The stability of proteins in an aqueous solution can be modified by the presence of osmolytes. The hydration sphere of stabilizing osmolytes is strikingly similar to the enhanced hydration sphere of a protein. This similarity leads to an increase in the protein stability. Moreover, the hydration sphere of destabilizing osmolytes is significantly different. These solutes generate in their surroundings so-called “structurally different...

The enhancing effect on the water structure has been confirmed for most of the osmolytes exhibiting both stabilizing and destabilizing properties in regard to proteins. The presented work concerns osmolytes, which should be classified as “structure breaking” solutes: taurine and N,N,N-trimethyltaurine (TMT). Here, we combine FTIR spectroscopy, DSC calorimetry and DFT calculations to gain an insight into the interactions between...

Interactions between osmolytes and hen egg white lysozyme in aqueous solutions were studied by means of FTIR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics. A combination of difference spectra method and chemometric analysis of spectroscopic data was used to determine the number of osmolyte molecules interacting with the protein, and the preferential interaction coefficient in presented systems. Both osmolytes – L-proline and trimethylamine-N-oxide...