Hydrogen deuterium exchange
Hydrogen deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for studying the dynamics of higher order protein structure
The rate of hydrogen deuterium exchange on the amide hydrogen of the protein backbone provides information about solvent accessibility
This information can be used to deduct details about protein-ligand information, protein-protein interaction, protein folding and conformational changes
What is Nepenthesin?
New group of interesting proteolytic enzymes from carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes
Their proteolytic activity is very useful for hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HX-MS)
In contrast to pepsin, it has different cleavage specificities, and despite its high inherent susceptibility to reducing and denaturing agents, it is very stable upon immobilization and withstands even high concentration of guanidine hydrochloride and reducing agents
Nepenthesin II shares many properties with Nepenthesin I, such as fast digestion at reduced temperature and pH, and broad cleavage specificity, but in addition, it cleaves C terminal to tryptophan
Cleavage preferences of acidic proteases
Comparison of the proteolytic activity (Myoglobin)
