SOLUTION PROPERTIES OF COMPLEX POLYSACCHARIDES

该项目旨在研究化学物质之间的关系， 结构和复杂碳水化合物聚合物的溶液构象， 例如那些发生在真核细胞表面，在结缔组织中， 高等生物的组织，以及细胞外的囊和粘液中 各种微生物。 注意力将集中在细胞外 微生物多糖，其中许多是免疫原性的， 微生物感染宿主生物体。 的定量测量 将进行各种大分子溶液性质。 在 可直接从光线中获取的特殊空间和几何特征 散射和高分辨率核磁共振实验将 追究 这些特性也是可以定量计算的 从详细和现实的分子模型，使用理论方法， 构象分析和统计力学。 协议 观察和计算的结果可以产生信心，在物理 所用分子模型的真实性。 可靠的多糖链 可以使用模型，通常结合计算机图形技术， 了解一般的结构-构象关系 确定络合物的能量优选构象 碳水化合物聚合物。 这样的构象信息对于一个生物体的生物学行为是必不可少的。 了解介导的分子间相互作用， 许多这些材料的生物功能。

This project is designed to investigate the relationships between chemical structure and the solution conformation of complex carbohydrate polymers, such as those that occur at eucaryotic cell surfaces, in the connective tissue of the higher organisms, and in the extrcellular capsules and slimes of various microorganisms. Attention will be focussed on the extracellular microbial polysaccharides, many of which are immunogenic and essential for microbial infection of the host organisms. Quantitative measurements of various macromolecular solution properties will be carried out. In particular, spatial and geometric features accessible directly from light scattering and high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance experiments will be investigated. These characteristics are also calculable quantitatively from detailed and realistic molecular models using theoretical methods of conformational analysis and statistical mechanics. Agreement between observed and calculated results can engender confidence in the physical reality of the molecular models employed. Reliable polysaccharide chain models may be used, often in conjunction with computer graphics techniques, to understand the structure-conformation relationships in general and to identify the energetically preferred conformations of the complex carbohydrate polymers. Such conformational information is essential to an understanding of the intermolecular interactions that mediate the biological function of many of these materials.