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Different Structural Behaviors Evidenced in Thaumatin-Like Proteins: A Spectroscopic Study

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Abstract

Three proteins belonging to the thaumatin-like proteins family were compared in this study from a structural point of view: zeamatin, a new recently isolated PR-5 from Cassia didymobotrya and the commercial sweet-thaumatin. The former two proteins possess antifungal activities while commercial thaumatin is well known to be a natural sweetener. Intrinsic fluorescence studies have evidenced that the three proteins behave differently in unfolding experiments showing different structural rigidity. All the three proteins are more stable at slight acidic buffers, but sweet-thaumatin has a major tendency to destructurate itself. Similar observations were made from circular dichroism studies where a structural dependence relationship from the pH and the solvent used confirmed a hierarchic scale of stability for the three proteins. These structural differences should be considered to be significant for a functional role.

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Abbreviations

PRP:

Pathogenesis related protein

TLPs:

Thaumatin-like proteins

Gdn/HCl:

Guanidine hydrochloride

CHES:

Cyclohexylaminoethanesulfonic acid

Tris:

Tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

Bis-Tris:

Bis (2-hydroxyethyl)imino-tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane

CD:

Circular dichroism

TFE:

2,2,2,-Trifluoroethanol

MWR, θ:

Molar mean residue ellipticity

CdTLP:

Cassia didymobotrya Thaumatin-like protein

ATR/FT-IR:

Attenuated Total Reflectance—Fourier Transform Infra Red

MALDI-ToF:

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight

SDS–PAGE:

Sodium dodecylsulfate–polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis

Trp:

Triptophane

Phe:

Phenylalanine

Tyr:

Tyrosine

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by grants from Fondi d’Ateneo, Progetto D1 2006, Chatholic University, Rome, Italy. The M.I.U.R. financial support of FIRB 2003 (no. RBNE034XSW) is also gratefully acknowledged.

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Correspondence to A. Vitali.

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Perri, F., Romitelli, F., Rufini, F. et al. Different Structural Behaviors Evidenced in Thaumatin-Like Proteins: A Spectroscopic Study. Protein J 27, 13–20 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10930-007-9103-2

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