Review: Use of residual dipolar couplings to determine the structure of carbohydrates

Solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is especially useful in the carbohydrate field. The measurement of residual dipolar couplings provides long-range structural information, a valuable complement for the structural study of carbohydrates either in its free form or in the bound state to proteins. They permit to deduce the geometry and the flexibility of the glycosidic linkages, which have a major influence on the conformation of carbohydrates and their overall shape. This article reviews the current application of the residual dipolar couplings methodology to carbohydrates.