Comparison of the heat stability and structure close homologs--Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ribonuclease and Bacillus intermedius 7P ribonuclease]

Parameters of heat denaturation and intrinsic fluorescence of barnase and its close homologue, binase, in the pH region 2-6 have been determined. Barnase heat denaturation (pH 2.8-5.5) proceeds according to the "all-or-none" principle. Barnase denaturation temperature is lower than that of binase and this difference increases from 2.5 degrees C at pH 5 to 7 degrees C at pH 3. Enthalpy values of barnase and binase denaturation coincide only at pH 4.5-5.5, but as the pH decreases the barnase denaturation enthalpy decreases significantly and in this respect it differs from binase. The fluorescence and CD techniques do not reveal any distinctions in the local environment of aromatic residues in the two proteins, and the obtained difference in the parameters of intrinsic fluorescence is due to fluorescence quenching of the barnase Trp-94 by the His-18 residue, which is absent in binase. Secondary structures of both native and denaturated proteins also do not differ. Some differences have been found in the barnase and binase electrostatic characteristics, revealed in the character of the dipole moment distribution.