Protein research is a frontier field in science. Proteins are widely distributed in plants and animals and are the principal constituents of the protoplasm of all cells, and consist essentially of combinations of a-amino acids in peptide linkages. Twenty different amino acids are commonly found in proteins, and serve as enzymes, structural elements, hormones, immunoglobulins, etc., and are involved throughout the body, and in photosynthesis. This book gathers new leading-edge research from throughout the world in this exciting and exploding field of research.
Protein research is a frontier field in science. Proteins are widely distributed in plants and animals and are the principal constituents of the protoplasm of all cells, and consist essentially of combinations of a-amino acids in peptide linkages. Twenty different amino acids are commonly found in proteins, and serve as enzymes, structural elements, hormones, immunoglobulins, etc., and are involved throughout the body, and in photosynthesis. This book gathers new leading-edge research from throughout the world in this exciting and exploding field of research.
Although infrared spectroscopy has been applied with success to the study of important biological and biomedical processes for many years, key advances in this vibrant technique have led to its increasing use, ranging from characterisation of individual macromolecules (DNA, RNA, lipids, proteins) to human tissues, cells and their components. Infrared spectroscopy thus has a significant role to play in the analysis of the vast number of genes and proteins being identified by the various genomic sequencing projects. Whilst this book gives an overview of the field it highlights more recent developments, such as the use of bright synchrotron radiation for recording infrared spectra, the development of two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and the ability to record infrared spectra at ultrafast speeds. The main focus is on the mid-infrared region, since the great majority of studies are carried out in this region but there is increasing use of the near infrared for biomedical applications and a chapter is devoted to this part of the spectrum. Major advances in theoretical analysis have also enabled better interpretation of the infrared spectra of biological molecules and these are covered. The editors, Professor Andreas Barth of Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden and Dr Parvez I. Haris of De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K., who both have extensive research experience in biological infrared spectroscopy per se and in its use in the solution of biophysical problems, have felt it timely therefore to bring together this book. The book is intended for use both by research scientists already active in the use of biological infrared spectroscopy and for those coming new to the technique. Graduate students will also find it useful as an introduction to the technique.
This book discusses biomedical spectroscopy and the applications of spectroscopic techniques in advanced medical technology. Applicable to scientists and medical professionals, the aim of this work is to enable them to work together in this field, so that healthcare facilities can be made routinely available in a cost-effective manner—especially for developing countries which may not be able to afford universal healthcare with present day expensive medical technologies. The subject matter of this book also covers – Instrumentation, Experimental Techniques and Computational Methods Spectroscopy of Animal Models Microspectroscopy for Biomedical Applications Clinical Applications of Optical Spectroscopy Spectroscopy of Human Models Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)
The subject of this book is the amazing enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), the enzyme responsible for the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. The prerequisite for DNA-synthesis and DNA-repair in all living cells is the supply of the four deoxyribonucleotides. Such molecules result from the enzymatically difficult radical-induced reduction of ribonucleotides, a multistep chemical process catalyzed by RNR. RNR was the first enzyme in which the presence of an amino acid radical (a tyrosyl) in E. coli Class Ia RNR has been proven; since then several other biological amino acid radical species have been found on e.g. tryptophan, glycine, cysteine, lysine residues and on amino acid derived small cofactors like 2 tryptophanes in thryptophan-trypthanyl-radical or cysteine-tyrosyl-radical in other enzymes. As all known cellular life forms store their genetic information as DNA, RNR is likely to be found in all growing cells of every living organism, a fact that is confirmed by a rapidly increasing number of genomic screenings.
Calcium Binding Proteins explains the unique and highly diverse functions of calcium in biology, which are realized by calcium binding proteins. The structures and physical characteristics of these calcium binding proteins are described, as well as their functions and general patterns of their evolution. Techniques that underlie the description of proteins are discussed, including NMR, circular dichroism, optical rotatory dispersion spectroscopy, calorimetry,and crystallography. The book discusses the patterns of bochmical phenomena such as calcium homeostasis, mineralization, and cell signaling that involve specific proteins. It summarizes ongoing research and presents general hypotheses that help to focus future research, and also provides a conceptual framework and a description of the underlying techniques that permits someone entering the field to become conversant.
Synthesizes the current knowledge in the field and provides new insights into medical applications Metalloproteomics is the large-scale study of metal-binding proteins. These proteins, which represent about one quarter of all the proteins in the Protein Data Bank, play important roles in all biological systems and all biological processes. Metalloproteomics provides the latest information on all major families of metal-binding proteins, including their structural, physico-chemical, and functional properties, enabling readers to better understand these proteins. Moreover, the book demonstrates how understanding the structures, properties, and functions of intracellular and extracellular metal-binding proteins may unlock the key to drug development for the treatment of a myriad of diseases. Written by Eugene Permyakov, an international expert and pioneer in the structural analysis of metal-binding proteins, the book offers Theoretical introduction to cation binding Broad range of methods for investigating the binding of different cations to proteins Characteristics of interactions of physiologically important cations of Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Ni, Mo, W, Na, and K with proteins Detailed considerations of structural and physico-chemical properties of the metal-binding proteins Interactions of all other metal cations with proteins Interactions of different types of cations with nucleic acids Throughout the text, the author integrates principles of proteomics. In addition, detailed examples underscore the role metal-binding proteins play in health and medicine. Bringing together and analyzing all the latest findings, Metalloproteomics' scope and level of insight are unparalleled. It is recommended for biophysicists, biochemists, enzymologists, cell and molecular biologists, protein and peptide scientists, organic and bioinorganic chemists, and chemical biologists.
Instrumental techniques for analyzing intrinsically disordered proteins The recently recognized phenomenon of protein intrinsic disorder is gaining significant interest among researchers, especially as the number of proteins and protein domains that have been shown to be intrinsically disordered rapidly grows. The first reference to tackle this little-documented area, Instrumental Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Assessing Structure and Conformation provides researchers with a much-needed, comprehensive summary of recent achievements in the methods for structural characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Chapters discuss: Assessment of IDPs in the living cell Spectroscopic techniques for the analysis of IDPs, including NMR and EPR spectroscopies, FTIR, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, vibrational methods, and single-molecule analysis Single-molecule techniques applied to the study of IDPs Assessment of IDP size and shape Tools for the analysis of IDP conformational stability Mass spectrometry Approaches for expression and purification of IDPs With contributions from an international selection of leading researchers, Instrumental Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Assessing Structure and Conformation fills an important need in a rapidly growing field. It is required reading for biochemists, biophysicists, molecular biologists, geneticists, cell biologists, physiologists, and specialists in drug design and development, proteomics, and molecular medicine with an interest in proteins and peptides.
This second, thoroughly revised, updated and enlarged edition provides a straightforward introduction to spectroscopy, showing what it can do and how it does it, together with a clear, integrated and objective account of the wealth of information that may be derived from spectra. It also features new chapters on spectroscopy in nano-dimensions, nano-optics, and polymer analysis. Clearly structured into sixteen sections, it covers everything from spectroscopy in nanodimensions to medicinal applications, spanning a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum and the physical processes involved, from nuclear phenomena to molecular rotation processes. In addition, data tables provide a comparison of different methods in a standardized form, allowing readers to save valuable time in the decision process by avoiding wrong turns, and also help in selecting the instrumentation and performing the experiments. These four volumes are a must-have companion for daily use in every lab.
