A positive entropy change for guanosine binding and for the chemical step in the Tetrahymena ribozyme reaction.

The ribozyme derived from the group I intron of Tetrahymena thermophila binds an exogenous guanosine nucleotide, which acts as the nucleophile in the sequence-specific cleavage of oligonucleotides. By examining the temperature dependence of the reaction under conditions where Km = Kd, we conclude the following: (1) Guanosine 5'-monophosphate (pG) binds to the closed ribozyme-oligonucleotide substrate complex with a positive entropy change (delta S degree' = +23 eu) and an enthalpy change (delta H degree') close to zero. This is contrary to the expectation that binding would cause increased order (negative delta S degree) and be driven by a negative delta H degree. (2) Inosine and 2-aminopurine riboside, each lacking two hydrogen-bonding moieties relative to guanosine, also bind with a positive entropy value and an unfavorable (positive) delta H degree'. From this result, we suggest that the hydrogen-bonding moieties make an enthalpic contribution to guanosine binding overcoming an intrinsic unfavorable delta H. (3) At 0 degree C, there is equally tight binding of pG in the presence and absence of oligonucleotide substrate bound to the ribozyme. Thus, energetic interactions responsible for the thermodynamic coupling between pG and oligonucleotide substrate binding seen at higher temperatures are indirect. (4) The activation barrier of the chemical step is stabilized by a positive delta S++ (+31 to 39 eu). This stabilization is seen in four reactions using substrates with two different leaving groups in the presence and absence of pG, suggesting that the entropic contribution is inherent to the active site. The positive delta S values for the chemical step and for the binding of pG can be explained by a conformational change or release of water. Thus, although hydrogen bonding contributes to binding of nucleotides to this RNA enzyme as previously thought, it is these other events which produce a positive delta S that provide the energetic driving force for binding.