Protein flexibility and aggregation state of human epidermal growth factor

A time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopic study of the recombinant human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), a bis(tryptophan)‐containing protein (Trp49‐Trp50), and of the two single‐tryptophan‐containing engineered mutants with Trp49 or Trp50 replaced by Phe ([W49F]hEGF, [W50F]hEGF), was undertaken in order to gain insight into the conformational dynamics of the C‐terminal region. Quite different position‐dependent microenvironments for the two Trp residues are shown by comparing the fluorescence intensity decay of both mutants. Trp50 in the single‐tryptophan mutant [W49F]EGF probably undergoes a dominant interaction with the solvent. A more heterogeneous environment of Trp49 in the [W50F]hEGF mutant is found. Moreover, the fluorescence decay of the native hEGF is not simply the additive result of the decays of both mutants: the Trp 2 sequence confers a conformation of the C‐terminal sequence which is more in contact with the rest of the protein molecule. By contrast, the fluorescence anisotropy decay of the native protein is quite similar to that of the single‐tryptophan mutants. A high degree of rotational freedom in the C‐terminal region of the protein is demonstrated. The resonance energy transfer, which could contribute to the anisotropy decay, appears therefore not to be highly efficient with respect to the depolarization motions. In addition to these local conformational and dynamic aspects of the hEGF C‐terminal sequence, the fluorescence anisotropy decay data demonstrate the existence of a dimerization process of the native protein which is dependent on pH and protein concentration. This phenomenon influences the excited‐state lifetime profiles and, therefore, the local conformational equilibrium of the C‐terminal region.