@article{FabianGastLaueetal.2013, author = {Fabian, Heinz and Gast, Klaus and Laue, Michael and Jetzschmann, Katharina J. and Naumann, Dieter and Ziegler, Andreas and Uchanska-Ziegler, Barbara}, title = {IR spectroscopic analyses of amyloid fibril formation of beta(2)-microglobulin using a simplified procedure for its in vitro generation at neutral pH}, series = {Biophysical chemistry : an international journal devoted to the physical chemistry of biological phenomena}, volume = {179}, journal = {Biophysical chemistry : an international journal devoted to the physical chemistry of biological phenomena}, number = {5}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0301-4622}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpc.2013.05.001}, pages = {35 -- 46}, year = {2013}, abstract = {beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m) is known to be the major component of fibrillar deposits in the joints of patients suffering from dialysis-related amyloidosis. We have developed a simplified procedure to convert monomeric recombinant beta(2)m into amyloid fibrils at physiological pH by a combination of stirring and heating, enabling us to follow conformational changes associated with the assembly by infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Our studies reveal that fibrillogenesis begins with the formation of relatively large aggregates, with secondary structure not significantly altered by the stirring-induced association. In contrast, the conversion of the amorphous aggregates into amyloid fibrils is associated with a profound re-organization at the level of the secondary and tertiary structures, leading to non-native like parallel arrangements of the beta-strands in the fully formed amyloid structure of beta(2)m. This study highlights the power of an approach to investigate the formation of beta(2)m fibrils by a combination of biophysical techniques including IR spectroscopy.}, language = {en} } @article{HornemannEichertHoehletal.2022, author = {Hornemann, Andrea and Eichert, Diane Madeleine and Hoehl, Arne and Tiersch, Brigitte and Ulm, Gerhard and Ryadnov, Maxim G. and Beckhoff, Burkhard}, title = {Investigating Membrane-Mediated Antimicrobial Peptide Interactions with Synchrotron Radiation Far-Infrared Spectroscopy}, series = {ChemPhysChem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry}, volume = {23}, journal = {ChemPhysChem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.202100815}, pages = {11}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy enables access to vibrational information from mid over far infrared to even terahertz domains. This information may prove critical for the elucidation of fundamental bio-molecular phenomena including folding-mediated innate host defence mechanisms. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent one of such phenomena. These are major effector molecules of the innate immune system, which favour attack on microbial membranes. AMPs recognise and bind to the membranes whereupon they assemble into pores or channels destabilising the membranes leading to cell death. However, specific molecular interactions responsible for antimicrobial activities have yet to be fully understood. Herein we probe such interactions by assessing molecular specific variations in the near-THz 400-40 cm(-1) range for defined helical AMP templates in reconstituted phospholipid membranes. In particular, we show that a temperature-dependent spectroscopic analysis, supported by 2D correlative tools, provides direct evidence for the membrane-induced and folding-mediated activity of AMPs. The far-FTIR study offers a direct and information-rich probe of membrane-related antimicrobial interactions.}, language = {en} }