Applications of Near-Infrared Raman Optical Activity to Photoreceptor Proteins

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26410017
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical chemistry
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: Unno Masashi 佐賀大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (50255428)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MASUDA Shinji 東京工業大学, バイオ研究基盤支援総合センター, 准教授 (30373369) ; TAMOGAMI Jun 松山大学, 薬学部, 助教 (30580089) ; KOMATSU Naoki 滋賀医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (30253008)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 振動分光 / 生物物理 / 光受容タンパク質 / 量子化学計算

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many biological cofactors, such as light-absorbing chromophores in photoreceptors, are intrinsically planar molecules. A protein environment, however, causes structural distortions of the cofactor, and such structural changes can lead to a modulation of chemical properties of the cofactor to maximize its biological activity. In this project, we have established the spectral analysis of Raman optical activity (ROA) based on quantum chemical calculations combined with molecular dynamics simulations. For an application of ROA to photoreceptor proteins, we have examined the effect of excitation wavelength on the ROA spectra for the first time.

Free Research Field

分子分光学