Differentiation of the binding of two ligands to a tetrameric protein with a single symmetric active site by F NMR.

R67 dihydrofolate reductase (R67 DHFR) is a plasmid-encoded enzyme that confers resistance to the antibacterial drug trimethoprim. R67 DHFR is a tetramer with a single active site that is unusual as both cofactor and substrate are recognized by symmetry-related residues. Such promiscuity has limited our previous efforts to differentiate ligand binding by NMR.

Effects of carotenoids on lipid bilayers.

Carotenoids have been found to be important in improving the integrity of biomembranes in eukaryotes. However, the molecular details of how carotenoids modulate the physical properties of biomembranes are unknown. To this end, we have conducted a series of molecular dynamics simulations of different biologically-relevant membranes in the presence of carotenoids.