Hydration Dynamics of Hyaluronan and Dextran

Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide, which is ubiquitous in vertebrates and has been reported to be strongly hydrated in a biological environment. We study the hydration of hyaluronan in solution using the rotational dynamics of water as a probe. We measure these dynamics with polarization-resolved femto...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biophysical journal 2012-07, Vol.103 (1), p.L10-L12
Main Authors: Hunger, Johannes, Bernecker, Anja, Bakker, Huib J., Bonn, Mischa, Richter, Ralf P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aqueous solutions
Biophysical Letter
Carbohydrates
dextran
Dextrans - chemistry
hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic Acid - chemistry
hydrophilicity
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Molecules
Solutions - chemistry
Spectrophotometry, Infrared
Spectrum analysis
Vertebrates
Water - chemistry
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Summary:Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide, which is ubiquitous in vertebrates and has been reported to be strongly hydrated in a biological environment. We study the hydration of hyaluronan in solution using the rotational dynamics of water as a probe. We measure these dynamics with polarization-resolved femtosecond-infrared and terahertz time-domain spectroscopies. Both experiments reveal that a subensemble of water molecules is slowed down in aqueous solutions of hyaluronan amounting to ∼15 water molecules per disaccharide unit. This quantity is consistent with what would be expected for the first hydration shell. Comparison of these results to the water dynamics in aqueous dextran solution, a structurally similar polysaccharide, yields remarkably similar results. This suggests that the observed interaction with water is a common feature for hydrophilic polysaccharides and is not specific to hyaluronan.
ISSN:0006-3495
1542-0086
DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2012.05.028