Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Reductive Alkylation Of Proteins Towards Structural And Biological Applications, Kevin Jerome Roberson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a proven technique for protein structure and dynamic studies, typically requiring the incorporation of stable magnetic isotopes to improve sensitivity and assign resonances. Degenerate levels of 13C-incorporation have been the biggest obstacle for mass spectrometry-assisted assignment of 13C-dimethylamine resonances in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Reductive 13C-methylation is an alternative labeling method for proteins not amenable to bacterial host overexpression. Because reductive 13C-methylation adds sparse, isotopic labels, traditional methods of assigning the NMR signals are not applicable. The research presented in the first part of this dissertation explores several methods used to break the …