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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Unraveling Entropic Rate Acceleration Induced by Solvent Dynamics in Membrane Enzymes
Published on: January 16, 2016
Protein and solvent dynamics: how strongly are they coupled?
G Caliskan1, D Mechtani, J H Roh
1Department of Polymer Science, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325-3909, USA.
Abstract:
Analysis of Raman and neutron scattering spectra of lysozyme demonstrates that the protein dynamics follow the dynamics of the solvents glycerol and trehalose over the entire temperature range measured 100-350 K. The protein's fast conformational fluctuations and low-frequency vibrations and their temperature variations are very sensitive to behavior of the solvents. Our results give insight into previous counterintuitive observations that protein relaxation is stronger in solid trehalose than in liquid glycerol. They also provide insight into the effectiveness of glycerol as a biological cryopreservant.
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