Protein-conformation changes

A basic concept in receptor pharmacology is the idea of orthosteric and allosteric interaction. Orthosteric interaction occurs when two molecules compete for a single binding domain on the receptor. With allosteric interactions two molecules each have their own binding domain on the receptor and the two interact through effects on the protein (conformational change). Tims, with orthosteric interactions only one molecule may occupy the receptor at any one instant whereas with allosteric interactions both molecules can bind to the receptor at the same time. There are implications for... 

The picosecond TR experiments described above for BR reveal that a hot unrelaxed J intermediate with a highly twisted structure forms and then vibrationally cools and conformationally relaxes within 3ps to form the K intermediate. Subsequently, an isomerization induced protein conformational change takes place during 20-100 ps to produce the KL inermediate. ... 

Because membrane filtration is the only currently acceptable method of sterilizing protein pharmaceuticals, the adsorption and inactivation of proteins on membranes is of particular concern during formulation development. Pitt [56] examined nonspecific protein binding of polymeric microporous membranes typically used in sterilization by membrane filtration. Nitrocellulose and nylon membranes had extremely high protein adsorption, followed by polysulfone, cellulose diacetate, and hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. In a subsequent study by Truskey et al. [46], protein conformational changes after filtration were observed by CD spectroscopy, particularly with nylon and polysulfone membrane filters. The conformational changes were related to the tendency of the membrane to adsorb the protein, although the precise mechanism was unclear. 

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measures rates of diffusion, chemical reaction, and other dynamic processes of fluorescent molecules. These rates are deduced from measurements of fluorescence fluctuations that arise as molecules with specific fluorescence properties enter or leave an open sample volume by diffusion, by undergoing a chemical reaction, or by other transport or reaction processes. Studies of unfolded proteins benefit from the fact that FCS can provide information about rates of protein conformational change both by a direct readout from conformation-dependent fluorescence changes and by changes in diffusion coefficient. 

IV. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy to Study Protein Conformational Changes... 

Truong, K. and Ikura, M. (2001). The use of FRET imaging microscopy to detect protein-protein interactions and protein conformational changes in vivo. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 11, 573-8. 

Lehrer, S. S. (1997). Intramolecular pyrene excimer fluorescence A probe of proximity and protein conformational change. Fluorescence Spectroscopy 278, 286-295. 

The low reactivity of both Cyt111 and Cyt11 toward NO can be attributed to occupation of the heme iron axial coordination sites by an imidazole nitrogen and by a methionine sulfur of the protein (28). Thus, unlike other heme proteins where one axial site is empty or occupied by H20, formation of the nitrosyl complex not only involves ligand displacement but also significant protein conformational changes which inhibit the reaction with NO. However, the protein does not always inhibit reactivity given that Cat and nNOS are more reactive toward NO than is the model complex Fem(TPPS)(H20)2 (Table II). Conversely, the koS values... 

Following these initial results, POWT was employed in the detection of protein conformational changes after a binding event. The protein used, calmodulin, is relatively small and functions as an intracellular calcium sensor in eukaryotic cells [26]. When calmodulin interacts with calcium, a large conformational change... 

The standard formalisms for describing ET processes assume that in reactions such as Eqs. (1) and (2) there is but a single stable conformational form for each of the precursor and successor electron-transfer states. However, for a system that displays two (or more) alternative stable conformations with different ET rates, dynamic conformational equilibrium can modulate the ET rates. Major protein conformational changes can occur at rates that are competitive with observed rates of ET [9], and such gating [10] may occur in non-rigid complexes such as that between zinc cytochrome c peroxidase (ZnCcP) and cytochrome c (see below) or even within cytochrome c [5]. 

All these genetic factors may interact in still-unknown genetic networks, leading to a cascade of pathogenic events characterized by abnormal protein processing and misfolding with snbseqnent accnmnlation of abnormal proteins (conformational changes), nbiqnitin-proteasome system dysfunction, excitotoxic reactions, oxidative... 

Rapid Characterization of Protein Conformational Change with DXMS 385. . ... 

DXMS can rapidly define the nature of protein conformational changes that result from small molecule binding, protein-protein interactions, and other perturbations [9-15, 19, 25-29, 44, 51]. Below we present an example in which... 

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