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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology
Investigation Of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Quaternary Structure Through Fluorescence Micro-Spectroscopy And Theoretical Modeling: Interdependence Between Receptor-Receptor And Receptor-Ligand Interactions, Joel David Paprocki
Theses and Dissertations
Proteins are of high interest in biophysics research due to the important roles they play within cells, such as sensing of chemical (ions and small molecules) and physical (e.g., light) stimuli, providing structure, transporting ions/molecules, signaling, and intercellular communication. The studies described in this dissertation focus on a particular type of membrane proteins known as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), which play a key role in cellular response to external stimuli. We used the sterile 2 α-factor mating pheromone receptor (Ste2), a prototypical class D GPCR present within Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). Ste2 is responsible for initiating the second messenger signal …
On The Structure And Function Of Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins: The Case Of Ucp2, Afshan Ardalan
On The Structure And Function Of Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins: The Case Of Ucp2, Afshan Ardalan
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are regulated proton transporters of the mitochondrial inner membrane. UCP-mediated proton leak negatively impacts the rate of ATP synthesis. Despite the importance of their physiological role(s) in certain tissues, molecular aspects of UCPs’ structure-function relationships are not fully understood. The current study explores the tertiary and quaternary structure of UCP2, as well as its proton transport mechanism in lipid membranes. The proteins were expressed in the E. coli inner membrane, purified and reconstituted into liposomes. Proteins were characterized by semi-native SDS-PAGE. Circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) and fluorescence quenching assays were utilized to study the conformation of proteins …