埋层界面和空气表面和频光谱信号贡献的调控

本文研究表明通过膜厚控制和表面等离激元增强方法可有效区分隐藏界面和空气表面的和频振动光谱信号. 以氟化钙基底支撑的PMMA薄膜为模型，观察到隐藏界面和空气表面对和频信号贡献的变化. 通过监控羰基和甲基伸缩振动基团，发现薄PMMA膜的和频信号来自PMMA/空气表面的化学基团-CH₂、-CH₃、-OCH₃和C=O，而厚PMMA膜的和频信号则来自基底/PMMA埋层界面的-OCH₃和C=O基团. 随制膜浓度增大，埋层界面C=O基团的取向角从65°下降到43°，且浓度大于或等于0.5 wt%时，取向角等于45°±2°. 相比之下，空气表面C=O的取向角落在21°∽38°之间. 在金纳米棒存在条件下，表面等离激元可以极大地增强和频信号，尤其是来自埋层界面信号.     

生物分子结合水的结构与动力学研究进展

生物结合水在维护生物大分子的结构、稳定性以及调控动力学性质和生理功能等方面起着决定性的作用.从分子水平上理解生物结合水分子的结构与性质及其影响生物结构和功能的本质与规律,是揭示生物大分子生理功能机理的关键.目前生物结合水的结构与动力学相关研究尚处于初步阶段.本文从三个方面介绍当前生物结合水的相关研究及其进展:首先介绍结合水对蛋白质折叠、质子给予与迁移、配体结合与药物设计以及变构效应等生物结构和功能的影响;然后介绍生物分子周围的水分子结构研究情况;最后从时间尺度、动力学属性、生物分子与水分子之间的动力学耦合作用、蛋白质表面结合水次扩散运动等角度介绍生物分子水合动力学的研究进展,并归纳出一些目前尚待进一步解决的科学问题.     

多偏振组合同时测量的高灵敏飞秒时间分辨和频光谱系统

Characterization of real-time and ultrafast motions of the complex molecules at surface and interface is critical to understand how interfacial molecules function. It requires to develop surface-sensitive, fast-identification, and time-resolved techniques. In this study, we employ several key technical procedures and successfully develop a highly sensitive femtosecond time-resolved sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) system. This system is able to measure the spectra with two polarization combinations (ssp and ppp, or psp and ssp) simultaneously. It takes less than several seconds to collect one spectrum. To the best of our knowledge, it is the fastest speed of collecting SFG spectra reported by now. Using the time-resolved measurement, ultrafast vibrational dynamics of the N-H mode of α-helical peptide at water interface is determined. It is found that the membrane environment does not affect the N-H vibrational relaxation dynamics. It is expected that the time-resolved SFG system will play a vital role in the deep understanding of the dynamics and interaction of the complex molecules at surface and interface. Our method may also provide an important technical proposal for the people who plan to develop time-resolved SFG systems with simultaneous measurement of multiple polarization combinations.     

界面蛋白质分子结构与动力学的和频振动光谱研究

蛋白质与界面相互作用是自然界中一种非常普遍但又十分复杂的现象,其在物理、生物技术、化学工程、药物、环境科学等诸多领域中发挥着极其重要的作用。生物膜界面蛋白质的错误折叠引起的功能障碍与许多疾病的发生和发展直接相关。原位、实时、精确地表征界面蛋白质分子构象变化与动力学行为是揭示界面蛋白质功能的核心,对阐明与蛋白质聚集相关的神经退化型疾病的发生和发展机理非常重要。但目前对其结构与动力学的了解相当匮乏,蛋白质折叠仍是分子生物学中心法则中至今尚未解决的一个重大生物学问题。这主要是因为其表征技术不仅要求具有足够高的结构分辨度和时间分辨度,还需满足时间、空间、活体、非介入性等要求,但同时满足这些要求的技术甚少。而和频振动光谱是一种可以在分子层次上探测界面蛋白质分子结构与动力学的表征方法。本文详细介绍了和频振动光谱技术在界面蛋白质结构与动力学表征方面的应用。通过原位实时探测不同蛋白质骨架振动的酰胺Ⅰ,酰胺Ⅲ与酰胺A谱带,可以实现界面蛋白质分子结构、构象变化与动力学特征的精确测量,进而揭示蛋白质–细胞膜相互作用、蛋白质–蛋白质相互作用、蛋白质聚集的分子机理。本综述将为人们研究复杂界面体系物理与化学问题提供新的思路。     

蛋白质跨膜传输的飞秒和频振动光谱快速实时监测

Characterization of conformation kinetics of proteins at the interfaces is crucial for understanding the biomolecular functions and the mechanisms of interfacial biological action. But it requires to capture the dynamic structures of proteins at the interfaces with sufficient structural and temporal resolutions. Here, we demonstrate that a femtosecond sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) system developed by our group provides a powerful tool for monitoring the real-time peptide transport across the membranes with time resolution of less than one second. By probing the real-time SFG signals in the amide I and amide A bands as WALP23 interacts with DMPG lipid bilayer, it is found that WALP23 is initially absorbed at the gel-phase DMPG bilayer with a random coil structure. The absorption of WALP23 on the surface leads to the surface charge reversal and thus changes the orientation of membrane-bound water. As the DMPG bilayer changes from gel phase into fluid phase, WALP23 inserts into the fluid-phase bilayer with its N-terminal end moving across the membrane, which causes the membrane dehydration and the transition of WALP23 conformation from random coil to mixed helix/loop structure and then to pure α-helical structure. The established system is ready to be employed in characterizing other interfacial fast processes, which will be certainly helpful for providing a clear physical picture of the interfacial phenomena.