U.S.-U.K. Cooperative Research: Enzyme Mimics in the Gas Phase

这项为期三年的美英物理实验化学合作研究奖涉及匹兹堡大学的 David W. Pratt 以及牛津大学的 W.G. Richards 和 J.P. Simons。 他们研究的目的是研究酶催化位点和结合底物的超分子组装体，包括超分子组装体的结构和性质及其组分之间的相互作用。 酶和酶底物模拟物旨在模拟酶、丝氨酸和半胱氨酸蛋白酶的行为，将在实验中使用基于激光的电子光谱和其他技术进行研究。 他们还将使用酶模拟物来研究氙在酶催化位点上的选择性结合，从而深入了解其作为磁共振成像中位点特异性染色剂的潜力。 这位美国研究人员和他的团队为此次合作带来了利用理论技术表征酶结构的专业知识。 英国在酶模拟物制备和使用从头开始技术表征方面的专业知识对此进行了补充。 这些研究将提供有关酶功能的分子相互作用的新信息。

This three-year award for US-UK cooperative research in physical experimental chemistry involves David W. Pratt of the University of Pittsburgh and W.G. Richards and J.P. Simons at Oxford University. The objective of their research is to study supramolecule assemblies of enzyme catalytic sites and bound substrates, including structure and properties of the supramolecule assemblies and interaction among its components. Enzyme and enzyme substrate mimics, designed to model the behavior of the enzymes, serine and cysteine proteases, will be studied in experiments using laser-based electronic spectroscopy and other techniques. They will also use the enzyme mimics to investigate selective binding of xenon at enzyme catalytic sites, thereby providing insight into its potential as a site specific stain in magnetic resonance imaging. The US investigator and his group bring to this collaboration expertise in characterization of enzyme structures using theoretical techniques. This is complemented by British expertise in enzyme mimic preparation and characterization using ab initio techniques. These studies will provide new information about molecular interactions which are responsible for enzyme function.