Direct observation of self-trapped vibrational states in α-helices

Femtosecond infrared pump-probe spectroscopy of the N-H mode of a stable alpha-helix reveals two excited-state absorption bands, which disappear upon unfolding of the helix. A quantitative comparison with polaron theory shows that these two bands reflect two types of two-vibron bound states connecte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2004-09, Vol.93 (10), p.106405.1-106405.4, Article 106405
Main Authors: EDLER, J, PFISTER, R, POUTHIER, V, FALVO, C, HAMM, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acids - chemistry
Applied sciences
Computer Simulation
Electrical, magnetic and optical properties
Exact sciences and technology
Hydrogen Bonding
Models, Chemical
Models, Molecular
Nitrogen - chemistry
Organic polymers
Physicochemistry of polymers
Physics
Polyglutamic Acid - analogs & derivatives
Polyglutamic Acid - chemistry
Properties and characterization
Protein Structure, Secondary
Spectrophotometry, Infrared - methods
Vibration
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Summary:Femtosecond infrared pump-probe spectroscopy of the N-H mode of a stable alpha-helix reveals two excited-state absorption bands, which disappear upon unfolding of the helix. A quantitative comparison with polaron theory shows that these two bands reflect two types of two-vibron bound states connected to the trapping of two vibrons at the same site and at nearest neighbor sites, respectively. The latter states originate from an acoustic phonon in the helix, which correlates adjacent sites.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.106405