The Chaperone-Active State of HdeB at pH 4 Arises from Its Conformational Rearrangement and Enhanced Stability Instead of Surface Hydrophobicity

HdeA and HdeB are dimeric ATP-independent acid-stress chaperones, which protect the periplasmic proteins of enteric bacteria at pH 2.0 and 4.0, respectively, during their passage through the acidic environment of the mammalian stomach. Despite being structurally similar, they exhibit distinct functional pH optima and conformational prerequisite for their chaperone action. HdeA undergoes a dimer-to-monomer transition at pH 2.0, whereas HdeB remains dimeric at pH 4.0. The monomerization of HdeA exposes its hydrophobic motifs, which facilitates its interaction with the partially folded substrates. How HdeB functions despite maintaining its dimeric conformation has been poorly elucidated in the literature. Herein, we characterized the conformational states and stability of HdeB at its physiologically relevant pH and compared the data with those of HdeA. At pH 4.0, HdeB exhibited distinct spectroscopic signatures and higher stability against heat and guanidine-HCl-induced denaturation than at pH 7.5. We affirm that the pH 4.0 conformer of HdeB was distinct from that at pH 7.5 and that these two conformational states were hierarchically unrelated. Salt-bridge mutations that perturbed HdeB’s intersubunit interactions resulted in the loss of its stability and function at pH 4.0. In contrast, mutations affecting intrasubunit interactions enhanced its function, albeit with a reduction in stability. These findings suggest that, unlike HdeA, HdeB acts as a noncanonical chaperone, where pH-dependent stability and conformational rearrangement at pH 4.0 play a core role in its chaperone function rather than its surface hydrophobicity. Such rearrangement establishes a stability-function trade-off that allows HdeB to function while maintaining its stable dimeric state.