The role of the switch II region in the conformational transition of activation of Ha-ras-p21 has been investigated by mutating residues predicted to act as hinges for the conformational transition of this loop (Ala59, Gly60, and Gly75) (Diaz JF, Wroblowski B, Schlitter J, Engelborghs Y, 1997, Proteins 28:434–451), as well as mutating the catalytic residue Gln61. The proposed mutations of the hinge residues decrease the rate of the conformational transition of activation as measured by the binding of BeF3− to the GDP-p21 complex. Also, the thermodynamic parameters of the binding reaction are altered by a factor between three and five, depending on the temperature. (Due to changes in activation and reaction enthalpies, partially compensated by entropy changes.) The control mutation Q61H in which only the catalytic residue is changed has only a limited effect on the kinetic rate constants of the conformational transition and on the thermodynamic parameters of the reaction.

The fact that mutations of the hinge residues of the switch II region affect both the binding of the phosphate analog and the conformational transition of activation indicates that the switch II is implicated both in the early and the late states of the transition.