Anion-induced conformational change of apo-electron-transferring flavoprotein.

Apoprotein of electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) exists in an equilibrium between two different forms, only one of which can associate with FAD (Sato, K. et al. (1991) J. Biochem. 109, 734-740), as represented in the following kinetic scheme: A* in equilibrium with A, A+FAD in equilibrium with holoETF, where "A*" and "A" are the different forms of apoETF. In the present study, the effects of various anions on the conversion between the two forms of apoETF were investigated by kinetic analyses on binding of FAD to apoETF. All the anions tested here induced the conversion from "A*" to "A"; the order of the effectiveness was I- approximately Br- greater than Cl- greater than F-. Further, glycerol also induced the conversion from "A*" to "A". The elution pattern of apoETF on molecular sieve chromatography was changed by addition of salts or glycerol; this change was due to the conversion from "A*" to "A" by the added solutes. The "A*" form was eluted more rapidly than the "A" form, indicating that the "A*" form exists in a looser conformation than the "A" form. The far-UV CD spectral change upon addition of salts indicated that a greater part of the secondary structure is retained in the conversion from "A*" to "A," but the "A" form contains a somewhat larger amount of beta-sheet than "A*."