation equilibrium (N state ↔ D state) in the absence of GdmCl, which is a measure of HFE stability. We further performed molecular dynamics simulation for 40 ns to see the effect of GdmCl on the structural stability of HFE. A well defined correlation was established between in vitro and in silico studies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.