Deep-UV Raman spectroscopy directly probes a fibrillation nucleus

The use of deep-ultraviolet resonance Raman (DUVRR) spectroscopy to analyze protein secondary structures and distinguish main structure elements, including †-helix, β-sheet, and random coil conformations. It is able to examine the structural characterization of the fibrillation nucleus that helps medical experts to understand the biological mechanism of amloid fibrils, which aggregate in biological tissues associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other devastating diseases. Deep-UV excitation enhances Raman scattering from the amide chromophore, a building block of a polypeptide backbone. The resonance enhancement allows for probing specific structural motifs of a protein molecule. The amide chromophore Raman provides quantitative information about the secondary structure of proteins. DUVRR spectroscopy, associated with 2-D correlation spectroscopy, ICA, and advanced modeling, shows accurate quantitative characterization of protein structure.