{"title":"Terahertz spectroscopy as a method for investigation of hydration shells of biomolecules.","authors":"Nikita V Penkov","doi":"10.1007/s12551-023-01131-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hydration of biomolecules is one of the fundamental processes underlying the construction of living matter. The formation of the native conformation of most biomolecules is possible only in an aqueous environment. At the same time, not only water affects the structure of biomolecules, but also biomolecules affect the structure of water, forming hydration shells. However, the study of the structure of biomolecules is given much more attention than their hydration shells. A real breakthrough in the study of hydration occurred with the development of the THz spectroscopy method, which showed that the hydration shell of biomolecules is not limited to 1-2 layers of strongly bound water, but also includes more distant areas of hydration with altered molecular dynamics. This review examines the fundamental features of the THz frequency range as a source of information about the structural and dynamic characteristics of water that change during hydration. The applied approaches to the study of hydration shells of biomolecules based on THz spectroscopy are described. The data on the hydration of biomolecules of all main types obtained from the beginning of the application of THz spectroscopy to the present are summarized. The emphasis is placed on the possible participation of extended hydration shells in the realization of the biological functions of biomolecules and at the same time on the insufficient knowledge of their structural and dynamic characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":9094,"journal":{"name":"Biophysical reviews","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10643733/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Biophysical reviews","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-023-01131-z","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/10/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BIOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The hydration of biomolecules is one of the fundamental processes underlying the construction of living matter. The formation of the native conformation of most biomolecules is possible only in an aqueous environment. At the same time, not only water affects the structure of biomolecules, but also biomolecules affect the structure of water, forming hydration shells. However, the study of the structure of biomolecules is given much more attention than their hydration shells. A real breakthrough in the study of hydration occurred with the development of the THz spectroscopy method, which showed that the hydration shell of biomolecules is not limited to 1-2 layers of strongly bound water, but also includes more distant areas of hydration with altered molecular dynamics. This review examines the fundamental features of the THz frequency range as a source of information about the structural and dynamic characteristics of water that change during hydration. The applied approaches to the study of hydration shells of biomolecules based on THz spectroscopy are described. The data on the hydration of biomolecules of all main types obtained from the beginning of the application of THz spectroscopy to the present are summarized. The emphasis is placed on the possible participation of extended hydration shells in the realization of the biological functions of biomolecules and at the same time on the insufficient knowledge of their structural and dynamic characteristics.
期刊介绍:
Biophysical Reviews aims to publish critical and timely reviews from key figures in the field of biophysics. The bulk of the reviews that are currently published are from invited authors, but the journal is also open for non-solicited reviews. Interested authors are encouraged to discuss the possibility of contributing a review with the Editor-in-Chief prior to submission. Through publishing reviews on biophysics, the editors of the journal hope to illustrate the great power and potential of physical techniques in the biological sciences, they aim to stimulate the discussion and promote further research and would like to educate and enthuse basic researcher scientists and students of biophysics. Biophysical Reviews covers the entire field of biophysics, generally defined as the science of describing and defining biological phenomenon using the concepts and the techniques of physics. This includes but is not limited by such areas as: - Bioinformatics - Biophysical methods and instrumentation - Medical biophysics - Biosystems - Cell biophysics and organization - Macromolecules: dynamics, structures and interactions - Single molecule biophysics - Membrane biophysics, channels and transportation