Several dynamic processes, including tautomerism and macrocyclic inversion, in 1 H-NMR prochiral solvating agents (pro-CSAs) are investigated. Various features of pro-CSA, including modes of interaction for complex formation, stoichiometry, binding strength and temperature effects were compared for three representative pro-CSA molecules. Structural effects of conjugated tetrapyrrole pro-CSA on ...

Distinct affinities between the organic and inorganic phases were observed in nanocomposites prepared through a colloidal route with carboxylated nitrile rubber and modified silica nanoparticles, which resulted in variable mechanical properties and improved thermal stability. Nanoparticles with modified surface affected the macromolecular arrangements of the elastomeric matrix, changing the fin...

The design and synthesis of a new cross-linkable amphiphile is reported. Solutions of the amphiphile in a toluene/water mixture form reverse micelles as indicated by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy. As indicated by dynamic light scattering, TEM, and NMR spectroscopy data, these reverse micelles can be cross-linked without drastically changing the radius of the reverse micelles. Mi...

Alpha(1)-antitrypsin is a 45-kDa (394-residue) serine protease inhibitor synthesized by hepatocytes, which is released into the circulatory system and protects the lung from the actions of neutrophil elastase via a conformational transition within a dynamic inhibitory mechanism. Relatively common point mutations subvert this transition, causing polymerisation of α(1)-antitrypsin and deficiency ...

Clathrate hydrates are of great importance in many aspects. However, hydrate formation and dissociation mechanisms, essential to all hydrate applications, are still not well understood due to the limitations of experimental techniques capable of providing dynamic and structural information on a molecular level. NMR has been shown to be a powerful tool to noninvasively measure molecular level dy...

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is a 79-residue essential component of lung surfactant, the film of lipid and protein lining the alveoli, and is the subject of great interest for its role in lung surfactant replacement therapies. Here we report circular dichroism results and the solution NMR structure of SP-B(11-25) (CRALIKRIQAMIPKG) dissolved in CD(3)OH at 5 degrees C. This is the first report of ...

Despite the large number of noncoding RNAs and their importance in several biological processes, our understanding of RNA structure and dynamics at atomic resolution is still very limited. Like many other RNAs, the Neurospora Varkud satellite (VS) ribozyme performs its functions through dynamic exchange of multiple conformational states. More specifically, the VS ribozyme recognizes and cleaves...

The reaction cycle and the major structural states of the molecular chaperone GroEL and its cochaperone, GroES, are well characterized. In contrast, very little is known about the nonnative states of the substrate polypeptide acted on by the chaperonin machinery. In this study, we investigated the substrate protein human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) while bound to GroEL or to a single-ring a...

The hydrophobic thickness of membranes, which is manly defined by fatty acids, influences the packing of transmembrane domains of proteins and thus can modulate the activity of these proteins. We analyzed the dynamics of the dimerization of Glycophorin A (GpA) by molecular dynamics simulations to describe the fatty acid dependence of the transmembrane region assembly. GpA represents a well-esta...