Direct Observation of Differential Uv Photolytic Degradation among the Tryptophan Residues of Gramicidin-a in Sodium Dodecyl-Sulfate Micelles

by McKim, S.; Hinton, J. F.

Gramicidin A, incorporated into sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles, was exposed to ultraviolet light and discovered by two-dimensional (TOCSY) NMR spectroscopy to undergo differential photolytic degradation. The four tryptophan residues of gramicidin A were found to be unequally sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Tryptophan 9 was the most sensitive to ultraviolet photolysis, while tryptophan 11 was the least sensitive. Tryptophans 13 and 15 have approximately the same susceptibility to photolytic degradation by the ultraviolet light. Rate constants for the photolytic degradation of the four tryptophan residues were obtained from the dependence of the TOCSY spectrum upon the time of photolysis.

Journal
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Biomembranes
Volume
1153
Issue
2
Year
1993
Start Page
315-321
URL
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0005-2736(93)90421-u
ISBN/ISSN
0005-2736
DOI
10.1016/0005-2736(93)90421-u