• BMB Reports
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.205-211
• /
• 2007

The stability curve - a plot of the Gibbs free energy of unfolding versus temperature - is calculated for bovine erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase in 150 mM sodium phosphate (pH = 7.0) from a combination of reversible differential scanning calorimetry measurements and isothermal guanidine hydrochloride titrations. The enzyme possesses two stable folded conformers with the conformational transition occurring at ~30$^{\circ}C$. The methodology yields a stability curve for the complete unfolding of the enzyme below this temperature but only the partial unfolding, to the molten globule state, above it. The transition state thermodynamics for the low- to physiological-temperature conformational change are calculated from slow-scan-rate differential scanning calorimetry measurements where it is found that the free energy barrier for the conversion is 90 kJ/mole and the transition state possesses a substantial unfolding quality. The data therefore suggest that the x-ray structure may differ considerably from the physiological structure and that the two conformers are not readily interconverted.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.530-536
• /
• 2006

Thermal conformational changes of human serum albumin (HSA) in phosphate buffer, 10 mM at pH = 7 are investigated using differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), circular dichroism (CD) and UV spectroscopic methods. The results indicate that temperature increment from $25^{\circ}C$ to $55^{\circ}C$ induces reversible conformational changes in the structure of HSA. Conformational change of HSA are shown to be a three-step process. Interestingly, melting temperature of the last domain is equal to the maximum value of fever in pathological conditions, i.e. $42^{\circ}C$. These conformational alterations are accompanied by a mild alteration of secondary structures. Study of HSA-SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate) interaction at $45^{\circ}C$ and $35^{\circ}C$ reveals that SDS affects the HSA structure at least in three steps: the first two steps result in more stabilization and compactness of HSA structure, while the last one induces the unfolding of HSA. Since HSA has a more affinity for SDS at $45^{\circ}C$ compared to $35^{\circ}C$, It is suggested that the net negative charge of HSA is decreased in fever, which results in the decrease of HSA-associated cations and plasma osmolarity, and consequently, heat removal via the increase in urine volume.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.197-201
• /
• 2008

Conformational heterogeneity of directly linked multiporphyrin arrays with larger molecular length retards their utilities in practical applications such as two-photon absorption and molecular photonic wire. In this regard, here we adopted a way to overcome the conformational heterogeneity through hydrogen bonding by selective binding of meso aryl substituents of porphyrins (host) with urea (guest) to form helical structure. Using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy, we observed the enhanced fluorescence quantum yield by ~1.8 to 2.4 times, enhanced anisotropy values and the disappearance of fast fluorescence decay component in the host-guest helical forms. In addition, the enhanced nonlinear optical responses of helical arrays infer the extended inter-porphyrin electronic coupling due to a significant change in dihedral angle between the neighboring porphyrin moieties. The current host-guest strategy will provide a guideline to improve the structural homogeneity of the photonic wire.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.114-119
• /
• 2000

Effects of ethanlo treatment on the structural and thermal characteristics of regenerated Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (RSF) were investigated. Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry showed that the conformational transition of RSF might be affected by concentration of ethanol and its treatment time. The structure of RSF was rapidly changed from random coil to $\beta$-sheet conformation when RSF was treated with les than 75% ethanol concentration. However, RSF treated with ethanol(100%) did not show conformational change. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that exotherm at 232$\^{C}$ disappeared and the intensity of endotherm at 228$\^{C}$ decreased with treatment of 75% ethanol. Dynamic thermal analysis showed that loss modulus (E") and tan $\delta$$\_$E/ of RSF treated with aqueous ethanol was broaden and shifted to higher temperature in comparison with those of untreated RSF.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.335-339
• /
• 2003

Many genetic variants of ${\alpha}_1$-antitrypsin have been associated with early onset emphysema and liver cirrhosis. However, the detailed structural basis of pathogenic ${\alpha}_1$-antitrypsin molecules is rarely known. Here we found that a recombinant $M_{malton}$ variant (Phe52-deleted) lost inhibitory activity by spontaneous conformational conversion into a more stable, inactive form under physiological conditions. Biochemical and spectroscopic data suggested that the variant converts into a reactive center loop-inserted conformation, resembling the latent form of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.40 no.6
• /
• pp.632-639
• /
• 1996

Most stable conformers of some antiinflammatory fenamates were obtained by conformational free energy change calculations. Conformational energies for the molecules as unhydrate d state were estimated first, and those as hydrated state were calculated then to simulate the molecules in aqueous solution using a hydration shell model. The initial geometries of the molecules were obtained either from X-ray crystallographic data or from homologous molecular fragments. The bond lengths and angles were not varied, but all the torsion angles were varied step by step during the conformational free energy surface searching. The results show that there are several feasible conformations for a compound. And the molecules are somewhat stabilized by hydration (-${\delta}G_{hyd}{\cong}$13 to 16kcal/mole), but the conformations were not changed significantly by the hydration itself. There seems to be a strong tendency of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between imino hydrogen and carboxyl oxygen of the compounds. As a result, the carboxyl group cannot be rotated freely, and the rotation of the second aromatic ring is the main reason for the conformational variations of the compounds. The ECEPP force fields via the program CONBIO were used throughout this study.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.755-756
• /
• 2005

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 1994

In order to obtain insight into the repair mechanism of DNA containing thymine photo-dimer, the conformation of the duplex d(GCGGTTGGCG).d(CGCCAACCGC) with a thymine dimer incorporated has been studied by proton NMR. NOE data show that, although the local environment around the thymine dimer is altered, the gross structural changes are relatively small. T$_4$endonuclease V exhibited a conformational change on complex formation with DNA. This conformational change occurred around histidine 16 which was close to tyrosine 129 located in the aromatic segment (WYKYY) near the C-terminus. It is likely that the interaction between T$_4$endonuclease V and DNA is strong since the complex was not dissociated up to 1.6 M NaCl.

• Journal of Photoscience
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 1995

The steady-state emission spectra of dicoumarol (DC) in ethanol and EPA have been examined at various temperatures (77-298 K). At room temperature, a fluorescence spectrum of DC in ethanol shows a emission maximum at 350 nm. In EPA a Stokes-shifted emission band appears around 470 nm in addition to the 350 nm emission, and its intensity is enhanced as temperature decreases. This emission is attributed to a zwitterionic tautomer of DC formed by a single excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) along the internal hydrogen-bonding. The fluorescence lifetimes have been measured at 350 and 450 nm as a function of temperature. The fluorescence decay at 350 nm is single exponential at any temperature, whereas the one at 450 nm becomes biexponential at temperatures below 250 K. These results are discussed in terms of a conformational change followed by the ESIPT. The activation energy barrier for the conformational change has been determined to be 3.7 $\pm$ 0.2 kJ/mole.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.8 no.6
• /
• pp.441-444
• /
• 1987

The circular dichroism(CD) spectra of the optically active [$Co(acac)_2(diamine)]^+$ complexes were measured in the several protic and aprotic solvents, where acac = acetylacetonate anion and diamine = ethylenediamine and trimethylenediamine. The degree of the CD variation in protic solvents was enhanced as the dielectric constant decreases except n-butanol and benzylalcohol. And the degree of the CD variation in aprotic solvents was roughly increased as both dipole moment and dielectric constant decrease except aromatic solvents and the solvents having no dipole moment. It was deduced that the CD variations of the complexes have been due to the conformational change of acetylacetonate ligands coordinated to Co(III) ion.