Improvement of chaperone activity of 2-Cys peroxiredoxin using electron beam

The peroxiredoxin protein expressed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (PaPrx) is a typical 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin that has dual functions as both a thioredoxin-dependent peroxidase and molecular chaperone. As the function of PaPrx is regulated by its structural status, in the present study, we examined the effects of electron beam radiation on the structural modifications of PaPrx, as well as changes to PaPrx peroxidase and chaperone functions. It was found that the chaperone activity of PaPrx was increased approximately 3- to 4-fold at 2kGy when compared to non-irradiated PaPrx, while its peroxidase activity decreased. This corresponded to a shift from the low molecular weight PaPrx species that acts as a peroxidase to the high molecular weight complex that functions as a chaperone, as detected using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We also investigated the influence of the electron beam on physical protein properties such as hydrophobicity and secondary structure. The exposure of the PaPrx hydrophobic domains in response to irradiation reached a peak at 2kGy and then decreased in a dose-dependent manner at higher doses. In addition, the exposure of β-sheet and random coil elements on the surface of PaPrx was significantly increased following irradiation with an electron beam, whereas exposure of α-helix and turn elements was decreased. These results suggest that irradiated PaPrx may be a potential candidate for use in bio-engineering systems and various industrial applications, due to its enhanced chaperone activity.