Activity and mobility of subtilisin in low water organic media: hydration is more important than solvent dielectric

The relationship between hydration, catalytic activity and protein dynamics was investigated for subtilisin Carlsberg in organic solvents with low water content. The organic media were cyclohexane, dichloromethane or acetonitrile, with controlled thermodynamic water activity (a(w)). Catalytic rate profiles showed the same dependence on a(w) for the three different solvents. The structural mobility of the enzyme in air and organic media was probed by proton solid-state NMR relaxation measurements. Both spin-lattice relaxation time (T-1) and line width at half height (apparent spin-spin relaxation time (T-2)) were determined for protein which was exchanged and hydrated with D2O. We found NMR relaxation was much more dependent on a(w) than medium identity (despite very different dielectrics) showing that enzyme hydration is the primary determinant of mobility. Results suggest that initial hydration up to a(w) 0.22 causes rigidification of part of the protein structure. As a(w) is increased further, enzyme mobility is found to increase. Above a(w) 0.44, a large increase in the proportion of more mobile protons coincides with a steep rise in catalytic activity for the enzyme in each of the solvents studied. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.