The folding pathway of the KIX domain

The KIX domain is an 89-residues globular domain with an important role in mediating protein−protein interactions. The presence of two distinct binding sites in such a small domain makes KIX a suitable candidate to investigate the effect of the potentially divergent demands between folding and function. Here, we report an extensive mutational analysis of the folding pathway of the KIX domain, based on 30 site-directed mutants, which allow us to assess the structures of both the transition and denatured states. Data reveal that, while the transition state presents mostly native-like interactions, the denatured state is somewhat misfolded. We mapped some of the non-native contacts in the denatured state using a second round of mutagenesis, based on double mutant cycles on 15 double mutants. Interestingly, such a misfolding arises from non-native interactions involving the residues critical for the function of the protein. The results described in this work appear to highlight the diverging demands between folding and function that may lead to misfolding, which may be observed in the early stages of folding.