CAREER:Biomolecular Flexibility: Facile Characterization of Equilibrium and Dynamical Behavior

职业：生物分子灵活性：平衡和动态行为的简单表征

• 批准号: 0349256
• 负责人: Andrea Markelz
• 金额: $ 59.96万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-05-01 至 2010-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0349256&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Biomolecular; Flexibility; Facile; Characterization

Biomolecules, such as proteins, are large molecules with well defined shapes. These shapes must change in order for the biomolecule to perform its biological tasks. If a biomolecule is flexible, it can easily change its shape. If it is too rigid, the shape can not easily change, and this can interfere with the biomolecule's function. Reasons for protein flexibility to change can include binding of another biomolecule, changes in environment such as water content or temperature and mutations in the biomolecule's chemical composition. It is important to be able to rapidly measure a biomolecule's flexibility. Currently established methods to measure biomolecular flexibility are time consuming and require special facilities. We have found that when we do something to change the flexibility of proteins they appear different when examined with light that is in the terahertz (1012 Hz) frequency range. The terahertz frequency range is just above the frequencies at which cellular phones operate. Recently compact measurement systems working at these frequencies have been developed, thus our aim in this work is to establish a new measurement technique that can be accessible to all researchers and allows rapid assessment of protein flexibility. In addition we intend to apply this technique towards understanding mechanisms of signal transduction. The development of a table-top flexibility characterization tool will assist in rapid advances in proteomic research and drug design. The program includes an outreach component which aims to 1) expose the general public to good science, bad science and how to tell the difference and 2) change public preconceptions of who scientists are by having presentations made by young women of a variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds. This award is co-funded by the Divisions of Physics and Chemistry in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and by the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

生物分子，例如蛋白质，是具有明确形状的大分子。 这些形状必须改变才能使生物分子执行其生物学任务。 如果生物分子是柔性的，它可以很容易地改变其形状。 如果太硬，形状就不容易改变，这会干扰生物分子的功能。 蛋白质灵活性发生变化的原因可能包括与另一种生物分子的结合、环境的变化（例如水含量或温度）以及生物分子化学成分的突变。 能够快速测量生物分子的灵活性非常重要。 目前建立的测量生物分子灵活性的方法非常耗时并且需要特殊的设施。 我们发现，当我们采取一些措施来改变蛋白质的灵活性时，用太赫兹 (1012 Hz) 频率范围内的光进行检查时，它们会显得不同。 太赫兹频率范围略高于手机的工作频率。 最近开发了在这些频率下工作的紧凑型测量系统，因此我们这项工作的目标是建立一种新的测量技术，所有研究人员都可以使用该技术，并允许快速评估蛋白质的灵活性。 此外，我们打算应用这种技术来理解信号转导机制。 桌面灵活性表征工具的开发将有助于蛋白质组学研究和药物设计的快速进展。该计划包括一个外展部分，旨在 1) 让公众了解好的科学、坏的科学以及如何区分它们，2) 通过不同种族和不同种族的年轻女性的演讲，改变公众对科学家的成见。经济背景。该奖项由数学和物理科学理事会的物理和化学部门以及生物科学理事会的分子和细胞生物科学部门共同资助。