摘要
为了考察微重力在分子水平上的效应，特别是对水溶剂结构的影响，测定了空间和地面生长的多个鸡蛋清溶菌酶晶体和蝮蛇毒酸性磷脂酶Ａ２晶体的结构，并做了结构比较研究。结果表明，虽然微重力不足以改变蛋白质肽链的构象及与蛋白质分子联系较强的溶剂分子的结合状况，但微重力可能改善与蛋白质分子联系较弱的有序水分子结构。这两种蛋白质晶体的结构测定结果也提示，微重力下蛋白质晶体质量改善的显示程度可能与蛋白质晶体的溶剂含量相关。这些发现从一个方面揭示了微重力改进蛋白质晶体质量的机理。另外，考虑到水分子对生命活动的重要性，这一初步结论的确认可能会对深入开展微重力生命科学研究有所启示。
Structures of Space- and ground- grown protein crystals were determined and compared for hen egg-white lysozyme and acidic phospholipase A2 from snake venom. The results show that microgravity might improve the structure of weakly bound ordered water molecules, though it could not change the protein conformation and the structure of solvent molecules bound stronger to protein molecules. The results also imply that the degree of quality improvement of microgravity-grown protein crystals might be related to the solvent content in protein crystals. These findings might, in a respect, reveal the mechanism of quality mprovement of protein crystals grown in microgravity. In addition, due to the importance of water molecules in life activities, the confirmation of this preliminary conclusion might enlighten guidance in further studies of life science in microgravity.
出处
《航天医学与医学工程》
CAS
CSCD
1998年第1期26-29,共4页
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering
关键词
微重力
蛋白质
晶体生长
晶体结构
水分子
microgravity proteins crystal growth crystal structure water molecule
