Being the new kid on the block, I am doing some preliminary work on applying Misincorporation Proton-Alkyl Exchange (MPAX), a novel technique, for determining the stability and folding dynamics of secondary, tertiary, quaternary structures (protein-protein interfaces), and protein-ligand interfaces. 

Our model protein is the ATP-Binding Cassette from Methanococcal jannaschii, MJ1267.  The ABC class of proteins are responsible for the transport of an extremely diverse number of elements and are able to do so against a chemical gradient utilizing ATP as an energy source.  By applying new techniques to study protein folding dynamics to compliment traditional biophysical tools such as absorption spectroscopy, X-Ray crystallography, NMR, and Circular Dichroism (CD), we hope to further elucidate the folding pathway and mechanism by which misfolded proteins cause or contribute to disease.

Below are images of ADP bound MJ1267 (PDB 1G6H) which illustrate how beautifully the protein-ligand interface and pack.

email - Juan Mendoza

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