CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES IN MOLECULAR MOTORS USING PARAMAGNETIC PROBES

我们的实验室对研究分子的构象变化很感兴趣 分子马达、肌动蛋白-肌苷和微管-微管结合 蛋白质NCD和激动素。研究这些变化的一种方法是通过 使用结合在特定位置的自旋探针(顺磁探针) 蛋白质并寻找作用力过程中的构象变化 使用电子顺磁共振波谱生成。出于这个原因，我们有 合成了几种氮氧化物自旋探针。这些是三磷酸腺苷类似物， 硅羟基试剂、多肽等化合物。我们还有 合成重金属离子衍生物打击特定靶点 用于X射线结晶学研究的蛋白质。我们使用了 用于鉴定这些化合物的质谱学设备 以及导致它们形成的中间体。

Our lab is interested in studying conformational changes in the molecular motors, actin-myosine and microtubules-microtubules binding proteins ncd and kinesin. One way of studying these changes is by using spin probes (paramagnetic probes) that bind at specific sites of the protein and look for conformational changes during force generation using EPR spectroscopy. For this reason we have synthesized several nitroxide spin probes. These are ATP analogs, silfhydryl reagent peptides and other compounds. We have also synthesized heavy metal ion derivatives to hit specific targets on proteins for x-ray crystalographic studies. We used the massspectrometry facility for the identification of these compounds and the intermediates leading to their formation.