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Wei Min, Assistant Professor at Columbia University and his team have investigated the synthesis of protein at a specific site in the tissue of the brain using a new imaging technique in order to study the process of development of long-term memory.
Revealing Carbon-Deuterium Bonds Using Laser Technology
Proteins play a vital role in every physiological function of the body. One of the critical processes in gene expression is protein synthesis which determines the cell’s response to various diseases such as autism and cancer, as well as psychological stress disorders including Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases.
In general, proteins consist of a series of amino acids made of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. During their study, the researchers removed the hydrogen molecules of amino acids and replaced them with deuterium which is heavier than hydrogen. As an isotope of hydrogen, deuterium exhibits properties similar to that of hydrogen with a slight variation.
Therefore, amino acids with deuterium molecules function more or less similar to the natural amino acids. Several studies have suggested that the frequency of vibration of the carbon-deuterium bond is different from that of the carbon-hydrogen bond.
Following the replacement of hydrogen molecules, the researchers introduced the amino acids labelled with deuterium to a cell culture medium. They observed the formation of carbon-deuterium bonds vibrating at a distinct frequency, which in turn indicated the synthesis of new proteins.
Min’s team made use of a unique laser technology, known as the stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, in order to scan the sample and generate location-dependent maps for the carbon-deuterium bonds of the new proteins.
Highly Specific and Sensitive Imaging Technique
The new imaging technique developed by Min and his team determines the exact location and time required to generate new proteins within the cells, which in turn allows them to produce images of synthesised proteins at high resolution.
Previous observing the synthesis of proteome has been highly challenging for scientists as most of the widely employed techniques involve the destruction of living cells. However, Min’s imaging technique has opened the door to reveal the characteristics of proteomes and living cells as they carry out their functions.
According to Lu Wei, a member of Min’s team, this new imaging method is highly specific, sensitive, and it can be employed in all living systems.
Future Developments
Over the past three decades, optical brain imaging has grown into a rich and diverse scientific field. Min’s work presents a new imaging technique that explores the fundamental behaviour of living cells, even before the development of synapses and neurons, in order to investigate the molecular nature of long-term memory.
Lu Wei is currently studying the location and time at which a new protein is formed within the brain tissues, using this new imaging technique.
References and Further Reading
Chemist Devises Optical Imaging Technique to Unlock the Mystery of Memory – Columbia University