Complete Thermal-Unfolding Profiles of Oxidized and Reduced Cytochromes c

The complete thermal-unfolding profiles of both oxidized and reduced forms of cytochrome c 551 (PA) from mesophilic Pseudomonas aeruginosa and cytochrome c 552 (HT) from thermophilic Hydrogenobacter thermophilus were obtained by the newly developed pressure-proof cell compartment installed in a circular dichroic spectrometer, which facilitates protein thermal-unfolding experiments up to 180 °C. The thermodynamic cycle, which relates protein stability and redox function, indicated that the redox potentials of PA and HT in the native state are regulated by the stability of the oxidized proteins rather than by that of the reduced ones.