title: New insight into the dynamical system of αB-crystallin oligomers.
abstract: α-Crystallin possesses a dynamic quaternary structure mediated by its subunit dynamics. Elucidation of a mechanism of subunit dynamics in homo-oligomers of αB-crystallin was tackled through deuteration-assisted small-angle neutron scattering (DA-SANS) and electrospray ionization (ESI) native mass spectrometry (nMS). The existence of subunit exchange was confirmed with DA-SANS, and monomers liberated from the oligomers were observed with nMS. With increasing temperature, an increase in both the exchange rate and monomer population was observed despite the absence of oligomer collapse. It is proposed that transiently liberated subunits, namely, "traveling subunits," play a role in subunit exchange. Moreover, we propose that protein function is regulated by these traveling subunits.
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.affiliation: Teikyo Univ., Radioisotope Res. Ctr, Kaga Itabashi Ku, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan.|Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Yojiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.affiliation: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization, Lucas Heights, NSW Australia.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.affiliation: Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiyama