Biochemical Applications of Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

Uses to which infrared and Raman spectroscopy have been put in biochemical work are reviewed. In the infrared field some of the applications discussed are hydrogen bonding, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and polypeptides, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, nucleic acids, steroids, porphyrins, enzymology, and medical uses, among others. In the Raman field some of the applications discussed are polypeptides, proteins and enzymes, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, steroids, membranes, lipids, and calcified tissues. Some applications of resonance-Raman spectroscopy are discussed. They include such substances as carotenoids and plant pigments, enzymes, hemoglobin, cytochrome c, hemocyanin, visual pigments, and protein-ligand and antibody-hapten interactions. The kinds of information obtainable with each of the methods and the various classes of biochemical substances are given in some detail, and pertinent references are supplied.