Dynamic behavior of oligomeric inorganic pyrophosphatase explored by quasielastic neutron scattering

Xiang Qiang Chu, Manavalan Gajapathy, Kevin L. Weiss, Eugene Mamontov, Joseph D. Ng, Leighton Coates

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether a large oligomeric protein, inorganic pyrophosphatase (IPPase) from Thermococcus thioreducens with quaternary structural complexity, would have distinguishable dynamic characteristics compared to those of the small simple monomeric model protein, lysozyme. In this study, the β-relaxational dynamics of the two proteins, IPPase and lysozyme, are compared in the 10 ps to 0.5 ns time interval using quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS). Both of the protein dynamics show a characteristic logarithmic-like decay in the intermediate scattering function (ISF) of the hydrogen atoms. Distinguishable dynamical behavior found between two proteins reveals local flexibility and conformational substates unique to oligomeric structures. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the mean square displacement (MSD) of the hydrogen atoms in protein molecules, which is a traditional way to determine the "softness" of the protein molecule, is measured and shows no difference for the two proteins. (Graph Presented)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9917-9921
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume116
Issue number33
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 23 2012

Funding

FundersFunder number
U.S. Department of Energy

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