Water and Trehalose: How Much Do They Interact with Each Other?

Abstract

The observation made by early naturalists that some organisms could tolerate extreme environmental condisions and "enjoy the advantage of real resurrection after death" [ Spallanzani , M. Opuscules de Physique Animale et Vegetale 1776 (translated from Italian by Senebier , J. Opuscules de Physique Animale et Vegetale 1787 , 2 , 203 - 285 )] stimulated research that still continues to this day. Cryptobiosis, the ability of an organism to tolerate adverse environments, such as dehydration and low temperatures, still represents an unsolved and fascinating problem. It has been shown that many sugars play an important role as bioprotectant agents, and among the best performers is the disaccharide trehalose. The current hypothesis links the efficiency of its protective role to strong modifications of the tetrahedral arrangement of water molecules in the sugar hydration shell, with trehalose forming many hydrogen bonds with the solvent. Here, we show, by means of state-of-the-art neutron diffraction experiments combined with EPSR simulations, that trehalose solvation induces very minor modifications of the water structure. Moreover, the number of water molecules hydrogen-bonded to the sugar is surprisingly small.

Structural Evidence for Inter-Residue Hydrogen Bonding Observed for Cellobiose in Aqueous Solution

“…Integration of g O4-Hw ( r ) (0–2.46 Å) gives ∼0.6–0.7 hydrogen bonds, and similar integration of g O5'Hw (r) gives roughly the same number of bonds. This is similar to previous studies that have shown similar under- hydration of X–O–X (X ≠ H) when compared to hydroxyl, carbonyl or carboxylate groups in water [43], [46], [48]…”

Construction of Novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Bioethanol Active Dry Yeast (ADY) Production

“…These results were consistent with the findings of Gadd et al that trehalose-enriched yeast cells have stronger tolerance to dehydration and desiccation than cells without enrichment [33]. The protective role of trehalose may be embodied by its substitution of water as well as its binding to the polar head groups of phospholipids and proteins to maintain the biological functions of these molecules under stressful conditions [34]. Thus, increased accumulation of intracellular trehalose may contribute to the higher cell viability of Z3-86 after dehydration and rehydration.…”

Proteins in Saccharides Matrices and the Trehalose Peculiarity: Biochemical and Biophysical Properties

“…The authors speculated that trehalose protective effects could be based on mechanisms not involving water mediation. In their report, most of water molecules in the first shell of trehalose are not strongly coordinated; this leaves trehalose hydroxyls capable to direct binding to other solutes [44]. However, the concentration dependence of sugar effects should be also taken into consideration.…”