Unraveling proteins at the single molecule level using nanopores

The function and phenotype of a cell is determined by a complex network of interactions between DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites. Therefore, a comprehensive approach that integrates genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics is necessary to achieve full understanding of biological processes and disease. Recent technological...

Label-Free Detection of Post-translational Modifications with a Nanopore

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins play key roles in cellular processes. Hence, PTM identification is crucial for elucidating the mechanism of complex cellular processes and disease. Here we present a method for PTM detection at the single-molecule level using FraC biological nanopores. We focus on two major PTMs,...

Recent insights from single-molecule studies into nucleosome structure and dynamics

Eukaryotic DNA is tightly packed into a hierarchically ordered structure called chromatin in order to fit into the micron-scaled nucleus. The basic unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which consists of a short piece of DNA wrapped around a core of eight histone proteins. In addition to their role in packaging DNA, nucleosomes impact the...

Mass spectrometry approaches for the discovery and full primary structure analysis of peptides secreted by the amphibian skin

Most, if not all, frog species are known to secrete a mixture of more or less toxic compounds from skin glands as defense mechanism. This skin secretion of amphibian constitutes a rich source of bioactive peptides with potential pharmaceutical applications. Research in this area includes peptidome (primary structure), transcriptome and bioassays...