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Science 9 December 1966:
Vol. 154. no. 3754, pp. 1288 - 1299
DOI: 10.1126/science.154.3754.1288
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Articles

Circular Dichroism of Biological Macromolecules

Sherman Beychok 1

1 Department of Biochemistry at Columbia University, New York City.

Circular dichroism, the unequal absorption of right and left circularly polarized light, is a manifestation of optical activity in the vicinity of absorption bands. To the experimental scientist interested in the conformation of macromolecules and in the sensitive response of optical activity to conformational alteration, it offers a relatively new and powerful means of understanding the environment of chromophoric residues. As a tool in the elucidation of electronic spectra, it should be useful to the theoretical scientist in identifying weakly allowed absorption bands as well as in providing rotational parameters which can be compared with the developing theory of optical activity. I have stressed application of circular dichroism, to experimental aspects of protein and nucleic acid conformation in solution. Much is still uncertain in particular quantitative details. However, even these early results shed new light and yield new information on the conformation of these molecules.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Far-ultraviolet stopped-flow circular dichroism.
J Luchins and S Beychok (1978)
Science 199, 425-426
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Conformation of Blood-Group and Virus Receptor Glycoproteins from Red Cells and Secretions.
B. Jirgensons and G. F. Springer (1968)
Science 162, 365-367
   Abstract »    PDF »
Optical Differentiation of Amoebic Ectoplasm and Endoplasmic Flow.
W. R. Baker Jr. and J. A. Johnston Jr. (1967)
Science 156, 825-826
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)