Michael F Brown
Publications
PMID: 3356147;Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death in the United States as well as other developed countries. This paper describes the development of image processing, pattern recognition, and graphical display techniques to non-invasively quantify the atherosclerotic disease process using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We have demonstrated the ability to identify the soft tissue classes of (1) normal, smooth muscle wall, (2) fatty plaque, (3) complex, fibrous plaque, and (4) calcified plaque. The objective of this work hs been to combine functional information, such as plque tissue type, with structural information, represented by 3-D display of vessel structure, into a single composite display. The results of this work provide a 'high information content' display which will aid in the diagnosis and analysis of the atherosclerotic disease process, and permit detailed and quantitative studies to assess the effectiveness of therapies (e. g. changes in diet, exercise and drug administration).
PMID: 19267870;PMCID: PMC2858981;Abstract:
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy gives a powerful avenue for investigating G protein-coupled receptors and other integral membrane proteins in a native-like environment. This article reviews the use of solid-state 2H NMR to study the retinal cofactor of rhodopsin in the dark state as well as the meta I and meta II photointermediates. Site-specific 2H NMR labels have been introduced into three regions (methyl groups) of retinal that are crucially important for the photochemical function of rhodopsin. Despite its phenomenal stability 2H NMR spectroscopy indicates retinal undergoes rapid fluctuations within the protein binding cavity. The spectral lineshapes reveal the methyl groups spin rapidly about their three-fold (C3) axes with an order parameter for the off-axial motion of For the dark state, the 2H NMR structure of 11-cis-retinal manifests torsional twisting of both the polyene chain and the β-ionone ring due to steric interactions of the ligand and the protein. Retinal is accommodated within the rhodopsin binding pocket with a negative pretwist about the C11=C12 double bond. Conformational distortion explains its rapid photochemistry and reveals the trajectory of the 11-cis to trans isomerization. In addition, 2H NMR has been applied to study the retinylidene dynamics in the dark and light-activated states. Upon isomerization there are drastic changes in the mobility of all three methyl groups. The relaxation data support an activation mechanism whereby the β-ionone ring of retinal stays in nearly the same environment, without a large displacement of the ligand. Interactions of the β-ionone ring and the retinylidene Schiff base with the protein transmit the force of the retinal isomerization. Solid-state 2H NMR thus provides information about the flow of energy that triggers changes in hydrogen-bonding networks and helix movements in the activation mechanism of the photoreceptor. © 2009 The Authors.
We describe experimental UV-visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic methods for characterizing lipid-protein interactions for rhodopsin in a membrane bilayer environment. The combination of FTIR and UV-visible difference spectroscopy is used to monitor the structural and functional changes during rhodopsin activation. Investigations of how membrane lipids stabilize various rhodopsin photoproducts are analogous to mutating the protein in terms of gain or loss of function. Interpretation of the results entails a flexible surface model for explaining membrane lipid-protein interactions through material properties relevant to biological activity.