Abstract |
Raman spectra of normal hair shafts and hair shafts from patients exhibiting trichothiodystrophy (TTD) were obtained using line focus laser illumination. Because hair from TTD patients has a significant decrease in the content of the sulfur-containing amino acids in comparison to normal hair, the 550-500 cm(-1) disulfide stretching mode region of the Raman spectrum was examined in detail. A quantitative spectral analysis demonstrates significant increases in the two energetically less favored gauche-gauche-trans (g-g-t) and trans-gauche-trans (t-g-t) forms. These observations suggest that the increased amounts of these less stable disulfide conformers are contributing factors to or associated with the hair brittleness observed for this congenital disorder. Structure-spectra correlations for the three dominant disulfide conformers are confirmed by quantum chemical calculations using modern density functional theory (DFT).
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Authors | S Schlücker, C Liang, K R Strehle, J J DiGiovanna, K H Kraemer, I W Levin |
Journal | Biopolymers
(Biopolymers)
Vol. 82
Issue 6
Pg. 615-22
(Aug 15 2006)
ISSN: 0006-3525 [Print] United States |
PMID | 16557500
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
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Copyright | Copyright 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. |
Chemical References |
- Biopolymers
- Disulfides
- Proteins
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Topics |
- Biopolymers
(chemistry)
- DNA Repair
(genetics)
- Disulfides
(chemistry)
- Hair
(chemistry, pathology)
- Hair Diseases
(genetics, metabolism, pathology)
- Humans
- Models, Molecular
- Protein Conformation
- Proteins
(chemistry)
- Spectrum Analysis, Raman
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