Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

High-Resolution Neutron Spectroscopy to Study Picosecond-Nanosecond Dynamics of Proteins and Hydration Water
Published on: April 28, 2022
Zaccai neutron resilience and site-specific hydration dynamics in a globular protein
Yinglong Miao1, Liang Hong, Zheng Yi
1University of Tennessee/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Center for Molecular Biophysics, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
Abstract:
A discussion is presented of contributions of the Zaccai group to the understanding of flexibility in biological macromolecules using dynamic neutron scattering. The concept of resilience as introduced by Zaccai is discussed and investigated using molecular dynamics simulation on camphor-bound cytochrome P450. The resilience of hydrophilic residues is found to be more strongly affected by hydration than that of hydrophobic counterparts. The hydration-induced softening of protein propagates from the surface into the dry core. Moreover, buried hydrophilic residues behave more like those exposed on the protein surface, and are different from their hydrophobic counterparts.
Related Concept Videos
Globular Proteins
Globular proteins serve many important physiological functions, such as acting as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be soluble in the aqueous...
Globular and Fibrous Proteins
Globular proteins are also known as spheroproteins and typically are approximately round in shape. They contain a mix of amino acid types and contain differing sequences in their primary structures. Globular proteins have many different functions, such as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be...
Globular and Fibrous Proteins
Globular proteins are also known as spheroproteins and typically are approximately round in shape. They contain a mix of amino acid types and contain differing sequences in their primary structures. Globular proteins have many different functions, such as enzymes, cellular messengers, and molecular transporters. These roles often require the proteins to be...
Protein Folding
Protein Folding
Protein Structure Is Critical to Its Biological Function
Proteins perform a wide range of biological functions such as catalyzing chemical reactions, providing...
Protein Dynamics in Living Cells
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...

