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Updated: May 16, 2026

CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions
Published on: February 10, 2022
Characterization of protein higher order structure using vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy
Radhika P Nagarkar1, Brian M Murphy, Xiaotong Yu
1Bioanalytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development R & D, GlaxoSmithKline, 709 Swedeland Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA.
Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy monitor protein higher order structures (HOS). VCD effectively detects subtle secondary structure changes in therapeutic proteins during processing.
Area of Science:
- Biophysical Chemistry
- Protein Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Understanding protein higher order structures (HOS) is critical in biopharmaceutical development.
- Monitoring HOS impacts molecular conformation, biotechnological applications, and therapeutic protein stability.
- Loss of HOS can lead to aggregation, immunogenicity, and reduced protein function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy for characterizing protein secondary structures.
- To assess the utility of these methods in monitoring structural changes under varying temperature and pH conditions.
- To demonstrate VCD's capability in detecting subtle secondary structure alterations in therapeutic proteins.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of secondary structures using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
- Assessment of secondary structures using vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy.
- Analysis of three proteins (human serum albumin, myoglobin, ofatumumab) under varied temperature and pH.
Main Results:
- Both FTIR and VCD were employed to analyze the secondary structures of selected proteins.
- Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy proved effective in characterizing secondary structures.
- VCD demonstrated sensitivity to subtle secondary structure changes induced by temperature and pH variations.
Conclusions:
- Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) is a valuable technique for monitoring protein secondary structures.
- VCD can detect subtle structural modifications in therapeutic proteins relevant to processing and handling.
- This study highlights VCD's utility in ensuring the quality and stability of protein-based therapeutics.
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