Measuring protein movements with nanosecond resolution
Friday, March 19, 2010 - 00:28
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers who developed a method for observing nanosecond-scale movements of proteins have used it to distinguish two structural forms where only one was known. The experiments focused on HP35 in the protein villin, which contributes to cells' stability by linking actin filaments. More generally, the results suggest that this method, based on fast electron transfer between different parts of a protein, could help unlock the mechanisms behind folding and misfolding of proteins.