International Collaboration in Chemistry: Mechanism of Operation of the BLUF Domain - Blue Light Sensitive Biosensors

植物和动物对光做出反应--植物朝向阳光的生长就是一个例子(我们自己的生物钟可能是另一个例子)。在这个项目中，我们研究了一种最近发现的蓝光敏感蛋白的工作模式，它控制着细菌光合作用的表达。这项研究需要在蛋白质化学、光谱学和动力学方面的互补技能，这是研究团队的一个特殊特点。关于光感应机制已知的是，黄素吸收的蓝光会导致蛋白质的结构变化。尚不清楚的是如何以及以多快的速度。我们的第一个目标将是使用超快电子和振动光谱提供的结构和动态信息来解决天然蛋白质中的这些问题。要做到这一点，我们将使用一种传统的光谱学工具--同位素替代，但这种工具很难应用于蛋白质。在确定了这种机制的特征之后，我们将寻求通过对蛋白质结构的化学操作来修改和增强它。这项研究解决了光敏蛋白的基本工作机制，但我们的长期目标是调节和增强蓝光反应，以开发光活性蛋白，例如，可能用于光激活药物释放。

Plants and animals respond to light - the growth of a plant toward sunlight is an example (our own 'body clock' may be another). In this project we investigate the mode of operation of one recently discovered blue light sensitive protein, which controls the expression of bacterial photosynthesis. This study requires complementary skills in protein chemistry, spectroscopy and dynamics, which are a particular feature of the research team. What is known about the light sensing mechanism is that blue light absorbed by a flavin produces a structural change in the protein. What is not known is how and how fast. Our first objective will be to use the structural and dynamic information available from ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopy to address these questions in the native protein. To do this we will use a traditional tool of spectroscopy - but one which is difficult to apply to proteins - isotope substitution. Having characterised the mechanism we will then seek to modify and enhance it through chemical manipulation of the protein structure. This research addresses the fundamental mechanism of operation of the light sensitive protein, but our long term aim is to regulate and enhance the blue light response to develop photoactive proteins, which might, for example, be used for light activated drug release.