Abstract

Amyloid fibrils are associated with numerous degenerative diseases. The molecular mechanism of the structural transformation of native protein to the highly ordered cross-beta structure, the key feature of amyloid fibrils, is under active investigation. Conventional biophysical methods have limited application in addressing the problem because of the heterogeneous nature of the system. In this study, we demonstrated that deep-UV resonance Raman (DUVRR) spectroscopy in combination with circular dichroism (CD) and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence allowed for quantitative characterization of protein structural evolution at all stages of hen egg white lysozyme fibrillation in vitro. DUVRR spectroscopy was found to be complimentary to the far-UV CD because it is (i) more sensitive to beta -sheet than to alpha -helix, and (ii) capable of characterizing quantitatively inhomogeneous and highly light-scattering samples. In addition, phenylalanine, a natural DUVRR spectroscopic biomarker of protein structural rearrangements, exhibited substantial changes in the Raman cross section of the 1000-cm(-1) band at various stages of fibrillation.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.