Prolyl isomerase
Encyclopedia
Prolyl isomerase is an enzyme
found in both prokaryote
s and eukaryote
s that interconverts the cis and trans isomers of peptide bond
s with the amino acid proline
. Proline has an unusually conformationally restrained peptide bond due to its cyclic structure with its side chain
bonded to its secondary amine
nitrogen. Most amino acid
s have a strong energetic preference for the trans peptide bond conformation due to steric hindrance, but proline's unusual structure stabilizes the cis form so that both isomers are populated under biologically relevant conditions. Proteins with prolyl isomerase activity include cyclophilin
, FKBP
s, and parvulin
, although larger proteins can also contain prolyl isomerase domains.
s in having a relatively small difference in free energy between the cis configuration of its peptide bond and the more common trans form. The activation energy
required to catalyse the isomerisation between cis and trans is relatively high: ~20kcal/mol (c.f. ~0kcal/mol for regular peptide bonds). Unlike regular peptide bonds, the X-prolyl peptide bond will not adopt the intended conformation spontaneously, thus, the process of cis-trans isomerization can be the rate-limiting step in the process of protein folding
. Prolyl isomerases therefore function as protein folding chaperones. Cis peptide bonds N-terminal to proline residues are often located at the first residue of certain types of tight turns
in the protein backbone. Proteins that contain structural cis-prolines in the native state
include ribonuclease A
, ribonuclease T1
, beta lactamase, and some interleukin
s.
Prolyl isomerase folding can be autocatalytic and therefore the speed of folding depends on reactant concentration. Parvulin and human cytosol
ic FKBP are thought to catalyze their own folding processes.
It is important to note that not every proline peptide bond is critical to the structure or function of a protein, and not every such bond has a significant influence on folding kinetics, especially trans bonds. Furthermore, some prolyl isomerases have a degree of sequence specificity and therefore may not catalyze the isomerization of prolines in certain sequence contexts.
-based assay. The proteolytic enzyme chymotrypsin has a very high substrate specificity for the four-residue peptide Ala
-Ala
-Pro
-Phe
only when the proline peptide bond is in the trans state. Adding chymotrypsin to a solution containing a reporter peptide with this sequence results in the rapid cleavage of about 90% of the peptides, while those peptides with cis proline bonds - about 10% in aqueous solution - are cleaved at a rate limited by uncatalyzed proline isomerization. The addition of a potential prolyl isomerase will accelerate this latter reaction phase if it has true prolyl isomerase activity.
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
found in both prokaryote
Prokaryote
The prokaryotes are a group of organisms that lack a cell nucleus , or any other membrane-bound organelles. The organisms that have a cell nucleus are called eukaryotes. Most prokaryotes are unicellular, but a few such as myxobacteria have multicellular stages in their life cycles...
s and eukaryote
Eukaryote
A eukaryote is an organism whose cells contain complex structures enclosed within membranes. Eukaryotes may more formally be referred to as the taxon Eukarya or Eukaryota. The defining membrane-bound structure that sets eukaryotic cells apart from prokaryotic cells is the nucleus, or nuclear...
s that interconverts the cis and trans isomers of peptide bond
Peptide bond
This article is about the peptide link found within biological molecules, such as proteins. A similar article for synthetic molecules is being created...
s with the amino acid proline
Proline
Proline is an α-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. Its codons are CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that the human body can synthesize it. It is unique among the 20 protein-forming amino acids in that the α-amino group is secondary...
. Proline has an unusually conformationally restrained peptide bond due to its cyclic structure with its side chain
Side chain
In organic chemistry and biochemistry, a side chain is a chemical group that is attached to a core part of the molecule called "main chain" or backbone. The placeholder R is often used as a generic placeholder for alkyl group side chains in chemical structure diagrams. To indicate other non-carbon...
bonded to its secondary amine
Amine
Amines are organic compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are derivatives of ammonia, wherein one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a substituent such as an alkyl or aryl group. Important amines include amino acids, biogenic amines,...
nitrogen. Most amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
s have a strong energetic preference for the trans peptide bond conformation due to steric hindrance, but proline's unusual structure stabilizes the cis form so that both isomers are populated under biologically relevant conditions. Proteins with prolyl isomerase activity include cyclophilin
Cyclophilin
Cyclophilins are a family of proteins from vertebrates and other organisms that bind to cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant which is usually used to suppress rejection after internal organ transplants...
, FKBP
FKBP
FKBP, or FK506 binding protein, is a family of proteins that have prolyl isomerase activity and are related to the cyclophilins in function, though not in amino acid sequence. FKBPs have been identified in many eukaryotes from yeast to humans and function as protein folding chaperones for proteins...
s, and parvulin
Parvulin
Parvulin, a 92-amino acid protein discovered in E. coli in 1994, is the smallest known protein with prolyl isomerase activity, which catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of proline peptide bonds...
, although larger proteins can also contain prolyl isomerase domains.
Protein folding
Proline is unique among the natural amino acidAmino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
s in having a relatively small difference in free energy between the cis configuration of its peptide bond and the more common trans form. The activation energy
Activation energy
In chemistry, activation energy is a term introduced in 1889 by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius that is defined as the energy that must be overcome in order for a chemical reaction to occur. Activation energy may also be defined as the minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction...
required to catalyse the isomerisation between cis and trans is relatively high: ~20kcal/mol (c.f. ~0kcal/mol for regular peptide bonds). Unlike regular peptide bonds, the X-prolyl peptide bond will not adopt the intended conformation spontaneously, thus, the process of cis-trans isomerization can be the rate-limiting step in the process of protein folding
Protein folding
Protein folding is the process by which a protein structure assumes its functional shape or conformation. It is the physical process by which a polypeptide folds into its characteristic and functional three-dimensional structure from random coil....
. Prolyl isomerases therefore function as protein folding chaperones. Cis peptide bonds N-terminal to proline residues are often located at the first residue of certain types of tight turns
Turn (biochemistry)
A turn is an element of secondary structure in proteins where the polypeptide chain reverses its overall direction.- Definition :According to the most common definition, a turn is a structural motif where the Cα atoms of two residues separated by few peptide bonds are in close approach A turn is...
in the protein backbone. Proteins that contain structural cis-prolines in the native state
Native state
In biochemistry, the native state of a protein is its operative or functional form. While all protein molecules begin as simple unbranched chains of amino acids, once completed they assume highly specific three-dimensional shapes; that ultimate shape, known as tertiary structure, is the folded...
include ribonuclease A
Ribonuclease A
Ribonuclease A is a pancreatic ribonuclease that cleaves single-stranded RNA. Bovine pancreatic RNase A is one of the classic model systems of protein science.-History:...
, ribonuclease T1
Ribonuclease T1
Ribonuclease T1 is a fungal endonuclease that cleaves single-stranded RNA after guanine residues, i.e., on their 3' end; the most commonly studied form of this enzyme is the version found in the mold Aspergillus oryzae. Owing to its specificity for guanine, RNase T1 is often used to digest...
, beta lactamase, and some interleukin
Interleukin
Interleukins are a group of cytokines that were first seen to be expressed by white blood cells . The term interleukin derives from "as a means of communication", and "deriving from the fact that many of these proteins are produced by leukocytes and act on leukocytes"...
s.
Prolyl isomerase folding can be autocatalytic and therefore the speed of folding depends on reactant concentration. Parvulin and human cytosol
Cytosol
The cytosol or intracellular fluid is the liquid found inside cells, that is separated into compartments by membranes. For example, the mitochondrial matrix separates the mitochondrion into compartments....
ic FKBP are thought to catalyze their own folding processes.
Evidence for proline isomerization
Methods for identifying the presence of a rate-limiting proline isomerization process in a protein folding event include:- Activation energiesActivation energyIn chemistry, activation energy is a term introduced in 1889 by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius that is defined as the energy that must be overcome in order for a chemical reaction to occur. Activation energy may also be defined as the minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction...
consistent with proline isomerization, which typically has an activation of about 20 kcal/mol. - Two-state folding kineticsEnzyme kineticsEnzyme kinetics is the study of the chemical reactions that are catalysed by enzymes. In enzyme kinetics, the reaction rate is measured and the effects of varying the conditions of the reaction investigated...
indicative of both fast-folding and slow-folding populations in the unfolded or denatured state. - "Double-jump" assays in which proline-containing proteins are unfolded and refolded, and the population of non-native proline conformations are studied as a function of the extent of folding.
- Acceleration of the in vitro folding rate by the addition of a prolyl isomerase.
- Acceleration of the in vitro folding rate in mutantMutationIn molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
protein variants with one or more proline residues replaced by another amino acid.
It is important to note that not every proline peptide bond is critical to the structure or function of a protein, and not every such bond has a significant influence on folding kinetics, especially trans bonds. Furthermore, some prolyl isomerases have a degree of sequence specificity and therefore may not catalyze the isomerization of prolines in certain sequence contexts.
Assays for prolyl isomerase activity
Prolyl isomerase activity was first discovered using a chymotrypsinChymotrypsin
Chymotrypsin is a digestive enzyme that can perform proteolysis. Chymotrypsin preferentially cleaves peptide amide bonds where the carboxyl side of the amide bond is a tyrosine, tryptophan, or phenylalanine. These amino acids contain an aromatic ring in their sidechain that fits into a...
-based assay. The proteolytic enzyme chymotrypsin has a very high substrate specificity for the four-residue peptide Ala
Alanine
Alanine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula CH3CHCOOH. The L-isomer is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the genetic code. Its codons are GCU, GCC, GCA, and GCG. It is classified as a nonpolar amino acid...
-Ala
Alanine
Alanine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula CH3CHCOOH. The L-isomer is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the genetic code. Its codons are GCU, GCC, GCA, and GCG. It is classified as a nonpolar amino acid...
-Pro
Proline
Proline is an α-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. Its codons are CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that the human body can synthesize it. It is unique among the 20 protein-forming amino acids in that the α-amino group is secondary...
-Phe
Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine is an α-amino acid with the formula C6H5CH2CHCOOH. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar because of the hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. L-Phenylalanine is an electrically neutral amino acid, one of the twenty common amino acids used to biochemically form...
only when the proline peptide bond is in the trans state. Adding chymotrypsin to a solution containing a reporter peptide with this sequence results in the rapid cleavage of about 90% of the peptides, while those peptides with cis proline bonds - about 10% in aqueous solution - are cleaved at a rate limited by uncatalyzed proline isomerization. The addition of a potential prolyl isomerase will accelerate this latter reaction phase if it has true prolyl isomerase activity.