Can a Charged Surfactant Unfold an Uncharged Protein?

Casper Højgaard; Henrik Vinther Sørensen; Jan Skov Pedersen; Jakob Rahr Winther; Daniel Erik Otzen

doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2018.10.022

Can a Charged Surfactant Unfold an Uncharged Protein?

Biophys J. 2018 Dec 4;115(11):2081-2086. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.10.022. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Authors

Casper Højgaard¹, Henrik Vinther Sørensen², Jan Skov Pedersen³, Jakob Rahr Winther¹, Daniel Erik Otzen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
² Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
³ Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁴ Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: dao@inano.au.dk.

Abstract

Does sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) denature proteins through electrostatic SDS-protein interactions? We show that a protein completely lacking charged side chains is unfolded by SDS in a manner similar to charged proteins, revealing that formal protein charges are not required for SDS-induced protein unfolding or binding.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cellulomonas / enzymology*
Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases / chemistry*
Protein Conformation
Protein Folding
Protein Unfolding*
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / chemistry*
Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*

Substances

Surface-Active Agents
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
Endo-1,4-beta Xylanases