| Abstract: | We have explored the mechanism of coupling of an approximately 50 mT static magnetic field with the α helices of poly-L-lysine. Structural changes in poly-L-lysine were determined by Raman spectroscopy. Our testable hypothesis is that static magnetic fields of this magnitude can couple with the α-helical segments of the polypeptide, and, as a result, the structure of the polypeptide is significantly altered. Our model further suggests that a static magnetic field can promote protein unfolding and can prevent refolding. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
