Controlling Glycan Folding with Ionic Functional Groups

Glycans are intrinsically flexible molecules that can adopt many conformations. These molecules often carry ionic functional groups that influence glycan's conformational preferences, dynamics, and aggregation tendencies. Inspired by these mechanisms, we have engineered a glycan sequence whose secondary structure can be precisely manipulated by using ionic groups. We strategically incorporated ionic substituents into a glycan sequence adopting a hairpin conformation. Complementary ionic groups stabilized the closed conformers, while ionic repulsions shifted the populations toward the open forms. External stimuli, such as pH variations or enzyme addition, enabled us to dynamically control the hairpin's opening and closing. Additionally, changes in protonation states led to glycan aggregation, suggesting opportunities for the creation of responsive glycan-based materials.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Published
2025-04-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c17992
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.22

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Controlling Glycan Folding with Ionic Functional Groups

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article en
4 citations

Abstract

Glycans are intrinsically flexible molecules that can adopt many conformations. These molecules often carry ionic functional groups that influence glycan's conformational preferences, dynamics, and aggregation tendencies. Inspired by these mechanisms, we have engineered a glycan sequence whose secondary structure can be precisely manipulated by using ionic groups. We strategically incorporated ionic substituents into a glycan sequence adopting a hairpin conformation. Complementary ionic groups stabilized the closed conformers, while ionic repulsions shifted the populations toward the open forms. External stimuli, such as pH variations or enzyme addition, enabled us to dynamically control the hairpin's opening and closing. Additionally, changes in protonation states led to glycan aggregation, suggesting opportunities for the creation of responsive glycan-based materials.

Journal of the American Chemical SocietyVol. 147(18)
Ikerbasque (ES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of the Basque Country (ES), Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (DE), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (ES), CIC bioGUNE (ES), Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Freie Universität Berlin (DE), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR), KU Leuven (BE)
Agence Nationale de la Recherche, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
3.22
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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