Weak self-association in a carbohydrate system.
The physiological importance of weak interactions between biological macromolecules (molar dissociation constants >10 microM) is now well recognized, particularly with regard to cell adhesion and immunological phenomena, and many weak interactions have been measured for proteins. The concomitant importance of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions has also been identified, although no weak interaction between pure carbohydrate systems has ever been measured. We now demonstrate for the first time to our knowledge using a powerful probe for weak interactions--sedimentation velocity in the analytical ultracentrifuge--that at least some carbohydrates (from the class of polysaccharides known as heteroxylans and demonstrated here to be biologically active) can show well-defined weak self-interactions of the "monomer-dimer" type frequently found in protein systems. The weak interaction between the heteroxylans is shown from a temperature dependence study to be likely to be hydrophobic in nature.
Patel
Trushar R
TR
National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom.
Harding
Stephen E
SE
Ebringerova
Anna
A
Deszczynski
Marcin
M
Hromadkova
Zdenka
Z
Togola
Adiaratou
A
Paulsen
Berit Smestad
BS
Morris
Gordon A
GA
Rowe
Arthur J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D019281:Dimerization; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013213:Starch; D014461:Ultracentrifugation; D014990:Xylans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
D002241:Carbohydrates; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D009005:Monosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014990:Xylans; D013213:Starch; D003165:Complement System Proteins