Refolding Additive, Dimethylbenzylammonium Propane Sulfonate (NDSB- 256), Accelerates Gly-Pro cis-trans Isomerization

Proline cis-trans isomerization plays a key role in the rate-determining steps of protein folding, and many different peptide-proline cis-trans isomerases (PPIases) catalyze this reaction. The acceleration of isomerization would be beneficial for in vitro refolding of protein preparations for industrial and research purposes. So we analyzed whether low-molecular-weight compounds that have been reported to enhance protein refolding have the activity to accelerate the isomerization. To evaluate the effects of chemicals on the isomerization rate, we set up a new NMR (EXSY) method that is invulnerable to their inhibitory activity, if any, and to their large NMR signals. With this method, we found that dimethylbenzylammonium propane sulfonate (NDSB-256) increase the isomerization rate in a concentration-dependent manner for the first time. Acceleration by imidazole (suggested but not experimentally confirmed) was also demonstrated. Arginine, a most popular refolding additive, did not show any significant effects on the isomerization reaction as expected.