SOLUTION CONFORMATION OF BIOMOLECULES VIA INFRARED CIRCULAR DICHROISM

以下拨款申请所建议的研究旨在 建立一种探测溶液结构的新的光谱技术 具有生物学意义的分子。这项新的光谱技术 是红外(振动)圆二色谱(VCD)，它结合了 振动光谱学和旋光性原理。 光谱学的努力将集中在小分子模型上 具有生物学和生物物理意义的分子。VCD研究已经被 在多肽片段和小核酸聚合物上进行， 建立VCD作为溶液构象的灵敏探针。在这 资助方案，VCD的进一步应用，探索构象 位于局部、定义明确的位置的多肽和核苷酸的 介绍。允许对分子进行这样的局域探测 构象，具有不同振动“生色团”的模型，例如 将合成同位素基团。关于分子的信息 在这样一个本土化的层面上的整合将进一步加深对 生物分子的结构和相互作用。

The research proposed in the following grant application is aimed at establishing a novel spectroscopic technique to probe solution structures of molecules of biological interest. This new spectroscopic technique is infrared (Vibrational) Circular Dichroism (VCD), which combines principles of vibrational spectroscopy and optical activity. The spectroscopic efforts will center around small molecules which model molecules of biological and biophysical interest. VCD studies have been carried out on peptide fragments and small nucleic acid polymers, establishing VCD as a sensitive probe for solution conformation. In this grant proposal, the further application of VCD to probe the conformation of peptides and nucleotides at local, well-defined positions will be introduced. To permit such a localized probing of molecular conformation, models with distinct vibrational "chromophores" such as isotopic groups will be synthesized. Information about the molecular conformation on such a localized level will further the understanding of the structures and interactions of biomolecules.