Random coil chemical shifts are commonly used to detect secondary structure elements in proteins in chemical shift index calculations. While this technique is very reliable for folded proteins, application to unfolded proteins reveals significant deviations from measured random coil shifts for certain nuclei. While some of these deviations can be ascribed to residual structure in the unfolded protein, others are clearly caused by local sequence effects. In particular, the amide nitrogen, amide proton, and carbonyl carbon chemical shifts are highly sensitive to the local amino acid sequence. We present a detailed, quantitative analysis of the effect of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids on the random coil shifts of (15)N(H), (1)H(N), and (13)CO resonances of neighboring residues, utilizing complete resonance assignments for a set of five-residue peptides Ac-G-G-X-G-G-NH(2). The work includes a validation of the concepts used to derive sequence-dependent correction factors for random coil chemical shifts, and a comprehensive tabulation of sequence-dependent correction factors that can be applied for amino acids up to two residues from a given position. This new set of correction factors will have important applications to folded proteins as well as to short, unstructured peptides and unfolded proteins.

Unfolded apomyoglobin in 8 M urea at pH 2.3 displays distinct regions with different backbone mobility, as monitored by NMR relaxation. These variations in backbone mobility can be correlated with intrinsic properties of the amino acids in the sequence. Clusters of small amino acids such as glycine and alanine show increased backbone mobility compared to the average. In contrast, local hydrophobic interactions that persist in urea denaturant cause some restriction of backbone motions on a picosecond to nanosecond time scale. The model derived from the behavior of apoMb in urea depends only on the most fundamental properties of the local amino acid sequence, and thus provides a feasible paradigm for the initiation of folding.

Studies of proteins unfolded in acid or chemical denaturant can help in unraveling events during the earliest phases of protein folding. In order for meaningful comparisons to be made of residual structure in unfolded states, it is necessary to use random coil chemical shifts that are valid for the experimental system under study. We present a set of random coil chemical shifts obtained for model peptides under experimental conditions used in studies of denatured proteins. This new set, together with previously published data sets, has been incorporated into a software interface for NMRView, allowing selection of the random coil data set that fits the experimental conditions best.

Recent studies on the pathogenic mechanisms of recessive hyperekplexia indicate disturbances in glycine receptor (GlyR) ␣1 biogenesis. Here, we examine the properties of a range of novel glycine receptor mutants identified in human hyperekplexia patients using expression in transfected cell lines and primary neurons. All of the novel mutants localized in the large extracellular domain of the GlyR ␣1 have reduced cell surface expression with a high proportion of receptors being retained in the ER, although there is forward trafficking of glycosylated subpopulations into the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment and cis-Golgi compartment. CD spectroscopy revealed that the mutant receptors have proportions of secondary structural elements similar to wild-type receptors. Two mutants in loop B (G160R, T162M) were functional, but none of those in loop D/␤2-3 were. One nonfunctional truncated mutant (R316X) could be rescued by coexpression with the lacking C-terminal domain. We conclude that a proportion of GlyR ␣1 mutants can be transported to the plasma membrane but do not necessarily form functional ion channels. We suggest that loop D/␤2-3 is an important determinant for GlyR trafficking and functionality, whereas alterations to loop B alter agonist potencies, indicating that residues here are critical elements in ligand binding.

The conversion of prion helix 1 from an ␣-helical into an extended conformation is generally assumed to be an essential step in the conversion of the cellular isoform PrP C of the prion protein to the pathogenic isoform PrP Sc . Peptides encompassing helix 1 and flanking sequences were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism. Our results indicate a remarkably high instrinsic helix propensity of the helix 1 region. In particular, these peptides retain significant helicity under a wide range of conditions, such as high salt, pH variation, and presence of organic co-solvents. As evidenced by a data base search, the pattern of charged residues present in helix 1 generally favors helical structures over alternative conformations. Because of its high stability against environmental changes, helix 1 is unlikely to be involved in the initial steps of the pathogenic conformational change. Our results implicate that interconversion of helix 1 is rather representing a barrier than a nucleus for the PrP C 3 PrP Sc conversion.Prion protein, PrP, 1 is probably the disease-causing agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in man (1). Its cellular form, PrP C , is a highly conserved cell surface glycoprotein of 230 amino acids expressed in all of the mammals studied so far as well as in several species of fish and birds (2, 3). The physiological function of PrP C is not yet fully understood. PrP C seems to be involved in the maintenance of proper presynaptic copper levels as well as in protecting neurons from oxidative stress (4, 5). In addition, the physiological function of PrP C could be associated with higher neurological functions such as learning and memory (5). According to the protein-only hypothesis, disease is caused by accumulation of a misfolded pathogenic isoform, PrP Sc , which is the result of an irreversible large scale conformational change of PrP C . Although PrP C is largely ␣-helical and soluble in polar solvents and sensitive to protease K digestion, PrP Sc consists mostly of ␤-sheets, is soluble only in nonpolar, denaturing solvents, and is resistant to digestion with protease K (6). PrP Sc forms fibrillar aggregates similar to other amyloid fibrils (7). Accumulation of PrP Sc aggregates is accompanied by astrocytosis and gliosis in central nervous tissue, which in turn result in vacuoles in the brains of patients.The solution structures of human PrP-(23-230), huPrP (8), mouse PrP-(121-231) (9), bovine PrP-(23-230) (10), and Syrian hamster PrP-(29 -231) (11) have been determined by NMR spectroscopy. They possess a high degree of structural conservation consistent with the high sequence identity of these proteins. Prion proteins consist of a flexible NH 2 -terminal domain spanning residues 23-124 (huPrP C -numbering scheme), which is largely disordered. This region includes an octapeptide sequence that is repeated four times from residues 60 to 92 and that is likely to bind copper (4). This part al...