TY - JOUR
AU - Marszalek, Piotr E
AB - In this paper we review the conformational analysis of sugar rings placed under tensionduring mechanical manipulations of single polysaccharide molecules with the atomic forcemicroscope and during steered molecular dynamics simulations. We examine the role ofvarious chemical bonds and linkages between sugar rings in inhibiting or promoting theirconformational transitions by means of external forces. Small differences in the orientationof one chemical bond on the sugar ring can produce significantly different mechanicalproperties at the polymer level as exemplified by two polysaccharides: cellulose, composed of--linked D-glucose, and amylose, composed of--linked D-glucose. In contrast to-glucose rings, which are mechanically stable and produce simple entropic elasticity of the chain,-glucose rings flip under tension from their chair to a boat-like structure and thesetransitions produce deviations of amylose elasticity from the freely jointed chain model.We also examine the deformation of two mechanically complementary -linked polysaccharides: pustulan, a--linked glucan, and dextran, a --linked glucan. Forced rotations about theC5C6 bondsgovern the elasticity of pustulan, and complex conformational transitions that involve simultaneousC5C6 rotations and chairboat transitions govern the elasticity of dextran. Finally, we discuss thelikelihood of various conformational transitions in sugar rings in biological settings andspeculate on their significance. 
TI - Atomic cranks and levers control sugar ring conformations
JF - Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
DO - 10.1088/0953-8984/17/18/001
DA - 2005-04-22
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/iop-publishing/atomic-cranks-and-levers-control-sugar-ring-conformations-mSdmBUTrii
SP - S1427
EP - S1442
VL - 17
IS - 18
DP - DeepDyve
ER -