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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 15: Proteins II

BP 15.1: Topical Talk

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 15:00–15:30, H 1058

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in Protein Science — •Malte Drescher — Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has witnessed tremendous methodological and instrumental developments during the last two decades. These new methods have strong impact on various areas of chemistry, materials science, physics, and especially biophysics. With the advent of site-directed spin-labeling (SDSL) of proteins and DNA or RNA, EPR spectroscopy thus became a valuable technique for obtaining information on structure and dynamics of bio-macromolecules.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) form a unique protein category characterized by the absence of a well-defined structure and by remarkable conformational flexibility. SDSL EPR is amongst the most suitable methods to unravel their structure and dynamics.

This contribution summarizes methodological developments in the area of SDSL EPR and its applications in protein research. Recent results on the intrinsically disordered Parkinson's disease protein α-Synuclein illustrate that the method gains increasing attention in IDP research.