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(i) H107N is least destabilizing likely due to compensatory H-bonding ability of the introduced Asn residue. (ii) Double mutant cycles surprisingly reveal additive destabilization of H107N and E117A showing that H107 and E117 are independently stabilizing the folded protein. (iii) H107Y and H107F are exceptionally destabilizing due to bulkiness of the side chains whereas H107A is more accommodating, indicating long-range destabilizing effects of the natural pathogenic H107Y mutation.

The single-domain cyclophilin 18 (Cyp18) has long been known to function as a peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPI) and was proposed by us to also function as a chaperone [Freskgard, P.-O., Bergenhem, N., Jonsson, B.-H., Svensson, M., and Carlsson, U. (1992) Science 258, 466-468]. Later several multidomain PPIs were demonstrated to work as both a peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase and a chaperone. However, the chaperone ability of Cyp18 has been debated. In this work, we add additional results that show that Cyp18 can both accelerate the rate of refolding and increase the yield of native protein during the folding reaction, i.e., function as both a folding catalyst and a chaperone. Refolding experiments were performed using severely destabilized mutants of human carbonic anhydrase II under conditions where the unfolding reaction is significant and a larger fraction of a more destabilized variant populates molten globule-like intermediates during refolding. A correlation of native state protein stability of the substrate protein versus Cyp18 chaperone activity was demonstrated. The induced correction of misfolded conformations by Cyp18 likely functions through rescue from misfolding of transient molten globule intermediates. ANS binding data suggest that the interaction by Cyp18 leads to an early stage condensation of accessible hydrophobic portions of the misfolding-prone protein substrate during folding. The opposite effect was observed for GroEL known as an unfoldase at early stages of refolding. The chaperone effect of Cyp18 was also demonstrated for citrate synthase, suggesting a general chaperone effect of this PPI.

Carbonic anhydrase II deficiency syndrome or Marble brain disease (MBD) is caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) gene. Here we report a small-molecule stabilization study of the exceptionally destabilized HCA II mutant H107Y employing inhibitors based on p-aminobenzoylsulfonamide compounds and 1,3,4-thiadiazolylsulfonamides as well as amino acid activators. Protein stability assays showed a significant stabilization by the aromatic sulfonamide inhibitors when present at 10 microM concentration, providing shifts of the midpoint of thermal denaturation between 10 degrees C and 16 degrees C and increasing the free energies of denaturation 0.5-3.0 kcal/mol as deduced from GuHCl denaturation. This study could be used as a starting point for the design of small-molecule folding modulators and possibly autoactivatable molecules for suppression of misfolding of destabilized HCA II mutants.