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.
High Density Lipoproteins
HDL is a type of Lipoprotein. Lipoproteins, as the name suggests, are a class of biochemical compounds formed by a protein component and a lipid component.
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This work attains significance as it represents significant progress toward atomic-scale resolution of protein structure by solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
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.
![Differences Between Humans and Fruit Flies Elucidated]( "Differences Between Humans and Fruit Flies Elucidated")
Fruit fly or drosophila has long been used for various researches because its genetic make-up is quite close to that of humans.
"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.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy relaxes the need for solubility of the sample. In solution NMR spectroscopy, molecules are allowed to tumble randomly in the magnetic field. In solid-state NMR spectroscopy, molecules are immobilized within a small cylinder called a rotor, which is then spun at high speed in the magnetic field.
"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.
With a view to improving sensitivity and accelerate data collection, the researchers are working on smaller rotors that can be spun at rates exceeding 25,000 rotations per second.
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.
The determination of protein structure benefits not only from improvements in technology, but also from the researchers' novel approach to refining geometrical parameters.
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
RAS/S
Differences Between Humans and Fruit Flies Elucidated
Fruit fly or drosophila has long been used for various researches because its genetic make-up is quite close to that of humans.
Advertisement
"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.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy relaxes the need for solubility of the sample. In solution NMR spectroscopy, molecules are allowed to tumble randomly in the magnetic field. In solid-state NMR spectroscopy, molecules are immobilized within a small cylinder called a rotor, which is then spun at high speed in the magnetic field.
"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.
With a view to improving sensitivity and accelerate data collection, the researchers are working on smaller rotors that can be spun at rates exceeding 25,000 rotations per second.
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.
The determination of protein structure benefits not only from improvements in technology, but also from the researchers' novel approach to refining geometrical parameters.
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
RAS/S
Tiny DNA Differences Blow Up Into Vast Dissimilarities
Small differences between individuals at the DNA level can give rise to dramatic differences in the way genes produce proteins, say McGill University researchers.
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