Capillary Electrophoresis and Protein Biophysics

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究将发展毛细管电泳，用于研究蛋白质生物化学中的基本相互作用。它的重点是“蛋白质电荷阶梯”——赖氨酸氨基乙酰化制备的蛋白质家族，它们的净电荷不同；在毛细管电泳中，这些“阶梯”（“梯级”）在净电荷的基础上分离成一组或规则间隔的峰。蛋白质电荷阶梯与带电荷配体、缓冲液和表面活性剂的相互作用的研究提供了这些相互作用的详细信息。电荷阶梯最初是为了研究静电相互作用而开发的；这项工作将把研究扩展到疏水相互作用的研究。在这项研究中发展的信息将有助于理解和操纵广泛的基本生化相互作用。该研究还将利用软光刻技术开发用于毛细管电泳和其他流体应用的新型微流体系统。这项研究将为合理化和预测蛋白质和配体之间的相互作用提供有用的理解，并最终在药物的合理设计中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research will develop capillary electrophoresis for studying fundamental interactions in protein biochemistry. Its focus is on "protein charge ladders"--families of proteins prepared by acetylation of lysine amino groups, and that differ in their net charge; these families (the "rungs") of the ladders separate in capillary electrophoresis into a set or regularly spaced peaks on the basis of net charge. Study of the interactions of protein charge ladders with charged ligands, with buffers, and with surfactants gives detailed information about these interactions. Charge ladders were originally developed for studying electrostatic interactions; this work will extend the study to the investigation of hydrophobic interactions. The information developed in this research will help in understanding and manipulating a wide range of fundamental biochemical interactions. The research will also use the techniques of soft lithography to develop new types of microfluidic systems for use in capillary electrophoresis and other fluidic applications. The research will provide understanding useful in rationalizing and predicting interactions between proteins and ligands, and ultimately in the rational design of drugs.