TitlePartially Unfolded Forms of the Prion Protein Populated under Misfolding-promoting Conditions: CHARACTERIZATION BY HYDROGEN EXCHANGE MASS SPECTROMETRY AND NMR.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsMoulick R, Das R, Udgaonkar JB
JournalJ Biol Chem
Volume290
Issue42
Pagination25227-40
Date Published2015 Oct 16
ISSN1083-351X
Abstract

The susceptibility of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) to convert to an alternative misfolded conformation (PrP(Sc)), which is the key event in the pathogenesis of prion diseases, is indicative of a conformationally flexible native (N) state. In the present study, hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) in conjunction with mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used for the structural and energetic characterization of the N state of the full-length mouse prion protein, moPrP(23-231), under conditions that favor misfolding. The kinetics of HDX of 34 backbone amide hydrogens in the N state were determined at pH 4. In contrast to the results of previous HDX studies on the human and Syrian hamster prion proteins at a higher pH, various segments of moPrP were found to undergo different extents of subglobal unfolding events at pH 4, a pH at which the protein is known to be primed to misfold to a β-rich conformation. No residual structure around the disulfide bond was observed for the unfolded state at pH 4. The N state of the prion protein was observed to be at equilibrium with at least two partially unfolded forms (PUFs). These PUFs, which are accessed by stochastic fluctuations of the N state, have altered surface area exposure relative to the N state. One of these PUFs resembles a conformation previously implicated to be an initial intermediate in the conversion of monomeric protein into misfolded oligomer at pH 4.

DOI10.1074/jbc.M115.677575
Alternate JournalJ. Biol. Chem.
PubMed ID26306043