University of Illinois researchers have come up with an improved technique that can make help study forms and functions of certain proteins in the human body faster and easier.
An improved technique that can make help study forms and functions of certain proteins in the human body faster and easier has been developed by University of Illinois researchers.
Chemistry professor Chad Rienstra has revealed that a combination of custom-built spectrometers, novel probe designs and faster pulse sequences gave rise to unique capabilities for probing protein chemistry and structure through the use of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
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The researchers say that their technique can be applied to a large range of membrane proteins and fibrils, which, because they are not water-soluble, are often not amenable to more conventional solution NMR spectroscopy or X-ray crystallography.
"In our experiments, we explore couplings between atoms in proteins. Our goal is to translate genomic information into high-resolution structural information, and thereby be able to better understand the function of the proteins," Rienstra said.
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"With increased speed and sensitivity, we can obtain very high resolution spectra. And, because we can resolve thousands of signals at a time - one for each atom in the sample - we can determine the structure of the entire protein," Rienstra said.
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They say that faster rotation rate and smaller sample size will allow them to obtain more data in less time, and solve structure with just a few milligrams of protein.
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Structure determination is normally based upon distances between atoms.
Rienstra has discovered a way of measuring both the distance between atoms and their relative orientations with very high precision.
"Using this technique, we can more precisely define the fragments of the molecule, and how they are oriented. That allows us to define protein features and determine structure at the atomic scale," said the researcher.
Rienstra will describe the latest findings and techniques at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, to be held in Philadelphia, August 17-21.
Source-ANI
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