A common prerequisite for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Lecture and Lab courses is a sequence in Organic Chemistry Lecture and Laboratory courses. However, little integration of theory and techniques from Organic Laboratory is found in Biochemistry Laboratory curriculum. As such, there is currently a missed opportunity to apply Organic Chemistry principles to biochemical macromolecules in an impactful way so as to solidify the structure/function relationship. In protein chemistry, one way to determine the functional impact of a particular amino acid in a protein is by methodically changing the amino acid identity at the genetic level through site-directed mutagenesis. However, the expense of the materials and equipment needed for this technique often make it prohibitive for the Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory course. An alternative and complementary technique to introduce the effect(s) of changing the structure on protein function in the Biochemistry Laboratory is via chemical modification. Chemical modification has the benefit of expanding the available organic functional groups past those encoded by DNA. Additionally, it provides a welcome pedagogical link between material taught in Organic Chemistry courses and its applications to the Biochemistry Laboratory. Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) is a small molecule that readily reacts with free amines (such as lysine and histidine) in a pH-dependent manner and readily degrades in water to ethanol and carbon dioxide, two molecules that are relatively innocuous to biomolecules. This presentation will detail how a published research project with Undergraduate research students characterizing the chemical modification of the Rieske protein from <i>Thermus thermophilus</i> by DEPC was modified and expanded to be used in the Biochemistry Laboratory course. The Undergraduate students that participated in both the research and the course gained a deeper understanding of how Organic Chemistry is applicable to life systems. Additionally, this presentation will highlight the benefits of doing a postdoctoral fellowship at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) as training in both teaching and research for a faculty position at a PUI.

Translation of chemical biology research into the biochemistry laboratory: Chemical modification of proteins by diethylpyrocarbonate

251st National Meeting (2016)

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