title: Down to atomic-scale intracellular water dynamics.
abstract: Water constitutes the intracellular matrix in which biological molecules interact. Understanding its dynamic state is a main scientific challenge, which continues to provoke controversy after more than 50 years of study. We measured water dynamics in vivo in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli by using neutron scattering and isotope labelling. Experimental timescales covered motions from pure water to interfacial water, on an atomic length scale. In contrast to the widespread opinion that water is 'tamed' by macromolecular confinement, the measurements established that water diffusion within the bacteria is similar to that of pure water at physiological temperature.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biologie Structurale, UMR 5075, CEA-CNRS-UJF, 41 rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jasnin
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haertlein
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaccai
authors.forename: Moeava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tehei
mesh_terms: D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry*; D003903:Deuterium / Q000737:chemistry; D004058:Diffusion; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D033363:Neutron Diffraction; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D003903:Deuterium