THERMODYNAMIC AND KINETIC STUDIES OF PROTEIN STRUCTURE AND ENZYME MECHANISMS

这个实验室从事蛋白质结构和功能的研究。 具体的问题包括蛋白质链是如何合成的， 无规卷曲可以折叠成高度特异性的二级和三级结构 没有任何外部代理人的帮助。这些高阶的蓝图 结构必须在蛋白质的一级序列中编码。这一机制 蛋白质折叠的研究是通过研究 猪胃蛋白酶原，研究其折叠和去折叠的动力学 反应和观察到的部分折叠的中间体的结构 这些反应。折叠蛋白质中的酶活性可以被调节或调节。 甚至被蛋白质的共价修饰完全抑制 结构正在调查的两个例子包括激活 胃蛋白酶原转化为活性酶胃蛋白酶，通过切割多肽 链和通过磷酸化调节肌球蛋白的各种活性 它的重链和轻链的激酶，这是 在代谢控制下。这些反应的位点及其 后果正在研究中。

This laboratory is engaged in studies on protein structure and function. Specific questions include how a protein chain, which is synthesized as a random coil can fold to a highly specific secondary and tertiary structure without aid from any external agents. The blueprint for these higher order structures must be encoded in the proteins primary sequence. This mechanism of protein folding is being investigated by studies on the behavior of swine pepsinogen, studying the kinetics of its folding and unfolding reactions and the structure of partially folded intermediates observed in these reactions. Enzymic activity in folded proteins can be modulated or even totally suppressed by covalent modifications to the proteins structure. Two examples under investigation include activation of pepsinogen to the active enzyme pepsin, by cleavage of the polypeptide chain and modulation of the various activities of myosin by phosphorylation of both its heavy and light chains by a number of kinases, which are themselves under metabolic control. The sites of these reactions and their consequences are being studied.