Pepsin contains, in a single chain, two conformationally homologous lobes that are thought to have been evolutionarily derived by gene duplication and fusion. We have demonstrated that the individual recombinant lobes are capable of independent folding and reconstitution into a two-chain pepsin or a two-chain pepsinogen (Lin, X . , et al., 1992, J. Biol. Chem. 267,[17257][17258][17259][17260][17261][17262][17263]. Pepsin spontaneously inactivates in neutral or alkaline solutions. We have shown in this study that the enzymic activity of the alkaline-inactivated pepsin was regenerated by the addition of the recombinant N-terminal lobe but not by the C-terminal lobe. These results indicate that alkaline inactivation of pepsin is due to a selective denaturation of its N-terminal lobe. A complex between recombinant N-terminal lobe of pepsinogen and alkaline-denatured pepsin has been isolated. This complex is structurally similar to a two-chain pepsinogen, but it contains an extension of a denatured pepsin N-terminal lobe. Acidification of the complex is accompanied by a cleavage in the pro region and proteolysis of the denatured N-terminal lobe. The structural components that are responsible for the alkaline instability of the N-terminal lobe are likely to be carboxyl groups with abnormally high pK, values. The electrostatic potentials of 23 net carboxyl groups in the N-terminal domain (as compared to 19 in the C-terminal domain) of pepsin were calculated based on the energetics of interacting charges in the tertiary structure of the domain. The groups most probably causing the alkaline denaturation are Asp", Asp"', Glu4, Glu13, and Asp"'. Especially, the partially buried Asp", which interacts with Asp159, could cause one of these two groups to have an abnormally high pK, and the other an abnormally low pK, value. Thus, the ionization of Asp'' at a high pH may place two negatively charged residues in close vicinity. This unfavorable situation may be the trigger for the denaturation of the N-terminal lobe of pepsin.Keywords: carboxyl ionization; denaturation; domain structure; electrostatic potentials; porcine pepsinThe fact that some aspartic proteases, such as HIV protease and renin, are involved in human diseases has stimulated much interest recently in the understanding of the structure-function relationships of this group of enzymes. Reprint requests to: Jordan Tang, Protein Studies Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, 825 N.E. 13th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104.Abbreviations: bis-Tris, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-iminotris(hydroxymethy1)methane; FPLC, fast protein liquid chromatography (chromatograph); HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; PAGE, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; pep, the NH,-terminal lobe of pepsin; pep.sin, twochain pepsin; pepsin,, alkaline-inactivated pepsin; pro, propeptide; propep, the NH2-terminal lobe of pepsinogen; propep.pepsin,, complex between propep and alkaline-inactivated pepsin; propep.sin, twochain pepsinogen; SDS, sodium dodecyl sulfate; sin, the C-terminal lob...