EN
Two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D-IR) was applied to the study of urea- and heat-induced unfolding denaturation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SR ATPase). Urea at 2–3 M causes reversible loss of SR ATPase activity, while higher concentrations induce irreversible denaturation. Heat-induced denaturation is a non-two-state process, with an “intermediate state” (at t ≈ 45oC) characterized by the presence of protein monomers, instead of the native oligomers. 2D-IR reveals that urea denaturation causes loss of the structural transition to the “intermediate state”. Whenever the urea effect can be reversed, the transition to the “intermediate state” is re-established.