Roberto Vanacore investigates the chemistry of the extracellular matrix, particularly the collagen networks supporting tissues. A 2009 study led by Vanacore identified an unusual sulfilimine bond joining neighboring Collagen IV units. The team combined mass spectrometry with nuclear magnetic resonance to establish a sulfur–nitrogen connection between methionine and hydroxylysine.[ref]
The discovery makes a useful distinction between seeing that two proteins are joined and determining the chemical identity of the join. Precise mass constrains the atoms present, while spectroscopic measurements provide additional evidence about their arrangement. Together these methods resolved a link whose identification had been difficult from structural images alone. The crosslink reinforces the Collagen IV scaffold of basement membranes, connecting atomic bonding with tissue-scale mechanical organization.[ref]
A Sulfilimine Bond Identified in Collagen IV by Roberto Vanacore and others. introductory discussion of earlier assignments, exact-mass measurements and NMR identification
Roberto Vanacore
. Portrait identified by the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology. Articles by others on the same topic
There are currently no matching articles.