Improvements in depth‐profiling of thick samples by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy using linear correlation

In this work, the capability of linear correlation for depth profiling by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is studied for the first time. A software was specially developed for the calculus of the linear correlation coefficients and its representation in the format of depth profiles. Thick layered samples (layers with thickness of tens to hundreds of micrometers) of different nature, archaeological ceramics and polymer coatings on steel, were characterized by LIBS using the conventional approach based on intensity profiles, and the correlation method. The results revealed that, without using any normalization, the comparison of LIB spectra through the linear correlation coefficient gave an improvement of the depth profile quality and the interface localization by minimizing the influence of fluctuations and decay of the signals in the global intensity of spectra, caused by sources other than concentration variations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

光谱法研究喜树碱与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用

采用多种光谱技术对喜树碱和牛血清白蛋白的相互作用进行了研究.结果表明喜树碱和牛血清白蛋白可形成基态复合物,引起牛血清白蛋白内源荧光猝灭.通过计算获得了二者在不同温度下的结合常数及结合位点数.根据喜树碱和牛血清白蛋白结合的热力学参数,确定了二者之间主要为疏水作用力.根据F(o)rster非辐射能量转移理论确定了喜树碱和牛血清白蛋白的作用距离.同步荧光光谱显示喜树碱主要与蛋白中色氨酸残基发生相互作用,改变其周围的局部构象.红外光谱提示喜树碱可引起蛋白的构象发生改变,α-螺旋二级结构减少.     

荧光光谱在蛋白质分子构象研究中的应用*

荧光光谱法是研究蛋白质在水溶液中分子构象的一种有效方法。文章综述了常见的蛋白质荧光光谱的研究方法, 并介绍了几种荧光光谱新技术。     

Extending the scope of NMR spectroscopy with microcoil probes

Capillary NMR (CapNMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a major breakthrough for increasing the mass-sensitivity of NMR spectroscopic analysis and enabling the combination of NMR spectroscopy with other analytical techniques. Not only is the acquisition of high-sensitivity spectra getting easier but the quality of CapNMR spectra obtained in many small-molecule applications exceeds what can be accomplished with conventional designs. This Minireview discusses current CapNMR technology and its applications for the characterization of mass-limited, small-molecule and protein samples, the rapid screening of small-molecule or protein libraries, as well as hyphenated techniques that combine CapNMR with other analytical methods.     

Application of two-dimensional near-infrared correlation spectroscopy to protein research

The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate the potential of generalized two-dimensional (2D) near-infrared (NIR) correlation spectroscopy in studies of hydration and structure of proteins. We describe here two examples. The first example is concerned with heat denaturation process of ovalbumin in aqueous solutions and the second one deals with isomerizations with varying pH of serum albumin. New insight has been obtained into the hydration and unfolding process of secondary structures of ovalbumin and serum albumin by studying temperature- or pH-dependent correlation patterns in 2D synchronous and asynchronous spectra. Generalized 2D NIR correlation spectroscopy emphasizes spectral features not readily observable in conventional one-dimensional spectra, enabling to extract subtle but valuable structural changes concerning with the protein denaturation.     

Real-time detection of dental calculus by blue-LED-induced fluorescence spectroscopy

Successful periodontal therapy requires sensitive techniques to discriminate dental calculus from healthy teeth. The aim of the present study was to develop a fluorescence-based procedure to enable real-time detection and quantification of dental calculus. Thirty human teeth--15 teeth with sub- and supragingival calculus and 15 healthy teeth--covered with a layer of physiological saline solution or blood were illuminated by a focused blue LED light source of 405 nm. Autofluorescence spectra recorded along a randomly selected line stretching over the crown-neck-root area of each tooth were utilized to evaluate a so called calculus parameter R, which was selected to define a relationship between the integrated intensities specific for healthy teeth and for calculus in the 477-497 nm (S(A)) and 628-685 nm (S(B)) wavelength regions, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed and a cut-off threshold of R=0.2 was found to distinguish dental calculus from healthy teeth with 100% sensitivity and specificity under various experimental conditions. The results of the spectral evaluation were confirmed by clinical and histological findings. Automated real-time detection and diagnostics for clinical use were implemented by a corresponding software program written in Visual Basic language. The method enables cost-effective and reliable calculus detection, and can be further developed for imaging applications.     

Protein Structure Determination with Three- and Four-Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy

Structural biology has made important contributions to the understanding of biological processes. In recent years an increasing amount of structural information has also been derived from NMR spectroscopic studies, often with special emphasis on dynamic aspects. The introduction of three- and four-dimensional techniques has greatly simplified protein structure determination by NMR Spectroscopy, which has in fact become routine. In the past it was more of an art to interpret the complicated NOESY spectra of proteins, but the application of three-dimensional techniques now makes the interpretation of protein spectra straightforward. In this review we discuss the most important multidimensional NMR techniques along with suitable applications. The emphasis is put less on the discussion of individual pulse sequences than on their application to the structure determination of proteins.     

铱(IV)离子与人血丙种球蛋白的作用研究

在0.1 mol•L^－1醋酸-醋酸钠(pH 5.0)体系中, 采用紫外吸收光谱、荧光光谱及同步荧光光谱法研究了人血丙种球蛋白(gamma seroglobulinum humanum, 简称GSH)与铱(IV)离子的相互作用. 结果表明, Ir(IV)离子使人血丙种球蛋白的构象发生了改变, α-螺旋含量减少, 并且用同步荧光光谱发现Ir(IV)离子与人血丙种球蛋白的作用位点更接近于色氨酸, 从而使色氨酸残基的疏水性略有减小. 荧光光谱结果表明Ir(IV)对人血丙种球蛋白内源荧光(342 nm)产生了较强的荧光猝灭作用, 根据不同温度下Ir(IV)对人血丙种球蛋白的荧光猝灭作用, 证明了这种荧光猝灭为静态猝灭机制, 计算了其结合常数和结合位点数, 从而得出了静电作用力为其主要的作用力.     

The functional calculus and a generalization of the Coulson-Rushbrooke pairing theorem

Fundamental techniques of functional calculus have been applied to elucidate the symmetric properties of the spectra of certain operators on Hilbert spaces. The main theorem provides, in a broader context, yet another proof of the Coulson-Rushbrooke pairing theorem. The necessary features of the functional calculus are explained in some detail.The results of this paper were presented at the Conference on Discrete Mathematical Models in Chemistry held at the University of Saskatchewan, September 12-14, 1991. This research was supported by NSERC Canada.     

M2 Proton Channel Structural Validation from Full-Length Protein Samples in Synthetic Bilayers and E. coli Membranes

Validation: Membrane protein structures are sensitive to the environment used for structural characterization. NMR spectra of the full-length M2 proton channel from influenza?A were measured directly in E.?coli membranes and compared to spectra of the protein in synthetic lipid bilayers. The results demonstrate that these bilayers provide a native-like membrane environment.     

Spectroscopic investigation of interaction between mangiferin and bovine serum albumin

The mechanism of interaction between mangiferin (MA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous solution was investigated by fluorescence spectra, synchronous fluorescence spectra, absorbance spectra and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The binding constants and binding sites of MA to BSA at different reaction times were calculated. And the distance between MA and BSA was estimated to be 5.20 nm based on Föster's theory. In addition, synchronous fluorescence and FT-IR measurements revealed that the secondary structures of the protein changed after the interaction of MA with BSA. As a conclusion, the interaction between the anti-diabetes Chinese medicine MA and BSA may provide some significant information for the mechanism of the traditional chinese medicine MA on the protein level to cure diabetes or other diseases.     

紫外吸收光谱法研究Asp44在稳定肌红蛋白结构中的作用

为了了解肌红蛋白Mb表面44位天冬氨酸(Asp)残基对稳定蛋白结构的影响,用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)定点突变的技术将Mb基因上的第44位天冬氨酸的密码子GAT突变成赖氨酸的密码子AAA,获得突变体D44K。突变体蛋白在大肠杆菌BL21-DE3中成功表达并且得到纯化。用紫外-可见光谱研究野生型肌红蛋白及其突变体D44K的耐热、耐酸的变性过程。结果表明,用碱性氨基酸赖氨酸(Lys)取代酸性氨基酸Asp44残基,增强了肌红蛋白耐热、耐酸能力,说明Asp44具有稳定肌红蛋白结构的作用。为进一步研究蛋白表面氨基酸对蛋白质结构、功能的影响提供重要的试验依据。     

Solid‐state NMR and EPR Spectroscopy of Mn2+‐Substituted ATP‐Fueled Protein Engines

Paramagnetic metal ions deliver structural information both in EPR and solid‐state NMR experiments, offering a profitable synergetic approach to study bio‐macromolecules. We demonstrate the spectral consequences of Mg²⁺/ Mn²⁺ substitution and the resulting information contents for two different ATP:Mg²⁺‐fueled protein engines, a DnaB helicase from Helicobacter pylori active in the bacterial replisome, and the ABC transporter BmrA, a bacterial efflux pump. We show that, while EPR spectra report on metal binding and provide information on the geometry of the metal centers in the proteins, paramagnetic relaxation enhancements identified in the NMR spectra can be used to localize residues at the binding site. Protein engines are ubiquitous and the methods described herein should be applicable in a broad context.     

Initial Steps of Amyloidogenic Peptide Assembly Revealed by Cold‐Ion Spectroscopy

The early stages of fibril formation are difficult to capture in solution. We use cold‐ion spectroscopy to examine an 11‐residue peptide derived from the protein transthyretin and clusters of this fibre‐forming peptide containing up to five units in the gas phase. For each oligomer, the UV spectra exhibit distinct changes in the electronic environment of aromatic residues in this peptide compared to that of the monomer and in the bulk solution. The UV spectra of the tetra‐ and pentamer are superimposable but differ significantly from the spectra of the monomer and trimer. Such a spectral evolution suggests that a common structural motif is formed as early as the tetramer. The presence of this stable motif is further supported by the low conformational heterogeneity of the tetra‐ and pentamer, revealed from their IR spectra. From comparison of the IR‐spectra in the gas and condensed phases, we propose putative assignments for the dominant motif in the oligomers.     

Temperature as an Extra Dimension in Multidimensional Protein NMR Spectroscopy

NMR spectroscopy is a particularly informative method for studying protein structures and dynamics in solution; however, it is also one of the most time-consuming. Modern approaches to biomolecular NMR spectroscopy are based on lengthy multidimensional experiments, the duration of which grows exponentially with the number of dimensions. The experimental time may even be several days in the case of 3D and 4D spectra. Moreover, the experiment often has to be repeated under several different conditions, for example, to measure the temperature-dependent effects in a spectrum (temperature coefficients (TCs)). Herein, a new approach that involves joint sampling of indirect evolution times and temperature is proposed. This allows TCs to be measured through 3D spectra in even less time than that needed to acquire a single spectrum by using the conventional approach. Two signal processing methods that are complementary, in terms of sensitivity and resolution, 1) dividing data into overlapping subsets followed by compressed sensing reconstruction, and 2) treating the complete data set with a variant of the Radon transform, are proposed. The temperature-swept 3D HNCO spectra of two intrinsically disordered proteins, osteopontin and CD44 cytoplasmic tail, show that this new approach makes it possible to determine TCs and their non-linearities effectively. Non-linearities, which indicate the presence of a compact state, are particularly interesting. The complete package of data acquisition and processing software for this new approach are provided.     

A sedimented sample of a 59 kDa dodecameric helicase yields high-resolution solid-state NMR spectra

Crystal clear: Preparing solid-state NMR samples that yield high-resolution spectra displaying high sensitivity is time-consuming and complicated. A sample of the 59?kDa protein DnaB, prepared simply by preparative centrifugation, provides spectra that are as good as the ones from carefully grown microcrystals.     

Ultrasonic attenuation spectroscopy study of flocculation in protein stabilized emulsions

The extent and kinetics of droplet flocculation in emulsions was studied using ultrasonic attenuation spectroscopy. Flocculation in 10 wt.% soybean oil-in-water emulsions, stabilized by whey protein isolate (0.75 wt.%), was controlled by adjusting the pH (between 3 and 7) to alter the electrostatic interactions between the droplets. Droplet flocculation was then monitored by measuring the ultrasonic attenuation spectra (1–150 MHz) and by using laser light scattering. Extensive droplet flocculation was observed in the emulsions around the isoelectric point of the proteins (pH 3.5–5.5). Flocculation caused an appreciable change in the ultrasonic attenuation spectra, which was in good qualitative agreement with a theory recently developed to describe the ultrasonic properties of flocculated emulsions. Our results indicate that ultrasonic spectroscopy is a powerful tool for monitoring both the extent and kinetics of flocculation in concentrated emulsions in situ.     

Probing ligand-protein recognition with sum-frequency generation spectroscopy: the avidin-biocytin case.

Infrared/visible sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy is used to study the recognition of a protein (avidin) by a derived vitamin (biocytin) adsorbed on a calcium fluoride substrate. The specificity of the process is tested by replacing avidin with bovine serum albumin or presaturated avidin. The SFG spectroscopy shows drastic modifications in the CH and NH spectral ranges only upon exposure of the biocytin film to avidin. The comparison of the SFG data with Fourier transform infrared reflection absorption spectra (FT-IRRAS) in the same spectral ranges illustrates the advantages of nonlinear spectroscopy for studying and detecting recognition between biomolecules.     

Studying the Glycan Moiety of RNase B by Means of Raman and Raman Optical Activity

Raman and Raman optical activity (ROA) spectroscopy are used to study the solution‐phase structure of the glycan moiety of the protein ribonuclease B (RNase B). Spectral data of the intact glycan moiety of RNase B is obtained by subtracting high‐quality spectral data of RNase A, the non‐glycosylated form of the RNase, from the spectra of the glycoprotein. The remaining difference spectra are compared to spectra generated from Raman and ROA data of the constituent disaccharides of the RNase glycan, achieving convincing spectral overlap. The results show that ROA spectroscopy is able to extract detailed spectral data of the glycan moieties of proteins, provided that the non‐glycosylated isoform is available. Furthermore, good comparison between the full glycan spectrum and the regenerated spectra based on the disaccharide data lends great promise to ROA as a tool for the solution‐phase structural analysis of this structurally elusive class of biomolecules.     

Fluorometric investigation on the interaction of oleanolic acid with bovine serum albumin

The interactions between oleanolic acid and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been studied by fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), UV–vis absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) under physiological conditions. Spectroscopic analysis of the emission quenching at different temperatures has revealed that the quenching mechanism of bovine serum albumin by oleanolic acid is static quenching mechanism. The binding sites number n and binding constants K are obtained at various temperatures. The distance r between oleanolic acid and the protein is evaluated according to the theory of Forster energy transfer. The results by FTIR, CD and UV–vis absorption spectra experiment indicate that the secondary structures of protein have been perturbed in the presence of oleanolic acid. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH⁰, ΔG⁰, and ΔS⁰ are calculated according to van’t Hoff equation, which indicates that the hydrogen bonds and van der-waals are the intermolecular forces stabilizing the complex. Molecular modeling studies the interaction BSA with oleanolic acid.