Time-Resolved Ultraviolet Photodissociation Mass Spectrometry Probes the Mutation-Induced Alterations in Protein Stability and Unfolding Dynamics

J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Apr 3;146(13):8832-8838. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c00316. Epub 2024 Mar 20.

Abstract

How mutations impact protein stability and structure dynamics is crucial for understanding the pathological process and rational drug design. Herein, we establish a time-resolved native mass spectrometry (TR-nMS) platform via a rapid-mixing capillary apparatus for monitoring the acid-initiated protein unfolding process. The molecular details in protein structure unfolding are further profiled by a 193 nm ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) analysis of the structure-informative photofragments. Compared with the wild-type dihydrofolate reductase (WT-DHFR), the M42T/H114R mutant (MT-DHFR) exhibits a significant stability decrease in TR-nMS characterization. UVPD comparisons of the unfolding intermediates and original DHFR forms indicate the special stabilization effect of cofactor NADPH on DHFR structure, and the M42T/H114R mutations lead to a significant decrease in NADPH-DHFR interactions, thus promoting the structure unfolding. Our study paves the way for probing the mutation-induced subtle changes in the stability and structure dynamics of drug targets.

MeSH terms

  • Escherichia coli* / metabolism
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mutation
  • NADP / metabolism
  • Protein Stability
  • Protein Unfolding*
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / metabolism

Substances

  • NADP
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase