Protein Folding Studies
Model substrate proteins that are used for chaperone-assisted folding studies are usually not well defined: the analyses are of a rather descriptive/qualitative nature. We would like to link the well- defined chaperone cycles with folding studies in which the particular folding kinetics of a substrate protein are also well understood. In a first step towards this goal, we are studying the folding of a model substrate protein, namely UMP/CMP-Kinase from Dictyostelium discoideum (UmpKdicty) with transient kinetic techniques (Stopped-Flow, quenched-flow, pressure- jump, T-Jump). In addition we apply and continously develop software and instruments for rapid kinetic techniques and data acquisition.