The contribution of cross-links to protein stability: a normal mode analysis of the configurational entropy of the native state.

The vibrational entropy of native BPTI, with three disulfide bonds, was determined by use of normal mode calculations and compared with that of folded variants having either one less disulfide bond or lacking a peptide bond at the trypsin-reactive site. Favorable contributions to the free energy of 2.5-5.1 kcal/mol at 300 K were calculated for the reduction of disulfide bonds in the folded state, whereas no favorable contribution was found for the hydrolysis of the peptide bond cleaved by trypsin. This is on the order of the effect of disulfides in the unfolded state. The implications of these results for the stabilization of a folded protein by the introduction of cross-links are discussed.