Kinetics and thermodynamics of protein-RNA interactions and protein folding in vitro and in cells

Guzman Sanchez, Irisbel

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Description

Title

Kinetics and thermodynamics of protein-RNA interactions and protein folding in vitro and in cells

Author(s)

Guzman Sanchez, Irisbel

Issue Date

2015-04-20

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Gruebele, Martin

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Martin Gruebele

Committee Member(s)

• Gennis, Robert
• Ha, Taekjip
• Ceman, Stephanie S.

Department of Study

Biochemistry

Discipline

Biochemistry

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Protein-RNA interactions
• protein folding
• fluorescence
• fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
• fast relaxation imagining (FREI)
• temperature jump

Abstract

Protein-RNA interactions and protein folding are critical subjects in biochemistry, because of their significance during the formation of active complexes and signaling pathways. Regardless of the substantial amount of studies in the fields of protein-RNA interactions and protein folding, little is known about the stability and kinetics of these in the cell. This doctoral dissertation aims to advance the understanding of protein-RNA interactions and protein folding inside cells through comparative in vitro studies, utilizing U1A-SL2 RNA complex and PGK/VlsE proteins as model systems, respectively. For the protein-RNA studies, dynamics experiments of one positive charged mutant of the spliceosomal U1A protein, the golden model for the RNA Recognition Motif (RRM), reveled a conformational transition for the protein only. Also, U1A-SL2 RNA dissociation kinetics studies with U1A positive charged mutants supported the previously proposed two-step dissociation pathway and demonstrated the importance of positive charge residues. The U1A-SL2 was also investigated in macromolecular crowded buffers were its binding affinity increased. It was also studied inside mammalian cells were it localized in the nucleus and its binding affinity decreased. For the protein folding studies, the extracellular VlsE antigen was found to be destabilized inside mammalian cells opposed to the intracellular PGK enzyme.

Graduation Semester

2015-5

Type of Resource

text

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Copyright and License Information

2015 Irisbel Guzman Sanchez

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