Tertiary butanol induced amyloidogenesis of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) is facilitated by aggregation-prone alkali-induced molten globule like conformational state.

Proteins may form undesirable aggregates during the process of folding. Increasing evidence suggests that amyloid fibrils may arise from partially folded precursor molecules. We have previously demonstrated that hen egg white lysozyme [HEWL] exists as molten globule at pH 12.

Different molten globule-like folding intermediates of hen egg white lysozyme induced by high pH and tertiary butanol.

We have provided evidence that hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) existed in alpha helical and beta structure dominated molten globule (MG) states at high pH and in the presence of tertiary butanol, respectively. Circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic fluorescence, ANS binding and acrylamide-induced fluorescence quenching techniques have been used to investigate alkali-induced unfolding of HEWL and the effect of tertiary butanol on the alkaline-induced state. At pH 12.