Stabilization effects of kosmotrope systems on ornithine carbamoyltransferase

In the present article the influence of salts and additives, such as trehalose, NaCl, ornithine, sodium phosphate and ammonium sulphate, on ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCTase) is investigated in order to study the OCTase stabilization process as a function of solutes and to point out the fundamental role played by an enhancement of hydrophobic interactions. The synergic use of different techniques, such as neutron spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, activity and thermal measurements, allows to highlight the cosolute capability to avoid thermal inactivation, to induce important changes in secondary and tertiary enzyme structure and to stabilize biological macromolecules.