Proton transfer in histidine-tryptophan heterodimers embedded in helium droplets

We used cold helium droplets as nano-scale reactors to form and ionize, by electron bombardment and charge transfer, aromatic amino acid heterodimers of histidine with tryptophan, methyl-tryptophan, and indole. The molecular interaction occurring through an N-H···N hydrogen bond leads to a proton tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of chemical physics Vol. 142; no. 11; p. 114306
Main Authors Bellina, Bruno, Merthe, Daniel J, Kresin, Vitaly V
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 21.03.2015
Subjects
Dimerization
Electrons
Helium - chemistry
Histidine - chemistry
Hydrogen Bonding
Indoles - chemistry
Mass Spectrometry
Models, Chemical
Protons
Temperature
Tryptophan - analogs & derivatives
Tryptophan - chemistry
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Summary:We used cold helium droplets as nano-scale reactors to form and ionize, by electron bombardment and charge transfer, aromatic amino acid heterodimers of histidine with tryptophan, methyl-tryptophan, and indole. The molecular interaction occurring through an N-H···N hydrogen bond leads to a proton transfer from the indole group of tryptophan to the imidazole group of histidine in a radical cationic environment.
ISSN:1089-7690
DOI:10.1063/1.4914902