Structural Molecular Biology

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Keynote Address

   1. Principles of Biological Organization and Their Applications to Molecular Structures

      • Manfred Eigen

      Pages 1-2

3. Methods

   1. X-ray Fiber Diffraction

      • D. A. Marvin, C. Nave

      Pages 3-44

   2. Recent Developments in the Crystallography of Globular Proteins

      • T. L. Blundell

      Pages 45-61

   3. X-ray and Neutron Small Angle Scattering

      • Bernard Jacrot

      Pages 63-85

   4. Image Reconstruction from Electron Micrographs of Macromolecular Structures

      • R. A. Crowther

      Pages 87-112

   5. Magnetic Resonance Probes of Cells

      • Ian C. P. Smith, Roxanne Deslauriers

      Pages 113-159

   6. High Resolution NMR Studies of Nucleic Acids

      • Cornelis Altona

      Pages 161-214

   7. High Resolution NMR Experiments for Studies of Protein Conformations

      • Kurt Wüthrich

      Pages 215-235

   8. Classical and Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Biological Macromolecules

      • Warner L. Peticolas

      Pages 237-267

   9. Chiroptical Methods and Their Applications to Biomolecular Systems

      • Ignacio Tinoco Jr., Carlos Bustamente, Marcos F. Maestre

      Pages 269-303

   10. Calorimetric Methods for Studying Biomolecular Structure and Organization

       • Theodor Ackermann

       Pages 305-331

   11. Methods for Studying Fast Kinetics in Biological Systems

       • Dietmar Pörschke

       Pages 333-358

   12. Potential Energy Functions for Structural Molecular Biology

       • Shneior Lifson

       Pages 359-385

4. Applications

   1. The Structure and Dynamics of Water in Globular Proteins

      • J. L. Finney, J. M. Goodfellow, P. L. Poole

      Pages 387-426

   2. Dynamics of Peptides and Proteins

      • Martin Karplus

      Pages 427-453

   3. DNA-Protein Interactions

      • Juan A. Subirana

      Pages 455-473

   4. The Strucure and Assembly of Simple Viruses

      • Kenneth C. Holmes

      Pages 475-505

5. Back Matter

   Pages 507-530

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Structural biology is undergoing a revolution in both the sophistication of new biophysical methods and the complexity of problems in biomolecular structure and organization opened up for study. These changes are directly attributable to major advances in computer technology, computational methods, development of high­ intensity synchrotron radiation sources, new magnetic resonance methods, laser optical techniques, etc. Structure-function problems previously considered intractable may now be solved. As this area of specialisation continues to expand, there is a need to review the various physical methods currently being used and developed in struc­ tural molecular biology. At the same time that individual techniques and their applications become more specialized, the need for effect­ ive communication between investigators gains in imperative. It is vital to forge links among sub-disciplines and to emphasise the complementary nature of results observed by different biophysical methods. This publication contains the review lectures given at a meeting on "Current Methods in Structural Molecular Biology" spon­ sored by NATO as an Advanced Study Institute and by FEBS ~s Advanced Course No. 78. The aim of the meeting was to bring together, in a teaching environment, students and specialists in diverse biophysical methodologies with the specific purpose of exploring, questioning and critically assessing the present and future state of biological structure research. The scientific content of the interdisciplinary Study Institute centred around three interrelated aspects; biophysical methods and instrumentation, their application to biological structure problems, and derivation of structural information and insights.

• biology
• development
• magnetic resonance
• molecular biology
• structural biology

• University of Birkbeck, London, England

  David B. Davies

• Free University of Berlin, West Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany

  Wolfram Saenger

• Domtar Inc., Senneville, Canada

  Steven S. Danyluk

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