Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary Structure Levels in Linear Polysaccharides: From Random Coil, to Single Helix to Supramolecular Assembly

Biomacromolecules
Michael DienerRaffaele Mezzenga

Abstract

Polysaccharides are ubiquitous in nature and represent an essential class of biopolymers with multiple levels of conformation and structural hierarchy. However, a standardized structural nomenclature, as in the case of proteins, is still lacking due to uncertainty on their hierarchical organization. In this work we use carrageenans as model polysaccharides to demonstrate that several structural levels exist and can be unambiguously resolved by statistical analysis on high resolution Atomic Force Microscopy images, supported by spectroscopic, X-ray scattering and rheological techniques. In direct analogy with proteins, we identify primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. The structure-property relationship induced by monovalent ions for κ-, ι- and the non-gelling control λ-carrageenan is established from the single chain regime to the occurrence of hydrogels at higher concentrations. For κ-carrageenan in the presence of potassium, a disorder-order transition from random coil to single helix is first observed (secondary structure), followed by intrachain supercoiling events (tertiary structure) and macroscopic anisotropic domains which are parts of a network (quaternary structure) with tunable elasticity up to ∼103...Continue Reading

References

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Mar 21, 2018·Nature Nanotechnology·Gustav NyströmRaffaele Mezzenga

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Citations

Oct 17, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Fernando G TorresGiuseppe Bardi
Nov 22, 2020·The New Phytologist·James M Cowley, Rachel A Burton
Dec 18, 2020·Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety·Artur ZdunekJustyna Cybulska
Mar 14, 2021·Carbohydrate Polymers·Severin EderLaura Nyström
Jun 3, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Kelvin AnggaraKlaus Kern
Jul 16, 2021·Nanoscale·Mattia UsuelliRaffaele Mezzenga
Sep 14, 2019·Biomacromolecules·Theodore Tyrikos-ErgasMartina Delbianco
Jan 7, 2021·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Attila ForgácsJózsef Kalmár
Feb 15, 2020·Biomacromolecules·Martin A K WilliamsHelen M North

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