Circular dichroism conformation

Circular dichroism Conformation of proteins Solution of optically active molecules ... 

G. D. Fasman, ed.. Circular Dichroism and the Conformational Analysis of Biomolecules, Plenum Press, New York, 1996. 

Chirooptical properties give more subtle information on the conformational behavior of biopolymers and peptides in solution. In early experiments, optical rotation and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) have been recognized as valuable techniques, followed more recently by significant progress and refinements in the equipment which have resulted in the routine measurements of applied circular dichroism (CD). 

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), circular dichroism (CD), and UV spectroscopy at different temperatures were used to investigate the nature of calf-thymus DNA in aqueous solution, in the presence of [Me Sn] " (n = 1-3) species. The results demonstrate that the [MeSn(IV)] moiety does not influence the structure and conformation of the DNA double helix, and does not degrade DNA, as indicated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Inter alia, the radii of gyration, Rg, of the cross section of native calf-thymus DNA, determined by SAXS in aqueous solution in the presence of [Me Sn] " (n = 1-3) species are constant and independent of the nature and concentration of the [Me Sn] species. 

These y9 -peptides are not expected to adopt a 3i4-helical conformation in an aqueous environment because of the destabihzing effect of cationic charges. The circular dichroism spectrum of a non-labeled analog of 165 does not display the characteristic signature of the 3i4-helix in aqueous solution however it is highly hehcoidal in MeOH. 

Yang JJ, Pitkeathly M, Radford SE (1994) Far-uv circular-dichroism reveals a conformational switch in a peptide fragment Irom the beta-sheet of hen lysozyme. Biochemistry 33 7345-7353... 

Peculiar DNA architecture was demonstrated in 25% aqueous ethanol when DNA was complexed with series of cationic detergents in the presence of poly(glutamic acid) [124]. Electron microscopy and x-ray scattering demonstrated that DNA can pack cetyltrimethylammonium bromide molecules into rodlike micelles, which form a hexagonal lattice. Interestingly, circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that in these complexes DNA adopts left-handed conformation. 

Circular dichroism (c.d.) spectroscopy measures the difference in absorption between left- and right-circularly polarized light by an asymmetric molecule. The spectrum results from the interaction between neighboring groups, and is thus extremely sensitive to the conformation of a molecule. Because the method may be applied to molecules in solution, it has become popular for monitoring the structure of biological molecules as a function of solvent conditions. 

The conformational changes which have been described so far are probably all relatively small local changes in the structure of H,K-ATPase. This has been confirmed by Mitchell et al. [101] who demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy that a gross change in the protein secondary structure does not occur upon a conformational change from Ei to 3. Circular dichroism measurements, however [102,103], indicated an increase in a-helical structure upon addition of ATP to H,K-ATPase in the presence of Mg and... 

The Ca -ATPase has been crystallized in both conformations [119,152-155]. The two crystal forms are quite different [10,88-93,156-161], suggesting significant differences between the interactions of Ca -ATPase in the Ei and E2 conformations. Since the Ei-E2-transition does not involve changes in the circular dichroism spectrum of the Ca -ATPase [162], the structural differences between the two states presumably arise by hinge-like or sliding motions of domains rather than by a rearrangement of the secondary structure of the protein. 

Sliwka HR. 1999. Conformation and circular dichroism of P,P-carotene derivatives with nitrogen-, sulfur-, and selenium-containing substituents. Helvetica ChimicaActa 82(2) 161-169. 

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