title: Structural Stability of Light-harvesting Protein LH2 Adsorbed on Mesoporous Silica Supports.
abstract: In the present study, we examined the reversible thermal deformation of the membrane protein light-harvesting complex LH2 adsorbed on mesoporous silica (MPS) supports. The LH2 complex from Thermochromatium tepidum cells was conjugated to MPS supports with a series of pore diameter (2.4 to 10.6 nm), and absorption spectra of the resulting LH2/MPS conjugates were observed over a temperature range of 273 - 313 K in order to examine the structure of the LH2 adsorbed on the MPS support. The experimental results confirmed that a slight ellipsoidal deformation of LH2 was induced by adsorption on the MPS supports. On the other hand, the structural stability of LH2 was not perturbed by the adsorption. Since the pore diameter of MPS support did not influence the structural stability of LH2, it could be considered that the spatial confinement of LH2 in size-matches pore did not improve the structural stability of LH2.
authors.affiliation: College of Science, Ibaraki University.
authors.forename: Yuuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shibuya
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Shun-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002841:Chromatiaceae / Q000201:enzymology; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016062:Porosity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D055550:Protein Stability; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D014867:Water; D012822:Silicon Dioxide