Role of the C-terminal tail region in the self-assembly of lambda-repressor.

Acrylamide quenching of the tryptophan fluorescence of the lambda-repressor at different protein concentrations indicates that one of the three tryptophan residues, W129, W142, and W230, undergoes a change in environment upon self-assembly, from dimer to associated species. Quenching data suggest that this tryptophan residue is inaccessible to low concentrations of acrylamide and is blue-shifted in the associated form. In the dimer, this tryptophan residue is highly accessible to acrylamide and is red-shifted. NBS oxidation, at protein concentrations which favor the associated form, showed that this tryptophan is also significantly protected from NBS oxidation. HPLC peptide mapping of NBS-oxidized lambda-repressor, amino acid analysis, and sequencing indicate that the protected, blue-shifted tryptophan is tryptophan 230. A mutant repressor (F235C) was specifically labeled at Cys 235 with an environment-sensitive probe, acrylodan. The acrylodan fluorescence of the labeled F235C lambda-repressor undergoes a significant blue-shift, accompanied by fluorescence enhancement, upon protein association. Along with other genetic evidence, these results suggest involvement of the C-terminal tail region in the self-assembly of the lambda-repressor.