Seminar

NMR and Molecular Recognition: Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions

Jesús Jiménez-Barbero, PhD

Molecular recognition by specific targets is at the heart of the life processes. In recent years, it has been shown that the interactions between proteins (lectins, enzymes, antibodies) and carbohydrates mediate a broad range of biological activities, from fertilization, embryogenesis, and tissue maturation, to pathological processes. The elucidation of the mechanisms that govern how sugars are accommodated in the binding sites of these receptors is currently a topic of interest. Thus, the determination of the structural and conformational factors and the physicochemical features which govern the molecular recognition of these molecules is of paramount importance. This presentation is focused on the application of NMR methods to the study of molecular recognition processes between a variety of polypeptides and carbohydrate molecules and analogues as well as sugar-sugar interactions. Special attention will be paid to the conformational and structural details of the interaction process, with particular emphasis in the origin and strength of CH- interactions. The use of isotope-labeled receptors and ligands (with 13C, 15N, or 19F stable isotopes) highly facilitates the analysis of the interactions between carbohydrates and glycomimetics with the corresponding receptors.