Lysozyme dimer association: Similarities and differences compared with lysozyme monomer association

The protein with a molecular weight of 28.6 kDa in lysozyme solution, which has been recognized as a lysozyme dimer, was purified and its association was observed using time-resolved static light scattering and dynamic light scattering under the same buffer condition as that used in lysozyme monomer association. The chromatography results and SDS–PAGE analysis showed that the bonding state of each molecule in a dimer unit was not uniform, i.e., there were at least two kinds of bonds, strong and weak. Some of the weak-bonded dimmers dissociated to monomers (molecular weight: 14.3 kDa) in the SDS–PAGE process. The relative amount of weak-bonded dimers greatly affected the association kinetics. With a 99% pure dimer solution (1% monomers in SDS–PAGE), association proceeded in the same manner as that of a monomer solution: the Zimm-square plot had a concave shape with a maximum at a particular q2 for apparent protein concentrations, up to 2.4 mg/mL. The dynamic light-scattering data showed clear bimodal (dimer and aggregate), distributions. With a 95% pure dimer solution, the association behavior drastically changed when the apparent concentration exceeded 2.0 mg/mL. The Zimm-square plot had a bending point at a low q2, and two discrete lines fitted the plot. The particles in the solution were either oligomers or large aggregates, both of which had polydispersity distributions, and an amorphous phase formed from the aggregates. This was not observed for monomer association.