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This work was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry and Biocenter Oulu at Universtity of Oulu during years 1998-2001.
I want to warmly thank professor Kalervo Hiltunen for his excellent supervision and constant encouragement during this study. His optimism and enthusiasm as well as his enormous knowledge of protein chemistry have helped me a lot. I am grateful to professor Rik Wierenga for taking me into his group when my project began to orient more towards structural studies, for giving me the valuable opportunity to learn new things, both practical and theoretical, and especially for his patient guidance during this learning process. This has opened a completely new world to me. All the other professors and group leaders in the Department of Biochemistry are acknowledged for creating such excellent research facilities and an enjoyable working atmosphere.
I am grateful to my co-authors, Dr. Aner Gurvitz, Dr. Hanspeter Rottensteiner, Prof. Andreas Hartig, Seppo Kilpeläinen, M.Sc., Dr. Daan van Aalten, Dr. Yorgo Modis and Dr. Arie Geerlof, for their contribution to our joint publications. Daan van Aalten also deserves my warmest thanks for his important help at the beginning of my crystallographic studies.
Professors Juha Rouvinen and Reijo Lahti are gratefully acknowledged for their valuable comments on the manuscript of this thesis, and Sirkka-Liisa Leinonen, Lic. Phil., for the careful revision of the language.
I wish to thank all the members of the RW and KH groups for everyday collaboration and numerous cheerful moments. Special thanks go to Inari and Petri Kursula, Antti Haapalainen, Tuomo Glumoff and Jukka Taskinen for all the helpful discussions and good advice.
Anneli Kaattari, Virpi Hannus, Tuula Koret, Maila Konttila, Jaakko Keskitalo and the rest of the staff of our department deserve many thanks for making things always run so smoothly. I thank Seppo Kilpeläinen for setting up and maintaining the Unix computer system. Ville Ratas, Kyösti Keränen, Tuomo Glumoff and Petri Kursula are gratefully acknowledged for taking care of the crystallization laboratory and the X-ray diffractometer.
My warmest thanks go to the ”Mafia-sisters”: Mira, Mari, Pia, Tanja and especially Anna for their friendship. As somebody wisely said: Life would be nothing without friends and calories! I also wish to thank the incredible people from Teekkaritorvet for their relaxed company and for keeping music in my life.
I cannot thank enough my mother and father. I thank them for their never-ending love and support, for always believing in me, even though I did not always believe in myself, and for encouraging me to make my own choices in life. I also thank my brother Aki just for being there and for often cheering me up with his good sense of humour. Finally, I wish to thank my dear Janne for making my life wonderful.
This work was financially supported by the Academy of Finland and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation.
Oulu, March 2002 Anu Mursula