Combining X-Rays and Neutrons to Shed Light in the Conformational Changes in Aminoacids

Margareth KKD Franco*¹ and FabianoYokaichiya²

Received: August 17, 2018;   Published: August 27, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.08.001643

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Abstract

Amino acids are small organic molecules having both amino and carboxylic acid groups bound to the α-carbon, with a general formula NH2-CH(R)-COOH. Their side chains, R, can vary – saml our bulky, hidrophobic our hydrophilic, polar, charged or neutral. If the α-carbon is bound to four different chemical groups, the amino acid is chiral and two isomers exist labeled with L our D. Furthermore, the parameters characterizing the motions of amino acids in crystal can be comparable with those describing this dynamics in biopolymers. Therefore, possessing information on the strusture and dynamics of single amino acids is important in biochemistry, biophysics, medicine and pharmacy. The structure and dynamics of crystalline amino acids can be followed in a wide temperature and pressure range by diffraction and various spectroscopic techniques and the results can be interpreted, giving the characteristic times of selected motions and the values of related energy barriers.

Keywords: X-Ray; Neutron; Amino Acid; Structure-Property

Abstract | Introduction | Material and Methods | Results and Discussions | Conclusion | Acknowledgement | References |