Thermal stability of Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin: a differential scanning calorimetry study.

Phaseolus vulgaris phytohemagglutinin L is a homotetrameric-leucoagglutinating seed lectin. Its three-dimensional structure shows similarity with other members of the legume lectin family. The tetrameric form of this lectin is pH dependent. Gel filtration results showed that the protein exists in its dimeric state at pH 2.5 and as a tetramer at pH 7.2. Contrary to earlier reports on legume lectins that possess canonical dimers, thermal denaturation studies show that the refolding of phytohemagglutinin L at neutral pH is irreversible. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the denaturation of this lectin as a function of pH that ranged from 2.0 to 3.0. The lectin was found to be extremely thermostable with a transition temperature around 82 degrees C and above 100 degrees C at pH 2.5 and 7.2, respectively. The ratio of calorimetric to vant Hoff enthalpy could not be calculated because of its irreversible-folding behavior. However, from the DSC data, it was discovered that the protein remains in its compact-folded state, even at pH 2.3, with the onset of denaturation occurring at 60 degrees C.