Cell-fate decisions in metazoans are frequently guided by the Notch signalling pathway. Notch signalling is orchestrated by a type-1 transmembrane protein, which, upon interacting with extracellular ligands, is proteolytically cleaved to liberate a large intracellular domain [NICD (Notch intracellular domain)]. NICD enters the nucleus where it binds the transcription factor CSL (CBF1/suppressor of Hairless/Lag-1) and activates transcription of Notch-responsive genes. In the present paper, the interaction between the Drosophila NICD and CSL will be examined. This interaction involves two separate binding regions on NICD: the N-terminal tip of NICD {the RAM [RBP-Jkappa (recombination signal-binding protein 1 for Jkappa)-associated molecule] region} and an ankyrin domain approximately 100 residues away. CD studies show that the RAM region of NICD lacks alpha-helical and beta-sheet secondary structure, and also lacks rigid tertiary structure. Fluorescence studies show that the tryptophan residues in RAM are highly solvated and are quenched by solvent. To assess the impact of this apparent disorder on the bivalent binding of NICD to CSL, we modelled the region between the RAM and ANK (ankyrin repeat)-binding regions using polymer statistics. A WLC (wormlike chain) model shows that the most probable sequence separation between the two binding regions is approximately 50 A (1 A=0.1 nm), matching the separation between these two sites in the complex. The WLC model predicts a substantial enhancement of ANK occupancy via effective concentration, and suggests that the linker length between the two binding regions is optimal for bivalent interaction.

Acid-induced unfolding of apomyoglobin (apoMb) proceeds in a multistate process involving at least one equilibrium intermediate (I) at pH 4.2. The structure of the I form has been investigated thoroughly, with significant effort devoted to identifying potentially stabilizing native contacts. Here, we test whether rigid side-chain packing interactions like those in holomyoglobin persist at a buried position, Met-131, within the low-pH apoMb intermediate. We have measured the urea-induced unfolding transitions of overpacking, underpacking, and polar substitutions of Met-131 to determine the effect on the stability of the native and intermediate states of apoMb. Whereas underpacking substitutions should destabilize the I form irrespective of the degree of native side-chainpacking interactions, we anticipate that overpacking replacements might show opposite effects in a tightly packed environment, compared with a region lacking native side-chain packing interactions. We observe that, whereas underpacking and polar substitutions destabilize the I form, overpacking substitutions are stabilizing, implying that I is structurally plastic. We also report a strong correlation between the I state unfolding free energies and side-chain transfer free energies from water to octanol. Our results suggest that, whereas side-chain hydrophobicity is important for the stability of the I form, specific side-chain packing interactions are not.