Structural Dynamics of Carbohydrates and Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions studied by 2D-IR Spectroscopy

Structural Dynamics of Carbohydrates and Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions studied by 2D-IR Spectroscopy

Author(s): Henrike Müller-Werkmeister

Publication: Bunsen-Magazin 2026, 4, 85-86

Publisher: Deutsche Bunsen-Gesellschaft für physikalische Chemie e.V., Frankfurt

Language: English

DOI: 10.26125/jx35-3688

Abstract: Carbohydrates, in contrast to proteins, are extremely difficult to study by molecular biophysical tools due to their multitude of configurations for the same chemical composition. Using vibrational reporter groups like azide or thiocyanate moieties allows us now to investigate structural dynamics of carbohydrates by 2D-IR spectroscopy. As first example for protein-carbohydrate interactions we targeted the enzyme hexokinase, the first enzyme in glycolysis. Here we mapped the active site dynamics via a vibrational reporter in, its substrate glucose. Further, the enzymatic kinetics can directly be monitored via 2D-IR of  the phosphate signatures of ADP-ATP from min to hours with intrinsic dynamics on the fs-ps timescale resolved.

Cite this:  H. M. Müller-Werkmeister, Bunsen-Magazin 2026, 4, 85-86, DOI: 10.26125/jx35-3688

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