title: Physical methods for structure, dynamics and binding in immunological research.
abstract: We present four experimental physical methods--X-ray and neutron diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and calorimetry--and two computational methods--molecular dynamics simulations and electrostatics calculations--which are general and widely applicable in the study of protein structure, dynamics and binding. These methods are useful tools for biologists that lead to structure-function, dynamics-function and binding-function correlations, in efforts to understand biomolecular function. Standard and emerging technologies within these methods are discussed and representative examples of applications in immunology are presented, from antigen-antibody, complement and MHC-T-cell receptor research. The examples demonstrate the power of the reviewed methods in immunological studies at the molecular level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morikis
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lambris
mesh_terms: D002151:Calorimetry / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D008958:Models, Molecular; D033363:Neutron Diffraction / Q000379:methods; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / Q000379:methods; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins