Dynamics of proteins and amorphous solids and transport phenomena in proteins.

蛋白质和无定形固体的动力学以及蛋白质中的运输现象。

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06293
• 负责人: Zazubovits, Valter
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: Concordia University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=614061
• 关键词: Dynamics; proteins; amorphous; solids; transport

Proteins perform a broad variety of tasks in living organisms, including catalysis, transport of electrons, ions and small molecules, conversion and storage of energy, signal transduction, etc. The manifold of possible conformational states of a protein can be described using the concept of the energy landscape. Information on distributions of barriers on the protein energy landscapes is necessary to better understand conformational changes and folding. This information can be obtained by methods of high-resolution optical spectroscopy, among others, as pigment molecules embedded into protein serve as very sensitive probes to structural properties and dynamics of their environment. We also seek to determine the molecular nature of the entities involved in the conformational changes observed in optical experiments. Since we utilize proteins involved in the processes of photosynthesis as model systems, the results also have potential implications for the renewable energy field. They answer the question of how surrounding protein affects light-harvesting by pigment networks and makes it most effective. We also seek insight into heat dissipation in proteins on atomic level and developing reliable protocols for measuring the effective local temperature in proteins, particularly under illumination. Our studies will be further expanded to spectroscopy of pigment-protein complexes with various degrees of confinement and deformation using convex lens induced confinement method. Subsequent developments of this method will include confining pigment-protein complexes between conducting surfaces for reduction or oxidation of cofactors for spectroscopy measurements, mediator-less photocurrent generation by photosynthetic reaction centers for sensors applications, as well as exploration of confined water.

蛋白质在生物体中执行各种任务，包括催化，电子，离子和小分子的运输，能量的转换和存储，信号传递等。可以使用能量景观的概念来描述蛋白质可能的构象状态的歧管。必须了解蛋白质能量景观上障碍的分布信息，以更好地理解构象变化和折叠。这些信息可以通过高分辨率光谱法等方法获得，因为嵌入蛋白质中的颜料分子是对结构特性和环境动力学的非常敏感的问题。我们还试图确定光学实验中观察到的构象变化实体的分子性质。 由于我们利用参与光合作用过程的蛋白质作为模型系统，因此结果对可再生能源领域也具有潜在的影响。他们回答了周围蛋白质如何影响色素网络进行轻度收获的问题，并使其最有效。 我们还寻求了解原子水平上蛋白质中的热量耗散，并开发可靠的方案，以测量蛋白质的有效局部温度，尤其是在照明下。我们的研究将进一步扩展到使用凸透镜诱导的限制方法的色素 - 蛋白质复合物的光谱。此方法的后续发展将包括在传导表面之间限制色素 - 蛋白质复合物，以减少或氧化辅因子测量，以进行光谱测量，而无介体光电在传感器应用中通过光合反应中心产生，以及对受限水的探索。