Kinetic isotope effects reveal the presence of significant secondary structure in the transition state for the folding of the N-terminal domain of L9.

Our present understanding of the nature of the transition state for protein folding depends predominantly on studies where individual side-chain contributions are mapped out by mutational analysis (phi value analysis). This approach, although extremely powerful, does not in general provide direct information about the formation of backbone hydrogen bonds. Here, we report the results of amide H/D isotope effect studies that probe the development of hydrogen bonded interactions in the transition state for the folding of a small alpha-beta protein, the N-terminal domain of L9. Replacement of amide protons by deuterons in a solvent of constant isotopic composition destabilized the domain, decreasing both its T(m) and Delta G(0) of unfolding. The folding rate also decreased. The parameter Phi(H/D), defined as the ratio of the effect of isotopic substitution upon the activation free energy to the equilibrium free energy was determined to be 0.6 in a D(2)O background and 0.75 in a H(2)O background, indicating that significant intraprotein hydrogen bond interactions are developed in the transition state for the folding of NTL9. The value is in remarkably good agreement with more traditional measures of the position of the transition state, which report on the relative burial of surface area. The results provide a picture of a compact folding transition state containing significant secondary structure. Indirect analysis argues that the bulk of the kinetic isotope effect arises from the beta-sheet-rich region of the protein, and suggests that the development of intraprotein hydrogen bonds in this region plays a critical role in the folding of NTL9.