What Are the Applications of Circular Dichroism in Protein Research

Circular dichroism (CD) leverages the optical rotation occurring when circularly polarized light interacts with chiral molecules to study their structures. As circularly polarized light passes through these molecules, the direction of light rotation changes—a phenomenon called optical rotation. CD measures differences in light absorption to produce signals that reveal structural characteristics of the sample.

 

1. Protein Structure Analysis

CD provides insights into the secondary structures of proteins, such as α-helices and β-sheets. By measuring protein CD signals at various wavelengths, researchers can obtain a CD spectrum that reflects the protein’s secondary structure composition.

 

2. Drug Development

Since many drugs exert their effects by interacting with proteins, CD is useful for studying drug-protein interactions. This technique helps researchers gain a better understanding of drug mechanisms and supports the optimization of drug design.

 

3. Monitoring Protein Conformational Changes

CD is valuable for studying changes in protein conformation, which are closely related to protein function. By tracking structural changes under various conditions, CD reveals how proteins regulate their structures to fulfill specific functions.