Protein secondary structure signatures from energy loss spectra recorded in the electron microscope.

Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful technique for characterising protein structure. It is now possible to record energy losses corresponding to the infrared region in the electron microscope and to avoid damage by positioning the probe in the region adjacent to the structure being studied. Spectra from bacteriorhodopsin, a protein that is predominately a α helix, and OmpF porin, a protein that is mainly ß sheet show significant differences over a spectral range from ∼0.1 to 0.25 eV (∼1000 to 1800 cm-1 ). Although the energy resolution equivalent to 60 cm-1 is inferior to Fourier Transform InfraRed Spectroscopy (FTIR) the spectra are very sensitive to molecular orientation. Polar bonds aligned parallel to the specimen grid make particularly strong contributions to the energy loss spectra. Ultra-high-resolution energy loss spectroscopy in the electron microscope can potentially add useful information to imaging and diffraction for determining the secondary structure misfolding believed to be responsible for dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Proteins are long linear molecular chains that when folded into complex three-dimensional shapes enable them to perform their biological functions. Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful technique for characterising protein folds, especially the proportions of helices and sheets that are significant building blocks in the overall structure. Traditionally, it was only possible to record infrared spectra from large amounts of material. In this paper, we show that it is possible to record the equivalent of the infrared spectrum from regions much smaller than a cell using a high-performance spectrometer coupled to electron microscopy. One great advantage is that the spectroscopic measurements can be combined with the standard high-resolution imaging and other characterisation techniques available in the electron microscope. We believe expansion of this method will impact diseases such as Alzheimer's, which are believed to be the results of an incorrect folding process. Our technique, where we combine infrared spectroscopic measurements with electron microscopy, could be invaluable in characterising the critical early stages of protein misfolding and/or assembly. This information will be invaluable in disease prognosis and the search for potential therapies.