The refolding of urea-denatured ribonuclease A is catalyzed by peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase.

The refolding of urea-denatured ribonuclease A was measured at 0.31-3.1 mol . l-1 urea in the presence of various concentrations of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase isolated from pig kidney. The rate of the slow CT-phase in the refolding reaction was found to be sensitive to this enzyme. A rate enhancement proportional to the isomerase activity has been observed. The activity of the enzyme was assayed with Glt-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-4-nitroanilide. The catalytic activity of the isomerase against unfolded ribonuclease is suppressed after preincubation of the enzyme with 0.001 mol . l-1 Cu2+, 0.01 mol . l-1 H+ and by heat inactivation. The results indicate the involvement of the cis/trans interconversion of proline peptide bonds during the refolding of ribonuclease A.