Conformational heterogeneity and dynamics impact protein function, but their investigation is limited by the availability of methods for characterizing rapidly fluctuating protein states with both high spatial and temporal resolution. Multidimensional infrared spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful technique that directly probes the structural dynamics on fast timescales.  To overcome the spectral congestion inherent to protein spectra that restricts application of infrared spectroscopy to protein systems, we incorporate into proteins vibrational probes with spectrally isolated frequencies and local-mode character that make possible rigorous analysis of protein environments and dynamics with infrared spectroscopy.  In particular, both heme-bound carbon monoxide and nitriles selectively incorporated as unnatural amino acids are used as probes of cytochrome P450.  2D IR spectroscopy is used to investigate the impact of protein dynamics and conformational heterogeneity on the selectivity of its catalytic activity.  Comparative studies of mutants of cytochrome P450 are used to unravel the contribution of specific residues to the protein's dynamics.

Protein dynamics and conformational heterogeneity characterized with 2D infrared spectroscopy

248th National Meeting (2014)

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