Linear Dichroism - UV Linear Dichroism

UV Linear Dichroism

Ultraviolet (UV) LD is typically employed in the analysis of biological molecules, especially large, flexible, long molecules that prove difficult to structurally determine by such methods as NMR and X-ray diffraction.

DNA

DNA is almost ideally suited for UV LD detection. The molecule is very long and very thin, making it very easy to orient in flow. This gives rise to a strong LD signal. DNA systems that have been studied using UV LD include DNA-enzyme complexes and DNA-ligand complexes, the formation of the latter being easily observable through kinetic experiments.

Fibrous protein

Fibrous proteins, such as proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease and prion proteins fulfil the requirements for UV LD in that they are a class of long, thin molecules. In addition, cytoskeletal proteins can also be measured using LD.

Membrane proteins

The insertion of membrane proteins into a lipid membrane has been monitored using LD, supplying the experimentalist with information about the orientation of the protein relative to the lipid membrane at different time points.

In addition, other types of molecule have been analysed by UV LD, including carbon nanotubes and their associated ligand complexes.